Tracy Kenpo........scared it's not for me.

jfarnsworth

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Originally posted by Goldendragon7
It dosen't appear he knows how to use any of them!

Or his telephone for that matter. Everytime I have tried to call he is never home.:idunno:
 
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clapping_tiger

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Originally posted by Zeke01
I heard that they don't spar because of the "vital" blows.

First off, Welcome!!

I do not know anything about Tracey Kenpo, but I just wanted to say that I would ask about this. you say that you heard they don't spar, but I would get the facts from the source. Ask the instructor/owner. There are a lot of people out there teaching Kenpo or variants of it and feed people a lot of crap. Perhaps this is a misunderstanding in what you were told, but it is worth checking into. Here is a short story about my first introduction into Kenpo about 10 years ago.


We had a school in town here with a big sign on the front KENPO. All of my friends joined and eventually I joined. I have heard about Kenpo and I thought it was the art for me. When I joined I was told all about the head instructor and how he was a member of the IKKA and he trained with Ed Parker and was a 6th degree black belt and world champion and all that jazz. I thought I was learning Kenpo. But all the Head Instructor did was use us to build his ego and beat on us. I left after only 2 weeks. I thought Kenpo sucks and it was not for me. Now about 10 years later after being re-introduced to the art I have learned that that instructor never know anything about Kenpo and taught Japanese Karate (The name of the style I don't Know). He never trained with Ed Parker and the whole thing was a scam. I am very thankful that I met my instructor and re-introduced me the the art because it was for me. And it makes me angry that that fraud stole 10 years away from me and kept me from studying the art I have grown to love.
 
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Jayson

Guest
Well, there's been some time since you posted; I'm curious if you've had any private lessons yet? Any closer to a decision whether it's right for you or not? Did you find out if they spar?

I've been going to a Tracy's school in St. Louis, MO for two and a half years, and I've been pretty happy. My son, now eight, has been training with me that whole time. It's slowed my progress a bit, but I've gotten more out of the basics because of it.

Group classes are never really the forum for learning new moves; you probably should have gone to privates first. It's also in those private lessons where you can ask your instructor to work you harder, rather than with a less experienced, less controlled student.

When I first started, there wasn't really any sparring going on, which I think was merely because of lack of interest, but I can't say for sure. My instructor got a sparring class going, and I went to that. I was a bit disappointed at the "point-style" fighting, since it was more like tag than what I'd expected. The concern, I think, was our inexperience and lack of control (mixed with the desire to keep their insurance!). I made it known to other students I wanted them to hit me, that I was there to improve specific skills I could use in my fighting, and I wasn't interested in sport. I found one other student who was interested in the same thing I was; the rest were either too new or too scared about getting hit to enjoy it. So during sparring, I'd practice speed, control and accuracy, and afterwards, this guy and I would stick around and beat on each other, grinnin' the whole time.

Our instructor noticed how we were training together, and how, despite our vigorous poundings, neither of us lost control, and he started letting us work that in to the regular sparring class. Our instructor took the opportunity to work-in techniques and combos that he wouldn't have in a tournament-focused class, which made sparring more enjoyable for me, and worth something to the rest of the class too.

Point being, I guess, that if they're not doing it (sparring) now, doesn't mean you can't show them it's worth doing.
 
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Jayson

Guest
I'm at Bill Boyd's school in Maryland Heights.

Before I accept your compliment, I have to admit that I've let things slide since then; a wave of newly enrolled kids came in, and the class started taking a turn towards tournament fighting. As the adult attendance started dropping off, there were less people for me to continue with; the focus was on making better sport fighters out of the kids, and I found other areas of my life nagging at me for more attention, coincidentally on sparring days....

Just occured to me, however, that there are a couple guys that I might convince to join me; we could start another round of adult sparring.

I think you just accidently resparked my purpose, Sigung86! Thank you!
 

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