# American Kenpo Bu Jutsu



## Brad Dunne (Nov 17, 2007)

http://www.americankenpobu-jutsu.com/

Would appriciate any and all feedback regarding the above web site and it's context. A friend is wanting to start classes and asked for some input.


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## Empty Hands (Nov 17, 2007)

Well, they've clearly mastered the secret art of Teh Sexxay with that 5th dan black belt doing katana work in a shimmery camisole. 
http://brienicolemarie.americankenpobu-jutsu.com/

The website looks pretty loopy but who can say based on that.  The following doesn't look promising; "American Kenpo Bu-Jutsu is a system of self-defense in which people
learn how to end a confrontation...it is a no-holds barred system of self-defense. American Kenpo
Bu-Jutsu doesn't train with non-lethal techniques, nor does it train to back up after a technique is
executed. Students train to attack with the most lethal techniques in their arsenal and to keep
attacking until the threat is destroyed."  That sort of language and phraseology sets off alarm bells.

At the end of the day though, nothing you can find on the web will answer the matter for sure.  Have your friend go observe a class.  Even if your friend doesn't have alot of MA experience, that is still the best way to go.  Look for the presence of sparring (preferably continuous w/ some good contact), resistive training in the drills, and hard working students.  Look out for schools that refuse to spar, especially if they claim it is because their art is "too deadly."  Also look out for claims that their art is the most perfect in the universe, or anything about invincibility, no touch knockouts, and one hit kills.  On the McDojo side, look out for long, locked in contracts, or if they refuse to let you watch a class and sparring session without signing up.


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## arnisador (Nov 17, 2007)

> Shihan J.D. Womack, Soke-Dai, Chief Instructor
> Shichidan(7th Degree Black Belt)



**AVOID**


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## Carol (Nov 17, 2007)

They sure have a lot of Sokes....


*PROFESSOR**BRIE NICOLE MARIE**BRIAN RUNDUS**SOKE DAI JERRY D. WOMACK**SOKE JODAI WILLIAM D. MARTIN**MASTER MIKE DUBROW**SOKE JODAI CHET CHESHER**VICTORIA GILLEN**INTERNATIONAL SOKE-HEADFOUNDER SOCIETY**SOKE D.P. HUTTON**SOKE B.D. MILLER*​


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## Empty Hands (Nov 17, 2007)

Carol Kaur said:


> They sure have a lot of Sokes....



I noticed that.  Womack in particular looks like he got himself a dan rank every 2 years.  That isn't necessarily bad, but it can be a bad sign.


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## Empty Hands (Nov 17, 2007)

arnisador said:


> **AVOID**



Have some experience with the guy?  I admit to some curiosity if you feel like sharing.


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## arnisador (Nov 17, 2007)

Nope. Just what I saw on the website...absolutely classic.


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## jks9199 (Nov 17, 2007)

Carol Kaur said:


> They sure have a lot of Sokes....
> 
> 
> *PROFESSOR**BRIE NICOLE MARIE**BRIAN RUNDUS**SOKE DAI JERRY D. WOMACK**SOKE JODAI WILLIAM D. MARTIN**MASTER MIKE DUBROW**SOKE JODAI CHET CHESHER**VICTORIA GILLEN**INTERNATIONAL SOKE-HEADFOUNDER SOCIETY**SOKE D.P. HUTTON**SOKE B.D. MILLER*​


The biggest warning sign I caught on the front page was the "International Soke Head Founder Society"...

On top of that -- they seem to make a lot out of listing who certified various ranks.  My personal experience is that those who feel a need to justify or certify their ranks that way lack confidence in their ranks.

But, like has been said, the bottom line is that the only way to really assess them is to visit them.


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## almost a ghost (Nov 18, 2007)

http://www.americankenpobu-jutsu.com/professor.html

That just screams "Circle Jerk Clubs". Handing out rank, awards, and pats on the back for membership fees and dan rankings.


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## MarkBarlow (Nov 18, 2007)

I did get a laugh out of Professor/GM/Founder/Soke of America....Bradbury's bio.  He states ""I have been involved in the martial arts for forty-six (48) years"  Obviously, that little error has nothing to due with his proficiency as a martial artist, just tickled me.


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## stone_dragone (Nov 18, 2007)

I must have read that page for fifteen (20) minutes and missed that.  I feel like such a three (29) year old.


