How the Kenpo Belt Rank System changed the Martial Arts

The Kenpo Belt Rank System

The Kenpo Belt Rank System is an interesting, little work. It is divided into a colored ranking system that goes like this: white, orange, purple, blue, green, brown (3 ranks), and Black Belt (multiple ranks).

150 Kenpo techniques scientifically analyzed.

There is a problem with this, which I will describe in a second, but first, let me tell how the belt system came about.

Originally there were fewer colors. Some hold only a white belt and black belt, but most belt systems, at least inKarate, had four colors. white, Green, Brown, and Black Belt.

Students of Ed Parker, the Tracy Brothers came a cross a dance instructor from Fred Murray Dance Studios, and he showed the brothers how to put students on contracts. This was a boon to the hard working karate instructor, for it enabled him to hold people to contracts, and therefore paying dues longer.

The problem was that there were so many techniques to be dispersed through the belts. Thus, the kenpo karate techniques were divided into 8 groups, which turned out to be about 40 techniques per belt.

Students were taught a technique every lesson, thus keeping them on a belt level for 20 weeks. 8 times 20 and you have 160 weeks, divided by 50 weeks in a year, and you have three polls years to get to black belt. And, it actually took about four years.

A complete system of Kenpo, including 150 techniques, made to work.

The problem was that before that people earned their black belts in a fraction of the time. Mike stone, arguably the best karate tournament fighter in the world, got his black belt in 7 months.

Now, if somebody like Mike Stone came along, he couldn’t earn his black belt fast, but was stuck in the time scheme of four years.

In other words, he could only go as fast as the contract allowed. The odd thing was that people loved it. Although, to be honest, this writer thinks they loved it because of the intimacy and efficiency of the private lesson.

Anyway, one can argue about this, dispute it if they wish, and so what. People either buy into it or not, and that is up to the person.

As for myself, I was to test for brown belt, and I got drafted, and then, when free again, I joined a different school.

The belt ranking system in this school was 8 belts, but there were only four colors: white, green, brown, and black belt. Each color had a level or two in it.

Making Kenpo Karate unique to every individual.

And, the odd thing, we weren’t on contract, and people could go as fast as they learned the material. This made us work harder, for we could see the end of the race, and didn’t feel we had to go around the track three or four extra times.

So we had people who earned a black belt in a couple of years, and sometimes less.

Oddly, time was increasing to black belt, but that was because karate, and then Kung Fu (courtesy of Bruce Lee) was popular, new systems were being discovered, and more forms and techniques were being added to the system.

So I made it through, just in time, I might add.

And that is the story, plus a couple of extras thrown in, about how the Kenpo Belt system came to be.

If you want to break out of the forced time to black belt, it is recommended that you start studying on your own, outside of school, and accumulate sufficient information so that you know what works, especially in Kenpo, and have a large database of martial arts knowledge.

Check out the ‘Creating Kenpo Karate’ series by Al Case. It has 150 techniques completely and scientifically analyzed, plus a wealth of data concerning how to make any martial art system efficient and workable.

This has been an article about the Kenpo Belt Rank System.

Spreading the True Martial Arts

How to Teach the True Martial Arts!

This newsletter I want to talk about something,
not everybody might like it,
but it has to do with growing the martial arts,
and growing your income.

Look,
here is the straight skinny,
the country is having probs,
incomes are down,
and wouldn’t you like to have a few extra bucks?
And,
wouldn’t it be nice if those few extra bucks
came from teaching martial arts?

How to teach martial arts to anybody!

It’s one of my pet projects,
encouraging people to teach.
The thing is
there are a lot of teachers out there,
many aren’t really qualified.
They might have credentials
from big name organizations,
but that doesn’t mean they have the knowledge.
It takes a precise knowledge
of how to teach martial arts.
I discovered this with one of my first black belts.
He went out and started teaching,
and when I got over to look at his class,
he was teaching calisthenics.
There were a few martial arts thrown in,
and he was good,
but he opted for teaching…calisthenics.
Push ups, sit ups,
a few kicks,
running around the room.
And,
finally,
as an after thought,
he might teach a self defense move.

Now,
why he did this,
I don’t know.
But I do know that I checked on his school a couple of decades later,
when it was under one of his students,
and it had gone to full contact karate.
Basically,
fighting and…calisthenics.

So,
I understand that martial arts change,
especially when people don’t understand the underlying reasons.
I can only conclude
that the degradation of his school
was my fault.
I taught him,
I was young,
I hadn’t figured it out,
I taught him well,
he was good,
but…he didn’t understand the underlying reasons,
so his school degraded,
didn’t die,
just degraded to the point
where it was teaching people how to fight.

So,
I offer underlying reasons,
and I try to fix schools that have degraded.
And…
I encourage people to teach martial arts.
I know that the people who have done my courses
are going to understand why a technique is,
how it works,
and,
more important,
how to get the student to understand.

