Why did you choose kenpo?

[WhiteTiger]

After taking TKD in college, I was 28 when I decided to get back into the Martial Arts. Not telling them I had any background in TKD, I visited a few studios, most only part timers, open only two or three nights a week. One of the instructors "boasted" that I would progress through the ranks faster with him than if I went to East West Self Defense. Well I thought I should at least check this East West place out. As soon as I walked in, I knew this was the place. Seeing a whole series of 30 year old photographs, of the studio owner with various MA legends, on the wall was most convincing. Although he didn't call it kenpo he taught an AK / Tracy / Praying Mantis Kung Fu hybrid. Not until I did my own research did I find out the core of our system was kenpo, just with a heavy Chinese influance, you know, LOW stances, very circular flowing movement. After moving cross country I wound up in Jujitsu for a couple of years, then I found a Tracy's school about an hour away. Finally attaining Shodan a mere 8 years after my first kenpo lesson.

 

[Michael Billings]

Awesome.

 

[redfang]

Years ago I had a Tracy school a block from my house. I trained there for a year or so. I tried isshin ryu at the YMCA and TKD and aikido at college. It was Kenpo that I came back to for two main reasons.

1. It was the most practical and effective of the four arts I had been exposed to.

2.There was a minimum of traditionalism. There was no bowing to the ancestors BS, uniforms were whatever I wanted to wear, etc. Plus, everything was in English. I had always felt kind of stupid in classes where there was too much bowing and scraping, and pretentious where everything was in Japanese.

 

[Billy]

I took my then 9 year old daughter to a free taster class advertised at her school. She loved it, and I sat watching her progress at a fair rate before eventually taking the plunge myself a few months later. This is my first venture into Martial Arts and I don't think I would ever consider dropping Kenpo in favour of any other Art, although I may consider another lock based discipline to compliment it. While my progress is far from dramatic, as long as I'm enjoying myself who cares.

 

[Kame]

I've always been interested in martial arts (chinese arts specifically) but never got into it due to money and parents. Then moved away from home and one day I was watching some kata demos on PBS and decided I wanted to learn to move like that, really to improve my snowboarding and strengthen my joints. (Self defense is just a nice benefit.) Flipped open the phone book and turned out that there was a Chinese Kenpo school in this small town of 5,000 and taught by Master Steve Shover. I've been with it ever since and am testing for my Black belt on Saturday.

 

[Mace]

Best of luck to you on your test!!!

Sean

 

[M F]

I started in 1991, at Ahgung Tony Ramos Kajukenbo, in Fairfield California. I chose this because a buddy of mine had been training there for a few years, and was a pretty impressive fighter. I trained there for about nine months, never testing due to an injury and to flat out flakines on my part. I missed one test because I just forgot about it. A couple years later, I moved to Utah, where I found a Kenpo Instructor who taught what he described as an American Kenpo/Tracy blend. I was not very impressed with this school. I looked around some more and found a Kenpo school run by Mr. Paul O'Bray. This man is an awesome Kenpoist. I stayed there until Orange Belt, at which time my wife decided to move for school. I ended up in Cedar City, UT, training with Alan Jacob, who is another awesome Kenpoist. This is where I've been since.

 

[kenpo13]

well,

after obtaining several black belts in other systems, i got involved in security and crowd control,, needless to say i thought i could handle myself.. 99 percent of the time i could... then one day that 1 percenter got the best of me and i found out that all of that pretty stuff i learned just wasn't as effective... I attended
some kenpo seminars and got ' hit ' , i never looked back......
the rest is history and has become a personal committment to become a life long practitioner of this art that's more than effective for me.

 

[JD_Nelson]

The definition of the outer rim theory pretty much sealed it for me. I had/have my own thoughts about self defense and this concept pretty much matched my own thoughts, but in a more definitive manner.



Salute,

JD

 

[donald]

For me I liked the thought of linear, and circular together. After having read so much about the different arts through Black Belt Magazine for so long. It sounded like kenpo was a good system, and I 've been hopelessly biased ever sense.

