THREE BUTTONS DOWN & KENPO

RICHARD MATTHEWS: While growing up in the North East of England, the very first bit of Self defence advice I remember getting was from my mother, a lovely but tenacious little women from Dingle in Kerry was, “if a bad man grabs hold of you son kick him as hard as you can in the shins, stamp on his foot and then run like hell!”. 

The second bit of memorable advice came in my early teens from my Dad a true Geordie and a really genuine man who did not advocate violence at all but who was a realist about how situations can occur, any way his advice to me was, “if you ever have to fight a “Big Fella” then punch him as fast and as hard as you can aiming for his third shirt button down, if he is still standing then run like hell!”. This simple advice from what seems like an age ago was I suppose my introduction to the Martial Arts from a Self Defence point of view.

These two gems of information are aimed at passing on knowledge in such a way that it can be stored and used when needed. Kicking someone in the shins and then stamping on their feet could possibly cause enough pain for the assailant to loosen his/her grips as well reduce their ability to run after you. The three buttons down advice is actually passing on information about one of the body’s natural weak points the Solar Plexus’s and if it is struck fast, hard and accurately then it will definitely have a detrimental effect on the person receiving the blow.

It is my experience that Kenpo, as designed by Ed Parker, if fully embraced allows the practitioner to gather analyse, retain, use and share knowledge. The system contains inter linked and overlapping tools, formulas and processes for progressive training. For example, by giving self techniques names it allows the practitioner to immediately resource a “chunk” of categorised information. To highlight this I will use a technique with the rather odd sounding name of Twisted Twig.

RETENTION OF KNOWLEDGE Twisted Twig, is a defence against an attempted wrist lock, it contains the methodology for the practitioner to drill and internalise wristlock applications, releases and counters. This technique is grouped in category that encompasses the 16 basic Lock and Choke defences.

PROCESSES. To further develop and analyse this technique the Three Phase Process can be used. The Tree Phases are:

A) The IDEAL PHASE, this is basically technique performed by the book or as it should passed on, a basic level.

B) The WHAT IF PHASE, this logical introduction of a problem eg "they grab you with two hands instead of one".

C) The FORMULATION PHASE, coming up with practical solutions to the perceived problems.

The THREE PHASES can be enhanced by employing the THREE POINTS OF VIEW PROCESS, which is actively  (as opposed to passively) taking the view point THE ATTACKER, THE DEFENDER and THE BYSTANDER to gather more practical information to improve “your” execution and understanding of what you are doing.

FORMULAS. My basic FORMULA for correction and adjustment of Technique is as mentioned in the previous blog is IDENTIFY and JUSTIFY followed by “FIX”, you can begin THE CORRECTIVE ADJUSTMENT process by utilising the first Five Kenpo PRINCIPLES OF MOTION which are

A) Posture

B) Balance

C) Relax

D) Speed

E) Accuracy

Probably the most useful Formula that can be applied to SELF DEFENCE analysis is the aptly named EQUATION FORMULA which is to any BASE move or moves you can

1) Prefix move

2) Suffix a move

3) Insert a move

4) Re-arrange the moves

5 Alter targets and or weapons

6) Adjust range and angle

7) Regulate speed, force or intent

Personally I think that  number 8 Delete should slot in at  the number 5 position  to make the formula a little easier to remember or even split it into two sections of a 5 and a 3 to create two  more workable units. (Whoops I have gone off on one, seriously if anyone would to hear more on the expansion and application of this formula or any other area I have touched on let me know).

All of the above information is all well and good, the Theoretical side of any Art Form is very important but without regular realistic training and practical practice it will be of little use. Even though I use prescribed technical methods  as part of the training process, my aim is the development of “PERSONAL TECHNIQUE” within the individual which will be internalised and not just memorised.

So keep training and if you do get into a sticky situation remember to “Kick them in the shins, Stamp on their toes, punch them as hard as you can Three Buttons Down and then .....Run Like Hell.

