Why did you choose kenpo?

[Seabrook]

I saw a martial arts demonstration and joined the following night. This was back in 1985 and I have been doing Kenpo ever since.

Jamie Seabrook

http://www.seabrook.gotkenpo.com

 

[Kenpoist]

when I was 16, I saw a demo at a summer camp I had been attending in Montana. I was taken back by the practical applications that were being demostrated . Luckily, I found a school near my residence and began my training for 2 years. Unfortunately, many places throughout the U.S. don't have kenpo schools and when I moved I wasn't able to find a kenpo school for 15 years - until now!

 

[KenpoPastor]

I've always had an interest in Martial Arts but never was afforded the opportunity when I was younger. Yeah, my mother did sign me up for Boxing and Judo when I was a kid but after a couple of months of each she just stopped taking me for no apparent reason. Life moved on and I become a committed Christian and end up as a youth pastor at a church. About 1.5 years ago, the Christian school in our church brings in these Kenpo instructors to teach martial arts to the kids and they also offered a class to the church staff so I gave it a whirl and now I'm hooked!

 

[Drifter]

Saw a Kenpo school, went in, talked to the instructor, joined up. I had heard about Kenpo, and a friend was saying he might join up. He never did, but I haven't regretted it yet.

 

[Sam]

ever since my best friend tested for her green belt (she's 2nd degree now, going for first in the next month) I knew I wanted a piece of this. I watched her green belt test, brown belt test, and 2nd degree brown belt test before finally signing up. (I kick myself in the head for not doing it sooner but I'm only 16 and I see people around here who didnt sign up til they were in their 30's, so I am thankful for that)

I'm really glad too because if I had decided it on my own I would have shopped around for prices, and going to a Tracy's is pretty freakin expensive because of the private lessons. So it was a very good thing my friend already went. I can't imagine anywhere else.

 

[distalero]

Got out of the military in '69, crazier than a loon, as they say, and it was suggested by an old and wise friend that I go get my clock cleaned on a regular and instructive basis; a kind of therapy. So I shopped around (there were several different styles locally), visited dojos until I found something that had the air of "real" to it. Now, I didn't have any particular training in empty hand fighting (that was my problem: I'd come from, used, and believed quite personally in guns; had several, slept with one), so it wasn't like I was making an intellectually informed choice. But in the process of shopping around I witnessed some interesting sights. Watched two members of one style get pissed off at each other while working out in the dojo during a class, go out into a parking lot (which was covered in patches of loose gravel), and proceed to do their "finest". First guy tried one of their style's high, fancy kicks, thereby immediately slipping in the gravel and dumping himself on the ground, second guy stood their and laughed. So did I, leaving. Later it dawned on me in specifics why I knew intuitively there was something wrong about that whole thing. Ended up at the real feeling "studio", we called it, which turned out to be Kenpo, of the "Chinese Karate" era. I liked it immediately, and frequently thereafter was handed a bright shiny clock. Just what I needed as beginning therapy (the rest was done years later in several Zen Bhuddist monasteries, where you end up handing yourself clocks that just aren't shiny enough). Thanks for the opportunity .

 

[evenflow1121]

I started training in the martial arts when I was about 8 yrs old. My first school was a WTF TKD school that is still around the area I used to live in (trust me that guy is one hell of a business man). Now I dont have anything against TKD, my motto is, its usually the driver and not the car. So to make a long story short, sure we won many tournaments, states, nationals, ect. and we recieved our black belts in 3 years (thats right I was a jr bb at about 11 1/2). The year I turned 12, I found myself in 7th grade and in middle school.

Middle school is interesting its usually the first place you have an encounter with a bully. And ironically, the bully is usually a guy with no martial arts training what so ever, but he or she can just hit hard. So this guy was in 9th grade going on junior college and he would pick on all the smaller kids. Eventually, my day came as well, with all the martial art training I had, I really thought I could kick this guy's ***, I mean after all, I had won all those tourneys, how much more different could real fighting be? Boy was I wrong, I kicked this kid and my kick had no effect on him, the next thing I saw was his fist and my nose exploded in blood.

