The way I have come to understand it is that if you are interested in Ed Parker's American Kenpo, and all that it has to offer, as outlined by the Genius of Motion, Senior Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker, the base curriculum, including all techs, sets, forms, pledges, belt sayings, terminology, training drills, extensions, traditions, and protocols, are all the Beginning. It is the base of knowledge that is necessary to take the art to the next level. Once a practitioner has acquired the vast amount of knowledge that the base curriculum encompasses, you are skilled enough, and have learned the tools required to personalize the art of EPAK. At this point you have every weapon at your disposal in the event an altercation should take place. You can deal with said altercation quickly, effectively, and spontaneously, with out dredging through your consious mind to find the exact response to any scenario. It has been ingrained into your subconsious, through the years of tireless effort, thousands of repetitions, graphting, borrowing, variable expansion, etc... However, to learn half the system, and then try to exclude the rest as a form of personalization is not appropriate in my opinion. Once a person has earned the right to be called instructor, and through his or her experiences, they can add material to help express to their students, what they personally have come to understand EPAK as meaning to them. It is not a quick process, and the base curriculum is a must to do ones students justice. These statements only pertain to those instructors teaching, and those students interested in exploring the art of ED PARKER's AMERICAN KENPO.
People Like Mr. Paul Mills have changed the system somewhat, but have done so from the educated perspective of someone that has gone through the entire system. Doc Chapel has taken the entire system, and geared it towards emphasizing other apsects, in this case, SUB- LEVEL 4, that he has been exposed to. They have taken the base curriculum, processed it, and done with it what they feel appropriate. Mr Conatser has taken the system to a new level through innovative methodolgy, a keen knack for communicating the information to students and igniting a passion with in the student. Others like Mr. Pick have taken a particular part of the system and expanded upon it, in his case the knife work. Mr. White has taken tournament fighting to a higher level. Mr Tatum has made the art accessible through his classic series of videos. Mr. Planas has been refered to the encyclopedia of motion. It has been suggested that his instruction and execution of the forms are near perfect. All the men and women that we refer to as SENIORS have taken the art to a higher level. The mere fact that they have personalized it is not the end goal, as that should be the goal of all EPAK practitioners. The thing that seperates all the seniors that I have been exposed to, aside from the fact that they are first generation students, is the fact that they have all moved forward with conveying the system, with their personal interpretations and strengths and have added to the system. In the case of Mr.'s Sullivan and LeRoux, also both first generation students, they have chosen to take the system and break it down to what they have decided is the least common denominator. The least amount of material that they feel they can pass along to their students that incorporate all the principles and concepts of EPAK. They do not claim to teach EPAK, and regardless of anyones personal opinion, they do not teach EPAK. THey teach their version of what they have deemed important enough.
The one thing that is a constant through all of the people I have mentioned, and all the seniors, and many other instuctors out there is that they have learned the ENTIRE system of EPAK. To me, that is a prerequisite to extract all possible benefit from ED PARKER'S AMERICAN KENPO. Is it possible to be effective at defending ones self without learning all the material, of course it is. Can a person be successful in tournament competition without learning the entire system, also, of couse they can. However, if one is to claim that they study EPAK, then there are no short cuts, there are no quick remedies. Nor should there be. Its like being a Marine. You can only claim the title if you put in the work. You cant go to Air Force boot camp, and pin on the Marine Corps eagle-globe-and-anchor. You cant earn a blackbelt in TKD and wrap that belt around an EPAK uniform. For me, I have my blackbelts in three other systems, and they are all legitimate, and mean alot ot me. When I earn my EPAK blackbelt, through putting in the work, then, I too can claim the title of ED PARKER'S AMERICAN KENPO BLACKBELT.
As always, these are my opinions, as I see the topic.
Gary Catherman
