Brian's Kenpo Page - Kenpo Forms and Sets

Brian's Kenpo Page - Kenpo Forms and Sets Kenpo Forms and Sets

In Parker Kenpo, forms are our dictionary of motion, a resource into the art of Kenpo. Forms also show us that anything we can do with our hands, we can also do with our feet.

Formal Salutation

Forms begin and end with the Formal Salutation

Attention Stance, right arm out to right side, elbow bent at 90 degrees, fist up, palm forward. Left arm straight out to side, hand open, palm forward.
Right foot forward into a Right Front Twist stance as left hand comes around to meet right hand in meditating position (body facing 3:00).
Left foot steps forward into left Cat Stance while extending arms and opening hands (downward) so that the backs of hands are together.
Turn hands down toward body, into fists as left foot steps back. Right foot back, feet together, while pulling hands into waist.
While stepping to left into Horse Stance, open hands, circle hands outward to side and up over head creating a triangle with index fingers and thumbs.
Slowly moving triangle down, meditating hands, praying hands, up to Attention Stance.

The Formal Salutation has a poem that goes along with it. I've heard slightly different variations, but the general theme is the same. You'll notice that the phrases actually go with moves of the Formal Salutation. We the warriors and the scholars come together
to go forth, back to back to pull our country together.
We are unarmed, we conceal our weapons
and pray for forgiveness if we are forced to use them.

The first 4 forms (Short & Long 1, Short & Long 2) are drill forms showing us methods and motion. Forms 3-6 are technique forms. Form 7 is also a technique form, but it's running techniques using sticks. At this time I know nothing about form 8. The colored balls indicate the belt for which each form/set is required.

My notes page has additional form information.

Forms