How does one train in Kenpo Karate?

Kenpo Karate is a dynamic martial art with amazing potential. It is hard to describe and characterize it in a few words. For purposes of this particular post, I will focus on the amazing benefits that can be taken from by all people in a general sense.

First, it is an incredible exercise for the human body. It shows an individual how to move with efficiency and understand one's environment in an entirely new way. It shows how one cannot learn to move until they understand the base from which he/she operates, the legs and feet and the movements associated with the legs and feet. Kenpo teaches harmony of movement and gives greater understanding of how movement works for the average person, as well as the athlete. For example, at a recent seminar with Richard "Huk" Planas (the Grandmaster of our lineage and the one who oversees all of our training that follow the Parker/Planas Lineage), he spoke about "body control." Body control is something that all of us can relate to because we use it every day. Something so basic and useful comes through in our training from the very beginning.

Second, it creates community. When you train with others with a common goal, you create friendships and relationships that create a positive community. martial arts is a way of thinking about and looking at your environment and the world around you. Like any art, it provides a lens through which we can see the world. As a teacher, instructor, and student, I have found Kenpo is very useful in understanding much of the world around me. It also has given me great friends and reasons to gather with great people.

Third, it is a source of release when I train. It clears the  mind and lets you feel more in tune with yourself and your environment. I have found as I train in places of tranquility, like at the beach, the ocean, or in open fields, it helps me shed the cares and stresses of the day and week and helps me prepare for the coming challenges. The above photo from Fort Bragg was a wonderful experience where training in the sand and along side the crashing waves was an amazing experience.

Think about training with us, following this blog, and/or building a community through martial arts.

Jesse Brown
Instructor and Student of Kenpo Karate

Key words: Kenpo Karate, martial arts, Alameda, community

The Mission Statement for Alameda Kenpo Karate Club

The Alameda Kenpo Karate Club

Mission Statement

The Alameda Kenpo Karate Club’s mission is simple and concise. It consists of two parts. The first part is to follow, practice, and promote Ed Parker’s American Kenpo Karate as it is practiced within the Parker/Planas lineage while fostering positive and non-competitive relationships with other martial arts schools within and outside of our community of Alameda, particularly those that also follow the Parker/Planas lineage. The second part is to be a positive force in the community and promote the positive atmosphere of achievements with both the youth and adults that reside and frequent the community of Alameda. Martial arts, any art, is more than an organization or art that simply resides within a geographic location, it is a philosophy and way of thinking, as well as a gathering point for individuals who share a common interest. It is this thinking that drives our organization to share this art and be a part of this community.

Under the line of instruction that is part of the Parker/Planas lineage there is a commitment to excellence that is inherent when you work within this framework of Kenpo, from both the point of view of instructors and the students. We are all instructors and we are all students. When you share the art, you are instructing. When you practice the art, you are always learning. All of this is done with a high degree of humility and good will so we are always growing more as individuals, whatever role we choose to take on within the club, with the hope it carries over into our daily lives so we are people of positive influence within our community.

As an organization that supports Alameda and the positive life that we have here in Alameda, we seek to interact in a positive way that promotes our community and benefits the people that live here. We recognize that there are positive people and organizations that come from outside the city that can bring wonderful ideas and interactions to the table here. At the same time, we as community members can bring great things to the table for ourselves and for others who visit us. It is with this in mind that the Alameda Kenpo Karate Club seeks to work with people both inside and outside our community in order to help our organization grow, as well as the community itself.

Simply put, we strive for excellence in Kenpo that  is asked of us by our instructors and the method of practice that we follow under the Parker/Planas lineage in Kenpo Karate. We also strive help our community grow and flourish as we practice being positive people through our martial arts training.

Training in Kenpo

The Alameda Kenpo Karate Club is excited to begin training this Saturday, March 22. We will train under the Parker/Planas lineage. My home school, where I study, is Epperson Bros. Kenpo Karate Dojo in Chico, CA. 

The link to our Facebook page is: https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=466733293426470

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Thanks for reading!

Jesse Brown