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## kroh (Nov 18, 2007)

Nothing beats going in and assessing the situation for yourself.  Everyone else made points about warning bells and what not.  It seems to me, based on the videos posted and literature on the site, that the folks here are running a hobby martial arts school with a focus on basics as better (less is more).

Lots of folks running around in both titles and uniforms that don't seem to quite fit.  But the atmosphere looks kind enough...

Not my cup of tea but if your friend is looking for a beginner program... have him/her take a peek and talk to them.

Regards, 
Walt


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## dianhsuhe (Nov 18, 2007)

Hey!  Take a look at this video before you make up your mind...

http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=398078

Oh yeah, also Bradbury did Pass the "Grandmaster test" so how can he not be legit?  LOL


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## MarkBarlow (Nov 18, 2007)

dianhsuhe said:


> Hey!  Take a look at this video before you make up your mind...
> 
> http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=398078
> 
> Oh yeah, also Bradbury did Pass the "Grandmaster test" so how can he not be legit?  LOL



That was just painful...but not in a good way.


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## jks9199 (Nov 18, 2007)

dianhsuhe said:


> Hey!  Take a look at this video before you make up your mind...
> 
> http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=398078
> 
> Oh yeah, also Bradbury did Pass the "Grandmaster test" so how can he not be legit?  LOL


I wasn't at all impressed by any of the videos I watched...  Lots of very bad movement, in my opinion.  Lots of silly exercises that I doubt would work with someone who wasn't already a believer.


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## Gentle Fist (Nov 18, 2007)

Some of these guys should try out for hollywood.  I would go somewhere else for instruction, this club looks very cultish and god only knows what they teach behind closed doors.


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## dianhsuhe (Nov 18, 2007)

jks9199:  I was kidding about the video... LOL

I have honestly never seen soo many Sokes, and "versions" of Sokes on one site.

I would definitely be hesitant about training there based on the web-site alone.


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## almost a ghost (Nov 19, 2007)

Empty Hands said:


> Well, they've clearly mastered the secret art of Teh Sexxay with that 5th dan black belt doing katana work in a shimmery camisole.
> http://brienicolemarie.americankenpobu-jutsu.com/



Holy crap! I just went all 6 of her pages which included 2-3 videos. Between the questionable (more like laughable) sword play and martial LARPing photos, there is no way she is really a 5th degree.


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## Brad Dunne (Nov 20, 2007)

I went and viewed. I offer this for review.

Technique shown; palm strike to the rear of the head, where the skull contours to the top of the neck. Instructor (6th Dan) stated that this was a lethal technique that will/can cause death. The force of the palm strike will/can seperate the brain from the brain stem.................


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## Blindside (Nov 20, 2007)

Brad Dunne said:


> I went and viewed. I offer this for review.
> 
> Technique shown; palm strike to the rear of the head, where the skull contours to the top of the neck. Instructor (6th Dan) stated that this was a lethal technique that will/can cause death. The force of the palm strike will/can seperate the brain from the brain stem.................


 
The palm to the base of the skull is completely valid, I've been almost KOd from relatively light shots there, but unless a person is incredibly powerful, I'm going to say that seperation of the brain from the brain stem is just silly.


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## Empty Hands (Nov 20, 2007)

Brad Dunne said:


> I went and viewed. I offer this for review.
> 
> Technique shown; palm strike to the rear of the head, where the skull contours to the top of the neck. Instructor (6th Dan) stated that this was a lethal technique that will/can cause death. The force of the palm strike will/can seperate the brain from the brain stem.................



Bullcrap.  They've obviously never tried it.  I would be willing to bet they also include the "Dim Mak" punch to the chest as a heart-stopping lethal technique.  Sure, the technique will work - as a one-in-a-million fluke that you would never, ever want to rely on for defending your life.

Such usually seems to be the case with the "ultra-lethal" "touch-of-death" types of arts.


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## almost a ghost (Nov 20, 2007)

Just went through the yahoo videos. You know the school is bad *** when an instructor is teaching class in a karate top and jeans. :lol:


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## kroh (Nov 20, 2007)

The people who really loose out is the students.  I managed to get enough bandwidth for a peek at some of the video.  Sigh.

I dunno... maybe I have it wrong.  Maybe I should make up my own martial art, promote myself to 50th degree black belt, grow a pot belly (c'mon... when have you ever seen one of these guys who was in shape) and wrap a peice of cloth around the wrong uniform and cover it like a NASCAR uniform.  

