Geoff Johnson's American Kenpo
Geoff Johnson's American Kenpo
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This site is intended for instructors and students of American Kenpo, or anyone interested in reality-based self-defense. The art I have created is a tailored version of Ed Parker's American Kenpo. You can read more about my background and my art by following the links in the sidebar.
I have recently finished uploading all of the material from my Kenpo Home Study Course (follow link in sidebar to Home Study Course). You can study all of the material and submit a video test for free. I will politely critique your video test, and, if you demonstrate adequate proficiency, I will promote you to the corresponding rank. Follow this link to read more about how to submit your video test. You can email me when you begin studying the material and I will be happy to coach you along. This is 100% free. There are no gimmicks. There is no sales pitch. Just Kenpo. So get started today. Begin feeling more confident in defending yourself.
Be sure to visit my newly formed Facebook community page to connect with students of my system from around the globe! You can share the story of your martial arts journey under the "Mentions" tab on the community page. A student of my home study course is organizing a recurring virtual meeting among other home-study-course students to practice moves together and share insights! If you are interested in joining, you can post about it on my facebook group page or let me know via email at KenpoGeoff@hotmail.com and I will forward your contact information to the organizer.
Check out the independent review of my home study course at Black Belt Distance Learning. (It looks like this site will be down for the foreseeable future. I'll leave the links up in case it returns.)
News:
4/14/2025 - Just for fun, I decided to give my kenpo system a nickname – "Old Hickory Tree Kenpo" – or Geoff Johnson's "Old Hickory Tree" American Kenpo. This is a reference to the various hickory trees I sometimes train under, using them like makiwaras and to which I attach my board holder. To feel a connection with the Okinawan roots of American Kenpo, a nice-sounding translation might be Johnson Kodaiki-ryu Kenpo. Perhaps you, too, can find an old tree to train under, one that provides you shade and helps you to condition your strikes.
4/10/2025 - A student of my home study course is organizing a recurring virtual meeting among other home-study-course students to practice moves together and share insights! If you are interested in joining, let me know via email at KenpoGeoff@hotmail.com and I will forward your contact information to the organizer.
4/7/2025 - I have created a new page detailing the board holder and rebreakable boards that I use during my practices. Later this year I will also include demonstration videos.
4/2/2025 - Barring any unforeseen revelations, all of the updates to my home study course are complete. Of course, if you have any suggestions to make it even better, I am happy to hear them. My final update was to Encounter with Danger to provide a more practical method for getting back into a standing position quickly after having been pushed to the ground. Before that I updated Detour from Doom, Parting of the Snakes, Grasping Eagles, and Thrust into Darkness to modify how a vertical punch is executed. Even if you've studied these techniques previously, be sure to watch the videos again so you don't miss this important detail.
3/27/2025 - I have added a page on my website outlining my kenpo lineage and how this has inspired the adaptations in my kenpo system, Geoff Johnson's American Kenpo - Lineage. If you have any suggestions for improvement do let me know!
3/3/2025 - Today I've made a big change to my system - I have removed the extensions from almost all the techniques and for the others I have included part or all of the extensions into the base moves. This gives less material for the student to memorize and frees their mind to improvise as the situation calls for. Without having a dozen or more strikes in a single technique, it also emphasizes that each strike should be the one that ends the fight.
The requirements for 2nd black and beyond involve re-testing the colored belt material and teaching others, along with additional kicking requirements. I have found that teaching others is what has made me a better martial artist, far more than memorizing and practicing extensions.2/23/2025 - I've set several more techniques as optional, namely, Obstructing the Storm, Defying the Storm, Returning Storm, Raining Lance, Defying the Lance, Falling Lance, Desparate Rod, Bending the Rod, Capturing the Rod, and Entangled Rod. All of this streamlines the decision-making process when defending against a violent encounter. I have taken the extension from Defying the Storm and will now use it as the extension for Encounter with Danger.
