The value of private lessons…
I started training Kenpo in 1986 while in high school. Like everyone, I attended a standard class setting with other students. I learned the customs and traditions that are present and so important in the development of any martial artist and the proliferation of the art. I started at the back like most white belts and worked my way up the front of the class as I attained the various ranks and trained consistently like everyone else. It wasn’t until after college and moving away that in 1994 I met an instructor who showed me the value of private lessons.
At that time I started training with James Smith in Houston and attended one training session during the week and had a weekly private session on the weekends. It was a new experience for me. Most of the time we’d spar, discuss sparring theory, look at various training methods outside the realm of what at the time I would have defined as standard Kenpo training. We were student and instructor and through that training experience my confidence grew.
Later as I began to explore other areas of martial training under different instructors and I found all of my sessions to be private lessons. Whenever certain instructors would come to Texas I would make a special point to go to their seminars and during the down time I would pay for a private lesson. If I brought instructors in for seminars the goal was to get a private lesson in their area of expertise. My standard sessions with Mr. Duffy by virtue of the distance traveled and scheduling dictated that I would train privately on the weekends with him. My training with Mr. Braughton was completely private training with he and his wife, unless he asked that I attend a session with the group. At the end of the day I went into those sessions prepared with questions from the previous session. I worked on what we covered and came to each session with an open mind and spirit of receiving. Throughout the years of training, supplemental private lessons and consistent self-regimented practice sessions have helped me get closer my personal goals in training.
When you hear of people speak of their time with Mr. Parker the sessions that are spoken of in the highest regard are those that involved private training….
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Warm ups - 4 count jumping jacks, 8 count jumping jacks, pyramid pushups (work on them..)
basic blocks - working by the numbers in a 2 stage motion, cocking to utilize torque, keeping shoulders back, using principles of the conceptual box and 45 degree angles where appropriate and not over rotating, bracing angle, blocking relationships to outer rim theory.
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
stances - HWD considerations on stances, weight distribution
neutral bow
forward bow
45 degree cat stance
drill set - discussion on blocks being strikes, the role commitement and intent plays in execution. When an attackers intent is increased (i.e. in a knife attack) ones commitment to the creating damage with their blocks increases.
Step back into neutral bow/inward block
Pekiti Tirsia empty hand v knife on the 5,8 & 9
basic blocks - working by the numbers in a 2 stage motion, cocking to utilize torque, keeping shoulders back, using principles of the conceptual box and 45 degree angles where appropriate and not over rotating, bracing angle, blocking relationships to outer rim theory.
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
stances - HWD considerations on stances, weight distribution
neutral bow
forward bow
45 degree cat stance
drill set - discussion on blocks being strikes, the role commitement and intent plays in execution. When an attackers intent is increased (i.e. in a knife attack) ones commitment to the creating damage with their blocks increases.
Step back into neutral bow/inward block
Pekiti Tirsia empty hand v knife on the 5,8 & 9
2000 trip to LA to visit Dr. Chape'l
Reprint from my old website regarding a trip to Los Angeles back in 2000..
My First Trip to LA
Last week I had the opportunity to go to Los Angeles for the first time. Although it was a work related trip I had the chance to do a couple of things that I've really wanted to do. One of those things was to meet Dr. Chap'el and find out what this Sub Level 4 actually is.
