Adrian said that EPAK is like a vintage car....nice to look at and find in it's day, but not very practical in modern times. Speakman seems to have a smilar philosophy with his "Kenpo 5.0". Could it be that Parker kenpo is going the way of the dinosaurs?
http://www.blackbelt4all.com/nativekenpo/index.htm
Grandmaster Ed Parker formulated American Kenpo in the 1970Â’s and died in 1990. Thus, his final work occurred between 25 and 30 years ago. Had he lived he would have adapted his system and it would be nothing like American Kenpo instructors are teaching today.
Grandmaster Parker joked that when a student black belt came to him and pointed out flaws in his teaching he would make that student his protégé. That no one came forward was a credit to Parker and his loyal following. Students hung on every word and accepted his work with blind faith.
The fact is, Parker taught some techniques which were simply absurd in terms of practical value. Today, there are thousands of Kenpoists learning and teaching material that does not work. If students would use one of Grandmaster Parker’s principles, “cause and effect” they would see these problems. Had Parker continued living he would have seen these flaw for himself and fine-tuned his system.
Parker worked in a time where bigger was better. I believe that having three brown belt levels were put in to keep hungry brown belts in school longer. ‘Extensions’ were added and except for 1st brown these extensions served no good purpose. When I was training in the 1970’s there were 32 techniques per belt level. Green/Orange (1st degree brown) and Short 3 was the 1st degree black belt material.
Parker did not write the extensions after this level and techniques were reworked, adding extensions with no added value. In some cases the technique extensions were absurd violating sound underlying principles. This is the key: If you have to resort to extension to get the job done, then you’d better go back to the base move and work it better – or choose another technique.
When Parker died, he left seven (7) 7th degrees black belt and no protégé to take over his system of American Kenpo. I can only assume that out of respect to him, they have left the system intact and still teach a system that is somewhat outdated.
Out of respect to the Master I have begin to fix much of the material and add a new approach to a wonderful system of self-defense. What I have done is not brain surgery. I have been studying and teaching the system for thirty-three years. It was not a difficult to come up with new arrangement of Kenpo, benefiting from my experience at creating my own Native American system of Tushka-homma.
I plan to produce a DVD series that address the ‘Fatal Flaws of American Kenpo’ Most Kenpo instructors who are worth salt by this time should be teaching a revised version of American Kenpo and they will appreciate new ideas.. If they are not they are behind the time.
http://www.blackbelt4all.com/nativekenpo/index.htm
Grandmaster Ed Parker formulated American Kenpo in the 1970Â’s and died in 1990. Thus, his final work occurred between 25 and 30 years ago. Had he lived he would have adapted his system and it would be nothing like American Kenpo instructors are teaching today.
Grandmaster Parker joked that when a student black belt came to him and pointed out flaws in his teaching he would make that student his protégé. That no one came forward was a credit to Parker and his loyal following. Students hung on every word and accepted his work with blind faith.
The fact is, Parker taught some techniques which were simply absurd in terms of practical value. Today, there are thousands of Kenpoists learning and teaching material that does not work. If students would use one of Grandmaster Parker’s principles, “cause and effect” they would see these problems. Had Parker continued living he would have seen these flaw for himself and fine-tuned his system.
Parker worked in a time where bigger was better. I believe that having three brown belt levels were put in to keep hungry brown belts in school longer. ‘Extensions’ were added and except for 1st brown these extensions served no good purpose. When I was training in the 1970’s there were 32 techniques per belt level. Green/Orange (1st degree brown) and Short 3 was the 1st degree black belt material.
Parker did not write the extensions after this level and techniques were reworked, adding extensions with no added value. In some cases the technique extensions were absurd violating sound underlying principles. This is the key: If you have to resort to extension to get the job done, then you’d better go back to the base move and work it better – or choose another technique.
When Parker died, he left seven (7) 7th degrees black belt and no protégé to take over his system of American Kenpo. I can only assume that out of respect to him, they have left the system intact and still teach a system that is somewhat outdated.
Out of respect to the Master I have begin to fix much of the material and add a new approach to a wonderful system of self-defense. What I have done is not brain surgery. I have been studying and teaching the system for thirty-three years. It was not a difficult to come up with new arrangement of Kenpo, benefiting from my experience at creating my own Native American system of Tushka-homma.
I plan to produce a DVD series that address the ‘Fatal Flaws of American Kenpo’ Most Kenpo instructors who are worth salt by this time should be teaching a revised version of American Kenpo and they will appreciate new ideas.. If they are not they are behind the time.
If you use the search feature, there should be a few posts about Mr. Roman floating around here. As for the updates, etc. Everyone teaches different, and we've seen Speakman and Mills make their own adaptations to what they're doing. 
