In case you couldn't make it to this year's International Karate Connection Association's premier East Coast Event - "Kenpo In the Carolinas" - you missed out on some phenominal training and awesome brotherhood! The entire weekend lived up to (and dare I say, surpassed) the IKCA's reputation for well planned and executed gatherings.
The experience officially started with the friday night meet-&-greet, serving as an appetizer for the attendees regarding the next day's subject matter. Old freinds were reunited and new ones were made as Mr. Damon Excell (6th dan, Kenpo, Atlanta, GA) reviewed some of the IKCAs 55 techniques from his perspective regarding the minor adjustments one can do that reap major - and I do mean major - dividends in the rest of the techniques. From the perspective of a dually trained 55 Technique/154 technique student, the "little things" were just as applicable, regardless of curriculum.
GM Doug Meeks (10th dan, kenpo Napa, CA) and Lance Meltzer (6th Dan, kenpo, Napa, CA) gave an overview of the Israeli combative systems (Krav Maga, Hagganah, etc) weapon disarms that they have been studying and working for several years now. Rumor has it that these could be included in an upcoming IKCA project that will lead to the first major curriculum change in many years - if that's the case, I'm excited as hell to see where we are going with those! The night was capped off with a relaxing dinner out at Chili's with friends...old ones and new ones!
Saturday morning started bright an early with registration run by Bill's smiling and always charming better half, Donna. After introductions by Mr. Parsons, we dove into Mr. Excell's subject matter even deeper, opening more eyes and tightening up more techniques as the morning progressed. He selected four techniques from the IKCA curriculum (1 each - outside and inside a left punch and right punch) and clinically disected them so that those not familiar with them learned them, those familiar learned them better and those who've "mastered" them took them to a whole new level.
Next up, Mr. Parsons took the same four techniques and continued them with an hour on one of the IKCA's defining characteristics - blending, borrowing and combining, reinforcing and compounding the lessons of the previous hour. Expertly instructing on the elements that lead into the blending and borrowing, Mr. Parson's seemed more like a bad-*** college professor than just a simple karate instructor.
Mr. Lance Meltzer then taught an hour on engagement control and operating out of what can best be described as combative kenpo's straight blast counterattack. By incorporating simple close quarters immediate vilont response to reassert dominance in a situation, Lance demonstrated how to keep the body donor [I love that term...thanks Damon!] constantly in the orientation cycle of the OODA loop using simple basics, allowing you the luxury of executing your techniques unimpeded. With headbutts, knees, elbows, eye gouges and arm breaking throws, a good time was had by all! .
The course then moved to Baltimore, MD's Greg Payne, whom I believe to be the IKCA's best kept secret! He discussed his take on a universal - to martial arts, not just kenpo - idea that he labled "triangulation" (alternatively known as "The SPEAR," "The Shield," etc) and demonstrated how it can be applied to practical kenpo in the areas of spontaneous self-defense and freestyle. By answering the simple question "How do I know if he [the attacker/body donor] is going to throw a right or a left?" with a jovial "I don't care!" and showing three simple methods to make almost every technique work when you want it to instead of hoping you picked the right technique. The words "game-changing" were used more than once to describe the session's contents.
Grandmaster LeRoux then stole the show with what I like to call a 40-pack of private lessons. He reviewed the top 15 problem areas that he has seen in peoples basics and techniques throughout his 40 years of teaching kenpo and JKD, giving simple and effective drils to strengthen weaker skill sets and sharpen stronger ones. Remniscent of SGM Parker, he discussed how to make every class a private lesson by applying each correction to your own practice.
GM Doug Meeks, the first non-founding 10th Dan in the IKCA, brought some more game changing insight in a closing session focused on funtionalizing each person's kenpo outside of the learning and ideal phases of techniques. The information was found applicable to not only kenpo, but traditional karate and TKD systems as well.
The seminar closed with a traditional "Passing the pain." Every attendee, old friends and new, bowed out with empty stomachs (which was to be remidied later that evening at the Hibachi Chinese Buffet), full minds and overflowing hearts as we came to equal ground and learned from each other.
If you missed this awe inspiring, game changing time, don't lose heart! After this success, I know Bill is already looking at next year's event. Want something sooner? The IKCA's summer seminar is less than 120 days away in Long Beach, CA. The largest annual IKCA event draws talented kenpo practitioners from all over the world and still manages to maintain a small family feel. Keep an eye on this forum and at the IKCA website for upcoming information!
