Kenpo/Kempo Roll Call

[white eagle]

I study in the Villari Shaolin Kempo System in Wisconsin

 

[jay72]

Shaolin kempo independant school Cerio/Villari styles

 

[Ronin Moose]

American Kenpo (with an occasional Tracy technique thrown in)

 

[guito]

american kenpo . LARRY TATUM KENPO KARATE ASSOCIATION IN PUERTO RICO.:uhyeah:

 

[kempojack]

Shaolin kempo (Villari)

 

[Mekugi]

Tenshin Koryu Kempo - Owari branch, Nagoya, Japan.

 

[TIGER DRAGON FIGHT]

of the few who will admit it.

shaolin chuan fa (united studios of self defense) under professor charles mattera

 

[Mark Weiser]

I study American Kenpo under Lamkin and I also study Jun Bao Wu Shu under James Ibaro the very first blackbelt under SGM Parker.

Sincerely,
Mark Weiser

 

[Doc]

I study American Kenpo under Lamkin and I also study Jun Bao Wu Shu under James Ibaro the very first blackbelt under SGM Parker.

Sincerely,
Mark Weiser

Sorry sir Mr. Ibao was Ed Parkers second black belt not first, and received it in less than a year of training, (9 months) before moving on to other study. Mr. Parker's undisputed 1st black belt, according to Ed Parker, was Mr. Charles Beeder, now deceased of Utah.

By the way, his name is IBRAO not Ibaro.

 

[Bill Lear]

Sorry sir Mr. Ibao was Ed Parkers second black belt not first, and received it in less than a year of training, (9 months) before moving on to other study. Mr. Parker's undisputed 1st black belt, according to Ed Parker, was Mr. Charles Beeder, now deceased of Utah.

By the way, his name is IBRAO not Ibaro.

Why does James Ibrao call himself Ed Parker's first Black Belt? Is there some kind of misunderstanding here or is it intentional misinformation on Mr. Ibrao's part? Here it is on his website: KenpoKarate.com (Sentence three under "Hard Hitting Kenpo").

Hard Hitting Kenpo​

Now for all of you out there who have illusions about some magical climb to Black Belt; let me explain a few things. When I started, there were only three belts, White, Brown and Black. It is true that I was the first man to achieve Black Belt under Ed Parker and it is true that I achieved this goal in only nine months. However, these things were not as important as the fact that not only was I determined to achieve these goals, I was driven to see that belt knotted around my waist. Back then, study was much more intensive and the judging of any artist was on the basics; ability, quality, coordination, speed and power of your techniques. In those days the only way to test your abilities was to really hit! While not very practical and in retrospect not very prudent, it did develop something in us that our current counterparts will never know.


:idunno:

 

[Doc]

Why does James Ibrao call himself Ed Parker's first Black Belt? Is there some kind of misunderstanding here or is it intentional misinformation on Mr. Ibrao's part? Here it is on his website: KenpoKarate.com (Sentence three under "Hard Hitting Kenpo").

Hard Hitting Kenpo​

Now for all of you out there who have illusions about some magical climb to Black Belt; let me explain a few things. When I started, there were only three belts, White, Brown and Black. It is true that I was the first man to achieve Black Belt under Ed Parker and it is true that I achieved this goal in only nine months. However, these things were not as important as the fact that not only was I determined to achieve these goals, I was driven to see that belt knotted around my waist. Back then, study was much more intensive and the judging of any artist was on the basics; ability, quality, coordination, speed and power of your techniques. In those days the only way to test your abilities was to really hit! While not very practical and in retrospect not very prudent, it did develop something in us that our current counterparts will never know.


:idunno:

A good question for sure. Perhaps someone will ask him and get a answer. He is the first in Pasadena. Maybe that is what he meant, but of course I really don't know. With the exception of Ibrao statements, this fact is not really in dispute.

 

[Bill Lear]

Here's another page written by Will Tracy: Click Here.