For defenses against club and knife attacks, Thrusting Salute and Detour from Doom are ideal and sufficient. For defenses against gun holdups, it is preferrable to be on the outside of the opponent's arm to cancel his width and to disarm him in a manner where his finger does not get stuck in the trigger guard.2/9/2025 - I've begun filming preliminary rapid review videos for each day of the family groupings. This should help anyone preparing for their 1st black test. For brevity, I only perform one side of each technique but be sure you can perform both sides during your practice and test. I will make better review videos in the spring.
1/22/2025 - I also plan to make Sword and Hammer optional and bring back Sword of Destruction as a defense against a side shoulder grab.
1/10/2025 - In the spring I will also rework and refilm Begging Hands to utilize a front kick-jump front kick combination (both kicks with the lead leg) instead of a lead-rear chicken kick (which alternates the kicking leg). If we're going through the trouble of jumping while kicking, it should be relatively easy, able to cover short and long distances, powerful, and fun. The jump front kick with the lead leg, a.k.a. drop kick, has it all.
12/20/2024 - I have set a few more techniques as optional in the belt requirements and removed them from the family groupings. These are Tripping Arrow, Grip of Death, Repeated Devastation, and Spiraling Twig. Additionally, I brought back Crashing Wings as a required technique and altered its extension. This was done to eliminate redundant material and further streamline the decision process during fighting.
In the spring I intend on reworking and refilming Reprimanding the Bears to use Captured Twigs as its basis and to improve upon the kicking sequence at the end of the technique. I will also refilm Parting of the Snakes to alter and remove a few elements making it more practical. One such element will be to utilize a jump front kick with the lead leg rather than a lead-rear chicken kick.2/4/2024 - I have created a new Facebook community page where students of my system can gather together.
1/14/2024 - Today I have made a major update to the family groupings by removing approximately 50 techniques, leaving these as optional material in the belt requirements. Most of these are defenses against punches and kicks. Follow the links in the sidebar for Belt Requirements and Family Groupings to see the details.
The main purpose for the removal of these techniques is to free the mind of the practitioner. There are now only two self-defense techniques to defend against kicks and punches – Thrusting Salute and Detour from Doom. Soon I will create a new video explaining how these two techniques are sufficient to address any empty handed attack.4/26/2023 - I have updated the family groupings practice guide to remove a few more techniques I felt were impractical. I have left these techniques in the belt requirements, but they are now listed as optional.
If you view the latest family groupings on my website or in Google drive, you'll notice I removed more than a couple techniques from the striking defenses, mostly in Days 11, 12, and 13. The short answer is that the techniques I removed were predicated on the opponent not being skilled like a boxer. The techniques that remain should work well without alteration even if the opponent were to throw a 2 or 3 punch combination while always keeping himself covered with his free hand.
The techniques I recently removed from the family groupings are still in the belt requirements but are now labeled as optional. I did this in case I made reference to them somewhere else in the home study course, but I don't expect to continue practicing or teaching these moves. I'd be curious to know your thoughts!
Also, I have amended my video testing protocol.
9/2/2020 - My website has a new look after upgrading from Classic Google Sites! It looks like some of my news posts did not survive the migration. One important post was a Q&A with a student. Here is a snippet. You can read the entire discussion under the Q&A link in the sidebar.
"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.
8/19/2018 - They are finally here! The GJAK and IMAKA patches are available on my Home Study Course page. The quality and detail are outstanding!
4/16/2018 - Over the last few months students have asked for GJAK and IMAKA patches. After working with multiple producers I am happy to say these patches are on the way! My hope was to find a producer willing to sell directly to my students, but unfortunately none were. Therefore, I will be acquiring a surplus of patches for my students to buy at cost. Look for a link here or in the sidebar soon!
2/18/2018 - I am now following a monthly subscription model for my Complete Home Study Course to make it affordable for everyone! Let me know if you find this helpful. Follow the link in the sidebar for the Home Study Course.
