16 total years experience
7 years Self Taught (Aided by a Vietnam vet Green Beret and my father who trained in Northern Shaolin Kung-Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and Judo as well as from books, magazines, watching and participating in fights.)
3 years Goju-Ryu Karate (It was an eclectic mix of Goju-ryu Karate, American Kenpo, Goshin Jiu-Jitsu, and Presas' Modern Arnis)
6 weeks arnis (Military Basic training, used spare time to train with a fellow Filipino Airman named Bell, don't know the style)
6 months Hapkido (Military Technical School - studied with the instructor for 3 months and then tested for Nidan, the instructor was shipped out before and I took over the class for the remainder of my time there.)
3 months Brazilian Jujitsu (The Hapkido assistant instructor studied under one of the Machado brothers and shared/practiced what he had learned with me... instead of teaching the Hapkido class when the head instructor was shipped out.)
2 years Shorinji Kempo
2 years Soo Bakh Do Tang Soo Do
2 months Kyokushin Karate (I was a live-in student at the Budo Karate House Program and absolutely loved the training intensity. Its a great program and I really enjoyed my time there. Unfortunately due to spiritual needs and a realization that spiritual growth, which is most important in my life, was nonexistant there I had to make a very difficult decision to leave.)
5 Years Dragon Kenpo
(I have been registered for only an hour now and I have definately not had a chance to read all of the posts in this wonderful place, however I have seen a vast number of postings by a certain, now banned, Dragon Kenpo practioner and quite a few negative opinions about this style. I would like to do my best to give you my opinion of the style and then you can judge for yourself.
Dragon Kenpo is mostly a philosophy of freedom. There are many martial arts that follow tradition that we feel slow down the progress of the student. First is the practice of Kata. As a Goju-Ryu and Tang Soo Do student, I've practiced a lot of kata and can appreciate their value in developing coordination, staying power, mind-no-mind, and alertness. However it is my belief that these things can be learned in more efficient means due to the current medical and scientific discoveries of today. Another issue is the use of a foreign language in training. I think Bob Orlando in his book "Martial Arts America" sums it up the best when he compares the teaching of Japanese Karate to teaching someone how to drive a volkswagen. It would be counter productive for your drivers ed instructor to teach you how to drive speaking in the language of the country where the car was built. Why go through that translation process? I believe that most of the "traditions" people hold so tight to were not intended to be traditions. Service men went overseas and trained with the instructor which was taught using the culture of the area. In not knowing the language or the culture of that land the serviceman thought this was time honored tradition and taught it when he brought it back to America... or perhaps when the foreign teacher came to america he taught the americans in his custom and language because he was not familar with our own and so we picked it up as part of learning the art. <I realize not all readers of this forum are americans, so please insert your country as you will> Traditions should serve us, we should not serve them. Time in grade is another issue. Experience is important. You might have all the natural ability in the world, but if you don't have practical experience <nope, I don't mean that you should go out and fight to get real-life experience... I am talking about sparring, drills, and just doing basics over and over and over> that natural ability just isn't going to get you anywhere. However, if someone has shown that their experience and ability has caused them to progress faster than the average student they shouldn't be held back due to time. My Shorinji Kempo instructor trained in Japan for a very long time. One thing he noticed was that the Japanese students were progressing twice as fast as he was. He went to his instructor and asked why, seeing that he was defeating them in sparring and was technically better than they. The instructor had no answer except that the rules required him to double the amount of time in grade for American students. The instructor encouraged him to go to Hombu and talk to the Board. Of course the board wasn't too happy to be questioned and refused to answer, but he kept pressing. Finally he was told that Foreigners couldn't comprehend the warrior mindset and principles because they weren't Japanese and that he either had to accept it or quit. I've read a similar story in one of George Dillman's book. How many of the instructors in your lineage were given a different standard due to their race and didn't know it and kept the time restrivtions because they didn't know any better? Dragon Kenpo is for judging the person based on the person. <personalizing the art to fit them instead of fitting them to the art>
Dragon Kenpo is primarily a distance program, so you ask "How can you learn via video?" TV is a great teacher, sometimes better than having a person in front of you because you can pause, rewind, and watch the technique in slow motion. One time you can watch the footwork, next time the hand placement, the next time the hip movements... so on and so forth. Its a great tool, when I teach, I tape all of my classes because it is such an invaluable training tool. I agree that you must have feedback. You can't gain ability by just watching a video. Just like everything else, you have to practice and practice and practice. While the founder of the system provides the rank with the tapes without testing because he believes that rank in many arts just means exposure to knowledge, so he offers the knowledge and certifies you. Many Dragon Kenpo students disagree and have gathered together and formed an organization that supports the testing of individuals for rank and provides feeback for free to help distant students. I had my rank approved by my Shorinji Kempo instructor and Tang Soo Do instructor before I wore it and am in the process of being approved again by a Dragon Kenpo instructor just to ensure its validity. I have no desire to get something for nothing. I have sweated, cried, and bled to get where I am today and if my rank is no approved during this testing phase I will gladly take off my belt and start scrubbing the mats with white belts all over again.
Dragon Kenpo is my style. Not because its easy to gain rank, because for me its not. I don't like to do anything the easy way. I practice it because it promotes personal growth. Its similar to American Kenpo because it believes in fitting the art to my abilities instead of trying to cram me into a smaller mold or trying to get me to fill a larger mold. I am all about trying to obtain my potential. I love to cross train, but sadly a lot of instructors discourage it. I don't see why. Its gonna be my life at risk on the street if something happens and so I want to be prepared. In teaching I have the same approach. I don't want to slow down my students progress by adding cultural things that aren't my culture. Bowing has no place in American society. Its not a useful tool for teaching respect. Shake hands in class, thats how we show respect. Call each other Sir and Ma'am. That is being polite and showing respect. Using terms like Mae Geri, Hidari, and Age Uke may only wind up getting your students killed on the street because they focused on the language instead of the actual technique.
I will not be popular for my choice in styles. I often get "hate mail" from people who think that what I study is trash. I still stand by my style. I am a Dragon Kenpo student and teacher. I don't need the style and to the best of my knowledge, it doesn't need me. I could teach Hapkido or Jujitsu. I could go back to scrubbing the mat as a white belt in Tae Kwon Do or any other style, but I've chosen Dragon Kenpo as my art and I will stand there inspite of what the rest of the Martial Arts community thinks of it. Yes, the system can be abused and undeserving people can claim rank that they don't deserve. I don't care. As someone's signature in this forum states, time will either promote you or find you out. Those that are faking it will be found out pretty easily. Those that have a passion for what they do and are real martial artists will shine through. That is how it is in any style. Judge me as you will. I stand where I stand with pride. <but, I'm gonna quit standing here and let someone take the soapbox, sorry for taking so long.>)
