Kenpo Karate Forms
Interview by Parker Linekin of Brian Adams, author of “The Medical Implications of Karate Blows” , 1967 and Ed Parker black belt 1964. Creator of “Integrated Martial Arts”.
Can you tell us where and when you first started your Martial Art training ?
I started my training in Kenpo at age 18, [1960 ] at the Pasadena CA. studio on Walnut. I was going to Pasadena City College at that time and majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. It was an exciting time . It was the 60’s. Lots of new things to explore. Many students at Pasadena City College were enrolled at Ed Parker’s “Kenpo Karate Studios.” The night classes were huge, hardly any room to move some times. So I went to the day class [ it was pleasantly small ]. The first year I had several day time instructors. Jim Tracy was the most consistent then [ he was a technique technician } . I would from time to time have Ed Parker , Dave Hebler , and John Mc Sweeny fill in for Jim. When the Tracy’s left and opened up their first studio in San Jose, Ed Parker became my main day time instructor.
What types of training gear did you have at the studio in those days?
The first thing I saw there was the Makawara board. It was in the back, stuck in the ground and the top 8” was wrapped in burlap bag padding. It was tapered at the top and got thicker as it went down to the bottom and into the ground. It was a little springy when you punched it. It was for building up calluses and calcium deposits on the knuckles etc.. we also had a inner tube filled Banana Bag [ hand held ].
I worked the Makawara board for four months and my knuckles started the become changed, then one day it was gone. Ed said that “boards and bricks don’t fight back “ and that was the end of my gung-ho knuckle training. I recall seeing Al Tracy’s walnut size knuckles some time later and was glad I stopped when I did. Ed had kind of a pudgy hand and his knuckles were not so obvious. In the early 60’s I saw Ed break bricks, boards and a very high stack of roof tiles. He always broke on the first effortless try. He was like the force of a locomotive going down hill. Unstoppable. The only other training feature was the rice/straw Tatami matts we used to fall on. They were used mainly for Judo rolls and for braking the “Leap of Death” dive landing and the “Back Breaker Technique” = fall on the back. We never saw or practiced any Judo through.
Wasn’t Ed Parker a Black Belt in Judo?
I remember when on one of our long car rides to a demonstration Ed told me he was a Brown belt in Judo. Now that story has morphed to “he was a Black Belt in Judo“. But I will say this, Ed had a very advanced mastery over foot sweeps and entanglements from the knee down.
I heard you used to go on day time demo’s with Ed because you were a full time student and could usually be free to travel.
Yes. Me and a few others … that were available would assist with the shows.
Dave Hebler [became Elvis Presley’s Body Guard] ,
Steve Golden [became one of Bruce Lee’s favored students and head of the Bruce Lee Fan Club]
Jerry Meyers [went on to open a school in Pomona CA.]
Jim Grunwald [opened a school in la Puente CA]
Tom Gow [starred on the cover of the Kenpo Basics Booklet]
John McSweeney [became known as the father of Kenpo in Ireland]
Danny Inosanto [became Bruce Lee’s top J.K.D. Instructor and Heir to his legacy .
Also the most known F.M.A.. promoter in the world.
Deion Stickling , Jimmy Duarte, Bob Goya [classmates]
Tom Bleaker [managed Ed Parker’s school in Santa Monica and hosts Kenpo - Past, Present and Future on You Tube]
Chuck Sullivan [ has a large school in LA, CA., and was Ed’s business partner in early video Kenpo instruction movies, director of the first International’s in Long Beach Ca.}.
One time we all participated in a large demo at “ Terry Hunt’s Health Club“ in Beverly Hills. We had lunch after ward with Jose Ferrer, Paul Newman, Mickey Hagarty [Jane Mansfield’s husband] and Blake Edwards [Hollywood producer] etc. I did not know who most of these people were at the time. I have a picture of me doing the “Five Count” on Ed by the pool. I think Tom Bleaker [Kenpo, Past Present and Future } took the shot.
How did things change after that?
I think Ed got a reality hit and became more business focused. He started considering some of the avenues for commercial endeavors that he had previously thought were not true to the old school Kenpo values in Hawaii… things like tournaments and the Tracy’s method of test requirements and standards [ test fees and colored belts etc. ]. Although these were brewing in the future schema of things to implement, they did not come to fruition until after I left to open my school in San Diego in 1964.
One thing he did experiment with was the tournament. I was still a 4 Tip White Belt when Ed held an inter-school tournament at Brookside Park in Pasadena. I won the tournament and was awarded a custom set of book ends. They were clearly poses of Ed Parker and Chuck Sullivan in combat stances. The typical point system was not used to determine the winner but rather a point system based on the most creative personal individual style demonstrated.