When I first arrived at the school I was greeted by Mr. Perez. He's a 4th Degree Black Belt in AAKC, very friendly and very good. He was about to start the Saturday class, so I sat down and waited for Dr. Chap'el to arrive. When Dr. C came in, the class stopped to acknowledge his presence and then proceeded. I introduced myself and was greeted with a big bear hug. He stopped briefly to speak to a grandmother who was watching her grandson (Christopher), who couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 doing Long One (right side). Earlier she had explained to me that he was in a tournament in Vegas last week and did Short Form One. She was pretty knowledgeable for a grandparent as she let me know who was working on what in the beginners class. Anyway, I digress. Dr. Chap'el spoke to her and she mentioned she had brought the gi that her grandson had outgrown and that she, "hoped Edmund's little one could fit it". Ok, she's on a first name basis with EP jr. So I went in the office with Dr. C and we chit chatted a bit. We talked history, I saw his original IKKA 7th Degree Certificate, old photos of he and SGM Parker, Tommy Chavis, etc...He gave me some additional information to read and we went out to watch the class. As we talked about Sub Level 4 and where Mr. Parker was taking Kenpo I could hear in his voice that there was no doubt or question of his conviction that this was what Mr. Parker showed him and he gave him full credit.
He never put down others he simply made his position clear, we then went out to watch the class. As we talked he had his intermediate and advanced belts form a technique line to work though courses 101,201 ect...He explained to me that Mr. Parker was in the process of moving Kenpo to a educational based system (i.e. School instead of Dojo, Tuition instead of dues, Diplomas instead of Certificates), which I found very interesting. As this students ripped through technique after technique Dr. C would take a minute and have me either act as attacker or defender to show me the different control manipulation concepts. Many of my misconceptions were cleared up and I could see how off base many people are on the net when they talk about what control manipulation is. It's definitely not grappling! He showed me multiple instances where you can control manipulate through strikes and he even took a minute to show me a couple of advanced "energy drains" that were pretty mind blowing. We talked about the importance of alignment in blocks and not just the block itself, but the importance of following the proper path to that alignment to maintain and create the structural integrity of the action. He showed my how very simple methods were used to align and fortify ones position and how improper slap checking in the wrong spot can actually drain your own energy and magnify your attackers strike at the same time. We discussed the philosophy of SL-4 not attacking soft tissue targets. They can, and they know they are there, but as he said and EP jr. said, "is it warranted to blind a man because he won't let go of your hand?" We discussed buoyant foot and hand position, CMA's (control manipulation alternatives) and the like. At one point said let me show you one manipulation and popped me lightly in the neck area. Next thing I know I'm feeling a little light headed so he sat me down. Clearly, he knew this would happen, because right after he did it he got closer (to catch me if need be) and said, "let's sit and talk". The strike was not hard at all, but it brought home the point of what he calls a "knock out". When a person is disoriented such that their eyes are open, but nobodys home. Because of the manipulation they are almost having an almost out of body experience.
He told me that one of the primary goals of SL-4 is to make sure that its practitioners survive the initial attack and he showed me several instances against chokes and holds that this could be done (as well as strikes). He asked me a very simple question that started the basis of our alignment discussion. Why do people punch at you? My answer was to hit you. Ok, why else? Huh....ok, I'll punch you react. Next thing I know he's got my arm in a figure 4, "sometimes they punch to set you up so they can get hold of one of your extremities (very loose quote) so you have to have proper blocking alignment so it can't be collapsed". So as we went on and I soaked up all this information I found myself being able to see the alignments, control manipulations and control releases taking place in the techniques. Actually, heard him tell one of the guys that he wasn't doing the control release properly so I got to check it out and see what he was talking about. We discussed purposeful defiance and compliance and the idea of being able to defy or comply when you want to based on body alignment. I saw so much and I've left out all the comedy that took place during the whole process. As Dr. C would tell his students, "Come here son let me help ya" in his best cross between W.C. Fields and Fog Horn Leg Horn or he would say, "where's my knife, I can't believe your still doing that wrong", "Come here son let me help ya". A couple of times he was driven to eat a cookie in disgust and he made sure they knew it, and the group would say, " No Sir, No not a cookie". Finally, as the class was going the oldies were playing in the background so every so often Dr. C would yell, "Smokie!!!" and the class would stop and look to see if he was imparting some great Kenpo knowledge and he'd say it again without paying attention to them, "Smokie Robinson" and then he'd break out into song. This also happened with the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross (or it might have been Aretha! Aretha Franklin). There was definitely a fun, but down to business atmosphere. After the class I met the Dean of Instruction, and a couple of the guys from class. All were very nice and humble and told me to come back so I could participate in the class sometime. There were no superior attitudes. In fact as I watched them do the techniques you could see them conferring with one another on various aspects of the alignment or contact manipulation that was present for a technique. So a Black Belt or Brown or even Blue would say no it's done this way without worry that he would be put down for speaking out of place.
