Well, I saw the movie Red Belt - it’s another promotion for ju-jitsu.  Ju-jitsu seem to be the art of the decade with all the MMA leagues and schools out there.  I think ju-jitsu is a good art to know and learn.  However, when dealing with more than one opponent you are jeopardizing yourself by taking an opponent to the ground or putting them into a choke or arm-bar because you are obviously concentrating all your weapons on one opponent which is limiting yourself from other opponents.  Even in the movie there is a bar fight scene where the main character gets hit from behind several times while dealing with one opponent.  Now, of course in the movie he comes out victorious, but in real life he probably would have lost.  Not to say that wouldn’t happen to anyone no matter what style of fighting a person may know, because anyone can get hit from behind no matter how big or mean a person can be and lose. Now, you can practice multiple attack scenarios and this might increase your odds in surviving a multiple attack. But, no matter how much you practice or how big you are there is always a number of attackers that is too much.  If you look at the police, they obviously know this and that is way they gang up on an assailant.

But, like I said, you can increase your odds by practicing multiple attack scenarios.  Being a Kenpo practitioner, I’m always practicing multiple attack scenarios and you never want to tie yourself up with an opponent by putting them into a choke or arm-bar like a ju-jitsu practitioner would, if you can avoid it.

Now, I’m not saying it’s not good to learn how to fight from the ground.  I think all fighting styles have their advantages and disadvantages, and it’s good to be able to learn as much as you can from any style.

Saturday night April 19th,

The wings were hot, the beer was cold, and the hooters were out. Another UFC fight night at Hooters, the first fight of the night started out good. Mac Danzig pulverized his opponent knee, after knee, after knee. I would tell you his opponent’s name but honestly I don’t remember. The only thing I remember was the way his eye was squirting out blood after the fight. I think the next fight was Bisping vs McCarty. Bisping boxed his way to another victory without much effort.

The next fight I remember was Franklin and Lutter. I was rooting for the Texas boy but Franklin had been working on his ground defense and it definitely paid off. When Lutter got Franklin in that arm bar I thought it was all over with until Franklin rolled out of it. That was good work on Franklin’s part, he pulled away with a win.

The fight after that was probably the most embarrassing fight I’ve ever seen Quarry vs Starnes. I bet Dana White won’t ask Starnes to fight again.

Then, of course the fight of the night St. Pierre vs Serra. I thought it was awesome the way GSP took Serra to the ground immedately, he beat Serra at his own game. St. Pierre definitely deserves to be the welterweight champ. I hope he defends his title better then he did the last time.

Dallas Kenpo Karate is currently operating out of the Samuell Grand Recreation Center in Dallas.  Beginning May 1, 2008, Dallas Kenpo Karate will begin operating out of it’s new location at the Lake Highlands North Recreation Center - the address is 9940 White Rock Trail, Dallas, TX 75238.  As always, you can call Eric at 972-207-3427, or you can call the recreation center directly at 214-670-7794.

Martial arts classes in the art of Kenpo Karate will be offered to adults as well as children ages 8 and up - check out the schedule by clicking here.

If you want to read a bit more about Dallas Kenpo Karate, check out the Associated Press article that came out yesterday - it is called Martial Arts and Self-Defense Classes Specializing in Kenpo Karate. 

Click here to read the article

When a student is first learning Kenpo or any martial art they learn the basic movements such as stances, blocks, kicks, and strikes. This gives them the foundation they need to be efficient in martial arts, especially American Kenpo. Now, in your beginning stages as a martial artist it is important to learn self-defense techniques, sets, and forms step-by-step, this helps teach the motion that is needed to be successful in Kenpo. It is also important to practice techniques in repetition so the student will develop muscle memory of the motion of the techniques. The more repetition practiced the more comfortable the student becomes with the motion of the techniques. The less the student has to think about the techniques the more it becomes a reaction and not a thought process. 

As the student comes into the intermediate level the less he or she has to think about doing the technique step-by-step, at least with their lower level techniques. Now, of course as they progress through the ranks their curriculum becomes more difficult and the motion of the techniques become more sophisticated. Intermediate level is probably the most difficult stage for a student because this is where a student will learn a large portion of their vocabulary of motion. Most martial artists will say it becomes more difficult as a student gets higher in rank that the techniques become more difficult, which this is true. But, I personally feel that once a student gets through the intermediate level, learning the curriculum becomes easier, only because the students vocabulary of motion is large enough to learn more sophisticated motion. Of course, this is the reason why Grandmaster Parker designed the curriculum of American Kenpo in the order that he did. 

Now, once a student has reached advance level this is the stage where the student can become creative with their motion. In American Kenpo there are three phases the Ideal phase, the What if phase, and the Formulation phase. The Ideal phase is where a student will learn a certain technique against a certain attack. In beginning and intermediate level of a students training they should be concentrating on the Ideal phase. In the advance level the student should begin exploring the What if phase. This is where a student should be asking what if an opponent throws a left, right punch combination instead of a left punch. This teaches the student to react against an unexpected change in their opponent’s attack. Now, at this level it shouldn’t be about how a technique is designed but, how the motion of the technique is designed. The student shouldn’t worry about doing a technique step by step but, be more concern about the motion of the technique. 

The What If phase automatically takes into the Formulation phase. The more the student plays with the “what if” phase the more the student will become creative and will start to create their own techniques. Now, this if fine as long as the student stays within the concepts, theories, and principals of American Kenpo. My point is this, once you have reached an advance level it is on longer about doing a technique step by step but, about applying the laws of motion that Grandmaster Parker created for American Kenpo.  

Written By

Eric Pierce, 3^rd Degree Black Belt

Here at Dallas Kenpo Karate we strive to produce quality black belts, black belts that have qualities such as dedication, discipline, loyalty, integrity, respect, and confidence. We believe in staying true to the concepts, principles, and theories that Grandmaster Parker created as the foundation of American Kenpo.