Since its inception in early 1994 my web page has brought me a constant flow of Kenpo and assorted Martial Arts related email. Today I receive an average of twenty-five MA related messages a week. These messages range from the simple "hey, nice site" and even a few "how dare you publish our secrets" to technical and historical questions. The question I get the most, however, is "can you help me find a Kenpo school/instructor in my area?". It's gotten to the point where I drew up a canned answer in a file and I just send that off with whatever other info I may have that is helpful. So, its in this article that I'd like to address some of the things that I think are helpful in finding and choosing a school that best fits a potential practitioner.
First let me say, if you are asking this question, then you have probably had some experience in the Martial Arts already. Most people choose their first art based on some sort of convenience. Either the school is just down the street from them or a friend has convinced them to come join their school. Perhaps they were placed in class by parents, looking for an activity with both physical and mental discipline. Whatever the reason, more often than not, it is only after the first experience with the MA that a student makes the effort to seek out an art that most closely resembles their personality and desires.
So where do you start? The first place I recommend is the local business directory. Sound simple? Well, I found my school that way. Okay, that was luck, but see what's staring you in the face and put them on your list. The next place is to ask around. Where? Try any friends you know in the art. Try the Usenet (Internet Newsgroups). rec.martial-arts is a good resource. Ask your ISP (Internet Service Provider) if you don't know how to do this. Last, but not least, try the growing number of Kenpo organizations out there. Some of the larger ones include the IKKA, WKKA, AKKS, AKKI and so on and so on. Dont discount the smaller orgs either. They may serve you just as well or perhaps better. Often they will be affiliated with a larger group as well. I have a list of some of the many groups and contact information on my web page. Try there or use a web search engine and see what "Kenpo" brings up.
Now we have a list of a fair number of schools within a reasonable traveling distance from your home (we hope). The next thing to do is audition them. Take the time to visit these schools and see who is teaching there, who attends them, what are there schedules? Talk not only to the head instructor but also their student instructors. Often, you won't train directly with the main instructor until your are an advanced rank. Most people (not all) who claim to have trained with Mr Parker, actually spent most of their time learning from one of his instructors. By the 1980's he had so many quality instructors that few other than his top black belts ever trained with him at all.
When you've narrowed it down to a couple schools that look good, then take them up on their trial lessons. Just about every school offers some deal where you get a couple intro lessons for about $20. By now you should have a good feel for what the studio's are like and if they will be a good fit. If you are still unsure, then try signing up for only a month and get a better feel. Many schools want you to sign a 1 year contract as quickly as possible. Don't be suckered. If you end up disliking the school you won't go but you WILL pay! Either monetarily or with a blemish on your credit record. Be careful the commitment you make. It could be costly.
Things to look for in an instructor: No, its not rank. You can be taught better by some 3rd degree black belts out there than by those wearing lots of pretty stripes and colors. Where did they get that rank? Ask! If they belong to an organization, then don't be afraid to ask there. There are SO many self-promoted black belts out there it will make your head spin. Since Mr Parker's death there has been such a flurry of promotions that its hard to tell the realdeal from the surreal. Anyone can put on a 5th degree black belt and open a school and teach you John-Do. There are no laws governing quality. Organizations are expected to protect you from that but that isn't always the case. Don't be afraid to be critical. Remember, they are selling you a product. Be a good consumer!
Let me stress that again. Be a good consumer! Karate instruction is a product, and school owners want to sell it to you. Look past the polish of their teeth. When you buy a new car, are you more impressed by the quality of the vehicle or the salesman? Be a good consumer! I went to a school once where the owner had an amazing number of students. The school had a very nice appearance and the owner was a great salesman. The students were very motivated and really enjoyed their school. The only fault I could find was the Kenpo sucked. Students I talked to after class were at a loss when we related motions and principles in techniques to one another. They only seem to know the very basics and how to Ki-ah really loud. Is that a bad thing? Well, you decide. If you want to get exercise and feel good or motivate your child to learn good manners and such, then perhaps it's not that bad. But don't be fooled into thinking you are becoming a Kenpo expert. It's not always easy to tell. You have to look past the polish. Be a good consumer!
Lastly, find out if you WILL be taught by the main instructor and how often. If not, then how much time does (s)he spend with the other instructors. If they aren't getting the information, then you won't get it either. Ask who the chief instructor's instructor is. Who are they? What other styles of MA did the head instructor take? Which does (s)he teach? Is it separate from the art or incorporated with their own interpretations? How do you feel about that? There is nothing wrong with an instructor incorporating other arts such as stick/knife fighting, or grappling with Kenpo. They compliment it well. So long as the principles are adhered to you can only benefit from this. Remember, Kenpo is a collection of information from many arts wrapped around the basics and principles of Mr Parker's framework. It is a well organized system of self-defense.
So here's a school checklist:
Instructor checklist:
The last thing I want to address is the possibility of there being no schools within a reasonable traveling distance. Then what do you do?
Video tapes? My personal feelings on video instruction is that it's a great resource for review but it doesn't come close to personal instruction. Immediate feedback and physical contact are necessary. Would you take guitar lessons from video tape and without a guitar? That might make you a great air-guitarist. You need an instructor there teaching you to hold the instrument correctly, how fast/slow to play. How hard/soft to strum, pluck, etc. Good Kenpo requires good instruction and a partner to practice on. It is, after all, a contact activity. Nuff said.
So then what?
How far are you from a great instructor? How long will it take you to drive to visit a Joe Palanzo, Huk Planas, Ron Chapel, or Frank Trejo? Could you make the trip for a private lesson once a month? It may be costly but if you take notes or are allowed to video your lesson, and you practice consistently between lessons, it's certainly worth it. Here are a number of things you can do to reinforce:
1) Practice daily!
A) Find a partner (a must!) and practice daily!
a) Start a local club. You may draw out those in your area who are knowledgeable. You also learn from instructing (provided you already have a base of instruction). You will also find bodies to work on/with :-)
b) Join a local club. It doesn't have to be a Kenpo club, so long as you find good people to work out with, exchange ideas and practice regularly.
c) Train at a school of a different, but not too dissimilar, style. It will give you good basics and people to work with. A close friend of mine moved from our area to one where there were few Kenpo schools convenient to her. She contacted, and now takes private lessons with Barbara Hale once a week and goes to a local, similar style, school for workout and people to work on (ie spar etc.). This routine works great for her. Lucky for her she's close to Ms. Hale and was accepted as a student.
2) Attend Seminars. There are Camps and seminars going on all over the place. Try to make a couple each year. They are a great resource. Most organizations have several a year. Many schools offer one or two per year.
3) Go to Step 1
So, good luck, train smart, train often, and most importantly, have fun!
Paul Wood
paul.wood@pobox.com
http://www.pcwood.com/kenpo