American Society of Kenpo Karate

06/23/2026

06/12/2026

TetsujiinKai Karate is based on many concepts and principles found within American Kenpo, most notably: maintaining a strong base, using footwork to establish a superior angle of entry, and pressuring through the opponent with swift, surgical precision. This streamlined Karate system can be readily applied to freestyle fighting, full-contact Kumite, kickboxing and personal defense.

06/02/2026

In the A.S.K.K., we often talk about the role of torchbearing; to be a torchbearer of the Art of Kenpo is to accept a responsibility far greater than the memorization of techniques or the preservation of curriculum charts. A torchbearer carries forward the spirit, principles, and relentless pursuit of understanding exemplified by Ed Parker himself. The Art survives not merely because techniques are written in books or passed down with rank structures, but because dedicated practitioners choose to embody the depth, discipline, and innovation that gave the system life in the first place.

The Olympic torch serves as a powerful symbol of continuity between generations. For centuries, its flame has represented the passing of knowledge, purpose, and tradition from one era to the next. No single runner owns the flame; they merely protect it for a time before carrying it onward and entrusting it to those who follow. In much the same way, Kenpo practitioners inherit a proverbial torch lit by the efforts, sacrifices, and insights of those who came before them. Our duty is not to let that flame diminish in our hands!

Far too often, martial arts systems risk becoming museums rather than living disciplines; forms are repeated lacking intent, techniques become rigid rituals to check off a box and instructors blindly settle into complacency. A true torchbearer resists this pull towards stagnation – he/she understands that carrying forward the Art of Ed Parker means preserving the written material while also preserving the mindset and context of mastery behind it! The written curriculum is the map, but it is not the territory; instructors understand the map, whereas Masters understand, adapt to and transform the proverbial terrain itself!

This mission demands high standards, standards that transcend a simple claim of lineage or rank; torchbearers must continuously refine their skill, deepen their knowledge and pressure-test their understanding – perpetually striving toward a level of competence and insight worthy of the Grandmaster whose legacy they represent. While a precious few, if any, may ever equal the brilliance and contribution of Ed Parker, the pursuit itself honors the Art.

Comfort is the eternal enemy of growth.

A torchbearer also recognizes that teaching is an act of stewardship. Every lesson taught carelessly weakens the flame, while every lesson taught with precision, honesty, and passion strengthens it. Students usually mirror the standards of their instructors; if instructors settle for shallow understanding, future generations inherit an increasingly-shallow Art.. However, if instructors pursue excellence, then future generations can keep the Art relevant and true.

- Jason Creel
Professor of the Art

05/27/2026

Mr. Parker in action.

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05/12/2026

I once had an amazing conversation with Mr. Rich Hale, and something he said really stuck with me; he told me that “Kenpo needs a renaissance..” And in the twelve years since that conversation, I’ve come to believe him more and more.

People often talk about ‘evolving the system,’ and sometimes, they’re right; Mr. Parker evolved with the times. BUT, Mr. Parker had also internalized, understood and mastered what he had been taught and had himself taught - this is where many proponents of ‘evolution’ go astray.

To evolve a system, you must have first mastered both that system and the driving forces behind it (and no, personal opinions or preferences are not among said driving forces).

I once asked a first generation black belt, why only a few people moved anything like Mr. Parker? He said, quite confidently, that Mr. Parker was a showman, and moved like that just for theatrics and to “sell the art.”

I was taken back (and disappointed) by that explanation; I meant, if moving like thunder and lighting and hitting like a Mack truck is showmanship, then I wanna be PT Barnum!!

The question remains: why do so few move like Mr. Parker? And I don’t mean the whole “no one can move like Parker, you should move like you” line of logic… Mr. Parker moved with ridiculous speed and profound power, accented with a seasoned elegance and primal authority that few rise to.

In short - because there’s the CONTENT of Kenpo, and then the CONTEXT.

The content is the system, the physical vessel used to teach the lessons of the Art and the dynamic principles and concepts which drive it. Be it a loosely-referenced or barely recorded curriculum, be it the 32 or 24 or 16-technique layout.. the system is the vehicle, not the destination.

Now, the CONTEXT of the Art! THAT is where Mastery is found. This is where Mr. Hale’s statement of Kenpo needing its renaissance rings true; that before folks talk of ‘evolving the system’ or boldly cry ‘revolution!’ like a Lin-Manuel Miranda play, they must first reach back towards the source of the spring.. to find the process and knowledge that we have witnessed yet somehow lost along the way.

