Structure of the Kenpo Karate
Structure and development of the Kenpo system
The System of Ed Parker´s Kenpo Karate is considered to be one of the best documented and structured systems in the world. A System with geometry, mathematics, concepts, principles, and ideas with scientific elements. This will ensure the student will develop and work with the body and intellect in a maximal capacity.
In 1954 Ed Parker started the first commercial karate school in Pasadena, CA. USA. Karate was a virtually unknown word at that time. Mr Parker said that when he opened the school people came in thinking it was a Mexican restaurant. Today when one travels around the US you can see how different martial art systems use the word karate in there advertising even though they actually don’t teach karate. The reason being that now the word karate is a highly recognisable word.
In the mid 1960´s Mr Parker wanted to start spreading his self-defence system by franchising schools. When he tried to market his business idea he received the question, “What do you have on paper?” Mr Parker realizing that nothing or not much was written down of the system, decided to create a training manual so the school owner would have the curriculum of the system.
What Mr Parker wanted was franchising like McDonalds, a restaurant in every city all over the world. All the Kenpo Schools would have manuals as guidance for every level and by doing so the student could be offered and assured the same product no matter were in the world the lived.
Mr Richard “Huk” Planas started to train under Mr Tom Kelly and in the late1960´s Mr Planas met Mr Parker. Mr Planas stayed under Mr Parker and became one of his top instructors together with Mr Tom Kelly. Mr Planas tells the story that they spent many hours and days to finish the project of writing these manuals.
During the early 1960´s there were three different colours of belts used. The colours were white (four levels), brown (three levels) and black (ten levels). The white belt had brown tips, the brown belt had black tips and the black belt had red tips. The tips represented the colour you were working for. Red stood for mastery within the black belt.
Ed Parker was the founder of the International Karate Championships (IKC) which were consider one of the largest tournaments in the world in the 1960:s -70:s and -80:s. The tournament was held in Long Beach California. USA. In the patch for the IKC flame one can find the four belt colours mentioned above.
Around 1970 the first manual was released and it contained 32 techniques from orange to green belt. There are not many that have the original manual today. Ever since there have been new manuals on the market that have been changed periodically for questionable reasons. In 1981 the second version of the manual was released with 24 techniques. In 1985 there was another version released.
After Mr Parker’s passing in the end of 1990 many new organisations came into being and many have released their own manuals. I do not wish to comment on the manuals or if they have become better or worse, that is not to me to decide. It is all the of students and instructors own opinion to say if this has created a clear picture of the art or if it has created more headaches and confusion. Mr Parker stated, “Knowledge of what is useful or useless only comes from time, experience and logic.”
To receive his brown belt he would learn the extensions from the orange belt techniques which were called the green-orange. After this, the student learned long form 4, 5 and 6 to reach his black belt as the extensions for the other belts were not completed yet.
Some potential students who were unsure of making the commitment to a long term contract brought about the yellow belt course also called the basic belts course. This course consisted of mostly basics and ten self-defence techniques. In 1971 the yellow belt became part of the system. What is interesting is when you look at the basic sheet on these manuals you will find that yellow and orange had the same basics. This is another proof that the yellow belt was put in later in the original system structure of Kenpo.
One of the things that many don’t know is that the system was influenced by many people. For instance the kicking set taught now was not created by Mr Parker but by Mr Tom Kelly; who also created the stance set. The staff set was created by Mr Chuck Sullivan. As your knowledge grows and understanding the rules and principles of motion you should see that some techniques were not created by Mr Parker.
The system from 1970: s had 32 techniques from orange to green up until 1981. The original yellow belt course had three techniques that were replaced for the second version of the manual. The techniques that were taken out were the following “Intellectual departure”, “Aggressive Twins” and Spreading branch”. The technique “The Pincher” changed name to “The grasp of death”. Some schools have kept the original techniques and not made these changes as they felt this was unnecessary, deleted valuable information, and these techniques did not violate rules of motion.
The system’s curriculum was changed by decreasing the amount of material the student learned for each belt level. It was felt by many instructors to be more material then necessary for the coloured belt ranks. By doing 16 techniques in each level, the student would work more quality and not so much quantity. Some others would rather expand the system with more material to be able to keep the students at each level longer.
It all ended with going to 24 techniques instead of keeping the 32. That meant 8 techniques less instead of 16 less. The system was almost completed in 1981. Rearrangements of the techniques were done in the different levels for a newer version of the manual.
According to Mr Lee Wedlake, he was contacted by Mr Parker in the end of the -70: s to add and rearrange material for the new manual. Mr Wedlake declined because he did not feel knowledgeable enough in Mr Parker’s art to make such changes, however, many changes were made by other instructors during this time period. Many of the new techniques were put together or created from the hand isolation moves found in the upper forms.
To make the system even more commercialized many invented more extensions. Today you will find extensions for orange, purple, blue and green. These extensions were designed for the last level of brown, first, second and third black belt. After this they were called extensions and the name green-orange disappeared.
After Mr Parker’s death there were discussions of cutting down to 16 techniques in each level, again trying to eliminate the quantity thinking and focus more on quality. (An idea that Mr Parker had earlier). Many instructors and schools revised their requirements to the 16 techniques per belt curriculum.
When the 24 techniques manual came into being there were new techniques introduced in the brown belt level. The material then covered all the way up to second brown.
Today we work in Sweden with the 16 technique curriculum which has given us a better and more relaxed learning process. Students can work with quality instead of spending time memorizing. This means the following structure: 10 techniques for yellow, 16 techniques from orange up to green and 20 techniques of the three levels of brown and first degree black belt. We don’t do the extensions for several reasons:
- Too much material and not enough time to work the basic curriculum.
- Kenpo is designed to finish the fight in the least amount of moves.
- A self-defence situation is not a planned or rehearsed fight scene like a movie, and will never happen like a written extension in the first place. So a student has to read his opponent and move accordingly using his eyes to extend the technique and not what the book says.
The question one has to ask oneself is, “What do I want from my training?” To use your training time with high quality is of utmost importance.
Regardless of whether you use the 24 or 16 technique system, you must know the same amount of material to be able to reach black belt. The question is how you reach this goal, the quantity is the same. If a student feels the need to put the time in to learn the extensions they can do so. Remember that knowledge of what is useful or useless only comes from time, experience and logic.
As long as one knows what is important and with right guidance from a qualified instructor, you will learn the system as it was designed and not a watered down version. Therefore we are constantly inviting highly recognised instructors to guide our progress in the art.
We collaborate and hold camps and seminars with some of the foremost instructors that exist in the world of Kenpo. Some of these instructors are Mr Richard “Huk” Planas and Mr Lee Wedlake that constantly visit us. Mr Gary Ellis, whom I feel is one of the best instructor in Europe today, visits us often. Another European instructor is Mr Graham Lelliott from the Channel Islands in England. He has moved and lives happily with his family today in Fresno, California USA. Mr Lelliott was of very big help for our development, with his positive attitude and the desire to help us in the right direction he gave us a very solid base to stand on today. One of his biggest qualities is that he always encourages us to be inspired by other instructors. He is a man without a big ego and is very admirable.
Today we are constantly out there on the international market to be inspired and to be a part of this fascinating world of the martial arts. Constantly keen to learn more to perfect and absorb the infinite knowledge of martial arts.
Ingmar Johansson
Athletics consultant
5:th degree black belt
Head instructor for Ed Parker´s Kenpo Karate in Sweden.
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