2/5/2018 - Today I have updated my family groupings practice guide. No significant changes, only to rearrange the techniques in what was Days 4 & 5, and Days 10 & 14. This was to balance the number of techniques in a given day, and to give a more logical ordering. So, I recommend following the link in the sidebar and downloading a new copy of the family groupings practice guide!
12/15/2017 - I thought I'd try the live streaming tool on youtube and share my Kenpo practices and weightlifting workouts. I started in the middle of my split, with Day 8 of the family groupings for Kenpo, and with arm day for weightlifting. I'll be sure to cover everything else I do in the weeks to come. I've had it on my mind for some time now to share my workouts this way. I think it's especially useful since it's been very difficult to schedule a time to meet with all of my home study course students together, and I don't have nearly enough free time to meet with everyone one-on-one. I hope you enjoy the videos and post some of your own.
7/7/2016 - I have updated the Video Testing Protocol to allow students to film their video tests in pieces. Separate videos may be filmed for each technique/set and uploaded to a playlist on youtube appropriately titled with the belt level you are testing for. This should allow students the flexibility needed to complete the test while maintaining their work and family schedules. It should also allow students to provide more details (Zones of Protection, Power Sources, Quadrants, Family Groupings references).
1/2/2016 - Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this month's online Kenpo meeting. We had a great lesson by Jason Hay on stick and knife fighting. Although we didn't get to work on the first half of Kenpo Orange belt, we will forge ahead to the second half of the Orange belt material in our February meeting. My goal for 2016 is to cover all of the belt requirements from Orange through 1st Black. For 2017, I am considering following the family groupings practice guide for each of our monthly meetings. This way we can see the techniques in their family form, and even incorporate the extensions.
12/5/2015 - Thank you to everyone who was able to attend this month's meeting covering Yellow belt. Please be sure to fill out the doodle poll for the meeting in January. I gave two options, January 2nd and January 9th, since New Year's is on Friday. Let me know which one or both works best for you.
During the first hour of next month's online practice we will be given a stick fighting lesson in the Filipino martial arts by Jason Hay. We will spend the rest of the time covering the first half of Orange belt.
12/2/2015 - I will be meeting with my Home Study Course students this Saturday, December 5th from 12pm to 3pm EST via Google hangout. Send me an email at KenpoGeoff@hotmail.com if you would like to join us. We will begin by covering the Yellow belt material, and anything else of interest. In January we will cover the first half of Orange belt.
11/7/2015 - We had a great time meeting today. Several people joined the online Kenpo practice, but many had limited microphone or video capabilities. For those who were able to fully participate, we reviewed some of the yellow belt and orange belt material. We also opened the discussion to other martial arts that the participants have experience with, Kali/Escrima, BJJ, Hapkido, and others.
To keep everyone motivated and making progress, I've decided to have these meetings on the first Saturday of every month from 12pm to 3pm EST. This way you have time to study the material and can have some questions ready for the meeting. If this is too frequent, we could try meeting once every three months. I'd like to think of these meeting as informal tests, where we run through a subset of techniques, and I offer my advice. Then when it comes time to submit your video test you will feel that much more confident.
Today's meeting was rather unstructured, but for future meetings I'd like to prespecify the material to be covered. So let's plan to meet on Saturday December 5th from 12pm to 3pm EST and review the Yellow belt material. When we meet in January, let's plan to cover the first half of Orange belt. We can work through the belt requirements in this way, half a belt level at a time. I'd like everyone to join each meeting, regardless of what rank you have tested for. While you are working to memorize and test for a particular belt level, I think it is important to be exposed to all of the techniques. If you are a purple or blue belt and are a little rusty, try to brush up for the meetings in March through June so we can iron out the details together. Even if no one is at the brown or 1st black level by September, I'd still like to walk through the material with everyone.