Don’t be satisfied with the sequence, the technique journals, the requirement charts. Don’t assume that Mr. Parker (or Mr. Mills, or Mr. Hancock, or Doc Chapel - just to name a few) was born with some mystical X-factor allowing them instant mastery. They sought the process and looked beyond the obvious; they continually peeled back the layers and they broke it all down on every level.

Follow the example, and seek the wellspring.

-JCreel

05/06/2026

During one of my many conversations with Ed Parker Jr., he told me that his father had only two rules of Kenpo. This was the first one. The second one is even better, but I will let you ponder this one.

05/06/2026

The Long Cat stance (sometimes referred to as a Deep Cat) was one of several transitional stances Ed Parker explored to generate power and improve fluidity. In many ways, it's very similar to a Rear Bow. While used by some practitioners during the Chinese Kenpo era, Mr. Parker and some select students ran much of the early criteria through some logic filters used to determine how well an idea, basic, or move matched the emerging model's goals, and the stance never made it into the formal material of the next iteration of kenpo, and is therefore not considered "kenpo canon."

Functionally, the Long Cat sits between Neutral Bow and Forward Bow, much like the Twisted Bow concept, offering a hybrid position that allows for efficient power delivery without fully committing to either stance. This makes it especially useful in moments where hand exchanges outpace footwork.

Though it faded from mainstream Kenpo over time, similar structures can still be found across both Chinese and Japanese martial arts in positions such as the "back stance" or Kokutsu-dachi. A key refinement in the old kenpo version was to angle the toes diagonally rather than keeping them on strict perpendicular lines, thereby improving stability, reducing hip strain, and allowing for more natural, responsive movement.

-DCrouch

05/01/2026

https://kenponotes.blogspot.com/2020/12/lessons-i-have-learned-giving-lessons.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwY2xjawRg7KdleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeXYLYgz07xz4rGsPlJmJpcS6xzPbgWWbli0Xi3NVpFAieOSBFqE62W3zIo-s_aem_My7hCsga-0tvbWornUp3yw

04/17/2026

There’s a familiar phrase that gets tossed around in martial arts circles: “old solutions for modern problems.” It’s often dismissed as outdated thinking, a relic of traditions that haven’t kept pace with the world as it is today. And to a degree, that criticism has merit: methods, tools, and training approaches should evolve. The environments we navigate have changed. The threats we face may look different on the surface. But beneath all of that, something far more important has remained exactly the same: human nature.

At our core, we are not new creatures facing new dilemmas; we are the same beings who built civilizations, waged wars, protected families, and preyed upon one another LONG before the modern age. Technology has only amplified our imaginations and reach, not altered our instincts. The same fear, anger, ego, compassion, and love that drove human behavior centuries ago are still the forces driving it today. A person intent on doing harm in a back alley is not fundamentally different from one who did so a hundred or a thousand years ago. The setting has changed; the psychology has not.

This is where the so-called “old solutions” retain their relevance. Principles like awareness, timing, positioning, and decisiveness are not bound by era; they are developed responses to human behavior - behavior that hasn’t evolved nearly as quickly as our tools. A well-trained mind that can read intent, manage fear, and act with clarity under pressure will always outperform blind reliance on modern conveniences or trends. The tools may change, but the critical moment of decision remains timeless.

That said, clinging rigidly to tradition without question is just as dangerous as discarding it entirely. Evolution in training is necessary! We refine methods, pressure-test techniques, and adapt to new contexts because reality demands it. But refinement should be built on principle, not replace it. When we understand why something worked in the past, we gain the ability to shape it for the present without losing its effectiveness!

There’s also a deeper layer to this discussion; one that extends beyond physical self-defense: the same human nature that makes violence possible ALSO makes restraint, empathy, and protection possible. We are capable of incredible kindness and devastating cruelty. Training in the martial arts is, at its highest level, a study of both. It teaches us not only how to deal with the worst in others, but how to manage it within ourselves.

So the cliche “old solutions for modern problems” shouldn’t be taken as a limitation, but rather be understood as a reminder; not a call to stay stagnant, but a call to stay grounded. The world will continue to change, as it always has…but as long as human nature remains what it is, the foundational truths of conflict - and the principles we train to address it - will never become obsolete.

- Jason Creel