lklawson
Grandmaster
My good friend Ken Pfrenger died yesterday.
He was 1 year older than I am, birthday late May, like me. They think it was a heart attack.
When I first started studying Western Martial Arts, including old style Pugilism & Wrestling, I first reached out to Ken. Did a lot of good training with him. He literally just finished coauthoring a book now being published about Celtic martial arts.
It sucks. OTOH, his widow is insisting that she (and he) doesn't want "condolences" or prayers. "He was way too real for that" she says. And, truthfully, he would DEFINITELY have wanted an old style Irish Wake complete with people getting blitzed and at least one fight breaking out.
Maybe it was the last year of ISMAC (International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention). I don't remember. What I DO remember was (I gave him a ride to and fro) I drove south and then hit I-70. The interchange was laid out a bit confusing and I ended up going West on 70 and still chatting & shooting the bull. Yeah. We hit Indiana before I realized I'd been driving almost a hour in the wrong direction. Ken and I laughed about it for the next 5 hours till we got to his place and told jokes about it for years after. I forgot to call & tell She Who Must Be Obeyed that I was getting home much later than I'd told her I probably would and caught hell for it.
I can still hear Ken laughing.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
He was 1 year older than I am, birthday late May, like me. They think it was a heart attack.
When I first started studying Western Martial Arts, including old style Pugilism & Wrestling, I first reached out to Ken. Did a lot of good training with him. He literally just finished coauthoring a book now being published about Celtic martial arts.
It sucks. OTOH, his widow is insisting that she (and he) doesn't want "condolences" or prayers. "He was way too real for that" she says. And, truthfully, he would DEFINITELY have wanted an old style Irish Wake complete with people getting blitzed and at least one fight breaking out.
Maybe it was the last year of ISMAC (International Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention). I don't remember. What I DO remember was (I gave him a ride to and fro) I drove south and then hit I-70. The interchange was laid out a bit confusing and I ended up going West on 70 and still chatting & shooting the bull. Yeah. We hit Indiana before I realized I'd been driving almost a hour in the wrong direction. Ken and I laughed about it for the next 5 hours till we got to his place and told jokes about it for years after. I forgot to call & tell She Who Must Be Obeyed that I was getting home much later than I'd told her I probably would and caught hell for it.
I can still hear Ken laughing.
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
