Blindside said:
Hi Doc,
I thought category completion was a function of what you call motion kenpo. But Thundering Hammers (and the rest of its cateogry; Sleeper, Dance of Death) exist also within the Tracy system, giving an earlier provenance to this technique.
Maybe I misunderstand your terminology on some of this, but I thought you said that you had previously said that the Tracy's don't do motion kenpo.
Lamont
You're correct sir, it is associated with 'motion' based Kenpo, but it is also part of the misconception of the evolution of "Kenpo" in the Parker Lineage. The generally held view is that Parker came to the mainland and brought the "Kenpo-Karate" he learned from Chow, and over the years it "evolved" into this motion based vehicle everyone is familiar with.
It consists of a finite number of techniques presented in 32, 24, or 16 chart increments (depending on era), a specific number of progressively numerical forms and sets, a Web of Knowledge, and specific conceptual terms that define the system.
This is very much incorrect. While it is true Parker brought ĀKenpo-KarateĀ to the mainland, he completely abandoned the "karate" concept in favor of a Chinese Perspective early on. Many of those that studied the early art never embraced the wholesale changes and remain in that era, and evolved themselves to a place where they felt comfortable, and are still there today.
This is when Parker began his quest to create his own "American Kenpo," utilizing the Chinese Kenpo (Kung Fu) he was learning from Ark Wong and Haumea Lefiti as a base. (Also to a lesser extent people like Lau Bun and Jimmy Woo.
Taking from Splashing Hands, Hung Gar, Five Animal, Sil Lum, and other influences, Parker was determined to take the best of the Chinese knowledge, and adjust the methodology to an American Perspective.
This was supposed to allow a student to achieve all the benefits of the traditional way of training. However, by removing the cultural baggage that intentionally elongated the process to higher skill and knowledge, a student could get there much faster. Parker reasoned this would be the best of both worlds and would be an awesome style.
He was right, but his quest was going to be a lengthy process and most were unwilling to participate, instead focusing on rank and business prospects in the wide open market of the fifties and sixties.
Originally beginning from the Japanese and Okinawan heavy perspective of his original "Kenpo-Karate," he formed a Yudanshakai with many of his early students, (like the Tracy's) and adopted many of the Japanese traditions and rituals.
Early certificates prominently displayed the word "Karate" and cited the Yudanshakai as the promotion authority, as they awarded "Dan" ranks along with the "Kyu" ranking structure of the Japanese borrowed from Judo. This also accounts for the three levels of brown belts that count down instead of up to a "Dan" degree.
Parker began this process of conversion to the Chinese and ultimately American Kenpo while all these things were in place, including many of the techniques he began creating that have names most will recognize today. Starting with a '32' chart that only went to three black stripes (green belt) and no yellow belt yet created.
Parker ultimately abandoned the original Yudanshakai and began to move toward his true goal. He dropped all non-English language in the system, changed the wording on certificates and and began awarding black belt 'degrees' in the "Americanization" process. The Tracy's (and others) took control of the original Yudanshakai and continued in this 'hybrid' tradition. Part Chinese but heavily influenced by Japanese/Okinawan traditions.
While Parker continued to evolve his ĀAmerican Kenpo,Ā personal issues caused him to seek a more 'business friendly' method of teaching to support his American Kenpo project. This was to be 'motion based' Kenpo which was not an extension of his "American Kenpo," but a diversion business enterprise.
Most of the original students still with him at this time didn't like this 'motion-Kenpo' and most refused to learn it. A few learned some of it, but even 'motion-kenpo' changed a lot as he refined the business and continued to add material students requested. Once students had attained rank, they usually were unwilling to revisit previously learned material to refine or change it.
Putting the name "karate" back on the business model, Parker began his proliferation process with his ĀKenpo-KarateĀ conceptual vehicle. Based on abstract motion, it required less of his energy as a teacher. Then promoting, the concept of 'tailoring,' and later 'rearrangement concepts,' would provide voluminous material for anyone willing to study it ad nausea, and never run out of material.
It had no set basics, instead relying on the basics of its original teachers, most of whom were already brown and blacks belts. Many of them were original Tracy Students returning to the source. Many others came from diverse styles and other cultures.
Ultimately the business of 'motion-kenpo' grew and consumed Parker to the extent he did not have the time to write his American Kenpo, as he wanted, but he continued to evolve it as well.
Therefore, all of these things continued to evolve independently of each other and there was a natural crossover sometimes between eras and philosophies.
The Tracy's did not teach a "motion based" concept. This emerged after they left. The Tracy's decided on a more technique intensive perspective, and focused on variations on a particular theme creating many more techniques. Whereas Parker allowed "tailoring" and "rearrangement" to do the same thing, without having to create "new" techniques for his business of Kenpo.
Al Tracy broke new ground in the business of the martial arts and created the first franchises, based partly on what he learned from Parker of the art at the time, and other information he sought from others later. Al was smart enough to know what he didn't know, and went out and paid other masters to teach and add what he felt his system needed to be more effective. He even paid his fighting team and put them on salary, headed up by Joe Lewis, (Who was studying with Bruce Lee) and Jerry Smith who was Joe Lewis' protƩgƩ.
This accounts for the confusion. Kenpo-Karate, Chinese Kenpo, American Kenpo, Ed ParkerĀs American kenpo, and Ed parkerĀs Kenpo Karate are all names he used at various times. Each has its own very much separate methodology and philosophy with slight natural crossovers between the styles and eras.
Although many use the term, ĀAmerican KenpoĀ is the most nebulous because Parker never finished it, and generally didnĀt teach it. He did however use it to sell his other business enterprise arts. There is no such thing as ĀmotionĀ based American kenpo, only kenpo-Karate.
No wonder everyone is confused.
My head spins writing about it and I was there. And with the many 'new' kenpo styles poping up, it doesn't look to ever get any better.
