What made Ed Parker so special to everyone......?

[Goldendragon7]

:asian:

 

[Seig]

NOt having met him, this is a difficult issue. But I can say that he opened new worlds to me. Not just his advancements in the Martial Arts, but opening me up to a whole new community. Through his work, I have "met" more people, good and bad, than otherwise would have been possible. His teachings have opened up the MA community in ways that allow relatively low ranking belts to meet and learn from the "Masters". He left us one hell of a legacy and a very large set of foot prints to follow in.

 

[Zoran]

...I would say his mind.

For us and all here talking about, understanding, expanding, discovering and etc., all these principles of "Kenpo Logic" is one thing. To actually lay down the foundation of "Kenpo Logic", without any one person saying, "Well, this is how it all works", takes a great mind.

Anyway, that's my take on it. I'm sure someone will come up with a more complicated answer.

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by Goldendragon7

:asian:

Leaving his Infinite Insights library for the rest of us to grow, and learn.:asian:

 

[tonbo]

I would second everything that Seig said.

I never got a chance to meet Mr. Parker, but through studying Kenpo and reading his books, I have had a whole new world open up to me. I have met a number of really wonderful people and learned a lot more about myself than I would have otherwise.

Basically, he is a mentor that I never met, but continue to be influenced by.

Thank you, Mr. Parker. I will always be in your debt. :asian:

Peace--

 

[Klondike93]

Being such a generous person, always giving of himself to others.

I met him once when I first started in Kenpo and for him being the founder of the system and to take time out to talk to a newbe was incredible. He took the time out to talk to everyone on a personal level, coming from TKD the so called masters just didn't do that. Now I see more doing this and wonder if somehow Mr. Parker didn't change this too.

Let's see, what else...... His incredible mind. To come up with all the principles of kenpo and logic of kenpo, he should have had a masters from MIT.


:asian:

 

[Rainman]

The captain of the ship. A ship is a vehicle and AK is the vehicle Mr. Parker is responsible for. Practical, logical thinking... you can do anything with the concepts, theories and principles, a good guide, and a little help from you friends.

:asian:

 

[Kirk]

Originally posted by Zoran

...I would say his mind.

For us and all here talking about, understanding, expanding, discovering and etc., all these principles of "Kenpo Logic" is one thing. To actually lay down the foundation of "Kenpo Logic", without any one person saying, "Well, this is how it all works", takes a great mind.

Anyway, that's my take on it. I'm sure someone will come up with a more complicated answer.

I agree here! I'm surprised that the word genius isn't used more
often when discussing Mr Parker. Many prodigies specialize in
a specific field, or area (music, chess, mathematics) ... why not
martial arts?

 

[Rob_Broad]

I think the thing that seperated Ed Parker from so many others was the logical manner in which he devised his art. His great experiment of Kenpo, made people find what worked best for them, not the next guy. His teachings made you question things and drove you to find the answers. That is truly insightful.

 

[Goldendragon7]

Originally posted by Kirk
I'm surprised that the word genius isn't used more
often when discussing Mr Parker.

I Agree with you Kirk.... he truly was a genius.... but he would never say that. He alwasy said ..... it just seems to me to be the most Logical view point (regarding what ever we were discussing) ...... I just "see" things differently I guess.

Huh..... I GUESS!!!!!!!

:asian:

 

[ikenpo]

I guess what has made him so special for me is that if it weren't for him we wouldn't be here discussing the system, making friends, growing in this manner, pouring out energies into something that has a positive impact on our development.

A Kenpo instructor, when I was 16, entrusted the keys to his dojo to me. For a young man that grew up in what some would call a "hard" environment it meant a lot. When I graduated from college and had to move out of town I went to return the key. He refused to accept it and said if I ever was in town and just needed to crash to come there.

That is what I remember from my youthful, formative years of Kenpo and that is why I've stuck around. I attribute that kind of faith in a person to SGM Parker's teachings.

Although in recent years it has been trying. As you move to different lineages the dynamics change.

jb:asian:

 

[jeffbeish]

I met him several times and he was always gracious and informative. He was also funny as hell and loved jokes. I mean funny in the humorous sense.

I wrote him a few weeks before passed away to ask about an old mutual friend and he sent me a post card, I will always keep that post card. He was good people.

Jeff

 

[GouRonin]

I never met the guy. In fact, when you say Ed Parker I think about Ed Parker Jr.

I appreciate the work Ed Parker Sr. did but I don't think I can say he was anything special to me.

 

[jeffbeish]

Parker Sr was one of he old guys of American kenpo that I met and I believe he was a pioneer. He was on the "I Love Lucy" show once and I thought of him as a celebrity. Anyway, he was a friend with a mutual friend of mine; Tony Lasit, another Hawaiian kajukenbo-kenpo sifu and he had respect for Ed Parker.

He was special to me because when asked he would actually reply or return the favor. Rare traits in humans these days


:shrug:

 

[Goldendragon7]

:asian: