Found a new kenpo place

[Headhunter]

So I have been trying to find a place to continue kenpo, for no other reason that I enjoy the style and I do want to continue it as it was the first art I ever trained and I want to keep learning and improving in it. A friend recommended one guy so I decided to give one last shot at it and see If there's any hope in getting back in.

I phoned up the guy and obviously due to the holidays his school wasn't open but he invited me to come down to his house for a one to one talk.

So I went down and met him. He's a quite short and to be honest overweight guy who is soft spoken but we spoke for a while and I liked what he had to say, I was also very very clear that I'd be training in other styles and not exclusively wih him and he had no issue with that. He offers training 4 days a week but due to my other stuff I can only train one of those days which I explained and he was fine with.

Then he asked if I wanted to do a quick training session. I think he wanted to see how good I was before he let me in his place and wear a black belt. Which I understand so was happy to do so. I performed some forms and he seemed happy and he did give me some good advice on improvements, then we drilled a few techniques and damm he was fast and hit hard. He only hit me with a small amount of power but god I felt it. Now I'm pretty strong and can take a shot but if he'd me with 100% no doubt in my eye I'd have gone down. But he seemed like a very knowledgable man but he also said he likes to mix things uo and sometimes have more physical classes where they blast through things and sometimes it's more theoretical which I'm happy with.

Obviously I won't know how things go until I do a class but on this initial meeting it seems all good so far

 

[Gerry Seymour]

So I have been trying to find a place to continue kenpo, for no other reason that I enjoy the style and I do want to continue it as it was the first art I ever trained and I want to keep learning and improving in it. A friend recommended one guy so I decided to give one last shot at it and see If there's any hope in getting back in.

I phoned up the guy and obviously due to the holidays his school wasn't open but he invited me to come down to his house for a one to one talk.

So I went down and met him. He's a quite short and to be honest overweight guy who is soft spoken but we spoke for a while and I liked what he had to say, I was also very very clear that I'd be training in other styles and not exclusively wih him and he had no issue with that. He offers training 4 days a week but due to my other stuff I can only train one of those days which I explained and he was fine with.

Then he asked if I wanted to do a quick training session. I think he wanted to see how good I was before he let me in his place and wear a black belt. Which I understand so was happy to do so. I performed some forms and he seemed happy and he did give me some good advice on improvements, then we drilled a few techniques and damm he was fast and hit hard. He only hit me with a small amount of power but god I felt it. Now I'm pretty strong and can take a shot but if he'd me with 100% no doubt in my eye I'd have gone down. But he seemed like a very knowledgable man but he also said he likes to mix things uo and sometimes have more physical classes where they blast through things and sometimes it's more theoretical which I'm happy with.

Obviously I won't know how things go until I do a class but on this initial meeting it seems all good so far

Sounds like a good prospect, HH. He sounds appropriately confident in his skills and teaching ability.

Your description has me wanting to join you there. The commute might be problematic, though.

 

[Headhunter]

Sounds like a good prospect, HH. He sounds appropriately confident in his skills and teaching ability.

Your description has me wanting to join you there. The commute might be problematic, though.

As long as the guy doesn't turn out to be a dick and the training has enough intensity I'm good. I mean I know kenpo has a lot of weaknesses and there's some very impractical stuff to it but at the end of the day I don't care about that anymore. I'm not looking to improve so I can fight I'm just looking to train and learn new stuff and as I said I know kenpo has a lot of weaknesses but its still a style I enjoy despite it so really I don't care and its more than likely the only one ill be doing until I'm in my 70s and 80s as its very unlikely ill still be training Muay Thai and bjj by then

 

[geezer]

So I have been trying to find a place to continue kenpo...I phoned up the guy and obviously due to the holidays his school wasn't open but he invited me to come down to his house for a one to one talk. So I went down and met him. He's a quite short and to be honest overweight guy...

Yep, overweight huh? That's a good sign in an older Kenpo instructor. Don't know why, but the better they get, the bigger they get. See "reason" no. 4 in the video below.

Master Ken at his best. He really knows how to roast kenpo ...because in real life the guy behind the mustache, Matt Page, is a kenpo instructor!

 

[Headhunter]

Always feel nervous when joining a new place wearing a previous rank especially black belt

 

[Headhunter]

Yep, overweight huh? That's a good sign in an older Kenpo instructor. Don't know why, but the better they get, the bigger they get. See "reason" no. 4 in the video below.

