kenpotroop
Green Belt
what belt is Mr. Parker
Ed Parker Jr.
- Thread starter youngbraveheart
- Start date
Belts are just pieces of cloth, ranks are just paper. My understanding is that Mr. Parker is quite good. Further he brings the knowlege of one who was actually present during the rise of american Kenpo and close friendships with many of the greatest Kenpoists in the world.
Jeff
Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
I am always amazed, Doc, at the number of people who still mistake the chalkboard for the lesson it's used to communicate. I would take Edmund's intuitive understanding of the concepts and principles the techniques are supposed to teach over a black belt in the concept-free choreography many practice as motion kenpo any day. All those years...growing up within arms reach of the old man as he's working out ideas in his head and needs a warm body to interact with...I'd bet he's seen more hours of private information exchange and the thought processes behind the techniques with Mr. Parker, Sr., than any of the seniors did.
D.
ArmorOfGod
Senior Master
Come on, it was a legitimate question worthy of an answer.
Does anyone know what rank Mr. Parker is?
AoG
I stand by my point. Belt Rank means very little. Im he had a tenth people would say it was just because of his father. If he wears a brown belt people will ask what does he have to offer. What is important is that he has been a remarkable ambassador for his father's art. Edmund has trained with the best and I've been told is quite good. I believe that he reviewed the commercial system through First Black under Lee Wedlake. I know he studied with Doc Chapel.
Jeff
OP
OP
youngbraveheart
Green Belt
He was wearing a black belt (don't know what degree) with his black gi...
Alot of people might disagree with this.
Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
Edmund was training in the core cirriculum with other members of the kenpo community. Anyone doubting he knows the techniques, take a look at the kenpo kards. As Edmund pointed out to me in converstaion, he's been in the Parker kenpo world long enough to know what the critics would say about each card, and to design it in such a way as to pre-empt the nay-sayers. That, inciodentally, requires a knowledge of the technical core.
He hooked up with Ron "Doc" Chapel, one of Ed Parker Sr.'s highest ranking students, from whom he recieved his black belt. If you have any doubts about the legitimacy, lineage, or effectiveness, feel free to either contact Doc Chapel, or take a poke at Edmund when no witnesses are around or cameras on, and see what happens. I, for one, would find the outcome horribly entertaining. (go ahead...poke the bear).
Edmund's travelling partner is Sean Kelley. You can also take up any concerns about Edmunds rank or capability with Sean; I'm sure he also would have some choice recommendations for you.
You simply cannot grow up in the Parker household without being exposed to a rich vein of martial science. To think otherwise is silly. The criticism leveled against Edmund by other American Kenpo Karate practitioners is that he may not practice all the forms and sets. The absurdity of that criticism is that over half of the senior practitioners in the art do not; they are mechanically poorpy contrived in the later long forms, and the sets are considered busy-work even by some of the guys who co-wrote them.
Dave Crouch
I don't think anyone is questioning his abilities. They just want to know what his current rank is.
He wore a black belt (at his seminar held at my studio a couple of years ago). That's all that matters to me. His knowledge of Kenpo is awesome. His humility is evident. He doesn't seem to desire to show his dan rank. Nothing wrong with that.... The difference between dans tend to blur more as the years go by and measurement of knowledge above first black is not as clear cut as with the colored belts. The mark of a BB is evident in the way of conduct and motion, not just by the number and width of the stripes.
- Ceicei
- Ceicei
Doc
Senior Master
None of my students, (including Edmund) or I display rank, nor do we feel it is relevant to discuss such things in public. Why should it be so important? We come from the Chinese where there are only two ranks. Student and teacher. Focus on the man, his knowledge, and skills. If you want to know someone's rank, get on the floor with them, and assign whatever you will when you get through. Your opinion will always be what you value the most.
Edmund's rank? "Ambassador." If you don't like the answer, make up your own.
Edmund's rank? "Ambassador." If you don't like the answer, make up your own.
I don't think the question was meant with any ill intent, as the belt system, right or wrong, and the titles that go with it, are the dominant measuring stick now a days. However, the truth is, as we have seen with the unlimitted number of Grand Masters, Soke's, and everything else coming out of the woodwork lately, Getting it is more important than wearing it. If Doc and certain others, who are impeccable in the Kenpo world, have come out and stated that they vouch for Mr. Parker's abilities, that, IMHO should be enough.
If for nothing else, as was pointed out earlier, all of his time was spent around Mr. Parker Sr., and his first BB's. I would think something "seeped in", at the very least. That something, at this point, is priceless and very rare.
