A few newbie questions ...

[cmeisenzahl]

Hello everyone,

I just joined this forum. I've taken Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a little over 2 years, but it's the only MA I've ever studied. I have been lucky to have a good instructor (Kyle Saunders, studies under Roy Harris).

My kids (now 7 & 8) have been taking Kenpo for over 2.5 years and are up to green belt. They love it and it's been great for them for all of the usual reasons.

I decided to take a break for BJJ for a while and try Kenpo in order to round out my skills and try something different. I've had no upright/striking training before this.

I started kenpo classes two weeks ago and have already learned 2-3 techniques and the basic blocks. My kenpo instructor calls them the "star set". The guy is great and really knows his stuff. He has a great demeanor and is a good teacher.

I'm also interested in some of the philosphy of kenpo as it relates to other martial arts. I read a brief bio of Ed Parker and his story. A karate instructor friend once started telling me a few years ago about how some arts want to protect the centerline and base everything off of that, while others may want to do the opposite. This is the kind of philisophical MA info I'm interested in. Any pointers to more info, articles, URLs, etc. like that very much appreciated!

I'm 34 and very inflexible. My front/back kicks aren't too bad. But those round-house kicks are low, and just about kill me.

Any tips for stretching as well? Any other tips or words of wisdom?


Thanks very much in advance and have a great day,

Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/

 

[Brother John]

Hey Chris-
WELCOME TO KENPO!!!
I hope you find your time in Kenpo to be Very rewarding. It's a good system, just remember to apply both body and mind to your art.

Stick to the basics and hit them daily. ALL of our techniques and sets and forms and.....etc...etc.. are nothing more than those very basics that you are learning right now...just in different arrangement and expressed in more sophisticated ways. I sort of envy you, the beginning is such a fun time! Just STICK AT IT. Nothing tops persistance. NOTHING.

I'll come back and put more in later, especially in regards to the other things you asked about.
Your Brother
John

 

[MJS]

Welcome to the forum Chris. First off, I'd like to say that you're training BJJ with a good guy. I've never had the chance to meet Kyle, but my good friend and BJJ instructor Chris Martell has had the chance to roll with him.

As for your question on stretching. Like anything, it'll come with time. One thing that'll help, is to make sure that you are warmed up very good before you begin to stretch. I find that I get my best stretch after a good warmup. As for not being able to kick high...don't worry about it. Nothing wrong with throwing high kicks, but IMHO, they're just as effective if not more, when thrown waist level and below.

Again, welcome to the forum!!! :ultracool

Mike

 

[cmeisenzahl]

Thanks very much guys, I appreciate it!

Chris

 

[OrangeLeopard]

Hello and welcome,
i ve been doing kempo for about half a year now and i also went through the whole learn everything phase in the begining. One of the main things i learned is the many variations of the kenpo/kempo system. I practice shoalin kempo and one quote that sums up a lot what people will tell you and what you will learn is, " to master others requires force, to master oneself requires enlightment."

As for technical aspects of kempo such as streching i agree with making sure your muscles are warm, do some aerobics i.e. jumping jacks, squat thrusts, a quick jog etc. Go straight into stretching and get into a good stretching pattern and try to do it everyday or everyother day. Also, work on your basics a lot, its something youll find yourself doing even at higher belts, work on accuracy and the transisition of strikes to open areas. On edrill i personally find very helpful is, pick tone, two or three, strikes you would like to work on. Get into a horse stance then do your first strike with your right hand to the face (of an imaginary opponent or heavy bag) the second strike to the solar plexus, and the third strike with your right hand again down low to the groin, then go back up to the solar plexus then the face again. Our instructors simply calls it up and down the ladder. It really helps especailly with a heavy bag.
I hope this small amount of info helps you out. Good luck and have fun with kenpo!
-Chris

 

[MisterMike]

Welcome to the board and the art of Kenpo.

Hello everyone,
I started kenpo classes two weeks ago and have already learned 2-3 techniques and the basic blocks. My kenpo instructor calls them the "star set". The guy is great and really knows his stuff. He has a great demeanor and is a good teacher.

Already learned, or already introduced? That's great your teacher has a good demeanor. I will help the learning process.

I'm also interested in some of the philosphy of kenpo as it relates to other martial arts. I read a brief bio of Ed Parker and his story. A karate instructor friend once started telling me a few years ago about how some arts want to protect the centerline and base everything off of that, while others may want to do the opposite. This is the kind of philisophical MA info I'm interested in. Any pointers to more info, articles, URLs, etc. like that very much appreciated!

The general philosophy is self defense. A lot of the mysticism and traditions of the past have been intentionally left out of American Kenpo an replaced with physics/science.

I'm 34 and very inflexible. My front/back kicks aren't too bad. But those round-house kicks are low, and just about kill me.

Any tips for stretching as well? Any other tips or words of wisdom?

Thanks very much in advance and have a great day,

Chris
http://amateureconblog.blogspot.com/

Same here on the flexibility. Just take it slow, day by day and it should get easier to do those kicks. There's probably more about that in some of the other forums here.

 

[cmeisenzahl]

Thanks gjuys!


Thanks Mike, it was definitely "introduced".

I have a pretty good handle on what I think we are calling Escaping Ram and Thrusting Release. But I need some work on Beheading The Dragon, footwork, etc.

Perhaps those names will help make it clear what sub-style of Kenpo I'm doing? I think the instructor sometimes calls it Kenpo-Jitsu. There is a faier amount of locks and holds mixed in.


Chris

 

[IWishToLearn]

Escaping Ram and Thrusting Release. But I need some work on Beheading The Dragon

Those are three of the Orange belt required techniques for the IKCA curriculum. Could be an offshoot thereof or maybe your instructor is teaching a blend of the IKCA and other Arts.