The Parker Kenpo Creed

I come to you with only Karate, empty hands, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands. Ed Parker

1. I will develop myself in a positive manner and avoid anything that would reduce my mental growth or my physical health.
2. I will develop self discipline in order to bring out the best in myself and others.
3. I will use the art of Kenpo constructively and defensively to help myself and my fellow man and never to be abusive or offensive.
4. I will live by the principles of black belt: modesty, integrity, perseverance, self-control and indomitable spirit.

Important Rules

Establish Your Base

First rule of Kenpo. If you don't have a solid base you'll be off balance and nothing will work.

Create Distance


Second rule of Kenpo - get away from the attacker.

Control, disarm, technique


Your first priority in an attack is to control whatever weapon an attacker might have. Second, disarm the attacker and third, run your technique to dispose of the threat.

Strike high/check low & strike low/check high


Anytime you strike an attacker high, you must check for a low counter by the attacker. Same goes for when you strike low; make sure you check high. The check might be with a leg, arm or hand; doesn't matter as long as your vital areas aren't exposed to the attacker.

The 3 Stages Of Learning

Embryonic
You know nothing about Karate and are just beginning to learn the basic steps involved in techniques and forms.

Mechanical
You understand the mechanics of running techniques, but not necessarily the flow between techniques and you can't react instinctivly to an attack.

Spontaneous
You understand both the mechanics of running techniques and how they flow together. You properly react to an attack without thinking.

Power Principles

Each technique in the Parker Kenpo system is based on one of these power principles. Techniques can, and often do, make use of more than one of these principles, but one of the three is always the overriding force behind the technique.

Marriage of Gravity
We have it whenever we sink or when all our force is going down. Use high wide kneel to accentuate Marriage or Gravity. Marriage of Gravity is essentially Back-up Mass on a vertical plane (we're moving in a straight line down).

Torque
Provides more power. To get torque, something must twist or rotate.

Back-up Mass
Putting your entire body into a move. We have Back-up Mass whenever we're moving in a straight line. This puts your entire body into a particular movement. Back-up Mass is essentially Marriage of Gravity on a horizontal plane.

Tap-Tap Drills

These are sensivity drills geared toward increasing your blocking and parrying speed without the use of force. These drills should be run quickly, but with minimal power. They begin with two individuals, each in a Right Neutral Bow.

Beginner
Begin with right wrists touching. One person does a left inward parry on the other persons elbow, a right outward parry on the elbow, push elbow down with left palm and as right foot steps forward while you do a right vertical thrust punch. The other person repeats the same moves.

Catch Punch
Start with Beginner (above) then right leg cats back as we catch punch with left hand, right glancing back knuckle to tricep, left inward/downward parry/check and right foot steps forward as we do a right vertical thrust punch and the other person repeats.

Inward Elbow
Right inward elbow comes in, right leg cats back as we catch (open hand) the elbow, right upward back knuckle to underside of elbow, left downward parry/check and right foot steps forward as we do right inward elbow

Hook Punch
Right hook comes in, right leg cats back, left outward parry, right upward back knuckle just above elbow to pass the arm over my head, left inward/downward parry and right foot steps forward as we do right hook.

Uppercut punch
Right uppercut comes in, right leg cats back while doing left inward (low) parry, right hammerfist on outside of forearm, left downward parry/check and right foot steps forward as we do right uppercut.

Overhead punch
Right overhead punch comes in, right leg cats back while doing a left inward/upward parry, right back knuckle to tricep, left inward/downward parry as right foot steps forward and we do right overhead punch.