If for nothing else, as was pointed out earlier, all of his time was spent around Mr. Parker Sr., and his first BB's. I would think something "seeped in", at the very least. That something, at this point, is priceless and very rare.
Kenpojujitsu3
Master Black Belt
Only the ones that don't know any better. I've seen awesome first degree black belts that know the entire system and terrible 7th degree black belts that can't do forms that show up on 2nd Black
OP
OP
youngbraveheart
Green Belt
My bachelor's degree is in architecture, so I have been exposed to art in one form or another. After seeing some of Mr. Parker's artwork and hearing him tell me that he is an artist and ART is his passion impressed me a lot because of his honesty and humility. This left more of an impression than someone who might say that martial arts was their life passion. Also, Mr. Parker's support of The Professor William KS Chow Memorial Seminar (hosted by Master Bill Chun Jr.) by being there showed me that he is one of the "nice guys." The beautiful memorial plaque will be presented to the YMCA in Hawaii in memory of Professor Chow. Mr. Parker said that he would fly himself out there to be a part of that.
(For those of you who couldn't attend, you missed seeing the second generations of martial artists representing their fathers: Bill Chun Jr., Ed Parker Jr., and Thomas Mitose. I got to see them all in one room - Master Chun's parlor suite on Friday night before the seminar, including Grandmaster Emil Bautista, Grandmaster Joe Davis, Professor Sean Kelley, Master Wilfrid Peladeau, Sigung Rob Peladeau, Sensei Brian Peladeau, and Bobby Carreon.)
(For those of you who couldn't attend, you missed seeing the second generations of martial artists representing their fathers: Bill Chun Jr., Ed Parker Jr., and Thomas Mitose. I got to see them all in one room - Master Chun's parlor suite on Friday night before the seminar, including Grandmaster Emil Bautista, Grandmaster Joe Davis, Professor Sean Kelley, Master Wilfrid Peladeau, Sigung Rob Peladeau, Sensei Brian Peladeau, and Bobby Carreon.)
Your absolutely right. But let me ask you a question: Do you think of your accomplishments as 'just cloth and paper'?
kidswarrior
Senior Master
Niiiice!!
You misunderstand me. Accomplishments aren't just cloth and paper, belts and degrees are. Belts and degrees do not tell you how good someone is and at some level are meaningless. I was very proud of earning my Black belt but it has been the journey and not the belt that are really important.
Jeff
Kembudo-Kai Kempoka
Senior Master
My terse tone reflects my disgust with the idea that the message is no good if the messenger isn't peppered in red stripes and bars. If an absolute novice makes public the observation that, "If you're choking me, and I shove this flaming hot blow-torch where the sun don't shine and crank up the heat, you're apt to let go", the first thing people do is question his rank and experience to make such a statement. As if it would not be true unless there was a ton of red on the belt.
Doc used a phrase here on MT regarding rank that I just dug: "Everything I need to know is above my shoes and between my ears."
Maybe if a 9th or 10th shoves the flaming hot blow torch where the sun don't shine, and turns the flame up higher, people will actually let go the choke? Although I'm sure it doesn't hurt if a mere 1st-thru-8th degree black does it. And won't cause any pain at all if performed by a white belt.
D.
With regards to Mr. Parker (you know,... the topic of this thread?) If he belongs to a style that doesn't acknowledge belt colors, so be it. Some styles tend to do this. However, again, he came up around the Kenpo ancients, and old schoolers, including Mr. Parker senior. The kenpo he has learned, which has been backed up by those people, is legit, as are they. If art is his first passion in life, don't down play that, or think of him as less than another martial artist. He's not his father (no one is), he's an individual person, as we all are, and shouldn't have the pressure of living up to a legend's standards thrust upon him. As for a rank, speaking from the point of view that is unknowledgeable to pm's emails, etc.. that have been exchanged, that is fueling the current debate, it doesn't matter. It doesn't, with regard to any of us. We all make our contributions in one way or another. At the same time, the question of his rank, asked by someone who is just asking, there's nothing wrong with that, or any negative tones. If none is used in his system, that's all that needed to be said.
We're all here to talk and learn from each other. Questions are o.k.
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We're all here to talk and learn from each other. Questions are o.k.
We're all here to talk and learn from each other. Questions are o.k..
Absolutely. Not everyone that comes to MartialTalk knows all the nuances of Kenpo politics. Usually, the only stupid question is the one that DOESN'T get asked...if I'm recalling my college professors correctly.