During this period [ 1960-1965 ] Ed finished all of the new Kenpo forms we use today. Professor Chow had not taught Ed any forms, so he assumed Chow did not know any forms. When I filmed Chow doing a form at Adrian Emperado’s S.F. Tournament [1966 ] , Ed said “Wow, I did not know Chow knew any forms” . I loaned Ed the unprocessed film and I never saw it again. Also the self defense tech’s became more detailed and polished [due to the Chinese influence].
Chuck Sullivan introduced us to the Japanese style “ Thrusting Knife Edge Kick ” [ toes up ]. Prior to that we only used a” Snapping Knife Edge Kick ” [ toes down ]. We did not wear cups in the early 60’s. Chuck Sullivan initiated starting in a loose natural frontal standing position when running the Technique line. Previously we would start from a front Horse stance. And another change about that time was to start out in a Neutral Bow instead of a frontal Horse when sparring.
The new Crenshaw School was Chuck Sullivan and Ed’s testing grounds for Chucks innovative teaching methods. They needed a qualified instructor when it first opened and I was available so I was hired to teach there during the week [ I was a Brown Belt at the time , 1964 ] and Chuck would teach some privates and some weekend classes. I got paid $50 a month to teach.
Also, the Japanese belt ranks went up to 10th degree Black Belt and Kenpo’s only went up to 6th degree Black. In order to get more uniformity between styles Ed created the I.K.K.A and the governing body promoted Ed to 10th Black.
The Kenpo taught between 1960 and 1965 was the basis for all future Kenpo innovations . By the time Ed passed away he had taken Kenpo to very highly sophisticated state and he modernized it for today’s world and named it “American Kenpo” to distinguish his Kenpo from the old Hawaiian roots it sprang from. He will go down in Martial Art history as an innovative genius.
I heard that testing and promotions were a lot different back in the early 60’s? Can you tell us more?
To start with , we had no colored belts except Brown and Black. As I recall , there were two ranks of white belt; and they were distinguished by a brown stripe for the first rank and the next white belt rank was a second stripe on the end of each belt. So each end could have up to two stripes on each belt end. And somewhere around 1961 or 1962 the tips as they were called got expanded to four tips . There was not any official test at that time.
I remember one day seeing my name on a typed sheet of paper on the dressing room bulletin board. It read: “Names of individuals promoted to one Brown Tip “. So that’s how I discovered I had been promoted. There were no specific test requirements. Just a very large butcher paper sheet on the wall listing about fifty different self defense situations. There were headings like “Right hand lapel grab, Left hand lapel grab, Right punch, Left hand punch, etc.
Very few tech’s had a name. So we had to rely on our memories. Many years later [ late 60’s ] Ed succumbed to pier pressure from other schools and from the Tracy Bros. who had upgraded you might say to a more organized commercial sales tool. Yes it was colored belts and the naming of the techniques for an easier word association for memory recall. When I left to open my first school in San Diego CA . [ 1964 ] Ed had still not changed over to the colored belt system; nor had he developed a test requirement chart format for each rank.
I was not happy with the existing Helter Skelter method he used so I made it a priority to create my own chart system for students for clarity and so that there was no favoritism in rank promotions. I kicked it off at my new school in 1964. All I had to do for my Third Brown was to perform Form Four and take a kick in the stomach.
Tom Bleaker and I were tested together at the Santa Monica school together. Also I recall that we had just six ranks of Black Belt at that time. Karate ranks were still in their beginning stages of development in this country; and I don’t think any one had ever heard the term “Grand Master“.
We’ve heard a lot of stories about the “COUP “ with Jimmy Wing Woo and the Tracy Bro’s in the early 60’s. What can you tell us about that?
I’ll try and put the record straight as best as I can remember it. First a little back ground.
Ed had met Jimmy Lee in San Francisco and Jimmy introduced Ed to several Chinese Kung Fu masters including Bruce Lee. I’m not going to try and give dates to specific events; but I will say it was 1961 or 62 that the roof came down on Ed and really made him feel under minded and disillusioned about the age old student master loyalty that he had instilled in him . That’s when Ed’s three Black Belts [ Rich Montgomery, Rick Florrez and Jimmy Ebrau and several Browns and Advanced White belts all disappeared over night without a word of explanation.
At that time the Chinese kept to their own culture and for the most part did not teach westerners, but Ed ’s wife was Chinese/Polynesian, so that was his saving grace to getting into the deep secrets the Chinese held for there own kind. Several masters took him under their wing and trained him in there specialities. I know professor T. Y. Wong [Southern Shaolin] and Lao Bun were two of the main Chinese that trained him. Also Willy Hu a Taoist Kung Fu practitioner and historian in Chicago. Willy Hu impressed Ed the most. There are some articles in Black Belt Mag. by him.