Thus, I did what any other legit mcdojo bb would have done at the time, I threw dirt in his eyes and began to punch him. The following day, I walked in the tkd school, gave the guy who taught me back then my bb and told him the bb I wasnt really a bb. A few days later and after having a nice argument with my parents because 6 months were left on the McDojo contract, I started Kenpo Karate, and from the occurence that have happenned to me since that date, this was one of the best choices I have ever made...

 

[hammer]

I was very fortunate to have Kenpo as a option for school sport in high school back in 86-87 .For the first term (ten weeks) that I participated I didnt take it all to serious.
Heck I thought it was all to funny!

Then at the conclusion of the term our Instructor ( John Van Wijk) announced that Mr Parker the founder of the system would be comming to Australia early next year (87) accompaning Mr Parker would be number of elite KENPO BLACK BELTS. I was most impressed with the skill of my instructor. Yet I still had doubts as to whether KENPO was for me, for my pervious experiences were primarliy from in boxing.

I was very curious to see a real life MASTER!!
Seeing Mr Parker and his Black Belts work out , teach, and peform demos
I stood in amazement,( jaw on the floor). and thought nah this is for me!!

Funny we (fellow students) even Skipped school to go and watch Mr Parker and the American team of black belts train at the local leisure Centre, Hiding behind the grandstand PEEP!

Have been hooked ever since

Cheers

 

[BigCat63]

After a lifelong desire to study I signed up for an intro Tae Kwon Do lesson because the dojo was within a mile of my office. The day before my intro I walked into the local Kenpo school and met my future Instructor. After the description of what Kenpo was, and how it differed from Tae kwon Do I promptly cancelled my intro at teh TKD school and signed up. That was 8 years ago and I am very thankful I walked in the Kenpo school that day. Nothing against TKD but the Kenpo was much more up my alley.

 

[hemi]

I’m new here so I hope I don’t offend anyone. Years ago when I was 17, 18, and 19, I was in an out of TKD classes some private lessons and some with large classes. I didn’t have a lot of choices since I grew up in a very small town with only one school. I most of the time, showed up only on sparring days and did not attend many of the regular classes. I did however have a lot of friends that did and stayed with their training on to 1st Dan and beyond.



My best friend never had any lessons or formal training at all, but grew up in a very broken home. To make a long story short his mom dated lowlife drug attics and other less than honorable gentlemen that hit ,and in other ways mistreated my friend. He also fought on the street just about every day as he lived in a bad part of town.



Well one day one of my other friends that went to my old TKD School and got his black belt started up with Chad, my friend that had the tough upbringing. I told Chad watch out David, the guy that he was about to fight had his black belt.



To make this short Chad had his way with David the TKD BB. That quickly turned me off to that style. Now at 32 years old I am a little late getting started in American Kenpo but, just now have the time to dedicate and really give my all to training. When I decided to get back into martial arts I wanted a new style that I didn’t have any knowledge of and I was faced with 2 that grabbed my interest. Kung Fu and Kenpo, I went to the only Kenpo School in the area where I live and met with the instructor. He was very nice and respectful, and knows his art well ,6th Dan. After I participated in one class I have been going ever since. Only a month so far but I hope to continue as long as I am able.

 

[Kenpobuff]

I took Tracy's in Jr. High.

In High school it was TKD.

Then as an adult I was looking for a place to take my kids and met my current Kenpo instructor and liked what he had to say and the way he worked with the young ones. I joined with them as a way to stay involved in their activities now that I don't coach their traditional sports anymore and glad I did. I think it is the best thing parents can do with their children.

 

[dianhsuhe]

Good topic!

I came to Kempo after my TKD instructor decided to move in with my then girlfriend of 2 1/2 years. Turned out well though, as I met a great instructor and have been in Kara-Ho Kempo since 1993.

