Questions & Answers

 Many prospective students have written to me asking what rank I hold, and if it is possible for a student of mine to progress beyond  5th degree black belt.  I earned my 3rd degree black belt in Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate in the 24-technique-per-belt system under Kevin Lamkin.  This means I have mastered the entire curriculum of EPAK.  Rather than earning higher rank in EPAK I have created my own system of Kenpo, with my curriculum spanning 5th degree black belt.  I have awarded myself the rank of 6th degree black belt, and my rank will increase accordingly when it is time to promote my students to 5th degree black and beyond.  

When the time comes one can progress beyond 5th degree when studying my art.  This could depend on the number of years studying my art, the number and rank of students one has trained in my art, and some additional criteria.  I will make this more formal once my students are nearing 5th black.  For a student to receive 1st degree he/she must be promoted by a 3rd degree or higher.  In general, the teacher must be senior by at least 2 degrees.  Therefore, for a student of mine to receive 5th degree I must be 7th degree.  If that student's student is ready to receive 4th degree, I must be 8th degree so I can promote the student to 6th degree so the student's student can promote to 4th degree.  I award rank to my students, and they to their students, and my rank grows accordingly since I am the founder.  Since the curriculum ends at 5th degree, the degrees beyond 5th are an indication of the rank of one's students, and the rank of their students, and so on.  One does not need to own a school to teach students.  I have taught many students, both in person and through my home study course, and have never owned a school.  I have found through my own experience that I did not truly master Kenpo, or any subject, until I taught it to others.  

In most martial arts the curriculum ends at 3rd or 4th degree black belt, and the highest attainable rank is 9th or 10th degree, with the highest rank reserved for the founder or his successor.  All of the remaining promotions are based on time in rank and "contributions to the art."  This usually involves opening large schools and having all of the students pay dues to an association, in addition to the student rank criteria I outlined above.  It could also entail the student making a large monetary contribution to the association, with or without owning a school.  I don't see myself collecting association dues unless it is to benefit the member schools.    

In the end, the color of one's belt or the number of stripes it has is meaningless, especially once one has mastered an entire martial art.  When one is a lifelong student of the martial arts, all that matters is perfecting one's skill, and teaching others is the best way to do this.  If you have any suggestions on additional or alternative requirements for promotion beyond 5th degree black belt, I would be happy to hear them.

"I'm hitting a little snag conceptually as I practice the techniques - all these defenses against stepping punches. I vaguely remember you mentioning in one of your videos that this would be addressed later but it's really tripping me up. No one seems to actually punch this way and even if they don't immediately retract their arm, pulling off a technique requires a very willing partner and more often than not results in a clinch. 

Am I missing something? Am I just not fast enough? Are the techs more designed to illustrate principles than actual defense?

I'm probably getting ahead of myself but any insight would be appreciated. " 

This is a great question and one I continue to think about on many occasions.  If I think in terms of a boxing match, using a boxer's guard with my fists near my face, then I agree with all of your concerns.  It becomes a slugging match and the opponent will be too close and too fast for me to pull off any of the kenpo techniques as written.  If instead I change my on guard position as demonstrated in my basics videos, palms facing forward, the opponent is no longer able to stay within jabbing range.  Just by changing my on-guard position he must initiate his attack from a longer distance.  He could choose to pushdrag and pivot with his punch like a boxer, but it will be from such a great distance so as to not have much power or follow through.  I should be able to push drag backwards, forwards, on the diagonal, or move up-the-circle and apply a kenpo technique.  Only if he steps through will his strike have any power.  If he tries to waltz through my on-guard position into jabbing range he will have already entered my kicking range, so in theory I will have already kicked him.

The key is to not fight like a boxer.  If I do find myself within jabbing range with an opponent I shouldn't try to karate block his punches.  In this instance my best defense is a good offense.  I should use my strikes and my positioning to cancel his height, width, and depth.  Each technique follows the same template: one block or parry with an evasive foot maneuver, a series of follow up strikes, and possibly a take down.  I like to think of each self-defense technique as a host of smaller techniques.  Each block, maneuver, and strike is a stand alone tool.  The entire self-defense technique is immensely practical, but you should not feel obligated to use a particular technique as written.  You should not feel like a technique has failed if you are unable to complete it from beginning to end. It doesn't mean the technique is not designed for actual defense.  It just means the technique contains everything you might need and it's up to you to choose what is needed.  When I practice I execute each strike as quickly as possible, but I do not attempt to complete the entire technique as fast as possible.  If you use your stances to form bracing angles and body mechanics for power sources you should be able to end the fight with one or two strikes.  Even if I am half way into a technique, I visualize each strike as being the one that ends the fight.

