Kenpo taught in non-kenpo schools

[WhiteTiger]

From time to time I like to walk into other schools see what they are teaching. Last week I visited a school across town which I had been to once before, and they were teaching Kenpo self-defense techniques. From what I picked up they had added 30 Kenpo techniques to their caricullum. The funny thing was noone in the class could make the techniques work. While the problem was obvious to me, onone else could figure out what they were doing wrong. It was pretty obvious that the instructors had gotten their hands on a Kenpo video, which they were using to teach from. While they knew the motions they were missing all of the basic principles which make the techniques work.

Distance, Stance, Positioning, Leg checks, All of these were missing when they did these techniques.

Has anyone else come across this kind of experience??

I Had to Laugh.

 

[MisterMike]

Yes, in fact, I've seen "Kenpo" schools where the whole curriculum looked like it was learned from a video.

I guess there are no warranties, huh? --which places these people lower than the used car salesman.

 

[ob2c]

I've come across something similar in a school (now closed) that I used to work out with. Their base was TKD, but they weren't traditional by any means, and they incorporated a lot of other styles in their system. The head of the system actually had some AK in his background, and I noticed some similarities in some of their moves, but no direct copies of whole techniques. But like you, I found them lacking in understanding of principles. They were a god groupe, though, and there were some seriouse martial artists there. I hated to see them close their doors.

 

[Titan Uk]

I know of a person who has black belts at other styles, that starting to train in Kempo for a short period and then opening up a school, stating it was kempo.
Anyone with any knowledge could see that it was not but it does reflect badly on everyone else if students look at the instructor for guidance but he does not fully understand the principles.

 

[superdave]

And we wonder why we have Kenpo McDojos. I wish people would learn from a
QUALIFIED instructor instead of tapes.