Originally posted by WilliamTLear
Now that is interesting... I know the saying from The Zen Of Kenpo (page 23, under continuity). I know that he was notorious for saying different things to different people, do you think that is the case here? If so, why did he have you work on the development of power first?
Curious 
,
Billy
Sir,
In my own lessons we did a lot of slow training, almost like "Taiji" with an emphasis on body mechanics and proper movement with breathing. When you move slow, every miscue is obvious and mistakes become glaring. I studied Chinese Arts before I met Ed Parker so this was "normal" to me. Ed Parker studied Taiji and other aspects of the Chinese Science and at one time even had a Taiji instructor teaching for him in the Pasadena School for awhile. (Can't remember his name, but I think it was James Lee). From there we would move to faster pace movements and ultimately explosive moement but only after the "wrinkles" were ironed out. Remember Ed Parker was, and did call his art "Chinese Kenpo" long before he created the commercial product for the American strip mall, store fronts, and franchises. (Remember Secrets of Chinese - "Karate" was first published in 1963) This was when he taught things like "Two-Man Set" and forms were lifted straight from Hung Gar like "Tiger and the Crane" and incorporated into his Kenpo teachings.
The notion of "speed" being paramount was a flashy concept that came along much later in the seventies with Motion-Kenpo. It really helped to "sell" the art. Back in the early days of Moton-Kenpo, when you mentioned Ed Parker the first thing people would say was, "Man he's fast."
Before that it was "power." Even after motion-Kenpo he would still say, "Speed kills your technique." So there were many contridictions in his teaching depending on what he said, who he said it to, when he said it, and what aspect of kenpo in his own evolutions he was speaking about. The things he said to and discussions with Steve Herring were completely different from what he told Frank Trejo. What he talked about with Chuck Sullivan and James Ibrao was different from what he shared with Larry Tatum and Huk Planas. To add to the confusion the Motion-Kenpo concept itself promotes many concepts simultaneously so students from the same timeline would get different information. I know he had conversations with Dennis Conatser that I never heard repeated with others of his generation, as an example. I'm not suggesting one way is better than another because I really think that is an instructors burden to get the most out of what he learned and pass it to his students, but we do have to accept the many differences and gravitate to what and who we feel is best for us, and forget this notion "all Ed Parker Kenpo is the same." It's clear from these international forums there is no standardized understanding of "how" to do anything. All Kenpo from the same lineage is not the same. Never has been, and never will be.
I asked Ed Parker about all the contridictions and he said, "It's just like the Bible. It's about who, when, and what they were trying to say at the time and all subject to interpretation." If you take the Bible (or Kenpo) as a whole literally, it makes no sense. You must focus on the period you find of value, and interpret it for yourself in a positive way as a guide.
If you went by to see Mr. Herring you would see a completely different Kenpo and philosophy of Ed Parker where the "slow with power" is still alive in Mr. Herring and his lineage. I too emphasize proper mechanics first, but when we speed up it's good to go.
Tomaaaato, Tomooooto. I think I'm right, but so does everyone else. I can live with that.
The mirror lets me check targeting and motion. 
