Dark Kenpo Lord
Brown Belt
Ed Parker was a unique student, and took his art beyond anything his teachers had done previously. Personally, I'd be hard pressed to obtain his knowledge of the system enough to create another by the time I die.BallistikMike said:Hmmm....
Didn't Great Grand Master Ed Parker create his own system from Old Pine Tree Kenpo / Kajukenbo and state that he had made enough changes to the original system that it was no longer that system and renamed it "American Kenpo" ?
Didn't Sonny Gascon do the same thing?
How about George Pesare?
or Nick Cerio?
I dont see anything wrong with working for years, being good at what you do and then teaching what works for you. The problem comes from the many , many teachers claiming to be all knowing grand masters. Every single one of them and you and I are still learning, changing, adapting as we grow in what we do. How can any of us be a "Great Grand Master"? Listen you get that lofty in your self worth and then we do have conflict.
The greatest teachers I have ever had are the ones who were on the floor with me, trading shots, spilling blood, helping each other up and trusting each other with shots to vital targets so we could LEARN!
When you run a business, run a business. When you run a school run a school. When you combine them something will suffer because its like oil and water they do not mix. Business will increase when set the curriculum up for the mass, business will decrease when you set up the curriculum for knowledge, growth and the production of good fighters. It has always been this way.
A note on Jeff Speakman. I trained with him on two sperate occassions during seminars he put out here in the Chicago area back in the mid 90's and he was a solid 5th BB. He was also a high ranking BB in Goju Ryu? at the time I believe. He knows his stuff. What ever has gone on since then I do not know, but as far as my book goes he is a solid 5th in American Kenpo. No fraud there.
Yep, I'm on the floor with students, having my own blood spilled and a very bruised body in the quest for excellence in the people I train, it's the only way I can perceive it. If they step up with me they deserve to have my knowledge, all that I can give them, to make them a better Kenpoist in years to come. Sadly, there are only a few that take me up on the offer. Kenpophobics, scared to become better at what they do and the fear of invalidation that what they do won't work. If it does, I congratulate them, if it doesn't, then the work begins.
DarK LorD