American
Kenpo Legacy
Free Downloads
Kenpo Never
Changes . . .
by Kevin
Lamkin
In the late 1980's, I was fortunate to have several encounters
with Ed Parker concerning
American Kenpo. After attending several seminars with various Kenpo
"masters" I had the conclusion that everyone was
teaching American Kenpo their own way, yet claiming that it was the
way Ed Parker taught them. This prompted me to call Ed Parker and inquire
as to which method of Kenpo was correct. Ed Parker seemed to have a
photographic memory. He began our conversation asking about my progress
since our last encounter. This impressed me because he remembered so
much about me in spite of the numerous people that contacted him daily.
I asked Mr. Parker (he preferred to be called 'Ed')
why the American Kenpo in his own organization had so much variance
between schools. He seemed agitated about this question, yet I went
further to inform him that the instructor who had hosted a recent seminar
stated that this was because Ed Parker is always changing the system.
Before I could complete my sentence, Mr. Parker interrupted and firmly
stated,
"Kenpo Never Changes, it Perpetually Refines
Itself."
He added, "Very few instructors understand this
parable. What it refers to is this; My system should be taught from
the base system, The Ideal Phase of each technique. I will be starting
a limited franchise of schools next year (1988). Each school will teach,
as all should, the techniques, basics and forms identically. What the
instructor is charged to do is to "tailor" the
technique - after the Ideal Phase is understood.
In this way, Kenpo remains the same and is refined perpetually for the
student."
He went further saying, "What
has happened is because my organization is so large, a few self-serving
individuals have disenfranchised themselves from the whole of the organization.
They then began to teach their what was tailored for themselves. After
a couple of generations of this, then the art is lost."
I asked him why anyone would be arrogant enough to
change his system and then to state the Ed Parker was doing American
Kenpo wrong ( he excommunicated a few individuals for this). He asked
me, "Do you remember an article about my system in Inside Karate
in the 1970's in which I gave the example of how my black belts are
trained to be independent thinkers?"
I told him, "Yes, in fact I have a special file
that contains all of your magazine articles and interviews all the way
back to Time (1964).
"Well", he said, "What I said was
that you can take 10 of my black belts and ask each one of them to perform
the same technique and you would observe the technique performed 10
different ways."
"Now, many of these guys took this as license
to do their own thing, but it wasn't. Everyone should tailor the art
to themselves, but instructors should always teach the system the same.
This way, when you take lessons from different instructors, you will
get quality instruction. Tailoring from the same base Ideal Phase of
a technique can then be a rewarding and personal experience for the
student. The advanced student will then be able to understand the pinnacle
of the Kenpo system, the Family
Grouping of Kenpo. With the family
groupings you will be able to reduce all the Kenpo techniques into 18
categories with one defense for each category. For instance, there is
basically only one defense for a straight-on wrist grab. It is how the
equation formula is applied that makes up the individual characteristics
for each technique. You can add a move in the beginning, middle, or
the end and several other things to tailor a Master Key move to a specific
attack."
The Family Groupings and Master Key moves were of
special interest to me. I spent the next two years in these topics for
my 5th degree black belt thesis. It has since been refined to completion.
Ed Parker went on to make it clear that I understood
that "Kenpo Never Changes, It Perpetually Refines Itself."
He concluded our discussion by announcing that he will begin his
video tape system in 1988 and that franchise rights will be offered
to teach his system to those who became sponsors for his video tape
series. It was very expensive but wit it he gave credits at the end
of the videos to those who sponsored him. You will find the names of
Kevin Lamkin, Eric Lamkin and five others listed in the credits of his
only two completed tapes, Advanced Concepts and Principles of Kenpo.
He also send other tapes of his complete system, "performed exactly
as they should be taught."
It is because of these clarifications that the American
Kenpo Legacy Association is dedicated to teach American Kenpo Karate
as it existed before Ed Parker's death.
I hope that these ideas will bring illumination to
you as it has to me. Keep Ed Parker's vision of Kenpo alive!
Kevin Lamkin 7-19-98
