# Black Belt Requirements



## pete (Aug 31, 2003)

Hello All... I am new to Martial Talk and previously posted this on another Kenpo forum. I thank those few who did provide feedback on the other site, but still looking for more...

I am a Brown-1 and at the school I attend the owner/instructor has established his own syllabus based on a combination of "Old Parker" and "New Parker" techniques. We learn 20 techs per belt level, plus one form and one set. Sparring begins at Purple belt, and teaching starts at Brown-1. 

There are 170 techiniques to Black Belt, Forms through Long-4, and all of the sets versions 1 and 2. 200 teaching hours are required to be conducted between Brown-1 and Black, as well as a "mysterious" number of sparring "points" (i think he just wants consistency). A Thesis and Personal Form are required to be presented at your Black Belt test. There are no weapon forms before Black.

This seems reasonable and in line with much of what i've heard from others, however, without getting too far ahead of myself... the requirements from Black to 2nd degree are another 60 techniques, and to be able to perform all 230 techniques from both sides. Long-5 and Bo Staff Set are required, along with 400 teaching hours, more mysterious sparring points, another thesis and personal form. 

I guess my thoughts at this point are that teaching could have started earlier than brown-1 to begin earning the 200 hours.. i look at it that if i teach 1 hour per week, it will take me 4 years, and it may have been better to have started 2 years ago at brown-3.

And doing all techniques from both sides looks a bit daunting, especially with the extended techniques we learn at brown belt levels.

Just to clarify things, we do "Old" Parker Kenpo through Green Belt, and "New" Parker Brown-3 and up. So at Brown-2, Brown-1, and Black we are learning extensions to techniques we never learned to begin with, so to us they are Brand new techniques... although some are very similar and are actually extensions (Cross of Destruction is really a modification and extension of Bridge), but Clutching Feathers, Captured Leaves, Twisted Twig, etc are nothing like any other techniques we've learned at lower belt levels...

And my tone may be a little sarcastic regarding the sparring points, but it seems a little subjective while everything else in the program is very tangible.

Any comments, similarities / differences... 

thanks,
pete


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## Brenwulv (Aug 31, 2003)

> _Originally posted by pete _
> *
> This seems reasonable and in line with much of what i've heard from others, however, without getting too far ahead of myself... the requirements from Black to 2nd degree are another 60 techniques, and to be able to perform all 230 techniques from both sides. Long-5 and Bo Staff Set are required, along with 400 teaching hours, more mysterious sparring points, another thesis and personal form.
> 
> ...



While there is probably a few years wait between 1st and 2nd black 60 techs does seem a bit excessive.

On a related note, kinda, how do you do "old" and "new" Parker? The system was refined and done so that older techniques were no longer necessary or revised to be more efficient/realistic. Does you instructor have a specific reason to do them all?

As for the both sides of every technique, that depends on the person. I don't do it, nor am I required to. I feel why learn to do everything on both sides when I have other techniques that take care of those angles. That said however, I do see the need to be familiar with all aspects and angles, so doing _some_  techs on each side is reasonable. 

For instance Forms 4, 5, and 6 have you do techs both sides, so there you are familiar with for arguments sake 20 techs per from, 60 all together. Add your personal and that's another 10-15 (if you don't duplicate techs from lower forms). After that ramble I'm left with about 70 out of 154 or so techs, almost half. Take into account further that some extensions deal with the other sides of certain techniques, twirling sacrifice and crushing hammer off the top of my head, and you already have a handle on the opposite side of a lot of things. 

That's my take, but 230 techs both sides leaves you with 460 total techniques. To me that seems like a bit much. But again, just how I see it.


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