Ed Parker's First Shodan

by:
Will Tracy​

There are some who say that Charles Beeder was Ed Parker's first black belt. There is no doubt that Charles Beeder was Ed's first brown belt, and that Ed may have owed his very existence as a martial arts master in no small part to the support that Charles Beeder gave him. Beeder was one of Ed's first students when Ed began teaching at Brigham Young University in 1951. Ed, however, was a Shodan at the time, and despite what others may claim, a Shodan had no authority to promote another Shodan. Additionally, there has never been a certificate come to light that shows the Ed promoted Beeder to anything other than Ikkyu (first degree brown belt) while he was at BYU. To claim otherwise would be to state that Ed Parker was dishonest. He was not. I began training with Ed Parker in 1957, and knew him to be a completely honorable man at the time - and I don't believe he was anything but honorable before I met him. Nor do I believe he would have betrayed the honor of his belt rank by promoting someone he had no authority to promote.
Ed was promoted to Sandan (third degree black belt) after he opened his studio in Pasadena in 1956, and about the same time, he formed the Kenpo Karate Association of America. During this period, Ed always referred to Charles Beeder and the others at BYU as his Utah brown belts.
When James Ibrao was promoted to black belt, Ed made it clear that this was his first black belt.
The best information available is that Ed Parker officially promoted Charles Beeder and some of his other former BYU students to black belt after the IKKA was formed in 1963 - and presented them with their certificates when they were printed in 1964. It can rightfully be said that Charles Beeder was the first one Ed trained for black belt, but the honor of Ed's first black belt goes to James Ibrao.

WAS JAMES IBRAO ED PARKER'S FIRST PASADENA BLACK BELT?

This site has tried to avoid the dissention that has racked American Kenpo. I have tried to remain out of the controversy that has sprung up around my brother, Al Tracy. I have no association with him, and do not even talk to him. I certainly am not one of his supporters. I am, however, a firm supporter of Sifu Ibrao; and of late some of Ed Parker's later black belts (those promoted after those listed on this site) have claimed that Rich Montgomery, and not James Ibrao, was Ed's first black belt in Pasadena. One has gone so far as to state that both James Ibrao and Rich Montgomery were only white belts when he began training in February 1959. And his supporters even go so far as to present a group photograph taken in 1960 (a portion of which is below) which shows Rich Montgomery and James Ibrao seated; and because their black belts are not visible, they present this as proof they were only white belts at the time.

The reader can judge whether this proves anything; the dark area on the left of Rich Montgomery's gi where a belt would be, and the two dark areas on either side of Sifu Ibrao's waist only show that the area is dark. There is no way of telling if this is even a belt, let alone a black, brown, or white belt. The person kneeling between Sifu Ibrao and Rich Montgomery was a brown belt at the time, but his belt does not show either. The person seated to the far right (facing the photo) is my brother, Jim Tracy, and while only three brown tips are showing on his belt, he actually had four tips at the time. (Ed Parker did not introduce the 4 brown tips in his belt system until June 1960.) Both Rich Montgomery and Sifu Ibrao were Jim Tracy's instructors. That leads to the logical conclusion, that if Rich and Sifu were only white belts when this picture was taken, then Jim Tracy outranked his own instructors.
This, of course, is absurd. The following pictures were taken in 1957 at Ed Parker's original studio. This studio was a store front on Walnut Street with a garage entrance on the side street. The studio was closed in 1958 when Ed Parker the studio across across the street and down a few block near where he would was building his new studio which he opened not long after that. The new studio had entirely different lighting fixtures, walls, etc.

The photograph clearly shows James Ibrao with a dark belt, kicking Ed Parker. At this time there were only white, brown and black belts in Ed Parker's system. Color belts were not added until after 1964. It is not important whether Sifu Ibrao is wearing a brown or black belt in these photographs. What is obvious is that he is not wearing a white belt in any of the photographs.

This photograph was taken in early 1957, when James Ibrao was a brown belt.

Now it should be obvious to any reasonable person that if the old studio was closed in 1958, any photographs taken there had to have been taken prior to its closing. (This may seem oversimplified, but it is beyond the comprehension of those who claim Sifu Ibrao was a white belt in 1960.) And it is also obvious that a photograph taken prior to 1958, is older than one taken in 1960; and it should also be obvious that if Sifu Ibrao was a brown belt in the old studio, then he was certainly not a white belt in 1960.