Afterwards, Doc and I went to a little Chinese shop with some great barbecue pork and egg rolls that were ostrich sized "egg" rolls and we talked more about Kenpo and many other non-Kenpo related topics. He invited me back down and I thanked him for a memorable Kenpo experience of a lifetime.
The three things I walked way with from this experience were that Dr. Chap'el doesn't do hypothetical Kenpo, Sub Level 4 and Control Manipulation aren't adding locks to the end of your techniques and this man has a lot more that we haven't even began to see. It's so much deeper and is definitely another level.
The one thing I didn't mention was that when Dr. Chap'el looked at me at the beginning of the day he immediately said, "either your right shoulder has been hurt or it's about to be hurt" without even touching me or any cues on my part. Of course I denied it because I didn't want to have him hold back on the information (I had my shoulder cranked by a figure four move back in late July and it still acts up sometime). Anyway, about half way though the day I asked him how did he know my shoulder had been hurt? As he laughed, his answer was he could "see it on me". "Huh, what do you mean?" "I can see the hot spot on your aura" and we spent some time talking about Chi and internal energy.
------
My next trip to see Doc in LA found me downtown, in a horse stance, at night, in the parking lot of a bar, as crack heads came over to beg for change (here we go again)...My first introduction to indexing, but that story is for another day....:-)
My First Trip to LA
Last week I had the opportunity to go to Los Angeles for the first time. Although it was a work related trip I had the chance to do a couple of things that I've really wanted to do. One of those things was to meet Dr. Chap'el and find out what this Sub Level 4 actually is.
When I first arrived at the school I was greeted by Mr. Perez. He's a 4th Degree Black Belt in AAKC, very friendly and very good. He was about to start the Saturday class, so I sat down and waited for Dr. Chap'el to arrive. When Dr. C came in, the class stopped to acknowledge his presence and then proceeded. I introduced myself and was greeted with a big bear hug. He stopped briefly to speak to a grandmother who was watching her grandson (Christopher), who couldn't have been more than 6 or 7 doing Long One (right side). Earlier she had explained to me that he was in a tournament in Vegas last week and did Short Form One. She was pretty knowledgeable for a grandparent as she let me know who was working on what in the beginners class. Anyway, I digress. Dr. Chap'el spoke to her and she mentioned she had brought the gi that her grandson had outgrown and that she, "hoped Edmund's little one could fit it". Ok, she's on a first name basis with EP jr. So I went in the office with Dr. C and we chit chatted a bit. We talked history, I saw his original IKKA 7th Degree Certificate, old photos of he and SGM Parker, Tommy Chavis, etc...He gave me some additional information to read and we went out to watch the class. As we talked about Sub Level 4 and where Mr. Parker was taking Kenpo I could hear in his voice that there was no doubt or question of his conviction that this was what Mr. Parker showed him and he gave him full credit.
He never put down others he simply made his position clear, we then went out to watch the class. As we talked he had his intermediate and advanced belts form a technique line to work though courses 101,201 ect...He explained to me that Mr. Parker was in the process of moving Kenpo to a educational based system (i.e. School instead of Dojo, Tuition instead of dues, Diplomas instead of Certificates), which I found very interesting. As this students ripped through technique after technique Dr. C would take a minute and have me either act as attacker or defender to show me the different control manipulation concepts. Many of my misconceptions were cleared up and I could see how off base many people are on the net when they talk about what control manipulation is. It's definitely not grappling! He showed me multiple instances where you can control manipulate through strikes and he even took a minute to show me a couple of advanced "energy drains" that were pretty mind blowing. We talked about the importance of alignment in blocks and not just the block itself, but the importance of following the proper path to that alignment to maintain and create the structural integrity of the action. He showed my how very simple methods were used to align and fortify ones position and how improper slap checking in the wrong spot can actually drain your own energy and magnify your attackers strike at the same time. We discussed the philosophy of SL-4 not attacking soft tissue targets. They can, and they know they are there, but as he said and EP jr. said, "is it warranted to blind a man because he won't let go of your hand?" We discussed buoyant foot and hand position, CMA's (control manipulation alternatives) and the like. At one point said let me show you one manipulation and popped me lightly in the neck area. Next thing I know I'm feeling a little light headed so he sat me down. Clearly, he knew this would happen, because right after he did it he got closer (to catch me if need be) and said, "let's sit and talk". The strike was not hard at all, but it brought home the point of what he calls a "knock out". When a person is disoriented such that their eyes are open, but nobodys home. Because of the manipulation they are almost having an almost out of body experience.
He told me that one of the primary goals of SL-4 is to make sure that its practitioners survive the initial attack and he showed me several instances against chokes and holds that this could be done (as well as strikes). He asked me a very simple question that started the basis of our alignment discussion. Why do people punch at you? My answer was to hit you. Ok, why else? Huh....ok, I'll punch you react. Next thing I know he's got my arm in a figure 4, "sometimes they punch to set you up so they can get hold of one of your extremities (very loose quote) so you have to have proper blocking alignment so it can't be collapsed". So as we went on and I soaked up all this information I found myself being able to see the alignments, control manipulations and control releases taking place in the techniques. Actually, heard him tell one of the guys that he wasn't doing the control release properly so I got to check it out and see what he was talking about. We discussed purposeful defiance and compliance and the idea of being able to defy or comply when you want to based on body alignment. I saw so much and I've left out all the comedy that took place during the whole process. As Dr. C would tell his students, "Come here son let me help ya" in his best cross between W.C. Fields and Fog Horn Leg Horn or he would say, "where's my knife, I can't believe your still doing that wrong", "Come here son let me help ya". A couple of times he was driven to eat a cookie in disgust and he made sure they knew it, and the group would say, " No Sir, No not a cookie". Finally, as the class was going the oldies were playing in the background so every so often Dr. C would yell, "Smokie!!!" and the class would stop and look to see if he was imparting some great Kenpo knowledge and he'd say it again without paying attention to them, "Smokie Robinson" and then he'd break out into song. This also happened with the Jackson 5 and Diana Ross (or it might have been Aretha! Aretha Franklin). There was definitely a fun, but down to business atmosphere. After the class I met the Dean of Instruction, and a couple of the guys from class. All were very nice and humble and told me to come back so I could participate in the class sometime. There were no superior attitudes. In fact as I watched them do the techniques you could see them conferring with one another on various aspects of the alignment or contact manipulation that was present for a technique. So a Black Belt or Brown or even Blue would say no it's done this way without worry that he would be put down for speaking out of place.
Afterwards, Doc and I went to a little Chinese shop with some great barbecue pork and egg rolls that were ostrich sized "egg" rolls and we talked more about Kenpo and many other non-Kenpo related topics. He invited me back down and I thanked him for a memorable Kenpo experience of a lifetime.
The three things I walked way with from this experience were that Dr. Chap'el doesn't do hypothetical Kenpo, Sub Level 4 and Control Manipulation aren't adding locks to the end of your techniques and this man has a lot more that we haven't even began to see. It's so much deeper and is definitely another level.