December: Yellow
January: Orange, 1st half
February: Orange, 2nd half
March: Purple, 1st half
April: Purple, 2nd half
May: Blue, 1st half
June: Blue, 2nd half
July: Green, 1st half
August: Green, 2nd half
September: Brown, 1st half
October: Brown, 2nd half
November: 1st Black, 1st half
December: 1st Black, 2nd half
10/10/2015 - I'm planning to have another online Kenpo practice via Google hangout some time in November or December (or both), and have sent a doodle poll to all of my online students. If you are interested in joining us, send me an email and I will reply with a link to the doodle poll.
9/22/2015 - The International Modern American Kenpo Association is born! Over the years I have been asked several times whether I belong to or have created an association. Until recently, my answer has always been no. With so many students of mine around the world, each looking to perpetuate and adapt the art I have created, the need for an association can no longer be ignored. Read more.
7/12/2015 - 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.
6/30/2015 - I have recently moved to Lansdale, PA. If you are ever in the area and are interested in meeting and training, let me know. As soon as I am settled (in a month or so), I look forward to meeting with my Home Study Course students again via Google hangout.
3/29/2015 - I had a great time meeting with my Home Study Course students via Google hangout. Not only did we cover some basic kicks, we also examined the relationships between Delayed Sword, Sword of Destruction, Five Swords, and Fatal Deviation. In the future I will remember to use the "Live On Air" feature to record the meetings directly to YouTube.
3/27/2015 - To all those who purchased at least one belt level of my Home Study Course I have extended an invitation to meet online through Google hangouts this Sunday at 3pm. I am hoping for us to meet on a regular basis and for my students to form smaller online groups based on their experience and the belt level they are working on.
1/7/2015 - Due to the volume of orders I am receiving, I am making my Home Study Course available through Google drive. I hope you find this convenient.
12/9/2014 - I have begun filming a new series that will be included in my Home Study Course - a practice guide for the family groupings. Geared for the 5th degree black belt level, it will be a quick reference that the student (of any level) can use while practicing. The material will be broken down by 'Day' and I will demonstrate each technique while discussing its location in the family groupings. I have already posted an example of this new series on youtube. Anyone who has already purchased my Home Study Course will receive this additional resource for free.
12/30/2013 - I have reorganized my YouTube channel for easier navigation. The material is presented in three formats:
The first format presents the techniques by belt level
The second format presents the techniques by the type of attack you are defending (i.e. by the Family Groupings)
The third format presents the techniques by your position relative to the opponent (i.e. by the Extension Groupings)
Each belt level is a cross section of the entire system. It gives you an example from each group. However, it can be very instructive to see the techniques arranged in their natural groupings.
8/20/2013 - I've had some great correspondence with several students working on my Home Study Course, and have decided to post a couple of links.
One student, Daniel, is documenting his home study journey in a blog titled, 'My Online Kenpo Karate Quest!' (http://americankenpokaratewhitebelt.wordpress.com/).
Another student, Christopher, has compiled real footage of actual street fights, robberies, kidnappings, etc. (from security cameras and camcorders) in order to truly understand what could happen in a life-or-death situation. The videos are well organized according to the scenario and type of attack. I must warn you that these videos are graphic and unedited, that they contain real footage of people getting seriously injured and possibly killed. If this is something that you would find too disturbing to watch, then please do not watch them. Viewer discretion is advised. The website is titled, 'The Warrior's Path Redux' (http://warriorspathredux.com/).
Both students have done an amazing job of analyzing the Kenpo techniques, and evaluating under which scenarios they are applicable, and how to tailor them if the situation changes. The big take-away from our conversations would be this - don't expect to use any technique exactly as it is prescribed. Understand the scenario and assumptions (the "set-up") that each technique works under, and be able to change course when necessary. Each technique follows a template: 1 maneuver/evasion, 1 block/parry, 1 sequence of follow-up strikes. When you are faced with a real encounter you should empty your mind, and act on instinct. Only after the altercation is over will you stop and realize the bits and pieces of techniques that you utilized. Practicing the techniques and mastering Kenpo takes a lot of time. You are training your subconscious mind.