I will skip the Kempo McDojo part that was before that-

 

[gmkuoha]

I have been training over 54 years now and when I was 12 years old, my mother put me in a temple in Hawaii because she was afraid that I would be in a llot of trouble due to my temper. The master was a protege of Professor Chow, Master Kuheana and he taught me great discipline, honor, respect, humility besides all the physical and mental arts one would ever think of learning. I had the fortunate experience to meet and train with the famous Professor William Kwai Sun Chow during that time...but did not enjoy his visits very much. After moving to San Diego to become a law enforcement officer, I longed to get back to my roots and the system that helped me so much. Looking for Master Kuheana was impossible but soon my mother hooked me up with Professor Chow (She was a friend of Patsy Chow). My trained started there and went up till he passed away. His system provided me with the truth and all those things that anyone could ever wish to learn in their lifetime and much more. It has given me a strong insight of what he wanted accomplished and what he wanted out of his students. It is possibly the most closest knit group of people other then your family I have ever been associated with. And to see the growth of the students makes one beem with pride for in essense these are all my children. And editor, John Soet and Dave Cater said it well, "That the Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate System of Professor Chow is one of the most deadliest art of all time...yet carried on with extreme humity!"
Grandmaster Kuoha

 

[Seabrook]

I have been training over 54 years now and when I was 12 years old, my mother put me in a temple in Hawaii because she was afraid that I would be in a llot of trouble due to my temper. The master was a protege of Professor Chow, Master Kuheana and he taught me great discipline, honor, respect, humility besides all the physical and mental arts one would ever think of learning. I had the fortunate experience to meet and train with the famous Professor William Kwai Sun Chow during that time...but did not enjoy his visits very much. After moving to San Diego to become a law enforcement officer, I longed to get back to my roots and the system that helped me so much. Looking for Master Kuheana was impossible but soon my mother hooked me up with Professor Chow (She was a friend of Patsy Chow). My trained started there and went up till he passed away. His system provided me with the truth and all those things that anyone could ever wish to learn in their lifetime and much more. It has given me a strong insight of what he wanted accomplished and what he wanted out of his students. It is possibly the most closest knit group of people other then your family I have ever been associated with. And to see the growth of the students makes one beem with pride for in essense these are all my children. And editor, John Soet and Dave Cater said it well, "That the Chinese Kara-Ho Kempo Karate System of Professor Chow is one of the most deadliest art of all time...yet carried on with extreme humity!"
Grandmaster Kuoha

Salute to you sir!

Jamie Seabrook
www.seabrook.gotkenpo.com

 

[lonekimono10]

Well i was 10 years old and one day on the way home from school this big kid beat me up and put me in a trash can , i had on my new shirt and when i got home i got in again from my father.
anyway the next day i was standing out back and was looking across the street, i saw this kid on his front lawn standing in a horse stance(i did'nt know that then) doing something with his hands, i went over and asked him what that was?, he said "KENPO" and that this is called the "STAR BLOCK".
the next day my grandmom took me to a Tracys kenpo school ,well that was back in 1965 and i have kept the art of kenpo a part of my life ever since.

 

[Kenpo_man]

It was a happy mix of luck of research. I had a little experience in karate and wushu (could have tested for yellow in both before I quit) so I basically knew what I was looking for. I saw the movements in Kenpo and knew right away it was the art for me. After cross training in both muay thai and bjj, two well known and respected styles, I still see kenpo as one of the, if not the, ultimate art for street defence.

 

[GRIM]

I happened past a lead box in a restaurant. Both my girlfrend and I had no prior martial arts experience but filled out a form any way. got a call back about 4 days later from my instrustor Jim Dryburgh saying we get 4 free privates and free uniforms.

It took us like month to do introductry classes but after our first group two years ago we both go as much as possible. So honestly I stumbled into it but after looking around I don't think I could of picked a better style.

 

[kenpo0324]

I've always been interested in martial arts and then I read some books by Mr.Parker and watched some videos on Kenpo..I was hooked. I have been in Kenpo for 3yrs now and still enjoying reading about it and doing it.
Your always learning something new in Kenpo..

 

[kenpochad]

it was the hand speed , and that you didnt just hit once or twice

 

[KenpoEMT]

After seeing the speed and precision and then feeling a full speed technique, I knew Kenpo was for me.