Master Ken at his best. He really knows how to roast kenpo ...because in real life the guy behind the mustache, Matt Page, is a kenpo instructor!

I've met matt page he's a real nice guy and he's actually very talented and got good knowledge and is extremely humble the exact opposite of the character he plays

 

[Gerry Seymour]

As long as the guy doesn't turn out to be a dick and the training has enough intensity I'm good. I mean I know kenpo has a lot of weaknesses and there's some very impractical stuff to it but at the end of the day I don't care about that anymore. I'm not looking to improve so I can fight I'm just looking to train and learn new stuff and as I said I know kenpo has a lot of weaknesses but its still a style I enjoy despite it so really I don't care and its more than likely the only one ill be doing until I'm in my 70s and 80s as its very unlikely ill still be training Muay Thai and bjj by then

I think a bit of impracticality can make for more interesting study when we get past the practical goals we start with (for those of us who started for practical purposes).

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Always feel nervous when joining a new place wearing a previous rank especially black belt

I agree. I always feel self-conscious when I first enter a new place wearing my BB. A version of the “imposter syndrome” in my case. For some reason, I never seem to get past that, in any area.

 

[geezer]

I think a bit of impracticality can make for more interesting study when we get past the practical goals we start with (for those of us who started for practical purposes).

Yeah, I feel the same when some noob to the forum thinks that we are claiming to have the ranks listed under our names! Like me: Grandmaster, and worse, you: Sr. Grandmaster!!! I mean honestly, Senior.??? You're not that old, are you???

 

[JR 137]

Yeah, I feel the same when some noob to the forum thinks that we are claiming to have the ranks listed under our names! Like me: Grandmaster, and worse, you: Sr. Grandmaster!!! I mean honestly, Senior.??? You're not that old, are you???

I’m currently a 3rd kyu. I was a shodan preparing for my nidan test in 2002. Sure, I’m a “Senior Master.” Senior Master Baiter maybe, but that’s probably stretching the truth too. It’s not like I have any great techniques to share or teach anyone anything new.

As the newbies ask: anyway to change my rank?

 

[JowGaWolf]

damm he was fast and hit hard. He only hit me with a small amount of power but god I felt it.

This is always a good sign in terms of having some insight into if someone understands how to drive power. I'm always amazed when I can tell I'm on the wrong end of a punch. It doesn't have to be hard in order to feel the power. You know with certainty that the power is there and that there is a lot of power that wasn't sent with that punch, which you instantly become grateful for. Even if a martial artist can't fight well or apply the techniques I respect what they have accomplished. If they have "mastered the ability to drive power" then it's something I want to eventual learn how to do.

I'm hoping to have an opportunity to spar with my Sigung next year and I already know that there will be a lot of that with him. To him it's going to feel like he's holding all of his power back but to me it's going to feel like I'm getting the crap beat out of me. But to have the opportunity before I get too old, is an adventure that I want to take.

I mean I know kenpo has a lot of weaknesses and there's some very impractical stuff to it but at the end of the day I don't care about that anymore.

I'm going to remember this statement to see if it changes after a few months of training under him. I wonder if the things that you think are impractical change after new insight.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Yeah, I feel the same when some noob to the forum thinks that we are claiming to have the ranks listed under our names! Like me: Grandmaster, and worse, you: Sr. Grandmaster!!! I mean honestly, Senior.??? You're not that old, are you???

My knees are.

 

[Headhunter]

I agree. I always feel self-conscious when I first enter a new place wearing my BB. A version of the “imposter syndrome” in my case. For some reason, I never seem to get past that, in any area.

Well I'm going to do a fair bit of practice before first lesson to get rid of the rust of some things since I've been away from it for a time

 

[Headhunter]

Well I spent my New Year's Eve doing every single kenpo form and set and every single technique and all I can say to that is.....night well spent lol the one benefit of your neighbours being off their heads drunk all night

 

[Touch Of Death]

What, pray tell, do you find impractical, about Kenpo?

 

[Headhunter]

What, pray tell, do you find impractical, about Kenpo?

A large number of the techniques

 

[Tames D]

The slapping techniques are pretty effective when your kids get out of line.

 

[Touch Of Death]

A large number of the techniques

Maybe you don't know them, at the right timing.

 

[Headhunter]

Maybe you don't know them, at the right timing.

No they're just unrealistic and dumb and plenty of other high ranking black belts agree with me

 

[Touch Of Death]

Name a few.