Salute in Christ,
Donaldo:asian:

 

[SenseiBear]

But have a close association with it and train with Kenpo guys sometimes... Sifu Russ Kauffroath of the Sam Pai Kenpo school is also a 6th degree BB in Gun Fu, land ived with the founder of our art for a few years... The Kenpo forms are accepted at our school, and in fact, Gun Fu was based in part on Chinese Kempo Karate... (though I'm not real sure what that is) I only know the Kenpo guys I have trained with look a lot like what we do.

SB

 

[TIGER DRAGON FIGHT]

i just happen to walk into a school and liked it from the start. turned out it was shaolin kempo. soon as i heard that i thought of jeff speakmen from "the perfect weapon". instantly i signed up that night. 7 years and still lovin it.:jedi1:

 

[RCastillo]

Purely by accident in 74 and I've never regretted it. :asian:

 

[8253]

I actually chose Kenpo because it seemed more like a style that would be aplicable on the street.

 

[KenpoTex]

I chose Kenpo because I wanted something that was practical for self-defense. In fact I had never even heard of Kenpo 'till the day I walked in the studio. I had no interest whatsoever in TKD due to the fact that when I was in high schoo I got into a fight with a TKD black-belt and put him down within 5 seconds (just for the record, I tried to walk away but he wasn't willing to let it go). I was interested in Aikido (from seeing Seagal's movies) but couldn't find a school in my area. One day I saw the kenpo studio and walked in to find out what it was like. During the intro. course I was taught Lone Kimono and from that moment on, I was hooked. My logic at the time was that if they're showing me how to break someone's elbow during an intro. lesson, I can't wait to see what comes later. I have not been disapointed

 

[jeffkyle]

I chose Kenpo because I wanted something that was practical for self-defense. In fact I had never even heard of Kenpo 'till the day I walked in the studio. During the intro. course I was taught Lone Kimono and from that moment on, I was hooked. My logic at the time was that if they're showing me how to break someone's elbow during an intro. lesson, I can't wait to see what comes later. I have not been disapointed

That is a cool story!

 

[Rick Wade]

As much as I would like to say that I did my research and made a knowledgable decision well . . . . I can't. It was purly luck of the draw.

:yinyang:
R/

 

[Mark Weiser]

Well My exposure to Kenpo was by ordering Videos for Kenpo due to my location no Schools or Instructors.

I watched the Movie The Perfect Weapon thanks to Jeff Speakman. I was impressed with the Set he did in the apartment and the movements in the alley scene when he was confronted by 4 men I belive it was 4 men.

Mark E. Weiser

 

[Shodan]

I started Kenpo back in 1986- it was my b-day present!! I had just been sort of let down from my gymnastics lessons- the instructor basically told me I would never go anywhere with gymnastics cuz I was too tall. So.......the week before my 13th b-day, I was looking for some other sport to start. As it happened, I was at our town's fair and there were two people there giving a Kenpo demo. They were starting up a class at our local racquetball club so, since it looked so fascinating to me, I asked my parents if I could join for my b-day. My parents were very supportive in my decision and I have been with it ever since.........boy.......18 years now!! There have been some rough times with loss of instructors, studio failures, having to re-learn material, etc.......and in those times, I tried out Arnis, Wu Ying Tao (Kung Fu) and Goju........but those were short journeys and I always came back to my Kenpo when I had the chance. Now, I work out 2 nights a week doing Kenpo and a little stick fighting and practice my Kenpo techs. at home also. I try to make it up to my main instructor's studio (3 hours away) once a month or every other month (as time permits) for private lessons. Kenpo is such a part of me........I don't know what I'd do without it now!!

:asian: :karate:

 

[Gary Crawford]

I didn't choose it,I was eight and my Dad choose it.He came home from work one evening in 73 and asked me if I wanted to learn Karate.So he took me to meet Mr.Joe Mora.Mr. Mora grilled me about why and what kind of person I was.That was the hardest part,Training was easy compared to that interveiw.