Response to Will’s Question:

“Is there a comprehensive video demonstration of effective pure kenpo technique on the ground in various jiu jitsu, judo, or wrestling holds? I truly am interested in ground kenpo.”

I would definitely recommend Master Lee Epperson’s videos. Lee is an 8th Degree Black Belt in Gaijin Ryu Ju Jitsu and also holds a 5th Degree Black Belt under Grandmaster Larry Tatum in American Kenpo Karate. Lee Epperson can lock anyone up in a pretzel in about two seconds!

Besides his tremendous skills, and devotion to the martial arts, he is truly one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

For more information, I recommend you visiting this website:

http://www.gaijinryu.com/

Response to Will’s Questions:

“What are the 10 master key techniques? Why are they master key?”

Those are two very good questions Will.

The 10 master key self-defense techniques in American Kenpo Karate are:

Thundering Hammers
Five Swords
Lone Kimono
Shielding Hammer
Repeating Mace
Intellectual Departure
Locked Wing
Thrusting Salute
Parting Wings
Hooking Wings

In response to your second question, here are a couple of excerpts from my latest book, American Kenpo Mastery: A Guide for Students and Instructors:

“Master key techniques are self-defenses that can be used as base moves and applied in many different situations. Techniques that are similar in nature to the master key technique can then be thought of as altered formulations of the master key technique. By learning to recognize how various movements are interrelated, Kenpoists reduce their reaction time and improve their level of spontaneity when executing their self-defense techniques.”

And later on I note:

“Although the above ten techniques are all considered master key self-defenses, they should not be thought of as necessarily better than the others. Instead, they provide a model to see how many techniques are related to a single technique. The ultimate goal is to be able to use any self-defense technique as a base move and to recognize how other self-defense techniques similarly relate to it.”

Response to Marvin's Question:

“Do you also keep track of the time you spend doing stretches and exercises? If you spend 1 hour per day practicing, do you do much other exercise?”

Hi Marvin. Thanks for asking. I don’t keep track of how much time I devote to stretching or other exercises, but that’s certainly another option. The only thing outside of logging my daily martial arts training routine that I keep track of is the amount of push-ups that I do (minimum of 100 per day).

In terms of other exercise, martial arts are my passion so about 99% of my exercise is through the martial arts. I do have two young daughters (ages 2 and 5) so they definitely keep my active. I also do some occasional long distance biking but the vast majority of my cardiovascular workouts are via continuous sparring or long forms.

I will post a similar question on my new Kenpo forum and see what other people are doing. Please click here: http://kenpo.amkbb.com/index.php?mforum=kenpo

Black Belt Titles and Academic Degrees

Maybe it's just me, but I think the whole concept of associating a higher degree (dan) of black belt in Kenpo with a given academic degree (ie, BA, MA, PhD) is silly. What makes Kenpo that special that we have to put all of these extra degree equivalents beside our name? No, I am not knocking Kenpo. I love the art to no end. But doesn't this whole notion of wanting to have an academic degree beside our name fit the North American model of greater ego, and trying to get the most possible out of something through the back door, also known as the easy route?

I know what some are going to say in rebuttal. There is no easy route in American Kenpo Karate. Someone who has devoted 20+ years in Kenpo has put in more time than most students that have graduated from a university. I actually attended university for 6+ years, and graduated with an MA in Sociology. So what does this have to do with my 6th degree in American Kenpo? Sorry, but not a lot.

Why doesn't Oscar De La Hoya,, Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis or Floyd Maywether get a PhD title? They have mastered boxing, have they not? I would even argue that they have put in much more mat time over the years then many Kenpoists holding higher dan levels. But is boxing different? Is it apples and oranges? Are we in Kenpo so special and so unique that we are deserving of having a BA, MA, and/or PhD title beside our name? C'mon guys.

Let's get back to the gym and stop worrying about whether we deserve an MA or PhD.

Snapping Twig

Purple Belt Technique

Snapping Twig is designed for someone coming at us with a front, left hand chest push. Taking the angle of least resistance, we step back with our left foot to 6 o’clock into a right neutral bow while executing a right inward palm strike to the outside of the opponent’s left elbow, simultaneous with a left palm strike to the inside of the opponent’s left wrist. The strike creates a fulcrum, which will break the opponent’s elbow. The elbow break will also control the opponent’s width, which means that the attacker will not be able to turn into you and deliver a right punch with his free hand. At this point, we execute a frictional pull with our right hand (hooking over the opponent’s left arm and pulling it down past our right hip) while simultaneously delivering a left thrusting handsword to the opponent’s throat while shifting into a left forward bow to maximize torque. As we pivot back into our right neutral bow, we hit the opponent with a diagonal right raking hammer fist to the nose, while push-dragging forward to 12 o’clock and finishing with a right elbow sandwich to the opponent’s head.

Here is something cool to experiment with. Let us assume that after delivering the left handsword to the opponent’s throat, the opponent backs up (thereby leaving your raking hammer fist out of reach). If that is the case, try doing a left front crossover at the same time that you deliver the right raking hammer fist. As you continue on from that point in the technique, try delivering a right front kick to the opponent’s knee, and then finish, of course, with the right elbow sandwich.

Have fun!

Summer Seminar Special!!!

From June until the end of August, I will be running a special on my martial arts seminars. During the summer months, the fee will just be $300 excluding travel and lodging expenses. No money for food is necessary. The $300 fee will entitle your martial arts school to three seminars: (1) a seminar for children (2) a seminar for adults (3) and a seminar for instructors. Private lessons are also available upon request.

Seminar topics include, but are not limited to: (1) Learning how to adapt to different sparring strategies of your opponent (2) Street Self-Defense techniques (3) The How’s and Why’s of Forms (4) Sets (5) Multiple Attackers.

For more information, please contact me by email at:

jamieseabrook3@hotmail.com

Logging Your Training Time

Since January 2004, I have kept a daily log of everything I have practiced as it pertains to the martial arts. I access and save my log on a Word file, which allows for easy accessibility and data entry.

It is relatively easy to remember what one has done in the past week or so. But keeping a log will allow you to do so much more. By logging your practice time, you can make sure that you are balancing out your training routine, by spending ample time on material throughout all of the belt ranks. Typically, for example, the majority of one’s practice time is in what they teach regularly, or perhaps what they can get through in a short period of time in today’s fast pace society. But logging allows you to see where you have not devoted enough time. So, if you are a 1st degree black belt, for example, you may see that you have practiced Short Form 2 perhaps 30 times full-out this year, but have only practiced Long Form 3 or Long Form 4 say 5 times. If this is the case, this should encourage you to devote the next few days or perhaps weeks to really fine-tune Long Forms 3 and 4.

By logging my practice time, I make sure that I have practiced all 96 extensions at regular speed at least every month, in addition to all of the base techniques. I also make sure that I have practiced my sets and forms several times monthly. I also keep track of how many days I have taught Kenpo throughout the year (if you want to modify this, you could keep track of how many classes that you have taught, for example). I keep track of all of my weapons forms and empty hand forms that I know from other martial art styles (typically Kung Fu), as well as drills practiced, and how many days I spar in a given month.

Since January 2006, I have even kept track of how many days per month (or year) I have practiced Kenpo Karate one hour or longer. This really helps me train harder and to set goals. In 2006, I practiced 318 out of 365 days for one hour or longer, and I am “dead set” on beating that this year!!

In short, I really encourage everyone to log his or her mat time. Also, let me know of any ideas that you come up with that are worth logging as well.