Richard Matthews

30 years continuous training

Kenpoworks Jersey

Email: kenporich@hotmail.co.uk

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECT TO KENPOWORKS

The Kenpo System

"If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?": Albert Einstein

RICHARD MATTHEWS: Systems of any kind seem to be increasingly judged as either good or useless, e.g. Modern (good) Traditional (useless).

Kenpo (or any martial arts method) can be sometimes viewed by its practitioners as the perfect method or system, with everything in its place and a place for everything, but occasionally when a practitioner is unable to give a good account of him or herself outside the comfort zone of the training hall say in a “open “competition or street situation then it is the whole system that is at fault and not the practitioner, who for a variety of reasons was unable to formulate the correct physical answer when questioned physically! Unfortunately disappointment in life is something that we have to learn to cope with; the blame culture is too easy a route to follow when things sometimes don’t go as planned, “I lost the match/fight but it was the systems or trainers fault or both”!

Sometimes the problem can be because a practitioner stays in the narrow practice method of “by the book” or “sequence completion” and does not venture into the exciting area of ideas!

The challenge of moving into the unchartered areas of experimentation is that you have to deal with being wrong or mistakenly following the wrong path from time to time. I have found that this is actually healthy when attempting to develop a robust method of practicing Kenpo; it keeps you grounded and focused.

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.": Albert Einstein 

When I began to chart my course in to the Kenpo world of ideas I needed a solid basic idea from which to build upon or one to which I could return  to when I needed to asses where I was, where  I have been and “even” maybe where I was going. This simple but logically based process came in the shape of two powerful words Identify and Justify.

Because I advocate the expansion and exploration as method of developing Kenpo, I needed to be able to answer the standardised questions “who showed you that”? Or “where did you get that idea from”?

If you can Justify what you are doing by demonstrating how you arrived at that stage of development by interpreting the systems information then you are ready to Identify how you did it to anyone. This is a strong position to be in, not only being able to demonstrate a System but also being able to share with anyone what you are doing, why you are doing it and how they can do it within The Kenpo System.

Occasionally you may hear a statements from practitioners who practice what they have been shown without exposure to Kenpo’s methods of self analysis or self correction, which are “that isn’t Kenpo” or “that’s not the way the founder showed me”, these kinds of understandable defensive statements can also be addressed with the identification and justification process.

Some Martial Artists are happy to stay in this restricted “tick the box and move on” method of “progress”, which is ok by me as this is initially how most begin training, but in my experience it eventually becomes is a stifling way of training, an unfulfilling way to teach also it seems to build in false limitations to training and practice.

So I am advocating that practitioners research what they are shown and tailor the information which maybe physical or theoretical to their needs at that time, it may be passed on to them personally, via video format or interpreted from some written source, but by researching it you can make it yours and work for you. This method of training should actually compound your system rather than dilute it. Read all the information that you can about a subject and then relate physically to it by training and practice, which I see as two linked but separate processes.

So is Kenpo as a system, Good, Bad or Useless? Well I believe it’s something else;

Kenpo when fully embraced is a “useful “system for learning, it gives the freedom to un-restrictively explore subject matter without limitation but within a realistic structure that keeps the practitioner grounded in logic., Oh yes it’s also good fun.

Richard Matthews

30 years continuous training

Kenpoworks Jersey

Email: kenporich@hotmail.co.uk

http://kenpoworks-richard.blogspot.com/search/label/Club%20Set

FIGHTERS WANTED

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS AND K-1 KICKBOXING

AT RIVERSIDE LEISURE CENTRE
MORPETH, NORTHUMBERLAND, JULY 10TH

DARREN.CURRAH@MARTIALNEWS.CO.UK

ADVANCED
FIGHTING CENTRE

Martial News



Why not advertise
your event Here?
Do you have an event you are looking to get publicity for?
Then why not advertise in

Martial News?

This is online resource for all martial artists from across the North East, Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Scottish Borders
Reach the people who are most likely to come to your events - the martial artists of our region
Ads costs as little as £10 per month
Go to our advertise page for more great deals...
Martial News
For You, Your Club and Your Style
Delivered every month to your email address and all for
FREE!
Subscribe Today