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There will be no disclaimer on this
section due to
the nature of the information covered revolving around American Kenpo
Karate
training. Granted the concepts and principles will be broken down
more than usual, however the tips described in this training page will
be Kenpo training in it's basic form. Some of the concepts
discussed
will come from SGM Ed Parker's books and reference materials, others
will
come from past and on-going Kenpo Karate training. When the tips
discussed are taken from SGM Parker's reference materials then the
quote
or concept where it can be found in the material will be placed for
further
study.
Within Dragon Tales there has been training in many facets of the
Martial
Arts. Aikido, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi, and several other styles of
the
Martial Arts. There is a lot to be said for having some exposure
in other Martial Arts styles because it can give some insight into how
techniques with similar attributes to other styles can be executed (it
can also make it easier to see those similarities). However, it
would
be best to train in one system long enough to have a more complete
knowledge
of the system before going down another path.
Most of the stories behind going down the path of Kenpo training for
most
of the Dragon Tales staff is somewhat familiar. Some because of
the
physical fitness involved in Kenpo, or the extremely realistic
self-defense
training. The biggest story behind finding the path revolves
around
a movie released in the early 90's. The movie was choreographed
by
Ed Parker himself and a gentleman named Jeff Speakman played the lead
role.
If you haven't guessed the movie is the Perfect Weapon, and depicted
American
Kenpo in a way that hadn't been seen in cinema before. Or at
least
as prevalent. In fact, the movie had such an impact on some of
the
Dragon Tales staff that they realized Kenpo would be the system of
choice
for training for as long as humanly possible. Although, it does
need
to be mentioned that their is much more to Kenpo then was illustrated
in
this movie. There are some things in Kenpo that would be
difficult
to put on film, speed being one of the foremost on the list.
Anyone
who has worked with the AKKI, or witnessed that really cool stand off
fight
in the Bruce Lee movie Enter the Dragon, can attest to this fact.
Heck, rumor has it Chuck Norris was told to slow down a time or two
because
the camera wasn't picking anything up. However, traveling down
that
road is a different discussion.
No matter the reason, Kenpo training has opened a new world for most
students.
A world of magical wonder and science that goes well beyond just
self-defense
or physical fitness. One of the best pieces of advice when
thinking
of Kenpo was given at a seminar a little over a year and a half
ago.
The instructor teaching at the seminar stated that when you view Kenpo,
not only should you view it from the inside out, or outside looking
in,
you should also view Kenpo as 3 dimensional. This idea is one of
the numerous concepts that makes Kenpo one of the most eclectic and all
encompassing forms of self-defense. There are many different
interpretations
which could be made about this concept. However, in this training
concepts page we are going to go over 2 of the interpretations on this
idea.
The first interpretation on the idea of 3 dimensional Kenpo training
comes
straight for Mr. Parker's first Infinite Insights book. This idea
is very basic and involves individual viewpoints from each person
involved
in a Kenpo situation, whatever it may be. Whether at a test, training
in
class, or in a self-defense situation, this part of the 3 dimensional
concept
would be the same. The 1st dimensional viewpoint comes from the
executioner
of the technique, or everything the individual doing the technique sees
and experiences at the time. The 2nd dimensional viewpoint comes from
the
opponent having the technique applied on them. From the action
taken
for the attack to what is felt from the application of the technique,
or
the potential responses to this application. And the 3rd comes
from
anyone else viewing the technique being applied. From this point
of view, the individual has a better vantage point from start to
finish.
There are ramifications and many things to consider with each
dimensional
viewpoint, however this will be left up to you, the student, to
discover.
