# My first kenpo semiar



## Carol (Apr 29, 2006)

After 3 hours on the mat with an EPAK senior, I'm exhausted, humiliated, tested, and otherwise completely drained...and had the time of my life.

I can't wait for the next seminar...but migod, I hope they get easier!  The MT member that was with me in class said they do...I hope he is right


----------



## OnlyAnEgg (Apr 29, 2006)

Rock on!

Did you learn new stuff?  Tell us more!


----------



## stickarts (Apr 29, 2006)

Great experience! I agree that I would like to hear more details about what you learned!


----------



## green meanie (Apr 29, 2006)

Congrats on having such a wonderful experience. Tell us more!


----------



## Lisa (Apr 29, 2006)

Great news!  Please do tell us more.


----------



## Jonathan Randall (Apr 29, 2006)

Sounds great! Congratulations.

BTW, it must be great to be able to train with a fellow MT member.


----------



## Kenpo Mama (Apr 29, 2006)

So Carol, who was the seminar with? What was the topic?  And What did you "learn"?????  Please do share!   

Peace,

Donna


----------



## MJS (Apr 30, 2006)

Sounds like you had a great time!! Please share more details with us!:ultracool 

Mike


----------



## michaeledward (Apr 30, 2006)

Mr. Planas was visiting Hudson Kenpo in New Hampshire this weekend. Mr. Hogan and Mr. Planas discussed topics for the seminar, but didn't land on any one specific thing. So, I think Mr. Planas just started vamping. 

There may have been about 45 or 50 attendees at the seminar. The majority of which were Black and brown belts. I noticed, perhaps, a handful of green belts, one purple, and two yellow belts.

The seminar touched on the idea of grafting techniques. We started with Flashing Mace. Mr. Planas shortcuted the technique to eliminate the 'turn your back' portion of the technique. We grafted into Leaping Crane. We grafted into Snapping Twig. We grafted into some wrist locks and take downs. I think there were a couple of other technique grafts in the mix as well.

Mr. Planas hit many of his favorite motives:

Establish a base.
Eliminate any extra motion.
Weak basics, weak techniques. Strong basics, strong techniques.
Kenpo works because of "Pain, Realistic Position and Reaction".
As usual, Mr. Planas worked the brain much harder than working the body. There were quite a few comments from attendees that they were mentally drained after a couple of hours. I heard the term 'overload' from quite a few people.

I managed to get a private lesson in before the seminar. Mr. Planas and I worked a bit on the Two-Man Set (enough to send me back to the tape for another four viewings). We discussed the Prance of the Tiger/Shield and Mace technique pairing in Form Four. And then quickly ran through Long Form 2. We also ran through the technique 'Taming the Mace'.

Fun, Fun, Fun.


----------



## Carol (Apr 30, 2006)

Thank you so much for posting that Michael, you remember (and understand) a lot more than I do. Plus, I uhhh...fell dead asleep shortly after I posted mine :blush:

Mike, you also deserve uber-kudos for putting up with me ranting about how I couldn't keep up with the class very well...me being one of the pair of yellows. When I can't learn all I want to learn, I get visibly frustrated and that was quite apparant during the seminar.

Mr. Planas said "Every art has punches, blocks, and kicks." The only thing different about Kenpo is when and why we do them.

He talked about striking and how self defense is often about the bad guy making the first move. He then emphasized how important the first Kenpo strikes are. He said something that got the whole class laughing. "There are hits in Kenpo. The first is you hitting them. The second is them hitting the floor. 

This brought to mind something that my instructors have said. They will teach a technique, and then ask the class "When is the technique really over?" It's over at the first hard shot. (example: the handsword in Parting Wings.

He then mentioned three characteristics of Kenpo: Speed, Protection (??), Accuracy. 

He worked in a few anecdotes about SGM Parker as well. He mentioned that a core concept in Kenpo was to do as many things all at once as possible and joked that had we not needed at least one leg to stand on, Mr. Parker might have developed a way to get both arms and both legs engaged against an attacker at the same time. :roflmao:

It put my own training in a very, very different focus. My own school plays outside the lines of traditional EPAK, outside of an occasional reference to Mr. Parker. 

Through a gracious invitation by Michael and a very hospitable Mr. Hogan, I was able to meat each of them IRL for the first time last month. It is then that I had been able to confirm what I had suspected...but never actually known:  Mr. Mike Hogan was my instructor's instructor.

Training with Mr. Hogan and Mr. Planas was like having the equivalent of my "Mommy, where did I come from" finally being answered. 

I'm still trying to digest it all.

Mr. Planas was kind enough to indulge me for a digi. Now my MT profile has a picture.


----------



## Hand Sword (May 1, 2006)

Now that it is over and you're thinking back about it... Great feeling Huh?

It'll get better!


----------



## Carol (May 1, 2006)

Hand Sword said:
			
		

> Now that it is over and you're thinking back about it... Great feeling Huh?
> 
> It'll get better!


 
Indeed.   Plus, there's the added giddiness of...OMG I did actually make it all the way through


----------



## MJS (May 1, 2006)

AWESOME!! Sounds like both of you had a fantastic time!!!

Thanks for the review!

Mike


----------



## KenpoTess (May 1, 2006)

Excellent Carol 

Say, what do the tabs on your belt mean?  Just curious 

Glad you had a good time ~!

~Tess


----------



## terryl965 (May 1, 2006)

Carol it dose sound like you had fun with that I nust say congrats for making it all the way though the 3 hrs., it does take will power for this being your first one.
Terry


----------



## Carol (May 1, 2006)

Hi Tess!

My school does a lot of things that are different.  Our belt track is less rigorous than textbook EPAK but we have more fitness/fighting requirements that textbook EPAK programs.  Not saying that's good or bad...just...what we do.  

We do stripe testing once a month. The instructors assess how we are doing with techniques, forms, and fitness requirements.  If we pass, we get a black stripe (except for the 3rd stripe).  6 stripes minimum per belt are required for promotion.  Belts aren't guaranteed, but with 6 tests per belt, everyone gets a lot of feedback to compare where we are vs. where we need to be.  

Our belt cycle is every 3 months.  So...every 3 months the testing is much more rigorous.  For the 3rd stripe, if the student passes, they earn a colored stripe indicative of the rank they are working towards.   The 6th stripe is followed by belt graduation at the end of that week, but generally everyone knows before the 6th test whether or not they are on track to graduate.

I guess I took a long time to say...4 months in to my training at the yellow belt level = 4 stripes on my belt.


----------



## Carol (May 1, 2006)

terryl965 said:
			
		

> Carol it dose sound like you had fun with that I nust say congrats for making it all the way though the 3 hrs., it does take will power for this being your first one.
> Terry


 
The credit truely goes to Michael Edward.  Had he not been there to encourage me, practice with me, and steadfastly keep me going while I was venting out of frustration and exhaustion, I moste certainly would not have made it through.


----------



## KenpoTess (May 1, 2006)

Thanks Carol~!  That makes sense 

~Tess


----------