While training in S.F.. Ed met a student of Lao Bun [ Jimmy Wing Wo [not to be confused with Jimmy H. Wo in Temple City CA., … He taught his family system] .
Jimmy W. Wo was given permission to train Ed and to collaborate on a book about Chinese Kung Fu which became “ Secrets of Chinese Karate “. Jimmy came to live at Ed Parkers home in Pasadena. In order to write the book together. It wasn’t long before they clashed personalities. I can understand why. Jimmy would hang out at the Pasadena School and teach us [ I was in the day class ] . I remember him teaching us while lying down on the Tatami and propped up on one elbow and smoking a cigarette. Ed could not stand Jimmy so he would not came around when Jimmy was there; so he hung out at the Santa Monica school.
After a while Ed’s Black Belts and some others began to feel that Ed had nothing more to teach them. They banded resources and opened up a school in Hollywood with Jimmy Wo as head instructor. This mass exit happened all at once without a word to Ed or anyone.
Coincidentally at the same time, the Tracy bros. [Brown Belts at that time ] left without a word and started their own Tracy’s franchise with the opening of there first studio in San Jose CA.. It was not connected to the Jimmy Wing Wo event. I never went to Jimmy W. Wo’s studio but some students did and they said Jimmy had a monkey named “Ed Parker”.
I think Ed’s illusions about student/master loyalty was shattered. The most advanced student that stayed was Chuck Sullivan. He was brown belt at that time.
Who was David German?
David German was a close friend and mentor to mine - an Ed Parker Black Belt . He is known as the “Kenpo Ju - Jitsu Connection “ and is the originator of “Tai Karate”. Tai stands for “Transition Action Incorporated “. I first meet him at the Pasadena Studio [ we didn’t call it “ Dojo “ back then ] in 1962.. He was training in ”Budo Ju- Jitsu “ with Al Thomas in Temple City Ca.. David also was training with Ed Parker at the same time. Al helped David to create “Tai Karate “ by showing him how to incorporate his Ju-Jitsu into Kenpo in a seamless and flowing way. What Ed Parker later developed as extensions is the equivalent of Tai Karate’s Transitions. David put back the original Matose ,”Kenpo Ju-Jitsu”and much more. Training with David was inspirational in my creation of “Integrated Martial Arts” . Decades later It guided me to be able to blend J.K.D. Kenpo , White Tiger Kung Fu [ weaponry ] , F.M.A. and Tai Karate to create my “Integrated Martial Arts “ [ I.M.A. ].
How did your book “The Medical Implications Karate Blows“ become the first I.K.K.A. Black Belt thesis?
I’ll give you a little back ground first . After I opened my school in San Diego, I was often asked about the legendary“ Dim Mak “Poison Hand“ [ Delayed Death Touch ] lore from China that was circulating in the Martial Arts community. I started doing my own research project to find out if the stories were true. I enlisted several M.D.’s and specialist to help in the search for scientific verification of these stories. I borrowed a stack of medical texts about 5’ high to search through. Three years later I had found no evidence of any thing even related to the Chinese delayed death touch lore. However I could see how this lore could be imagined from Chinese acupuncture theory.
I finished the manuscript in 1967 and showed it to Ed Parker. Then he said how can we use this to promote the I.k.k.a. and I said you can say it was originally a thesis for Black Belt. So that’s when the Black Belt Thesis was born. He then wrote a very nice endorsement which is in the first pages of the book. The simple Kenpo Tech.’s were influenced by my studies at Bruce Lee’s in China Town L.A. [ economy of motion principal ]. After a ten year hiatus it is available again at Amazon.
The Medical Implications of Karate Blows
To this day there is no work that I know of that is more graphic or detailed than this classic work.
When was [ I.M.A. ] , Integrated Martial Arts created ?
It was an on-going process starting when I opened my first school in1964 in San Diego CA. but I didn’t organize it officially until the late 90’s.
