Most Memorable Kenpo Moments

[satans.barber]

What's the tape about?

Ian.

 

[Sergio Jódar]

When I met Mr. Tatum, and could feel his Kenpo in my own skin.

 

[Michael Billings]

My 1st seminar with Ed Parker.

My last seminar with Ed Parker. Fortunately we had several hours before he had to fly home and talked about the future of Kenpo, Elvis, and his life in general.
-MB

 

[kenpo2dabone]

I have had an uncountable number of "ah-ha's" and "wow's" in my kenpo journey. My most recent one occured this past weekend at our annual UKF Compendium. Basically, the Compendium is for solidifying the way techniques should be taught and exacuted at the embrionic level by by UKF members. However, we always seem to delve deeper than the ebrionic levels. Anyway, were working a technique called "Spreading Branches". Some my know this techniques others may not. It is for a bearhug from behing arms pinned. The question was braught up "what if he lifts you off the ground?" Mr. Pick asked me to step forward and grab him in such a way and lift off the ground. I think he chose me because I am 6 feet tall and about 250 lbs. "Mostly" muscle wink wink. Anyway, I went behind him grabbed and lifted him off the ground. He went into what we call twelve points and he dropped right of my arms with no problems exacuting the technique. Then he said "o.k do it again but this time really grab hard and don't let go." I grabbed him harder and lifted him higher. He did the same thing however, this time because of the way I lifted him up, when he dropped out of my grip he was tilted backwards. I thought to myself "Holy 'incert explitive' he's gonna fall down". But before I knew it as soon as his feet hit the ground he rotated his body and ended up on one knee grabbing my leg and smashing me in the groin. I felt the next thing about to happen was me on my flat on my back like in dance of death. He would have had no problem exacuting that technique.

The defining moment for me was this. Here is a man who is 55 years old and can still move and addapt himself to a givin situation and maintain complete domination of his attacker. It was the clearest demonstration I have ever seen of adapting a technique as the action unfolds and does not unfold idealistically. It was absolutely amazing. I can't wait to see it on video becasue the camera was rolling and due to fact that I was the one being demenstrated on I could not see the intricacies of the action take place.


Salute,
Mike Miller UKF

 

[Kroy]

It was when I saw "The Perfect Weapon" with Speakman. I was studying another art at the time and new that it was the direction I had to take.

 

[Michael Billings]

I got a call the day it happened.

There was an immediate sense of loss and a feeling of immense saddness. I had seen him the month before and visited for a couple of hours before his plane flew out. All the memories of all the seminars, watching the superbowl, the conversations ... became much more important to me.

Looking back I see the event as a defining moment, it motivated me, as a 2nd Black, which I tested for with him (not as his student ... I don't want to be misleading), to re-commit myself to completing the transition to EPAK and to have all my material, on the 24 technique charts done, so I could be a Head Instructor he would be proud of. I had to ensure that I not only learned the material, but continued my shift, to moving like SGM Parker, to the best of my ability.

I have come a long way, try to share some of these memories and feelings with my students, to keep the Kenpo he did and shared, alive, as he would have liked it.

You never got a better compliment than hearing "you moved well" regarding a technique or form, when it came from him.

Left over Right,
-MB

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Kroy
It was when I saw "The Perfect Weapon" with Speakman. I was studying another art at the time and new that it was the direction I had to take.

OK, this was an awesome Kenpo day for me. I think it was 1991 a few months after the Perfect Weapon had been out. You said "saw The Perfect Weapon with Speakman" and that reminded me of this.

I had recently transferred to Mr. Duffy's studio in Austin from about 80 miles away in San Antonio and I still lived in San Antonio. This must have been around September, I can look it up later.

Mr. Duffy had a seminar with Jeff Speakman that day. I ran up there to get to the seminar but I was late, so I thought I'd just say "sorry" and just go home. Mr. LaBounty was teaching a seminar at my previous school later that afternoon in San Antonio and I was also committed to go to it.

So I get there late and Mr. Duffy says, get dressed and line up, they may have been running a bit behind. So I jumped into class, it was PACKED and I had a partner from a non-Kenpo style I think. It was an awesome class. Afterwards, Mr. Duffy cut me into the autograph line and said "Could you sign this for him now, he has to get to San Antonio to see Mr. LaBounty at his seminar." Mr. Speakman said "Tell him I said Hi." And I rushed off to San Antonio. I had just about Exactly enough time to get there when it started.

I get there and Mr. LaBounty teaches some of the same themes that Mr. Speakman taught. I even wrote an article for the NCKKA newsletter about this. It was pretty amazing. Then afterward I rushed home, changed, went to see Mr. LaBounty at someone's house later but I got there very late because I had a Kenpo buddy call me on the phone and debrief me.

I get to the "party" and Mr. LaBounty leaves or we are dismissed or whatever and I realize I have about 1 hour to catch the midnight show of the Perfect Weapon which I had not yet seen. I called my sister and told her what was up and we met at the theater and saw The Perfect Weapon at either 10:30 or midnight as I recall.

When it is over I'm the last one out after the credits with my sister and she is blown away that I had just worked out with Mr. Speakman and been his dummy in a seminar, 100 miles away, 10 hours ago and are cutting up and on the way out the usher is sweeping up and says goodnight or something and I say. "I just worked out with that guy this morning."

And he probably thought I was hitting on him or something, but saying that was so cool. Standing in the movie theater after watching the Perfect Weapon and thinking about just having worked out with Mr. Speakman (as a dummy) in his seminar and rushing to Mr. LaBounty's seminar, then rushing to the party, then getting my sister (who was one of my best friends anyway) and rushing over to see the movie and getting it all done in one day.

That was a very cool Kenpo Moment. But it lasted about 12 hours.

 

[Kroy]

That's a fantastic story.

 

[cdhall]

Thanks Kroy.

To quote two of my favorite Kenpo guys:

"No Problem."

And of course:

"Thank you, thank you very much."

 

[Michael Billings]

I have not heard you tell that one.

-MB

 

[cdhall]

I found that article on Saturday by the way, but it is not quite as good as my recollection here so I don't think I'll post it by itself. If I remember, the seminars were in June 1991 so I was a Green Belt at both of them. That explains my memory of wearing a white gi.