The Secret Of How To Make Your Fist Law Into Power Kenpo!
The concept of Power in the Fist Law art is something I made up many decades ago. It actually grew from an incident in 1968 in which I asked my instructor to take a look at a kata I had been polishing. My instructor stepped on to the mat and I took a position and started moving.
The form was actually out of a series of books on Japanese Karate, and the name was Heian Five. It is a traditional form, with solid stance and large, significant movements. As such, it seems to stand opposed to the fast whirling arms of Parker art.
When I had completed the kata my instructor observed, “Yes, definitely a Japanese form.” He didn’t say much more, and I had the feeling that he wasn’t pleased. Many decades later, I understand why, he was trying to teach me one thing, and I was straying in an entirely different direction.
To be honest, Chinese Karate does not compliment traditional Shotokan. Parker’s art, as I have given hint, relies on quick, circling hands. Shotokan holds a disdain for such motion, and advocates a strong stance, facing your enemy squarely, and attacking in a linear manner.
Each system has its strengths, and its weak points, but they don’t fit together. It is difficult even to shift from one art to another when you are freestyling. The funny thing about all this is that original Parker art was built upon the Heian forms of classical Karate.
Most people are stunned when I point this out, but it is true. If you can find a copy of one of Ed Parker’s first books you will find that it is a sequence of applications right out of the Heian forms. Indeed, if you do the applications in sequence you are actually doing the Heians.
In conclusion, now you understand what I mean when I remarked about Power Kenpo and being true to the footsteps of Ed Parker. The fact is that true and dedicated martial artists should study as many systems as they can. The truth of the matter is that if you want power in your art, or accelerated weapons, or better kicks, then study a separate system that has what you want, and let the power of that other art bleed back to your art, and that is how you will have Power Kenpo.
Al Case made his Power Kenpo out of such martial arts as Karate, Aikido and Kwon Bup. You can find it on the Monkey Boxing pages of Monster Martial Arts.