Want to know something interesting?
I’ve got a book
‘How to Start Your Own School,’
and when somebody write me and asks me about teaching,
I usually give them that book for free.
It’s part of the Master books,
I could sell it Kindle for a few books
(and I probably will)
but I give it away to people who say they want to teach.

Look,
the difference between man and beast is the fact that man understands.
Animals don’t.
They just fight,
and make up a reason for fighting.
Silly animals.

Anyway,
the point of this rant is that if you are hurting economically,
a victim of the money crunch happening in this country,
you can do something about it.
You could order the Master Instructor Course,
do it,
know that you know more than ANY martial arts instructor on the planet,
and then you could head down to the YMCA,
see if they need an instructor.
You can put up cards at a local gym.
You could gather a bunch of neighborhood kids.

You can start out low,
$10 a month for kids,
you can go high,
charge good bucks at the gym.

YOU CAN START YOUR OWN CLASS.
Be it Karate or kung fu,
aikido or pa kua,
or whatever,
and using the data that is inside
The Master Instructor Course,
you could teach that art better than it has been taught
since whoever founded it was teaching.

Spare time.
Saturday afternoon.
Evenings.

You could build it into something large!

Do you understand?
The martial arts are a blessing.
They make people better.
They make strong bodies,
increase awareness,
and they are a fist in the face of the bad guys.
But we need people who understand what they really are.

Oinky Donkey.
I hope my rant has helped.
I don’t want you poor,
and I want everybody healthy and happy,
So…think about it.

Let make a couple of other announcements
before I close off.

I’ve got a new site up.
It’s about Bruce Lee.
Can you find it through google?
It’ll be tough,
but it’s out there.
Next week or two
it’ll be easy to find,
but right now…
can you find it?

And,
we’re waiting on word of escrow
for Monkeyland.
Escrow,
120 acres on a hilltop,
and start building a temple.
And I will let you know as soon as this thing comes true.
Pics and everything.
you’ll be blown away.
incredible site.

Okay,
that’s…ooop!
I almost forgot.

If you have a website,
or a functioning blog,
let’s trade links.
I’ve got three different sites
that are chunking pretty traffic,
a link might bring you a little traffic,
and google likes links,
so they might send you traffic.
Just email me at aganzul@gmail.com
and ask about linking up.

Okay,
now that is it.
You guys and gals
enjoy the heck out of this week.
Have lots of work outs,
do what you want to do,
and live life like you were meant to!

Al

And don’t forget to go to…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

What Happened to Kill the Martial Arts

How the Martial Arts were destroyed!

That the martial arts were destroyed is all too obvious. The good news is that it is easy to fix them.

For thousands of years the martial arts were passed on from instructor to student. There were high standards, and any who didn’t adhere to these high standards would simply be beaten up. Challenged. So only the best passed on the best art.

Do you just do a bunch of air punches and kicks?

Or do you receive actual instruction as above?

Find out more at MonsterMartialArts.com

Immediately after world war two American servicemen went to the orient and began studying the martial arts. Because of the length of tours of duty, the servicemen were enrolled in schools for maybe two years, often only one year. Yet, they came home as black belts. Or, they didn’t even make black belt until they were on the plane and awarded themselves.

This resulted in a huge degradation of art. Instead of teachers having ten years experience, they had a year or two of experience, and they were, even if only a brown belt, promoted as black belts…and as masters.

Now, there is a complete write up on this phenomenon at Monster Martial Arts. Read the Matrix Karate page and you will fully understand exactly how it all happened, and not just from Japan to the United States, but all through the history of the martial arts.

And, this leads us to the cure for this ‘disease.’ Knowledge.

You see, there is an exact science to the martial arts, and to teaching the martial arts. This science is called Matrixing, and it is designed to show the student what the weak points of his martial art are, and how to fix them.

This is the first time in the history of the martial arts that an actual science has been figured out and used. Furthermore, since it is a science, and not just an art, you actually learn faster…a lot faster. Not slow, like in ten years of paying dues, but as fast as you can understand knowledge.

If you want to know about this science, if you want to fix what has been done to your martial art, simply head over to Monster Martial Arts and read about Matrixing. The whole site is devoted to Matrixing, and so is the Monster Newsletter.

Barack Obama to Take the Black Belt Test!

I’ve said this before, got in trouble for it, actually, but…we should require our politicians to pass their black belt test before we even nominate them.

There is the common sense notion that people in public office, being generally disagreeable people, should learn to fight.

And, there is the lauded concept that instead of voting, we should just set up rings and let our elected officials fight for what they believe in.

Of course, then we would only have young men in congress, which is probably not a bad idea. After all, would you rather cheer for some young stud who is fighting for a purse, or for some old corruptionist who is cutting your purse?

You think I am being silly? Hey, it’s good enough for England. Contenders for the thrown are expected to have military service.

Can you see Barack passing his black belt test breaking a few boards with a well placed kick? Or how about Barney Franks learning how to choke out a mugger? If those guys could do that I might even think about trusting them. Maybe.

Anyway, head on over to Monster Martial Arts. Get your own black belt, and then we’ll talk.