Now as for the second interpretation, there are two different sides to
this part of the concept. The first is very well know to Kenpo
practitioners
all over the world. The other is a little more obscure and was
pointed
out to some of the staff at Dragon Tales during the same seminar
we spoke of at the start of this discussion. The first side of
this
concept was defined in Mr. Parker's Infinite Insights books and the
Encyclopedia
of Kenpo as the Height, Width, and Depth Zones or Dimensions on your
opponent
or yourself. These are pretty self explanatory wherein the Height Zone
has 3 levels from you head to your feet, the Width Zone has 4 levels
essentially
from shoulder to shoulder, and 7 levels of Depth which are vertical
zones
viewed from the side. This Dimensional Zone Concept is often used
to teach the student how to better control their opponent's action, and
also how to protect those zones from attack.
However, the other side of the Dimensional Zone Concept takes a
slightly
different, more holistic approach in the examination of motion.
This
side is what you might call the "mirror image" to the concept that can
actually teach the student how to hit with more power, more speed, and
a lot less telegraphic motion. The most basic way to define this
side of the Dimensional Zone Concept comes from the statement "Seek
Depth
First." To better define this part of the discussion we will
analyze
the ever present and always practical "Reverse Punch" as an
example.
The same 3 Dimensional zones will be used in the example, but they will
go more towards methods of execution. A list of some of the principles
involved with this one concept will also be mentioned with a * symbol
next
to them. The strike will be a right hand, upper level "Reverse
Punch"
thrown from a left Neutral Stance:
1)
With your left hand moves down to a checking position, change the
weight
distribution on your Neutral Bow from 50/50 to 60/40, left foot at 60%
in the direction of your strike. Simultaneous with these minor
changes,
start your right hand punch in a upper cut motion. All three
changes
will alter your depth zone and begin to move your weight towards your
strike.
*Master
Key Basic, Directional Harmony, Forward Momentum, Back Up Mass, Point
of
Origin
2)
As your strike moves past your left shoulder, bend your knees slightly
thus changing your Height Zone. Maintain the same flow with your
strike as you drop your weight with the change in Height. When
done
correctly you should feel as though you are starting to move in a
downward
diagonal line. As you move towards your intended target, your
punch
should begin to turn counter-clockwise while keeping your elbow
anchored
and pointed to the ground.
*Marriage
of Gravity, Body Momentum, Torque, Rotating Force, Economy of Motion,
Settling
3)
The final stage is to change your Width Zone by turning to a Forward
Bow
as the strike reaches the target. The basic description of how to do
this
is to move the right side of your body from a 45 degree Left Neutral
Bow
straight to a 90 degree Forward Bow. There are a couple of different
schools
of thought on how to execute the last step. The best way for the
novice or beginner in Kenpo is to move your right leg and foot from a
45
degree angle to a 90 degree vertical angle (or straight line towards
your
intended target). With this you will move your upper body in the
same direction to a 90 degree horizontal angle as the strike hits the
target.
The other, more advanced version of this final step has the same upper
body elements, however the lower body doesn't shift to an exact 90
degree
to save time. Either way, the Forward Bow is the last step when
contact
is made and tension begins.
*Opposing
Forces, Venetian Blind Principle, Outer Rim Concept, Lateral Momentum,
Bracing Angle
Now with all that said, the short-hand description of this concept is
to
move your body weight forward to your intended target before turning to
the Forward Bow. This concept should not be confused with
Mid-Point
Balance, due to the fact that Mid-Point is merely an in-place rotation
with the strike. Mid-Point can have some Forward Momentum,
however
the Depth would not be utilized as much due to environmental conditions
(generally having to do with a Mulitple-Attacker situation). With
either
a normal Forward Bow or with Mid-Point Balance being involved, the
Dimensional
Zone Concept can still be used to define your movements.
The previous description on executing a Reverse Punch is merely
scratching
the surface on not only concepts that can be used on that strike, but
also
only one of the innumerable basics that the Dimensional Zone Concept
can
be applied to. From stepping into a Neutral Bow stance, to
flowing
through Form 4, 3 Dimensional action and thinking can be applied.
Feel free to give it a try. As it was stated by Mr. Parker in the Zen
of
Kenpo, "Positive innovations are imminent when you keep an open mind,"
and, "Never discard knowledge that is not applicable to you, but store
it."
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