# American Kenpo and XMA do not mix!



## Yondanchris (Mar 27, 2013)

Title says it all

American Kenpo and XMA do not mix! 
I really don't want to see this at the next tournament I am judging
I already get a lot of "XMA" and I really don't want to see it "American Kenpo'ised"
Please tell me you guys don't see this at tournaments where you are either...please!!!


[video=youtube_share;jIENm766dEQ]http://youtu.be/jIENm766dEQ[/video]


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## MJS (Mar 27, 2013)

To be honest, I wasn't impressed.


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## clfsean (Mar 27, 2013)

MJS said:


> To be honest, I wasn't impressed.



Me neither but that wasn't XMA in his defense. That was just poorly performed trying to be "showy",


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## SahBumNimRush (Mar 27, 2013)

I agree, nothing "Xtreme" about that (i.e. no gymnastics, crazy costumes, etc).  Although the last few seconds looked like something from west side story.. . 

However, I agree with the OP in that I don't wish to see XMA at my tournaments.


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## celtic_crippler (Mar 27, 2013)

No surprise...

Kenpo=Practical

XMA=Impractical


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## Blindside (Mar 27, 2013)

Yondanchris said:


> Title says it all
> 
> American Kenpo and XMA do not mix!
> I really don't want to see this at the next tournament I am judging
> ...



Looked more like a kenpo guy who "karatezied" his form to be able to compete in hard style Japanese/Korean forms divisions rather than an XMA division.

And no I didn't like it.


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## sfs982000 (Mar 27, 2013)

We have XMA at my school and I personally think it's a big waste of time.  It's not practical and honestly doesn't look that impressive to me.  Luckily the only ones that actually practice the XMA stuff is the young kids, I guess if it keeps them actively training and out of trouble more power to them.


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## Blindside (Mar 27, 2013)

I consider XMA to be the same type of thing as performance wushu.  Cool to look at, very athletic, and I would be perfectly happy with my kids doing it, but don't sell it as having a self-defense purpose.  My older son is in gymnastics, which I consider to be pretty much the same thing, he has fun, is learning to cool flips, is getting fit, and learning a good kinesthetic sense.  And to be honest, most of the "kiddie karate" that is out there, even if traditionally oriented, are really not teaching good self-defense skills anyway.  

The down side of participating in tournaments with XMA divisions is you get conversations like this:

my wife: "you should do a flip in form."
me: "no, I shouldn't."
my wife: "it would look cool"
me: "and silly, and in that division you apparently have to yell alot, strain like you are going to have an aneurysm, and pose like in a video game.'
my wife: "it would look cool"
me: "aarrgh."


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