2/19/2013 - I have decided to eliminate all testing fees for belt promotions. Submitting your video test for promotion is now free for all belt levels. My original intention for the testing fee was two fold:
1.) As compensation for my time spent reviewing and critiquing belt tests
2.) To ensure that students were fully prepared before submitting their test
My concern was that some students might have been discouraged from testing because of the financial burden of the testing fees. It is more important for me that you progress in your training and receive feedback.
You can view the updated Video Test Protocol page that reflects these changes. I am also offering an electronic certificate as a .pdf for every successful belt promotion.
8/9/12 - A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by Black Belt Distance Learning (www.BlackBeltDL.com), an independent website that offers impartial information for the prospective student on martial arts home study courses. The site offers a thorough examination of the pros and cons of distance learning in general, and provides a checklist of questions for you to ask before getting started in any course.
Currently, the site offers 29 reviews on programs including Kenpo, Tae Kwon Do, Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu, Aikido, Wing Chun, Shorin-Ryu, Goju, and others. There are good and bad programs listed, and none are singled out or endorsed. Each review includes a total estimated cost to achieving 1st degree black belt, including testing fees.
You can read the review of my system to see how it compares to others.
I highly recommend visiting this site before beginning my home study course or any other distance learning martial arts program.
7/23/12 - Here is my response to a question from Rick, who writes:
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.
5/30/12 - I received a great question from Jesse, who writes:
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?
Jesse
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.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
5/5/12 - I am always updating and editing my Home Study Course. While working on 4th Degree Black Belt, I came across some of my favorite extensions, and decided to share Gripping Talon. It has a very interesting way of canceling the opponent's height and width before using a neck twist take down. It is the perfect complement to the take down I presented at the end of Glancing Spear, and is very much related to the half nelson throw in Destructive Twins. You can compare this take down to similar extensions in my Extensions (Outside) Playlist.
4/30/12 - I've added two new links - one for the Belt Requirements.pdf and another for my Family Groupings Practice Guide.pdf. If you're a prospective student, you can view these documents to get a better understanding of what my system entails. If you're a current student, these are great resources to help guide your training. The layout for the Family Groupings document may seem a little confusing at first. I arranged the material the way I keep it in my mind. Although I have made three major groups: sets, kicks, and techniques, each training session has you working on a little bit of all three.
2/1/12 - Congratulations to Richard Kaufman, who successfully tested to Yellow Belt for free via my youtube channel! I look forward to receiving his future tests. After reviewing his test, I sent him a detailed and polite critique of his strengths and weaknesses. You, too, can submit a video test for Yellow Belt after studying the material on my youtube channel.
12/12/11 - Today I received a terrific email from Ron, who asks,
"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.
10/26/11 - I recently received some great questions via email from a viewer interested in my Home Study Course. Below are his questions and my response.
"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!"
Hello John,
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.
8/30/11 - Congratulations to Logan Gabriel, who successfully tested to Yellow Belt for free via my youtube channel! I look forward to receiving his future tests. After reviewing his test, I sent him a detailed and polite critique of his strengths and weaknesses. You, too, can submit a video test for Yellow Belt after studying the material on my youtube channel.
6/24/11 - When I was studying EPAK, Flashing Mace was always a technique that I felt uncomfortable about. It was very instructive for how I might check and strike the opponent if we are standing almost back-to-back. It also has you striking over the opponent's punching arm, which is a nice complement to techniques like Dance of Death, Thundering Hammers, Sleeper, Leaping Crane, Flashing Wing, etc. However, the spinning and lack of powerful strikes made the original version less than practical. This is why I chose to upload my version of Flashing Mace from my Home Study Course. It is simple and effective. I also show how the original version might make more sense against multiple opponents, and mention that it is contained in a later technique called The Ram and the Eagle.