The one thing I didn't mention was that when Dr. Chap'el looked at me at the beginning of the day he immediately said, "either your right shoulder has been hurt or it's about to be hurt" without even touching me or any cues on my part. Of course I denied it because I didn't want to have him hold back on the information (I had my shoulder cranked by a figure four move back in late July and it still acts up sometime). Anyway, about half way though the day I asked him how did he know my shoulder had been hurt? As he laughed, his answer was he could "see it on me". "Huh, what do you mean?" "I can see the hot spot on your aura" and we spent some time talking about Chi and internal energy.
------
My next trip to see Doc in LA found me downtown, in a horse stance, at night, in the parking lot of a bar, as crack heads came over to beg for change (here we go again)...My first introduction to indexing, but that story is for another day....:-)
Sunday, August 17, 2008
class covered
Warm ups - 4 count jumping jacks, 8 count jumping jacks (work on them..)
basic blocks - working by the numbers in a 2 stage motion, cocking to utilize torque, keeping shoulders back, using principles of the conceptual box and 45 degree angles where appropriate and not over rotating, bracing angle, blocking relationships to outer rim theory.
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches - 3 part motion (uppercut, vertical then horizontal). All on one smooth motion. Not over extending at any point, following the same reverse line on the return. Observing the relationship between the upward block (as well as others) to the horizontal thrust punch.
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes - Looked at point of contact inward horizontal and handswords and direction of intent. Discussed anchoring elbows (hand elbow relationship).
inward over head elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
finger techs - 2 points of contact for claw, bring elbow down centerline and cocking motion that allows utilization of torque
inward overhead claw
stances - HWD considerations on stances, weight distribution, 5 principle reasons to use a forward bow/reverse bow, step throughs on neutral bow
neutral bow
forward bow
45 degree cat stance
drill set
hubud lubud
Fast is wrong, low is right...
RELAX.....:-D
Thanks for attending..
Warm ups - 4 count jumping jacks, 8 count jumping jacks (work on them..)
basic blocks - working by the numbers in a 2 stage motion, cocking to utilize torque, keeping shoulders back, using principles of the conceptual box and 45 degree angles where appropriate and not over rotating, bracing angle, blocking relationships to outer rim theory.
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches - 3 part motion (uppercut, vertical then horizontal). All on one smooth motion. Not over extending at any point, following the same reverse line on the return. Observing the relationship between the upward block (as well as others) to the horizontal thrust punch.
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes - Looked at point of contact inward horizontal and handswords and direction of intent. Discussed anchoring elbows (hand elbow relationship).
inward over head elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
finger techs - 2 points of contact for claw, bring elbow down centerline and cocking motion that allows utilization of torque
inward overhead claw
stances - HWD considerations on stances, weight distribution, 5 principle reasons to use a forward bow/reverse bow, step throughs on neutral bow
neutral bow
forward bow
45 degree cat stance
drill set
hubud lubud
Fast is wrong, low is right...
RELAX.....:-D
Thanks for attending..
Sunday, August 10, 2008
class covered
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward over head elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
finger techs
inward overhead claw
kicks
front snapping ball
front roundhouse
sets
lineral short from #1
techniques
delayed sword
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward over head elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
finger techs
inward overhead claw
kicks
front snapping ball
front roundhouse
sets
lineral short from #1
techniques
delayed sword
Sunday, August 3, 2008
class covered
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward overhead elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
Drilled
step through blocks
star block
sets
linear short form #1
additional information
explored first 2 defending angles of Martial Blade Concepts as taught by Michael Janich
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward overhead elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
Drilled
step through blocks
star block
sets
linear short form #1
additional information
explored first 2 defending angles of Martial Blade Concepts as taught by Michael Janich
Sunday, July 16, 2008
class covered
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward overhead elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
stick
5 basic angles
box set with stick & empty hands
basic blocks
inward
outward vertical
outward extended
upward
downward
punches
horizontal thrust & snapping
vertical thrust & snapping
uppercut
strikes
inward overhead elbow
outward horizontal elbow
inward horizontal elbow
back hammerfist
inward handsword
outward handsword
stick
5 basic angles
box set with stick & empty hands
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