I was visiting one of my old students that had a very successful school in town and he asked me “ Was there any thing else I had to teach him and his students and I said “No, I think I’ve taught you every thing I have.” I left and thought a while and then decided to start teaching [ things that were not in the official requirement charts ] seminars at his school . And that led me to start organizing the seminar information. Which after about four years formed an entirely new Combination Martial Art consisting of Universal Principals and Techniques based on my Jiu-Jitsu, J.K.D., F.M.A., Stick Fighting and White Tiger Traditional Kung Fu Weaponry. What makes this so much fun is that I believe that there is no such thing as a mistake while in combat but rather that which is typically thought of as a mistake is actually an opportunity to practice the flow. And when you have skills in these complimentary arts [ Body Memory through repetition ] it becomes fun and easy to flow in and out the various disciplines seamlessly. If there is no such thing as a mistake one can be more CREATIVE , INTUITIVE and SPONTANEOUS . These are the most advanced skills to be attained in the Martial Arts. Also by knowing the Principals behind the Technique you can create your own variations with out much thought.
Have the Kenpo forms changed much since the time period you learned them [ 1960 - 1965 ] ?
You Tube “Kenpo Form” videos I have seen often skip the original details I learned from Ed. Lately students have been asking me about the detail in the forms because they have seen the You Tube videos that are sometimes very different than the forms I teach. So I have videoed myself [ at age 80 ] doing the main Kenpo forms I learned in the early 60’s and that is what you’ll see on the videos posted below, just to show students of Ed Parker’s American Kenpo how it was done in the 60’s. Just for the historical record.
I’m not judging today’s versions of the forms but just showing the ongoing evolution of “American Kenpo“, just for the record. I know the reason for some of the deferences in form interpretations. The “Tracy’s” were too busy to leave their new enterprise to come back to Pasadena to learn most of the new forms Ed was developing when they left for San Jose. Ed gave Danny Inosanto permission to film the forms on Super 8 camera for the Tracy’s. I know from personal experience that it is very difficult to learn any detail from a Super 8 film. I’m sure that’s one of the reasons why there are many differences in the forms between Kenpo schools. And of course there is one’s own interpretation.
IKKA FORMS AS THEY WHERE TAUGHT
IN THE EARLY 60’S IN PASADENA CA.
KENPO KARATE BELTS SYSTEM HISTORY
The origin of the martial arts ranking systems begins in China with various styles of Kung Fu. And is still very much the same today. The landmarks along the way may be denoted buy sash colors or just by knowing who in the school has seniority or greater time in than you.
- Example:
- SIBAK = Teacher-elderuncle = a senior teacher in the same generation as your teacher.
- SIDAI = Younger brother = a fellow student who started studying after someone in the same generation of students .
- SIFU = it is the Cantonese for SHIFU = teacher/Father.
- SIGUNG = teacher/ grandfather = the teachers teacher.
- SIGUNGBAK = Grand teachers older brother. = a senior individual in the same student generation as a teacher.
- SIHING = elder brother = A fellow student who started studying previously to an individual.
- SIJO = teacher ancestor = used to mean the teacher of the teachers teacher. Sometimes use to mean the founder of a Chinese martial arts style. Sometimes use asTai sijo meaning Great teacher– ancestor.
- SIMO = teacher mother = it is sometimes used as SIFU’S wife.
- SISUK [ OR SISOOK ] = teacher -younger uncle. = used to refer to a teacher who is Junior in status to one’s teacher.
- These are endeared titles rooted in ancestor worship or reference. This makes you one of the Kung Fu Family regardless of your DNA. It is a hierarchy of respect regardless of one's actual skill.
- Kenpo Karate is a mix of Chinese and Japanese martial arts, blended with Filipino, Okinawan, Korean and Hawaiian influences. Our historical roots are in Mitose’s Kenpo Jujitsu in the late 40s. Prof. Chow changed the name Kenpo Karate in the 50s. With Chows genius it evolved the main branches all Kenpo in Hawaii. Ed Parker further evolved it by adding Chinese kung fu detail and principals into his American Kenpo Karate. There were no forms prior to add Parker. The ranking system used in Hawaii grew out of a melting pot of cultures; mostly Japanese in some elements of Kung Fu.
Kano the founder of modern-day Judo developed the first use of the belt system for acknowledging advancement for Japanese university students .This occurred around 1922. And used the following belts curriculum based on judo players recognition in the sport.* Many of the Hawaiian KENPO Schools use the
Japanese traditional SHUTOKAN forms . Many years ago I think it was about 1967 I saw Prof. Chow perform a form at one of professor Emparado’s tournaments in San Francisco. It didn't look like It was Japanese and it didn't look like it was Chinese. I now know it was Okinawan. I told ED Parker about it and he said “Wow I didn't know the professor even new a form”. All of our forms were created by Ed Parker between 1958 and 1964. After he trained with the San Francisco Chinese and was given many of their traditional secrets even though he was not Chinese. But because his wife was half Chinese he was allowed to learn. That's when he put in the Chinese elements and made our Island Kenpo much more sophisticated and more Chinese.
