What would your curriculum be?

[PandN]

I recently changed schools. My instructor moved and I followed. However, the new school has a completely different class structure.

In my old school each belt level had it's own requirements (On average 16 Techniques, 1 Form, and 1 Set). Each student was taught the technique that was next on their requirements list. But the school I'm at now every student in the class learns the same technique and then promotions are based on the number of techniques you know.

The whole format is completely foreign to me.

If you were to open your own school what would your format be? Is this the same format that you were taught in? Would you change anything about the way you were trained?

 

[Richard Baarspul]

I most probably would teach the 24 techniques curriculum. In our school we do 12 techniques up to green belt, and 16 from brown on!

full salute!

 

[michaeledward]

I study at a school that uses a variation of the 16 belt system. (Brown belts require between 16 & 20 techniques - 22 techniques for 1st Black).

I have no intention of opening my own school, but, I would seriously consider the 24 technique chart spelled out in Infinite Insighs (5 I think).

Mr. Planas has said to me, it doesn't matter what order the techniques are learned in, but to receive a black belt, you should know the techniques.

 

[phoenix]

I recently changed schools. My instructor moved and I followed. However, the new school has a completely different class structure.

In my old school each belt level had it's own requirements (On average 16 Techniques, 1 Form, and 1 Set). Each student was taught the technique that was next on their requirements list. But the school I'm at now every student in the class learns the same technique and then promotions are based on the number of techniques you know.

The whole format is completely foreign to me.

If you were to open your own school what would your format be? Is this the same format that you were taught in? Would you change anything about the way you were trained?

Hi! I can understand the new structure (or lack thereof) as being foreign. One of the reasons I love American Kenpo IS the structured format. I attended a kenpo school with a curriculum similar to what you are referring to for a while. I found it confusing, and frustrating personally. That doesn't mean it isn't effective, I'm sure it works for many people. Everyone has their own "best" way of learning. But I prefer a set list of requirements per belt level.

In our school, our color belt technique curriculum is:
Yellow-10
Orange-16
Orange-16
Purple-20
Blue-20
Green-20

Sean

 

[OneKickWonder]

I am only a recently promoted Purple Belt, so I am obviously no expert on what teaching format should be used, but I enjoy my instructor's calsses, and we dont seem to have too many people leave after their first few classes. He actually only requires 1 form and five self defenses until green belt. Once you earn blue you have to learn the rest of the ones he left out in the beginning to earn green-black. I think it allows the students to focus more on tweaking and perfecting the basics without stressing over too many forms and self defenses. Then again I could be a complete idiot to think that way. I think only Mr. Parker himself could truly answer whether the different teaching formats really follow his vision.

 

[crazydragonkenpo]

As I think of the system as a core instructional tool we do the 24 tech system. Yellow 10 thereafter 24 including extensions from Brown 1.
Forms , sets, and freestyle techs---plus other bobs and sods to allow boxing, body conditioning and various training tools for full contact combat.
This covers the ideal leading to the what if---graft and fomulation---intuitive.
I believe that to be capable of extemporaneous action one needs the inherent tools to be developed to the point of first nature.
To see before it is observed.
letters--words----sentences---paragraphs

 

[IWishToLearn]

I use the IKCA system as my base curriculum and build in control mechanisms, balance resetting, and structural stability mechanisms in addition to working for specific goals.

 

[Rich_Hale]

A friend of mine researched Kenpo for the better part of fifty years and was internationally accepted as both a genius in the field and among his peers.

He dedicated his entire adult life to researching, developing and documenting his Kenpo curriculum in such a way that his students could have an opportunity to benefit from all his hard work.

The actual amount of time and effort he put into developing and documenting his Kenpo curriculum is mind boggling. Even seeing it first-hand it’s difficult to comprehend.

I remember one day I was in his office when he was expounded on one of his latest projects. I became more and more distracted with the volumes and volumes of manuscripts, books and articles that filled his office from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.

Finally I couldn’t take it anymore and kind of blurted out, “How do you find the time to do all this!” Seamlessly switching gears he tells me about how he had always been a “visionary” knowing exactly what he would accomplish in his lifetime. But he said being a visionary had its downside as well, because he also knew he would not live all that long and in order to accomplish all he was to do, he had to work “unceasingly”.

He then demonstrated how he would type, type, type, then push the typewriter back a ways and lay his head on the desk, indicating a quick nap. Then he said sometimes when he was really tired he would push his chair back out of the way, lay on the floor, half beneath his desk, and take a nap. Although longer than a desktop nap, he said these, more formal, naps were still measured in only minutes, not hours.

My friends name is Ed Parker Sr. and I think I’ll take advantage of all his hard work and teach his curriculum.

 

[nlkenpo]

Great response Mr. Hale. Although I haven't known Mr. Parker personally, having started my journey in kenpo 3 months after he passed away, I still don't believe in any of the changes to the curriculum if they imply deletions of techniques or anything else.

Adding new stuff could be OK, but deletions are absolutely not acceptable.

Regards,
Marcel

 

[IWishToLearn]

I spose the most politically correct answer would be that we all follow the curriculum of whatever organization or lineage we belong to.

 

[sbreault_2000]

Mr. Hale,

I was wondering if you could elaborate more on what Mr. Parker's curriculum was like. Unfortunately I never had the honor of meeting him. I do love to hear the stories though?

How much time was devoted to Basics, Self Defense, and Sparring?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[Rich_Hale]

Steve,

This is an interesting question, sorry I will not be able to answer it.

First off, most of my lessons with Mr. Parker were private lessons at his home. He would come to the Larry Tatum’s Santa Monica school now and then, but that was the exception.

As is well known, many of Mr. Parker’s students had already studied under someone else. I’m one of those, so even tough I received my first and second degree black belts directly form Mr. Parker, most of my mat time was under Rich Callahan, AC Rainey, and Larry Tatum. I didn’t have the opportunity to attend a school where Mr. Parker was teaching all the classes.

This question would best be answered by someone who studied with Mr. Parker from white belt up. That would be guys like Huk Planas, Larry Tatum, Frank Trejo, etc.

 

[Ray]

Lately I've been toying with the idea of teaching the extensions at the same belt level as the base technique. That would allow a 16 tech per level cirriculum and get all techniques, including extensions, by 2nd black.

The order of some of the techniques would have to be switched around (at least in my mind) so that the techs are learned before they are used in the forms.

Has anyone tried that?