There are different strategies to winning a fight.  One is to use the on-guard position I mentioned earlier and allow the opponent to come to you.  Your job is then to counter strike during/after his offense when he is most vulnerable and exposed.  Initially his vulnerability may be his arms and legs that you strike with your blocks.  This seems to match the general structure of the self-defense techniques.  Another strategy is be offensive with fakes and feints to create an opening.  Guidance on this is less obvious from the self-defense techniques, but can be found  by omitting the initial block and evasive foot maneuver and utilizing the follow-up strikes as an offense.  

Let me know if you have any other questions.

"Thanks Geoff! Your response definitely got me thinking about things a little differently. So a quick follow up just to confirm I understand.

Defending against a right handed boxer/opponent or someone with their hands up looking to fight:

Beginning with an on guard stance - a right neutral bow may offer an advantage against a right handed fighter as I am essentially now a "south paw" disrupting them. This provides better width protection from his dominant power arm while also placing my own dominant side weapons closer to their target. Not mandatory, but a possible option. 

Utilize my own footwork to maximize a depth advantage/protection and utilize my long range kicking weapons. This use of depth also forces him to use a step through punch in order to even reach me or limits his jab to be reliant on a footmanuever also essentially creating the "lunge punch" scenario. 

One of my biggest takeaways from your response is adjusting my approach conceptually to a technique. Delayed Sword for example may not be so linear. In the example you gave I may actually use the kick first then the knife hand, perhaps forgoing the block entirely. Also the possibility of altering targets or even using the block itself as an attack as a hammerfist or forearm blow at close range. It also changes drastically depending on if the attack itself is a grab, push or punch and I may not have been applying the technique against the proper attack.  

This actually just happened to land on my Facebook feed seems right in line with our discussion https://youtu.be/tAZnigfaPiU?t=555

If I'm on the right track now, this really changes my whole perception of Kenpo and how to apply it and interpret the techniques as building blocks instead of literal/linear defenses. 

Thanks again, I really appreciate it! "

I agree with your interpretation entirely, and I'm really glad this helped.  This certainly wasn't obvious to me when I started, and it wasn't obvious even after I had some experience. 

I replied to a prospective student via email, and felt the conversation was worth sharing with everyone.  Here is my reply.

 I agree that it can seem daunting to memorize so many techniques, but I feel it is necessary in order to really understand the material and to program it into the subconscious.  You are more than welcome to learn the material on a casual level, studying the material from any belt level as you wish, but to submit a video test for rank I need to see that you have it memorized.  

I find it's best not to feel hurried when memorizing.  When I was a student I learned at most 1 to 3 new techniques per week.  I practiced the new material every day for a week, and then included it in my family groupings practice.  Another tool I used to remember the techniques was to keep a 3-ring binder and write down every step when learning a new technique.  It was much harder to forget, and I had a nice reference while practicing.  No matter how quickly I learned the material for a given belt level, I usually waited 3 to 6 months between belt tests to be certain I had it well memorized.

I should have also mentioned that my students routinely make mistakes on their video tests, yet I am very forgiving and pass  almost everyone.  I view the colored belts as one big belt level where the student learns and explores, and the video tests are really just an opportunity for me to provide some feedback.  The only test I expect near-perfection on is 1st black.  If you make the binder of notes I suggested you are welcome to have that with you when you film your video test.

I recently received a great question from one of my students who wondered if I had and tips or insight into remembering all of the techniques.  It can be daunting to memorize 150 techniques plus the extensions.  The concepts contained in each technique are natural and intuitive, but each sequence in unique.  I suggested that he keeps a folder and writes detailed steps for each technique, this way he'll have his notes handy any time he needs a reminder.  It's a lot like learning math - it's one thing to watch someone else solve a problem, but to write the solution yourself internalizes the methods and makes it much easier to remember.  Also, be very attentive to see the similarities between techniques and make notes, and most of all be certain to identify the techniques in the Family Groupings practice guide.  

This Family Grouping outline creates a map and a place holder for your brain.  It takes 150 individual techniques and clusters them into 14 groups.  Even these 14 groups could be further aggregated into 4, maybe 5, macro groups.  Once you get comfortable with each group, you'll see just how simple the whole system is.  There is a nice quote from Bruce Lee, "Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum. It is the halfway cultivation that leads to ornamentation."

