American Kenpo
Overview
Ed Parker’s American Kenpo is a martial arts style characterized by the
use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an
opponent. It is largely marketed as a "street" self-defense style and is
derived from traditional Southern Chinese martial arts and martial arts from
the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. Parker introduced significant
modifications in his art, including its theories and its terminology,
throughout his life. He left behind a large number of instructors who teach
many different styles and methodologies that fall under the American Kenpo
umbrella.
Country
 USA
Parker's Training
As a young man, Edmund Parker, Sr. came to Brigham Young University from
his native Hawaii and began to teach. By the time he achieved the rank of
black belt, he was already interpreting ideas he had learned from his
Chinese-Hawaiian teacher, Kwai (William) Sun Chow. Chow learned all of his
kenpo from James Mitose, through the Official Self Defense Club.
It was during this period that Parker was significantly influenced by the
Japanese and Okinawan interpretations prevalent in Hawaii. Parker's Book
Kenpo Karate, published in 1962, shows the many hard linear movements,
albeit with significant modifications, that set his interpretations apart.
While most karate instructors were executing one or two move techniques,
Parker was using linear rapid fire multiple strikes as well as jujutsu
influenced grabs and hold attacks.
All of the influences up to that time were reflected in Parker's rigid,
linear, method of "Kenpo Karate," as it was called. Between writing and
publishing, however, he began to be influenced by the Chinese arts, and
included this information in his system. Once established on the mainland
after leaving the military, finishing his education, and finally settling in
Southern California, Parker found himself in a rich martial arts cultural
demographic.
Arts of all kinds and nationalities settled in California early, and
while many were available to the knowledgeable, many Asian instructors were
secretive about their methodologies, and rarely taught non-Asians.
Nevertheless, Parker made contact with people like James (Jimmy) W. Woo, Lau
Bun and Ark Wong. These martial artists were known for their skills in the
Hung Gar, Tai Chi, and Choy Li Fut martial arts, and this influence remains
visible in both historical material (such as forms that Parker taught for a
period within his system) and current principles.
Exposed to new Chinese training concepts and history, which he used to
write and publish his second book, Secrets of Chinese Karate. Parker drew
associations in this and other books between karate (a better known art in
the United States at that time) and the Chinese methods he adopted and
taught.
Origins of American Kenpo
Once Parker had accumulated significant information and skills, he
decided to title his art "American Kenpo" because the system was created on
American soil. Although the word 'karate' was later less favored by Parker,
the general public more quickly understood that word as opposed to the word
'Kenpo'. Continued efforts to shape the art into a distinct form led to
replacing most Asian language terms with English terms. This also involved
inventing entirely new principles to express ideas that had previously been
encapsulated within traditional metaphors such as qi, but which Parker aimed
to harmonize with scientific principles and American culture.
Parker also heavily restructured American Kenpo's forms and techniques
during this period. In many cases, he moved away from methods that were
recognizably descended from another art (such as forms that were familiar
within Hung Gar) and established a more definitive relationship between
forms and the technique curriculum.
Ed Parker personally continued to study and grow. He experimented with
the use of film and video, as a training tool, leaving records of his work.
In the final 4 years of his life Ed Parker Sr. put down the final version of
his art, American Kenpo.
Evolution of American Kenpo
Although there were varying degrees of crossover from one evolving method
to another, there were at least three clear and distinct philosophies or
styles created by Ed Parker Sr.
Kenpo Karate
When Ed Parker arrived on the mainland he studied Kenpo Karate, opening
shop in Pasadena around 1954. He wrote the book of the same name and
published it in 1961. This has been characterized as having a very Japanese
influence, including the use of linear, "focused" techniques and
jujutsu-style techniques.
Chinese Kenpo
When Ed Parker embraced the Chinese Arts he began to refer to his art as
Chinese Kenpo. Based on this influence he wrote Secrets of Chinese Karate,
published in 1963, only very shortly after Kenpo Karate. The technical
syllabus has recognizable similarities to the Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut and
other Southern Chinese Martial Arts, including two forms (Tiger-Crane and
Panther or "Book Set") and one training practice ("Star Block") that can be
traced back to Hung Gar in particular. This is no surprise, as Parker's
known teachers claimed these martial arts in their respective lineages.
American Kenpo
Parker began the codification process of his early understandings of
Chinese Kenpo into a distinct evolving American interpretation. Here he
dropped all Asian language elements and many traditions in favour of
American English. During this period, he deemphasized techniques and
principles directly derived from Chinese and Japanese arts as well, in
favour of a distinct curriculum of forms and techniques.
Parker took his art through constant evolution. Students from various
parts of the country and world seem to produce varied interpretations on
American Kenpo's applications, much of it can be credited to an American
Kenpo concept known as tailoring. Parker always suggested that once you
learn the lesson of the "ideal phase" one should search for some aspect that
can be tailored to your personal needs. Furthermore, Parker's students
learned a different curriculum depending on when they studied with him. Some
students preferred older material to newer material, wanted to maintain
older material that Parker intended to replace, or wanted to supplement the
kenpo they learned from a particular period with other martial arts
training.
American Kenpo is noted for using colorful descriptions to help students
remember techniques. Some of the original Ed Parker techniques include
"Dance Of Death", "Squeezing The Peach", "Twist Of Fate", "Calming The
Storm", "Crashing Wings", "Gathering Of The Snakes", and "Snapping Twig".
Some notable students of Ed Parker are actor Jeff Speakman, music legend
Elvis Presley, and current Kenpo icon Larry Tatum.
(This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the
Wikipedia article "American
Kenpo".)
|
A - C