Something interesting I learned tonight.

[A Kenpo Student]

My instructor actually trained with Mr. Parker at a few seminars, and Mr. Parker awarded him one of his brown belts. I had no idea until tonight that he had actually met the man. My instructor received his black belt the year that Mr. Parker passed away. He is now a third black. (Said he took some time off for a while there.)

 

[jeffkyle]

Originally posted by A Kenpo Student

My instructor actually trained with Mr. Parker at a few seminars, and Mr. Parker awarded him one of his brown belts. I had no idea until tonight that he had actually met the man. My instructor received his black belt the year that Mr. Parker passed away. He is now a third black. (Said he took some time off for a while there.)

What is your instructors name?

 

[Brother John]

My instructor tested infront of Mr. Parker for his 3rd Brown as well, and got his black a year or so after if I recall correctly.
((My instructor having been Mr. Roger Taylor HI)) So roughly the same time-line as your instructor. He said that he wasn't as excited testing for his black because he didn't want to let go of the rank that Mr. Parker handed him. Eventually he was basically made to test. It's kind of a sad story too because he moved to Pasadina (spelling?? ) a couple of months prior to Mr. Parker passing away. He ended up working out under Mr. Trejo. I believe after that he studied with Mr. Mohamed Tabatabai (I have NO CLUE on the spelling there, I hope I didn't butcher it). Now Mr. Taylor has been a personal student of Master Paul Mills since the mid 90's, in the AKKI. I'm rather proud of my Kenpo lineage, filled with good men.
Have a good one...
Your Brother
John
:wavey:

 

[A Kenpo Student]

Good story, Brother John.


Jeffkyle, his name is Marty Cassidy.

 

[Elfan]

Originally posted by Brother John
He said that he wasn't as excited testing for his black because he didn't want to let go of the rank that Mr. Parker handed him. Eventually he was basically made to test.

We here far to often about people promoting themselves to higher and higher ranks (11th etc.) its refresing, to me at least, to here about people who value other things about their belt besides some number.

How commone have people found it for people to eventaully be "forced" to test after a long protest?

 

[Kenpomachine]

I found it really difficult to motivate myself to test for brown. And when I took up TKD for a time, I didn't test. I feel more confortable just learning. I think that the BB wil be my last test, as I don't mind so much achieveing a high rank as exploring and playing and learning. My philosophy is, you know what you know and that can't change in a day.

 

[JDenz]

I think alot of people would be surprised one way or another by the people your instructor trained with.

 

[tarabos]

Originally posted by Elfan
How commone have people found it for people to eventaully be "forced" to test after a long protest?

it's not too common around me. most people are all for getting their next rank. me, i could care less. i hate wearing a belt, and i hate wearing a gi. i'm actually going to be "forced" to test in a couple months from what i hear. rank is just too political and meaningless for me.

 

[tarabos]

Originally posted by JDenz
I think alot of people would be surprised one way or another by the people your instructor trained with.

not quite sure what you're trying to say here...

 

[JDenz]

What I am saying is alot of good teachers have trained with very name guys and very few talk about it. Both places that I have ever taken MA from, I have found out that these instructors have trained with famous people. And between seminars and actual training I bet you can find someone at your school that has trained with a big name in MA.

 

[tarabos]

Originally posted by JDenz
I bet you can find someone at your school that has trained with a big name in MA.

our school is way too small for me to not know that kind of information about one of the students...

we do have some people that have trained with big names, Mr. Parker being one of them, but i'm not going to sit here and drop names...

 

[RCastillo]

Originally posted by tarabos
it's not too common around me. most people are all for getting their next rank. me, i could care less. i hate wearing a belt, and i hate wearing a gi. i'm actually going to be "forced" to test in a couple months from what i hear. rank is just too political and meaningless for me.

What!! No rank, or belt???

You just lost your chance for me to bow to you , ZOD!

 

[cdhall]

Originally posted by Elfan
How commone have people found it for people to eventaully be "forced" to test after a long protest?

I think you are asking this in relation to people who were promoted by Mr. Parker right?

I think I know of 2 first generation students of Mr. Parker who didn't want a promotion after Mr. Parker died. Mr. C is one of them if he wants to chime in and confirm this.

I would have felt the same way I'm sure. Particularly if Mr. Parker had promoted me to 3rd or higher.

Mr. Speakman said in 1991 or 1994 at a seminar that a lot of the Black Belts still referred to themselves or considered themselves the rank they were when Mr. Parker died even though they may have been promoted since then to lead their own group or whatever. I personally for a long time have thought that the meaning of rank becomes very unclear after 3rd or 4th (or 5th) because at that point you have learned all the material and the objective criteria for promotion are gone.

That being said, rank has meaning to an instructor and a student because it helps them both keep track of the students progress and that is really its function. Monitor progress, motivation and reward and to establish and maintain leadership/hierarchy in your studio/style/system.

Outside of your studio, rank is not intended to have meaning so there should be no politics. This is one reason that our students are not allowed to wear their belt outside the studio unless it is for a photograph or they are competing in a tournament, or seminar or something. You are not supposed to wear it to the grocery or whatever.

If you are at Kenpocamp though and you are a 3rd working out with me who is a 2nd Brown, and I am picking up material faster than you and moving better than you are, then I can see how I might wonder where you got your rank, but again, it is your instructors opinion of you and you didn't get it from me, so you can wear what you like. But I have worked out with some Black Belts and even Brown Belts at seminars who just didn't seem to be all there and it made me wonder how good they were supposed to be.

Sometimes I rant on here I think, but I also use MartialTalk as an online "Notebook" and I often print stuff off for my physical notebook, so excuse the rant. :asian:
:soapbox: