my idea of what Kenpo is

[madeku]

i believe in a way, its not merely a martial art.. but a martial language.. how easily it is to explain something in kenpo.. other arts, i dunno they seem they would be hard to understand in terms of discription of movement or principles..

its nice to have a convenient label for everything we do.. in theory you could apply this language to just about any art.. Aikido and BJJ come to mind first. but obviously others..

how easy it is to share techniques in written form without illustration.. its something awesome.. maybe its just my limited experience with martial arts.. but I see Kenpo as a Language that can be used to understand other arts as well as itself.

[Takai]

I have found that every martial art that I have encountered has similarities in some form or another with Kenpo. All of them are just variations on theme. They may be emphasizing something that you may not see in your normal training but, the fact that a lot of those techinques or principles fit almost seamlessly into the curriculum is somthing that I have found to be very encouraging.

IMHO, I have that all the martial arts that I have been exposed to are all from generally the same language, it is only the dialect that varies.

[Mikael151]

I think it's brilliant the way SGM Parker organized things in a way where they could be learned in American culture, in our language, and our way of thinking.

[madeku]

I think it's brilliant the way SGM Parker organized things in a way where they could be learned in American culture, in our language, and our way of thinking.

i think thats what i was getting at.. it's a language that the american martial artist can look at and understand the arts in general... its like i try reading on Aikido and JoJutsu and all these japanese words and stuff confuse me cos i cant remember any of them between when i read American Kenpo you can usually know what kind of technique it is off the name.. Thundering Hammers, 5 Swords, etc

[Celtic_Crippler]

It is kinda cool, ain't it?

[Ceicei]

Yep. It definitely is a strong point for Kenpo!

- Ceicei

[Doc]

So why is it we have such a hard time explaining HOW to do something in a forum. Most can tell you WHAT to do easily. HOW you actually achieve it is another story. Sure the language is unique in the martial arts. I was there as much of it was built, but it is far from complete in the actually execution area. This from Ed Parker himself, as he began to work on just that. The abstract conceptual is pretty good though.

Example: Someone describe exactly HOW you PIN the hands in any of the techniques. Say something like 'Clutching Feathers.' Everyone knows you 'pin.' It easy to just say 'pin his hand.' Easier said than done.

(Sorry to break up the party)

[lenatoi]

"Easier said than done." I think that's the opposite of what you were trying to say Doc. ----- Or did you mean "no pun intended"

[madeku]

Example: Someone describe exactly HOW you PIN the hands in any of the techniques. Say something like 'Clutching Feathers.' Everyone knows you 'pin.' It easy to just say 'pin his hand.' Easier said than done.

(Sorry to break up the party)

I get what yer saying.. its like for some throws and locks its hard to explain in written word.. like "apply a butterfly lock to the attacker's handwrist". "okay, what the heck is a butterfly lock?" ya know? if you have to go in depth and explain the intricacies, you lose the idea of the language.. for pins, checks, throws, and locks.. if you could describe them all in a standardized, straightforward language in text with all the subtleties and nuances, you wouldnt need instructors as much.. ppl could get to purple or blue and just learn Kenpo off the internet. lol

one such pin would be the attacker has a 2 handed lapel grab on you..

after some sort of attack to divert the attacker's focus (say a hammerfist to the nose) with the right hand, the Right Hand goes overtop of both attacker's arms, grabs at the insde of the attacker's right hand/wrist, pulls downward and anchors the right elbow tightly to right side.. while the left hand does whatever its little heart desires.

thats quite alot to condense, obviously it could be condensed somewhat, and elaborated more.. possibly that left hand does a strike/break to the attacker's right elbow (or specifically the ulnar nerve) while you're pinning the arm... depending on how anal a person is.. i dunno im tired as hell. lol