What is your attraction to American Kenpo?

[Goldendragon7]

Everyone has a different desire or reason for taking up Kenpo ..... what is/was yours?

 

[ob2c]

It works! The moves and techniques are a lot more realistic than most other martial arts I've seen. And it teaches principles, not just moves.

 

[Ceicei]

Kenpo teaches what is necessary in how to defend and is flexible enough to adapt/adjust to the situation.

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7
Everyone has a different desire or reason for taking up Kenpo ..... what is/was yours?

Forced association by the Goldendragon............nuff said.

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7
Everyone has a different desire or reason for taking up Kenpo ..... what is/was yours?

Initially it was revenge.
Then I liked the way it was Scientifically designed. I considered Majoring in Biology in College and Kenpo compared very well to the science I was studying.
The social/military/hierarchical rank structure was also very cool and being able to advance through this based on your proficiency in a Science was very appealing.

Then of course it was Scientific Self-Defense which I think is better than Aerobics for example so it also had appeal even just as exercise. Even after I was no longer convinced I needed more self-defense knowledge and knew I would not become a school-owning teacher or professional fighter Kenpo had an appeal strictly as exercise. And it was always fun of course. Physically it is fun to do and staying up by the campfire until 2am listening to Sibok at camps was also fun for other reasons, even if we had to be up training again at 7am.

Now I'm perhaps obsessed with finishing (as in finishing learning) the system as it is spelled out in Book 5 of Infinite Insights. My current motivation is to get through all of that material and to try to understand it as if I had been taught by Mr. Parker himself. I'm hoping that by learning from as many First Generation Black Belts as I can (I have a good one as my personal instructor fortunately), the I'll be able to approximate what that experience would have been like.

Unfortunately by the time I "get there," I'll need someone to feed me my soup and change my diaper. So I don't know what good it is going to do me in the end. Except perhaps to prove that it is the Journey, not the Destination that is most important.

 

[stickarts]

the system that i had previously studied was mostly techniques off of right hand punches. i liked the fact that this art had self defense off of so many different types of attacks.

 

[don bohrer]

An old army buddy of mine who was just a cook at the mess hall got me interested.

don

 

[jfarnsworth]

The first kenpo class I seen I knew then that there would be a life long endeaver martial art.

 

[Shodan]

Well- I guess the attraction at first for me was that it was the first martial art I saw being done in person and the demo team had a woman on it. I was going to turn 13 that week and asked for joining Kenpo to be my present- which was granted!! Now, I've done the art for so long that it's become a part of me or an addiction. I have tried out a few different arts when Kenpo wasn't available but didn't find that I liked them as well as Kenpo.

:asian: :karate:

 

[Atlanta-Kenpo]

For me it is manny reason and I am not sure that I can pin point it to one specific reason so I will list a few

scientific and logical
deadly and beautiful
mentally stimulating
physically challenging
emotionally demanding
not everyone can understand and express thier art

 

[Elfan]

Hitting people is fun!

 

[molson]

The hands... after many years in the korean arts, as soon as I saw the hand movements. I knew I wanted to do that.

 

[kenpo3631]

Tired of getting my a** kicked in school and plus Tae Kwon Do just wasn't doing it for me.

 

[Seig]

I studies several arts through the years, TKS, Shorin Ryu, Aikido, Jiu-Jitsu but felt they were all lacking something. Then I had a very serious car accident that severly limited my mobility and caused other issues. I met a Kenpo instructor that helped me with those issues and got me past and through them. I learned a great deal from him and fell in love with the art. His love for himself and his lifestyle eventually lead to a split that forced me into finding someone else.

 

[jeffkyle]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7
Everyone has a different desire or reason for taking up Kenpo ..... what is/was yours?

Preventative maintenance. But then I got addicted. But not anymore. I am trying to stay away from it all together.
But I have lapses...like this post.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by jeffkyle
Preventative maintenance. But then I got addicted. But not anymore. I am trying to stay away from it all together.
But I have lapses...like this post.

Everything worth anything in life has it's challenges.... I know you will regain that addiction again, stronger than ever.

:asian: