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Ball of nerves...

  • Thread starter schloaty
  • Start date
  • #21
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Congratz, too - I should be up for my first rank of brown belt in danzanryu jujutsu as soon as my leg mends. What kind of tests do you guys have? We do performance exams like most schools, but there's also written tests and notetaking requirements where I study.

Thanks!

Jujutsu or Jujitsu (never heard of the first, but you never know). Kenpo, interestingly enough, evolved from Japanese jujitsu when (I forget who) brought over the five animal style kung-fu from China. The linear Japanese striking combined with the circular movements from Kung-fu, and the joint manipulation was incorporated into the stiking.....lots to know.

At any rate, to answer your question, there is no written portion to the test (though you have to write a thesis and your own form for 1st black - yes, you have to make your own form), but there is an oral examination in between techniques, forms & sets (durring "breathers") to test for understanding of what you're doing. The art is ripe with concepts and principals.

I bungled a few things, but more than made up for them when I NAILED my form. I was really happy about that. Especially considering it's the form I'm really not supposed to be tested on until next time. Extra credit!
 
  • #22
Congratulations!
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I'm glad you passed...and your students too. That's awsome.
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I want a ticket to the Oz/Schloat Match. That would be very...interesting. But the rules must state Ozzy can't bring his tongs or snake hook. hehe
 
  • #23
[b said:
Quote[/b] (schloaty @ Nov. 27 2006,9:47)]Jujutsu or Jujitsu (never heard of the first, but you never know). Kenpo, interestingly enough, evolved from Japanese jujitsu when (I forget who) brought over the five animal style kung-fu from China. The linear Japanese striking combined with the circular movements from Kung-fu, and the joint manipulation was incorporated into the stiking.....lots to know.
Jutsu usually indicates an art meant for combat. Real combat. Most techniques are meant to maim or kill... there's little use for submission.

Kempo, from my understanding, is Chinese-inspired (as most Asian arts are) but is primarily Okinawan. Much of Okinawan and Japanese Karate came from Kempo, but the Chinese origins have been diluted a bit, moreso in Japan. In fact the Okinawans purposefully gave the Japanese a lot of bad information (understandable given their history), so in some forms of Japanese Karate the self-defeating methods are still present, but no one wants to admit such a thing about their art.

But really there's a different martial art for every instructor out there. It's hard to pin down lineage, even with the people who genuinely have the lineage they say they have.
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I'd guess you're in Ed Parker Kenpo? Or an offshoot of it? When I see it spelled with an 'n' that's usually what it is, but it'd be interesting to find out who else commonly spells it that way.
 
  • #24
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I'd guess you're in Ed Parker Kenpo? Or an offshoot of it? When I see it spelled with an 'n' that's usually what it is, but it'd be interesting to find out who else commonly spells it that way.

Yes, it's Ed Parker's American Kenpo - and it has little to do with Kempo, which is another art completely.

It really is the child of the chinese and Japanese arts getting smooshed. Of course, then it went through Okinawa, then the Phillipines where it picked up more influce (lots of kali influence in the club and knife work), finally made it's way to Hawaii (where Ed Parker first picked it up as Hawaiian Kenpo). Mr. Parker brought it with him to California (or should I call it KAHL EE FOR NEE AH these days?). Once here, he had the good fortune to hook up with one Bruce Lee, who challenged him on many aspects of the art. This caused him to really start to question himself, and he had debates with countless high level practitioners of various arts.

He addressed those self-defeating aspects of karate (and also some of the Chinese Kung fu inspired ones) that you mentioned.

If you're interested in the history, pick up volume one of the Infinite Insights series by Ed Parker (if you can find it - I think it's out of print). It will surely be more detailed than I am, and I most likely have at least one factoid backwards in here somewhere....

It sure looks good on paper, I'll tell you what - but REMEMBERING it all....sheesh.

The one thing I can say, though, is I've never been told "you do it this way because that's how it's done." Not once. I have ALWAYS received a logical, cause and effect answer to every quesion I've asked. The best part is, many of the times I was still not convinced at the outset, I've figured out that my questions only arose because I wasn't doing it right in the first place. I've had my ego checked more times than I can count.
 
  • #25
Congrats schloaty! I know you are legit because you did not mention Chuck Norris or Walker Texas Ranger as a part of martial arts.
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[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I've had my ego checked more times than I can count.
Gosh, ain't that the truth...
 
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