This group photograph, taken in 1957 shows James Ibrao (Ed Parker's right side) and Ben Otake (Ed Parker's left side) as brown belts. (Ben Otake left Ed Parker to train with Oshima before Ed opened his new school.) Rich Montgomery is kneeling on the left (Ed Parker's right) and is wearing a white belt. And for the record, Sifu Ibrao was promoted to black belt not long after this photo was taken.

 

[Mekugi]

Bill,

Great info and very well sourced, cited and thought out!


While I was reading this, I kept thinking "Didn't Mr. Parker date, sign and seal his certificates??"

 

[Doc]

Here's another page written by Will Tracy: Click Here.

Ed Parker's First Shodan

by:
Will Tracy​

... Beeder was one of Ed's first students when Ed began teaching at Brigham Young University in 1951. Ed, however, was a Shodan at the time, and despite what others may claim, a Shodan had no authority to promote another Shodan...

Although I am familiar with the rants of Al & Jim, and even Will they are the exceptions. According to Parker; Charles Beeder was promoted by him to black after he returned to school in Utah from military service to finish his education, and well before he even moved to Pasadena.

Al always "anoits" and endorses those with whom he has some relationship with. Ibrao is one of them, and their are others he promotes in American kenpo as well. Who said a black can't promote another to black? Who made that rule, and who said Parker would have follwed anyones rules but his own like he did most of his life. Al and the gang have gone through extraordinary lengths to revise history with respect to Ed Parker and have lost credibility many years ago with anything they have to say.

All things being said however, it is really unimportant other than the status that should be bestowed on the deceased. For the record when Mr. Beeder passed, Black belt Magazine also in his obit stated the same. "Ed Parker's 1st Black Belt passes away." Ed Parker told me the same, (for whatever that is worth).

 

[Bill Lear]

Although I am familiar with the rants of Al & Jim, and even Will they are the exceptions. According to Parker; Charles Beeder was promoted by him to black after he returned to school in Utah from military service to finish his education, and well before he even moved to Pasadena.

Al always "anoits" and endorses those with whom he has some relationship with. Ibrao is one of them, and their are others he promotes in American kenpo as well. Who said a black can't promote another to black? Who made that rule, and who said Parker would have follwed anyones rules but his own like he did most of his life. Al and the gang have gone through extraordinary lengths to revise history with respect to Ed Parker and have lost credibility many years ago with anything they have to say.

All things being said however, it is really unimportant other than the status that should be bestowed on the deceased. For the record when Mr. Beeder passed, Black belt Magazine also in his obit stated the same. "Ed Parker's 1st Black Belt passes away." Ed Parker told me the same, (for whatever that is worth).

According to everyone that I've asked so far (and that's a long list of people) Charles Beeder was, infact, Ed Parker's first black belt. I'm inclined to accept their word as the truth. After examining the statements that people have made I'm left wondering who would profit more from being known as Ed Parker's first black belt (a dead guy, or someone who is still in the business)?

Although Kenpo is one of the best Martial Art Systems in the world, our credibility becomes damaged when we flavor the truth for personal gain. Sometimes I wish we had a little more clairity and not as much color in the telling of our history.

Thank you for your input on this.

 

[Gin-Gin]

Ed Parker's American Kenpo - under Mr. Billings.

Oss,
Gin-Gin :asian:

 

[Jdubya]

Hi all. I'm new to this group. I have been studying Ralph Castro's Shaolin Kenpo for almost 7 years now.

 

[Randy Strausbaugh]

Chinese Kenpo.
Studied under Jay T. Will in Columbus, Ohio.

 

[TerryC]

In the years I actively recieved instruction (1976 - 1985) it was under Master Rafael Reston in what he calls Manchurian Kempo. He learned it while stationed in Okinawa for a couple of years in the mid 1940's as member of the Filipino contingent of the US Army. He went back in the late 40's working as a civilian for several years, continuing his studies. The name of his teacher escapes me now, and all my papers with his info are in my bank box, but his teacher there was a Manchurian born Okinawan citizen. This teacher had a contract to teach basic self defense to the Army guys and also had a dojo off the base.

Anyway, Master Reston also taught me Balintawak Arnis, which I haven't really kept up with over the years, and what he called "combat judo".

Just writing this post makes me long for the good old days getting instruction from Master Reston in the Philippines!

 

[iTsDaNNy]

EPAK.. Parker/ Planas lineage