As frustrating as Kenpo can be sometimes with so many detailed techniques, I am very grateful for it's detail.  So many martial arts teach the same principles and methods, but leave it to the practitioner see how to combine and use them.  As a beginner, study and obsess over every detailed step.  Once you've mastered the steps, throw them away and embrace the concepts they taught you.

"I like your kenpo series but I am sort of concerned with all the kicks I see. Seems like over 100 something kicks in kenpo and a lot of them seem flashy/acrobatic. Why did you choose to keep all the kicks in your system? Why are there so many kicks? "

I understand you must be focused on training instinctive responses for attacks you are likely to encounter.  I agree that some of the kicking requirements in the advanced belt levels are not practical for self defense.  I'd like you to look at them as plyometric exercises instead of self defense techniques.  The number one reason I included all of the kicking requirements is because they are phenomenal for strengthening and conditioning the abdominals, lower back, and legs - not to mention improving balance and proprioception.  I used to work as a personal trainer, and had clients from ages 14 to 70.  Many trainers give plyometric exercises for athletes looking to develop power and balance.   

The kicking requirements from Yellow through Green belt focus on the fundamental kicks, nothing I would call acrobatic or flashy.  They may be combination kicks, they might include a foot maneuver, or involve a spinning motion.  From Brown through 5th Black the jumping kicks are introduced.  Even these I would not consider flashy.  I agree they are not the most practical; however, after you have mastered these kicks, firing a front snap kick to the groin will be no challenge. 

The degree of difficulty is increased slowly across the belt levels, so you shouldn't feel overwhelmed by any of the kicks.  If you have an injury or limitation that prevents you from performing a particular kick, you can tailor the kick to your body type and ability.  

If you download the family grouping .pdf from my website, you will see how I structure my practices.  I use the kicking requirements as a warm up and exercise routine before training the techniques.  You can devote as much or as little time to the kicks as you want.  When I practice these kicks I perform each kick 4 to 8 times on each leg.  The first few repetitions are as slow as possible, holding the kick in full extension to strengthen the core.  The remaining repetitions are executed at full speed to develope power and timing. 

"I will be ordering but need to ask a few questions.  I can only devote 2 days about 1 hour to this.  Will I still benefit in self-defense skill?  Is practicing the moves at a slow to moderate pace still good to develop skill also?  Thanks!"  

Do you mean 2 days per week, for an hour each day?  If so, I think that would be adequate.  As you progress through the intermediate and advanced levels and acquire many techniques, you may want to practice 3 days per week.   

Many kenpo practitioners are famous for their blindingly fast sequences.  I prefer to put an emphasis on "quickness", instead of speed.  Rather than performing a technique from start to finish as fast as I possibly can, I will logically sub-divide the techinque into smaller pieces, executing each piece/strike with reasonable speed and power, and pausing briefly between pieces.  These pauses allow me to account and correct for the opponent's reactions and retaliations.  When practitioners complete techniques as fast as possible, they are focused entirely on their own movements, and forgeting they have a difficult-to-predict opponent in front of them.   So, yes, one can develop good skill by practicing at a slow to moderate pace, so long as they develop quickness and power in their strikes.   

If you haven't already, visit my youtube channel at www.youtube.com/KenpoGeoff.  I have all of the Yellow belt material available for free.  When you have mastered the material you can send me a video test for free, and I will politely critique your performance.  This way you can get a good sense of the system and feel good about purchasing the Home Study Course.

"I have a question for you...upon review of the yellow belt segment I did not see a set of  'drills' like in a class setting.  Can you please advise me on what particular flow the drills should follow?"

If I were teaching you in person, I would present the material in the same order as on my youtube channel and Home Study Course.  Any drills would be a repetition of the material, tailored to the areas that require the most improvement.  

I begin my own practices by warming up with jumping jacks, push ups, and deep knee bends.  I follow this with a series of step-through front kicks, step-through roundhouse kicks, and step-through side kicks (alternating legs as I travel across the room) to warm up my knees and hips.  To further warm up my elbows, I execute horizontal and vertical punches from a horse stance, and from a neutral bow.  All the while I am beginning gently, and focusing on form, timing, and power generation.  All of this material is found in the Basics playlist.  Simply repeat the strikes, blocks, and stances that feel the most foreign or awkward. 

