20 Years Later... A Legacy... Your Legacy.

“I received a call from Ed Parker Jr. at 6am the morning after his father had his fatal heart attack. He said “I’m calling my father ‘s friends to let them know he passed away..."  (Lee Wedlake, Black Belt magazine)

20 years ago today, Ed Parker, the father of American martial arts and a pioneer of modern martial arts practice and principals would teach no more.  While today marks the 20th anniversary of our Grandmaster's death, his legacy continues to be carried on through the 21st century.  There are schools of American Kenpo on every continent.  His teachings have become embedded in over a thousand different styles.  Movie fight scenes often portray his work in films such as Blade, Borne Identity, and the original Pink Panther series (not to mention countless martial arts movies).  The lessons he left many of us with where not always about kicking and punching though, they also included philosophies and ideals for living.  Students of his have gone on to promote the physical, mental, and martial lessons that he taught while also working to create better community amongst mankind.

It is important to note however, that while much has been done to promote his art, it is not his art.  Much like Bruce Lee's concept of martial arts as the art of expressing the human body, it is not his any more than it is mine, nor yours.  It is what it is, it is our own.  Your body, your mind, your character and spirit are your own, it is up to you to craft it.  If you do not, someone else will do it for you.  It is not hard, nor is it easy.  It just is.  You are what you eat, you become what you focus on most, you are an average of the 5 people you hang out with most often; these are all ancient words of wisdom.  What work of art are you crafting?

 “Time and space may separate us, but not the thoughts and memories that bind us.” - Ed Parker

We must take it upon ourselves to honor a man who has given so much of himself to the world and ultimately you, our students, and the best way we can do that is to leave a spectacular legacy of our own.  The best way to lead is by a good example.  Dunham's dojo leads through the example of our instructors and top students.  We seek to inspire and educate those in training, to create a life of purpose and passion.  The friendships, knowledge, mental focus, emotional fortitude, and physical prowess that we continually aim to perfect is our legacy. We pass this on to you, our students.  We would not have it if it weren't for our many teachers and Mr. Parker.  Mr. Parker would have missed his same chance to make his mark if it weren't for Mr. Chow and his countless other teachers.  So on and so on it goes, for centuries.  It is up to each of us to chose a path and to pass on what we find best in ourselves and to continually work to better what we find worse.  Some will do this by passing on their Kenpo, some, through living by example, and some, will forget the lesson all together.  Become empowered.  Create the life you want.  Ask yourself what you want out of life and fight for it, work for it, relish the chance to take living into your own hands as our Great Grandmaster Edmund Kealoha Parker did.  I invite you all, students and non students alike, challenge yourselves to be your best and under no circumstances should you ever give up.  We may fall down nine times, but we'll always get up ten.

As the New Year approaches, as we strive to get through a recession, and as you consider the life you wish to craft, consider one of my favorite quotes:

"You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired of doing nothing. Get interested in something! Get absolutely enthralled in something! Get out of yourself! Be somebody! Do something. The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have."

Norman Vincent Peale

Last living disciple of Jigoro Kano still teaches three days a week at age 97.

Here is an article about an amazing woman who has done many things with her life and in an effort to help women find their place in the martial arts.


(Excerpts taken from http://www.flyingcarp.net/2009/04/be-strong/ and wikipedia.)

"In a world dominated by men, a tiny 97 year-old living legend is the highest ranking woman in judo history. She is also the last living disciple of Jigoro Kano, judo’s founder." (Kano is also known to be the originator of the modern belt ranking system).

"In 1934 Keiko Fukuda was preparing for marriage, like most young women in Japan. Then she met Jigoro Kano and radically altered her life path. She gave up marriage, family, and her home-land to pursue her life destiny.  In 1966 she immigrated to the U.S., a single woman with an opportunity to make a living with her vocation, judo. Her move to the U.S. caught light of rank injustice within the Japanese judo system. With the help of American women’s rights activist, judo students, she began her struggle up the male dominant ladder of judo."

"Fukuda was born on April 12, 1913, in Tokyo, Japan.  As a youth, she learned the arts of calligraphy, flower arrangement, and the tea ceremony; typical pursuits for a woman in Japan at that time.  Fukuda's grandfather, Fukuda Hachinosuke, had been a samurai and master of Tenjin Shinyō-ryū jujutsu, and he had taught that art to Kanō Jigorō, founder of judo and head of the Kodokan.  Kanō had taught female students as early as 1893 (Sueko Ashiya).  He personally invited the young Fukuda to study judo—an unusual gesture for that time—as a mark of respect for her grandfather.  She began training in judo in 1935, as one of only 24 women training at the Kodokan.