6/12/11 - This morning I met with Gloria Boldizar, a renowned instructor of the Tracy Kenpo system. We met for breakfast and discussed her experiences as an instructor and school owner, and the success of my Home Study Course. Afterward, we drove to Penn Hills park and practiced for an hour or two, comparing techniques from Tracy's and Ed Parker's Kenpo.
If you are in Pittsburgh and would like to meet, please contact me.
6/9/11 - I cleaned and updated the EPAK vs GJAK webpage. It's easier to read, and includes more detail about the extensions that I reworked. It also includes a section of techniques from EPAK that remain unchanged in GJAK.
6/7/11 - Over the months I have received many emails about the specific differences between Ed Parker's American Kenpo (EPAK) and Geoff Johnson's American Kenpo (GJAK). Today I created a new web page, EPAK vs GJAK, where I show exactly the differences between the two arts, and what remains unchanged.
5/31/11 - I've added a webpage in the side bar called Belt Promotions listing the current rank of my most recent students. I didn't realize how many students I have taught!
5/30/11 - I have started including links from each technique, kick, and set in my Belt Requirements page to the corresponding video in my youtube channel. I may ultimately have a similar webpage linking my Family Groupings outline to the corresponding techniques. That will take some time.
5/28/11 - My 1st Degree Black Belt playlist was looking a little skimpy, so I uploaded Entwined Maces and Dance of Darkness. I purposefully shared these videos because I don't see many other Kenpoists teaching these technique online. There are countless videos on the early, more practical material like Delayed Sword or Triggered Salute. I'm guessing there aren't many people who feel comfortable with these techniques, and I'd like to encourage people to adapt them and make them better - especially Dance of Darkness. I felt so little control over the opponent, and such little confidence in myself, when performing the original version. The original has you using a front cross-over sweep, followed by a spinning reap to the back of the opponent's leg. I say pick ONE and make it work, rather than trying to do both on the same bad guy. So, for Dance of Darkness I chose the front cross-over sweep (and included a more effective face claw and arm grab to guarantee the take-down). Glancing Spear was in the same boat, and for that technique I chose to focus on the reap, instead of the sweep.
I chose to upload Entwined Maces to further complement Snaking Talon and Destructive Wing. You'll notice that I prefer to redirect the opponent's jab,punch combination with the Snaking Talon parries, instead of using an inward and outward block. If the opponent skips the jab and only fires the pivot punch, then Entwined Maces offers a nice alternative to Snaking Talon. If he jabs and then fires a step-through punch, you can begin like Entwined Maces and finish like Destructive Wing.
5/21/11 - Today I added Snaking Talon and Knee to Elbow to my blue belt playlist. I uploaded Snaking Talon because it is a great technique not only against a push, but also against a punch. This technique inspired my creation of Destructive Wing - a hybrid of Snaking Talon and Evading the Storm (or Attacking Mace). I wanted to have one method of maneuvering to the outside of the opponent's punch, regardless if it was a step-through or pivot punch. Snaking Talon works perfectly against a pivot punch, and Destructive Wing is my solution for the step-through.
I also wanted to share my thoughts on the original version against a push. I feel the full snaking motion of the right arm is unnecessary, so I removed it.
5/14/11 - I want to include more videos from purple, blue, and green belt. Today I uploaded videos for Hooking Wings and Shield and Mace.
5/8/11 - I uploaded a revised version of Falling Falcon, in addition to Glancing Spear, and Thundering Hammers. I also uploaded videos describing my video test protocol and Family Groupings outline.
Copyright 2020 Geoff Johnson. Any unauthorized reproduction or duplication of this website or its material, including pictures and logos, is strictly prohibited without permission. Contact Geoff Johnson's American Kenpo at KenpoGeoff@hotmail.com
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