The experience officially started with the friday night meet-&-greet, serving as an appetizer for the attendees regarding the next day's subject matter. Old freinds were reunited and new ones were made as Mr. Damon Excell (6th dan, Kenpo, Atlanta, GA) reviewed some of the IKCAs 55 techniques from his perspective regarding the minor adjustments one can do that reap major - and I do mean major - dividends in the rest of the techniques. From the perspective of a dually trained 55 Technique/154 technique student, the "little things" were just as applicable, regardless of curriculum.
GM Doug Meeks (10th dan, kenpo Napa, CA) and Lance Meltzer (6th Dan, kenpo, Napa, CA) gave an overview of the Israeli combative systems (Krav Maga, Hagganah, etc) weapon disarms that they have been studying and working for several years now. Rumor has it that these could be included in an upcoming IKCA project that will lead to the first major curriculum change in many years - if that's the case, I'm excited as hell to see where we are going with those! The night was capped off with a relaxing dinner out at Chili's with friends...old ones and new ones!
Saturday morning started bright an early with registration run by Bill's smiling and always charming better half, Donna. After introductions by Mr. Parsons, we dove into Mr. Excell's subject matter even deeper, opening more eyes and tightening up more techniques as the morning progressed. He selected four techniques from the IKCA curriculum (1 each - outside and inside a left punch and right punch) and clinically disected them so that those not familiar with them learned them, those familiar learned them better and those who've "mastered" them took them to a whole new level.
Next up, Mr. Parsons took the same four techniques and continued them with an hour on one of the IKCA's defining characteristics - blending, borrowing and combining, reinforcing and compounding the lessons of the previous hour. Expertly instructing on the elements that lead into the blending and borrowing, Mr. Parson's seemed more like a bad-*** college professor than just a simple karate instructor.
Mr. Lance Meltzer then taught an hour on engagement control and operating out of what can best be described as combative kenpo's straight blast counterattack. By incorporating simple close quarters immediate vilont response to reassert dominance in a situation, Lance demonstrated how to keep the body donor [I love that term...thanks Damon!] constantly in the orientation cycle of the OODA loop using simple basics, allowing you the luxury of executing your techniques unimpeded. With headbutts, knees, elbows, eye gouges and arm breaking throws, a good time was had by all! .
The course then moved to Baltimore, MD's Greg Payne, whom I believe to be the IKCA's best kept secret! He discussed his take on a universal - to martial arts, not just kenpo - idea that he labled "triangulation" (alternatively known as "The SPEAR," "The Shield," etc) and demonstrated how it can be applied to practical kenpo in the areas of spontaneous self-defense and freestyle. By answering the simple question "How do I know if he [the attacker/body donor] is going to throw a right or a left?" with a jovial "I don't care!" and showing three simple methods to make almost every technique work when you want it to instead of hoping you picked the right technique. The words "game-changing" were used more than once to describe the session's contents.
Grandmaster LeRoux then stole the show with what I like to call a 40-pack of private lessons. He reviewed the top 15 problem areas that he has seen in peoples basics and techniques throughout his 40 years of teaching kenpo and JKD, giving simple and effective drils to strengthen weaker skill sets and sharpen stronger ones. Remniscent of SGM Parker, he discussed how to make every class a private lesson by applying each correction to your own practice.
GM Doug Meeks, the first non-founding 10th Dan in the IKCA, brought some more game changing insight in a closing session focused on funtionalizing each person's kenpo outside of the learning and ideal phases of techniques. The information was found applicable to not only kenpo, but traditional karate and TKD systems as well.
The seminar closed with a traditional "Passing the pain." Every attendee, old friends and new, bowed out with empty stomachs (which was to be remidied later that evening at the Hibachi Chinese Buffet), full minds and overflowing hearts as we came to equal ground and learned from each other.
If you missed this awe inspiring, game changing time, don't lose heart! After this success, I know Bill is already looking at next year's event. Want something sooner? The IKCA's summer seminar is less than 120 days away in Long Beach, CA. The largest annual IKCA event draws talented kenpo practitioners from all over the world and still manages to maintain a small family feel. Keep an eye on this forum and at the IKCA website for upcoming information!