Despite her conventional upbringing, Fukuda felt close to judo through memories of her grandfather, and one day went with her mother to watch a judo training session.  A few months later, she decided to begin training for herself.  Her mother and brother supported this decision, but her uncle was opposed to the idea.  Her mother and brother had thought that Fukuda would eventually marry one of the judo practitioners, but she ended up never marrying, instead becoming a judo expert herself."

Modern Self-Defense

Self-defense in modern times isn't always vs. the stereotypical aggressors we expect. Sure, tough guys, gang members, abusers, muggers, all these people are easy to identify in the movies or after a true altercation. However, modern self-defense needs to include much more than an education in blocks and strikes. What technique would you use on an attacker you never saw, who could inflict immense pain on both you and your family, and that never laid a hand on you? In our dojo, I want our students to be last on the list to be attacked, quick to appropriately defend when attacked, and capable of handling any attack. This includes attacks that are physical, psychological, financial, legal, or attacks on identity. Please take a moment to watch the link below, it teaches a technique that will help defend all 5 types of attack. It only takes 5 minutes and its a great reminder about keeping the unseen attacker
out of your life.
http://finance.yahoo.com/video/companyne....uments-23254523

Join the discussion or add your thoughts at: http://www.kenpoclass.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=56#ixzz174aOiwQf

The Bear's Hug

“Once the bear's hug has got you, it is apt to be for keeps.”

-Harold Macmillan

Bearhugs. They're more dangerous than you may realize. But there are some basic defensive tactics you can use to defend against them. And to understand these tactics, you have to understand the motivations behind this style of grappling attack and the context in which it might occur.

First it is important to understand exactly why an attacker would grab you in a bearhug. There are essentially three reasons why this might happen. First, to contain your arms and prevent you from attacking. Second, to hold you in place either for a second attacker or to prevent your escape. And third to change your position, either with a lift or a takedown.

Bearhugs can be from the front, rear, or either side. The defender can have either, neither, or both arms pinned inside the hold, and the attacker can be pressing, pulling, or holding a static position. Consideration of all of these parameters must be incorporated into the defense, but regardless of the exact nature of the attack, there are three basic defenses which can be universally applied.

The first and most important thing to do when inside a bearhug is to establish a base. The defender should widen their stance and press their weight down through the outside edges of their feet into the ground. This lowers the defender's center of gravity and makes it more difficult for the attacker to either lift them into the air or to manipulate their position. This is key. In order to fight back most effectively, the defender must be able to control their mobility and generate ground leverage, and in order to do that they must have a strong solid base.

The second thing to do is to control the attacker's arms. Once the attacker has the defender in the hold, he may try to adjust the bearhug into a choke or headlock. Grabbing and controlling the opponent's arms, even with only one hand, is an important part of preventing this.

Finally, if the attacker attempts to lift the defender into the air, the defender should wrap one of his legs around one of the attacker's legs, either from the inside or outside. This is a technique called "grapevining." When performing the defensive maneuver, the defender should always be sure to keep one leg free. If the attacker lifts the defender into the air and then releases him, the defender needs to have a free supporting leg or else he will fall to the ground with the attacker on top of him.

A handy mnemonic device for dealing with bearhugs is to think of the number three. Three reasons for the bearhug attack. Three directions it can come from. Three variations of arm positions. Three types of energy the opponent may be applying. And three basic bearhug defenses. Drop into a base. Pin the opponent's hands. Wrap your leg around theirs to defend the lift.

Drop. Pin. Wrap.

You'll learn a lot of kenpo techniques for bearhug defenses. You'll learn Escaping the Bear, and Subduing the Bear, and Crushing the Bear. But even within bearhugs, basic self defense concepts apply. If the opponent is behind you, you must change positions. If they try to drive you forward or back you must establish a strong line. Your relative positions determine targets and weapons. These concepts are universal. But the three tactics described above are bearhug specific.

Drop. Pin. Wrap.

Drills -
Beginner: Student A attacks Student B with static bearhugs from the front, side, and rear. Student B practices basic bearhug defense. Alternate.

Intermediate: Student A closes their eyes. Student B attacks with any bearhug without warning. As soon as Student A feels the attack, they open their eyes and defend with basic technique until they are able to reposition themselves to perform one of the kenpo bearhug self defense techniques they have learned. Alternate.

Advanced: Students A and B are sparring at long range. Student A looks for an opening and then suddenly advances into a front bearhug with the intention of either a lift or takedown. Student B defends against the attack and re-establishes long range by either escaping or pushing Student A away. Continue long range sparring with Students alternating bearhug attacks.