In my Family Groupings outline I have divided all of the sets, kicking requirements, and techniques into 14 different groups, and I focus on one of these groups during my practice.  I begin with a set (like blocking set 1) and repeat it two to three times, or as much as is necessary.  The first couple of repetitions I am thinking about my stances, blocks, and strikes, using proper form moving at a slow to moderate pace.  The last one or two repetitions, I focus on generating speed and power while maintaining that good form. 

I then move to the kicking requirements for that day, followed by the techniques, and utilize the same format - two or three slow repetitions focusing on form and balance.  Then another few repetitions with speed and power.  Remember to practice both the right and left side of every kick and technique, doing a few extra repetitions on your non-dominant side.  I am right handed, and sometimes I will exclusively practice the left side only of the kicks and techniques to feel more ambidexterous.  

At this stage, you can follow the format I described above using the Yellow belt requirements.  As you progress through the belt levels and acquire more techniques, you can begin identifying the techniques in the Family Groupings outline, and use this outline to guide your practices.  I will send you this outline when you are working on Orange belt. 

This was a great question, and I hope this helps.

I am planning a video series that explains the Family Grouping outline in detail, and follows a typical practice of mine from start to finish.

"I know you removed all the forms from your system of Kenpo, but you also studied them under Kevin Lamkin. Having studied them what do you think they added to your training? I have watched them and also agree that they seem impractical, but they do seem to teach movement from stance to stance. Just trying to get a better understanding as to why you decided not to include them in your system. "

The forms are a great mental exercise.  To memorize such long sequences of movement is akin to a dancer memorizing choreography.  You are right that they contain lots of transitions between stances.  There were several factors that contributed to my ultimate decision to remove them.  Probably the biggest factor was student retention.  I have lost many talented students who did not have the patience or desire to memorize the forms.  The second largest factor was that many of the techniques in the advanced forms were the ones I removed from the system for being impractical.  Most people only have a limited time to devote to exercise and practicing.  The techniques alone can require a decent amount of time to practice.  Also, many of the other modern martial arts - Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and others - do not put any emphasis on forms.  

I spent 10 years practicing the forms, and was very reluctant to give them up for fear I would be a substandard martial artist.  If anything, my skill has improved tremendously, since anything is up for removal and only the most valuable material remains.  I finally felt free to be creative and move the way I wanted to.

"Sensei:

As a part of my exercise training I use a treadmill. While this helps to a degree with stamina I wonder what your thoughts are

regarding the use of a filled duffle bag suspended from floor joist as part of my martial arts training.

I envision building up stamina by combining punches and kick on the bag starting with individual strikes and kick and then combinations .

I would like to increase my time on the bag to condition my body.

Would you please comment and provide some guidance and thoughts. Have you used this type of a setup and if so any suggestions.

Thank you"

This is a great idea for increasing stamina and conditioning your body for striking.  The best advice I can give you is start off easy and listen to your body.  It is tempting to generate maximum force when doing any form of exercise, including bag work.  When you imagine a bigger, stronger opponent you might feel the need to strike as hard as possible.  Remember that your weapons (hands, wrists, feet, ankles) have to withstand this stress. 

I think it's best to put emphasis on pressure instead of force.  Force is mass*acceleration.  The more we accelerate into a kick or punch, the more forceful it will be.  Since our wrists and ankles can only take so much force, we should only generate a safe amount of force and then maximize pressure, which is force/surface area.  We should make our strikes like bullets or daggers, using as small a surface area as possible to make them sharp. 

Most of the time my practice partners are much bigger and stronger than I am.  When they practice the techniques on me with a little gusto, they can safely generate a lot of force, and I go flying across the room.  When I practice the techniques on them, my force generation is considerably less, but my strikes are very sharp, so they crumple to the ground.   

If your bag will be supported from the ground, make sure you have plenty of foot room.  If you are practicing short range weapons like knees or elbows you will want to stand comfortably near the bag in a strong stance.  I have used floor supported bags that have wide bases filled with sand.  They are great for practicing kicks and punches, but terrible for anything short ranged. 

Hanging bags remedy this, but can have a tendency to swing and spin.  If the bag is heavy enough, the swinging motion isn't too bad.  If it's hanging from several chains or ropes at different angles, then the spinning should be mitigated.  These hanging bags are usually cylindrical in shape, and some strikes (like back kicks) tend to deflect off the bag.  I prefer a bag that is closer in shape to a human torso - wider than it is thicker. 

I also recommend using a light weight glove to spare the skin on your knuckles.  I wouldn't use gloves with a lot of padding, nor would I wrap the wrists or ankles, because you want to learn how much force you can generate safely.

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