The Goal:
To create a book which validates some of the many kenpo practitioners who have done so much for our art.
Why It's Needed:
Kenpo karate is a huge tree with many branches. The kenpo system has split into many different facets over the years, especially since the death of Ed Parker Sr.
Unfortunately, this split has caused huge rifts in the kenpo community. People are encouraged to be separate from their kenpo cousins because of technique differences, lineage differences or because one of the instructors doesn't like the other. It's nuts.
The other thing I've noticed is that all of us have had a unique kenpo experience. We came in for different reasons, have taken breaks for different reasons and have changed instructors for different reasons. (Or didn't change and didn't take breaks.) The point is that we all have a story to tell.
Also, for those of us who have been in kenpo for quite some time, we have all done something to further the art, be it teaching classes, opening schools, doing seminars, writing books, making videos and more. I believe those stories need to be told and in doing so, I believe it will bring us all a little closer.
If you are uncomfortable with the idea of 'promoting' yourself and your actions, think instead about promoting where you've come from. Tell about how kenpo has changed your life, what it has meant to you and how much you have learned from your instructor(s). People often forget to tell those close to them how important they are; this is an opportunity to do just that.
The Journey book was a great idea. It talked about the personal journey of 24 different martial artists. That's a great thing. However, there are more than 24 kenpoists worthy of mention. And also, for those who WERE mentioned, their journey continues.
Some of those who I am personally aware of have been specially invited to share their story. Unfortunately, I don't know them all. I don't know who has trained with whom, for how long, the seminars they taught, or the many lives they touched. That's the story for you all to tell.
I also don't know that much about the other branches of kenpo. I'd like to have some people talk about their experiences with the AKKI and the IKCA, as well as SamPai kenpo, Hawaiian, Tracy and the other groups who are all under the Kenpo flag.
If you don't feel comfortable doing it just for yourself, think about doing it for your school, your instructor and to give honor and validation to your lineage. I'll have a page up of sample questions for you to answer and there will be space for one picture of yourself (or it can be of you and your instructor.)
If you refer 5 people to be in the book, (and they decide to participate), then your listing will be free. Some of you at your school may decide to all participate in order to put in a listing for your instructor as your gift. I think that is a great sign of respect.
Qualifications:
To qualify for participation, you need to have achieved the rank of black belt and need to have been in kenpo for at least 10 years. (If it's really close to 10, we allow for some fudge room.)
The Particulars:
Each person who chooses to participate, will have one page of 8.5 x 11, Arial Narrow 12pt., single-spaced type to tell their story. *A little less if you want to include a picture. In that space, you can tell of your kenpo experience.
There will be some general guidelines for ideas of what to write and if you are not confident in your writing abilities, I'll be happy to help you out.
The cost for participation is $50 (unless otherwise noted for specific people). With this, you get 2 copies of the book and you get to have a full page to tell your story. This price is for the first issue only, so please take this opportunity to get in on this great book.
If you're interested in some information about this book, please fill out the form below and you'll be notified as things progress. Filling out the form creates no obligation on your part. It's just for information.
If you received an email about it already and are not at all interested, please hit the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. I'd like to keep track of how many people are interested so I know when to proceed.
If you see the value of this project, please pass along the information to any kenpo black belts you know. The more we can have in the book, the stronger the statement of unity will be.
American Kenpo Karate is a hard/soft style of martial arts, created by Ed Parker, designed to promote good self-esteem, confidence, self-reliance, excellent defensive skills and is a lot of fun. If you want to learn the ultimate in self defense, we teach Kenpo Karate in Rancho Cordova at Mather Sports Facility.
