Kenpo History and Insights
by Chief Adrian Roman
There is a black belt school owner in Texas that participates in martial arts forums discussion from time to time. He has said some unkind thing about me. I have never met the man. However he does not know this but I trained his instructor who he is very proud of. I have photos taken of this class to prove it. I am a 1st generation black belt under David Ceniceros who was trained by Sibok Tom Kelly and Grandmaster Parker. Kelly and Ceniceros worked for and trained with Parker in the late 60's and early 70's when most of this material that you are studying was formulated. Sibok Kelly was one of Parkers top fighters and David Ceniceros was one of the finest technicians that Parker produced in those days.
In the earlier 80’s David Ceniceros and I trained many students to black belt level but never gave certificates. We would send them to Parker to test. The young man who I am speaking about was not very good and quit on several occasions. However he eventually learned all the material to 1st black. In my opinion he was not ready to test but he was anxious to attempt to get (buy) his black belt. It was standard procedures when Parker came to town to give seminars, that he would conduct a group test on Friday nights. If you were a weak student you could showed up for the group testing class, pay your $300 and hide in the back of the room. Almost all passed. Six weeks later this student showed up for another Parker test, paid $300 and got his 2nd degree. Please, he bought his degrees and Parker was willing to take his money.
Most all who received there black belt after 1975 and until Parker died in 1990 received there black belt in this manner. There are exceptions and generally it was reserved for the higher ranking black belt. Sibok Kelly fondly tells the story that when teaching a class in Parker school in California, Parker came in and interrupted the class and ask Kelly to drop down in a horse stance. He then kick Kelly in the stomach and awarded him his next rank. Mr. Parker was very spontaneous in awarding rank in this manner. I was setting next to Mr. Parker having dinner along with 25 or 30 students at a Mexican restaurant in Dallas when he surprised David Ceniceros and announced to everyone at the table that he was promoting David to 5th degree black belt. Two months prior to his death in a telephone conversation with me, he promoted David Ceniceros to 6th degree and me to 5th degree. David Ceniceros and Tom Kelly and other old timers were some of the few that never paid a dime for there rank, they earned it the hard way, being loyal.
For those instructors stating that they trained directly with Grandmaster Parker I’m reminded of one of Sibok Tom Kelly favorite stories. Tom Kelly was the 1st to be awarded 7th degree under Grandmaster Parker. I’m heard the story on numerous occasions. Kelly would say “you know how many classes that I had with “the old man” (Parker)? he holds up his massive hand and makes the sign for 0, zilts, nata”. So if Grandmaster Parker didn’t have time to train his top instructor Sibok Kelly, do you really think he would find the time to train the underlings? Parker didn’t have the time to train anyone privately, he was much too busy conducting seminars and running his business.
Grandmaster Parker taught absurdities in his system. He used to joke that when a black belt student comes to him and willing to point them out, he would make him his protégé. No one came forward which was a credit to Parker and his loyal following. Students hung on every word and accepted his work with blind faith. Had Parker been alive today, his Kenpo material would be totally different from what you are studying today. Parker was a genus and an innovator and would have fine tuned his system.
Parker grew up in a time where bigger was better. I believe he would have streamlined his system and would have taken a different approach. The 3 browns belt level were put in to keep hungry brown belts in the school longer and keeping the money coming in longer. Extensions were added and except for 1st brown they were not very good. When I was coming up in the 70’s there were 32 techniques per belt level. Green/Orange (1st degree brown) and Short 3 was the 1st degree black belt material.
Parker did not write the extensions after this level and you can see how they become redounded, nothing new added and the principals were not very sound. Some were absurd. If you are having to resort to extension to get the job done, then you’d better go back to the base move and work it better of choose another technique. I'm sure that most will agree that the 2nd brown belt level is by far the best material in the system. I address these techniques that have fatal flaws while I teach American Kenpo at my school. Most Kenpo instructors who are worth salt by this time should be teaching a revised version of American Kenpo. If they are not they are behind the time. Sub Level 4, please. More to follow.