- After Kano and soon to follow was the Okinawan Funakoshi an educator and the father of Karate's introduction to Japan. He promoted the very first Karate [ previously known as”TE” ]. Black belt in 1924. Previously the Okinawans used the Chinese method of respect [ the family hierarchy system ]. He patterned his new belt ranking System after the Judo Standard of belts. As follows:
-Yellow = HACHIKYU = 8TH Kyu
- Orange = Shichikyu = 7th kyu
- Purple = Rokkyu = 6th kyu
- Blue = Gokyu = 5th kyu
- Green = Yonkyu = 4th kyu
- Third brown = Sankyu = 3rd kyu
- Second Brown = Nikyu = 2nd kyu
- First brown = Ikkyu = 1st kyu
- First black = Shodan = 1st dan
- Second black = Nidan = 2nd dan
- Third black = Sandan = 3rd dan
- Fourth black = Yodan = 4th dan
- Fifth black = Godan = 5th dan
- Six black = Rokudan = 6th dan
- Seventh black = Shichidan = 7th dan
- Eighth black = Haichidan = 8th dan
- Ninth black = Kudan = Ninth dan
- 10th Black = Judan = 10th dan
Note: a red belt, 0r red belt with a black stripe running the length of the belt, can also be used as an instructor's belt. In some Korean styles the red belt is used in place of a brown belt
ED PARKER’S American Kenpo Karate belt ranks are as follows:
- White
- Yellow
- Orange
- Purple
- Blue
- Green
- Third class brown
- Second class brown
- First class Brown
- First black = Junior instructor
- Second black = assistant instructor
- Third black = Head instructor
- Fourth black = senior instructor
- Fifth black = associate professor
- Six black = professor
- Seventh black = senior professor
- Based black = associate master
- Ninth black = Master
- 10th black = senior master of the art
- The title of senior grandmaster it Is reserved for Edmond Kealoha Parker senior.
Further notes:
When I began training at Parkers there were just six black belt ranks [ the sixth was a solid red belt] , three brown belt ranks and four white belt ranks indicated by Brown stripes [ tips we call them ] one, two, three, or for tips ]. There were no clear requirements for any rank. No wall charts with requirements. You would go to the dojo and one day you might find your name typed on a sheet on the bulletin board with several others acknowledging you were promoted. No test. The only test I ever took was for third brown and first black. And all it was, was to do a form, react to an unexpected punch and to stand in the horse and Ed would kick you in the stomach and punch you in the face. I was totally disappointed and embarrassed by the low standard. So when I opened my first school in San Diego I decided to make my students better than Ed’s and that's why I created the charts and the challenging test that we do.
The title of Grandmaster goes to the senior students when the old Grandmaster dies or retires. Or the title maybe used by the individual that created a unique new style martial arts. Or can be bestowed upon one by his peers by unanimous agreement to lead the school. Also by blood. Father to son/ daughter, regardless of their skill. ED PARKER purposely developed and taught his Kenpo students to be open-minded and creative in their own personal Evolution of the art, as he did. He changed it added to it, gave it a special language and versatility to be able to expand and adapt to changing times.
Don't let your Kenpo get stagnant. Add the Jujitsu back into it. Kenpo was designed to evolve.
Ed discontinued the breaking skills, so much a part of Kenpo in 1961. The origins of the hand conditioning Is in the Okinawan “ Te’ Arts which Chow learned from an Oakinawan farmer neighbor. The Jujitsu part was originally there from Mitose and Ozaki, the main influence in Hawaii. The MITOSE jujitsu was mostly the [atimi] striking aspect of jujitsu, not very sophisticated compared to what we now do. The Filipino and Hawaiian martial arts also influenced Kenpo by incorporation of the checking hand and slapping motions. It would be appropriate to incorporate any of IMA’S charts to supplement the further involvement of your personal growth in the martial arts Material requirements for Ed parkers American Kenpo after third Black belt. Ranks above third-degree are based on Time. in rank and contribution to the arts. While there is still much more to learn after third degree you are not required to learn any new material past third degree although there is still plenty to learn.
In conclusion: Karate ranks are thus, historically, a rather modern construct imposed over and old martial art. They are important in the standardization of requirements which helps to maintain the integrity and value of systems based on tradition. However ,it should never be forgotten that rank does not make the man. With in every rank there can be found a wide range of students whose skills very dramatically, causing the observant karate practitioner to sometimes wonder weather rank really guarantees much of anything. Achievement of rank should be considered as a side effect of Martial Art training and not a goal. The true goal is personal development,” To be all that we can be “ at whatever rank level we may attain.