The people who go to these adult day cares seem to be happy with what they practice.  As long as they live nice safe lives and go out and buy a gun in case they forget their shinai (that is that bamboo thingie they were swangin around) or get into real trouble... I guess it is like any other hobby.  

Ok... Shutting my cake hole now and returning to my regularly scheduled war.

regards,
Walt


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## tellner (Nov 20, 2007)

Empty Hands said:


> Bullcrap.  They've obviously never tried it.



A good hard whack to the back of the head can be deadly. At the very least it can be disabling as I know from painful experience.


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## tellner (Nov 20, 2007)

Empty Hands said:


> Well, they've clearly mastered the secret art of Teh Sexxay with that 5th dan black belt doing katana work in a shimmery camisole.



I'm trying to avoid saying anything. But sometimes you just have to go against your better nature and wonder how many belts she has in her notch.


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## almost a ghost (Nov 20, 2007)

kroh said:


> I dunno... maybe I have it wrong.  Maybe I should make up my own martial art, promote myself to 50th degree black belt, grow a pot belly (c'mon... when have you ever seen one of these guys who was in shape) and wrap a peice of cloth around the wrong uniform and cover it like a NASCAR uniform.



You also forgot the step were you join at least a dozen orgs, a handful of "instructor" and "black belt" awards, dan stripes traded like baseball cards with friends/org members from other systems, some fuddy-duddy ranking in some "kung fu" system, and eventual "Chi" powers one gets.



> Ok... Shutting my cake hole now and returning to my regularly scheduled war.



Stay safe!


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## Empty Hands (Nov 20, 2007)

tellner said:


> A good hard whack to the back of the head can be deadly. At the very least it can be disabling as I know from painful experience.



Knock you out?  Sure.  Disable you for a while?  Why not. Hurt like a *****?  Of course.  Separate your brain from the brainstem?  I really don't think so.  Maybe if you used a club to increase the force delivered.


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## Empty Hands (Nov 20, 2007)

tellner said:


> I'm trying to avoid saying anything. But sometimes you just have to go against your better nature and wonder how many belts she has in her notch.



My better nature won.  I'm not saying anything.


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## ewhip (Nov 20, 2007)

Those guys have more stuff on their belts then a Russian novel.... geez. Silliness.


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## ewhip (Nov 20, 2007)

almost a ghost said:


> Holy crap! I just went all 6 of her pages which included 2-3 videos. Between the questionable (more like laughable) sword play and martial LARPing photos, there is no way she is really a 5th degree.


 
Yes, you can almost hear them counting "one.. two, one... two, one.. two" in those videos... Oh wait, she's also a POET, so clearly I just don't get it. LOL.


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## Jdokan (Nov 22, 2007)

almost a ghost said:


> Holy crap! I just went all 6 of her pages which included 2-3 videos. Between the questionable (more like laughable) sword play and martial LARPing photos, there is no way she is really a 5th degree.


As much as I try to always say something positive after seeing this young girl wearing a 5th....I am thankful for my little piece of the world.....Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!  Have a safe long weekend.


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## KenpoDave (Nov 22, 2007)

Blindside said:


> The palm to the base of the skull is completely valid, I've been almost KOd from relatively light shots there, but unless a person is incredibly powerful, I'm going to say that seperation of the brain from the brain stem is just silly.


 
I'm with you.  Look at an MRI of how close gray matter is to being unprotected at that point.  I think the strike is valid, but not for the reason described.


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## youngbraveheart (Nov 22, 2007)

almost a ghost said:


> http://www.americankenpobu-jutsu.com/professor.html


 
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica]*WOW!...*to all the degrees, titles, certificates, and memberships...must be quite expensive to keep up with all those memberships..._and I thought my work resume was long..._[/FONT]


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## Brad Dunne (Nov 22, 2007)

Appriciate all the feedback. I guess I'll just let a sleeping dog lie, so to speak. My friend is content with what he's being shown and by who is showing it, so it is what it is. Thanks again for everyones insights.


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## arnisador (Nov 22, 2007)

Brad Dunne said:


> Appriciate all the feedback. I guess I'll just let a sleeping dog lie, so to speak. My friend is content with what he's being shown and by who is showing it, so it is what it is.



That seems best--and as he actually studies there, he's in a better place to judge than are we.


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