Testing was held July 30th.  Congratulations to the following people
on their promotions: Jensen Knoll, jr yellow belt stripe; Logan
Ramsey, yellow belt; Murphy Lammon, orange belt; Madison Lammon,
orange belt; Laura Lund, orange belt equivalency stripe; Tony
LaPorte, orange belt; Ben Ramsey, purple belt; Zach Weisenburger,
purple belt.  Mr. Holland presented Mr. Lammon with a Cane Masters
cane at the end of the testing.  Also just a reminder that you can
have your friends and family come to testing.
   We held our student appreciation day on July 9th after class.  Mr.
Holland was presented with a plaque for his outstanding dedication to
the dojo and his leadership abilities.  He's a true role model for
all karateka.  A photo of the plaque is on the Yahoo Groups web
page.  Way to go Mr. Holland!!
Schedule Note:  Morning class will be held at 11:30 AM on August 11th
instead of 11:10 AM.
   We could once again use a few more new students.  So as an
incentive for the month of August, for every new student you bring in
who joins you will receive a coupon worth $10 off dues, equipment or
gear.
   Starting this month on Saturdays after class we will be focusing on
kobudo weapons training.  Mr. Holland will be able to teach cane to
those of you who are interested and Mr. Lammon will be teaching bo
staff and nunchaku.  You do need to buy your own weapons and
equipment.  Follow the training schedule on the calendar on back.  We
hope to become a Cane Masters affiliate school by 2007.  Cane Masters
is its own organization where you can test and receive rank for
proficiency with the cane.  We highly recommend membership with Cane
Masters (which is only $25 per year) but it's not required.  You can
start out with a modified stockman's cane.  The cane also qualifies
as one of the 7 weapons of which you must be proficient with at least
one prior to black belt.  Further, the cane is the only weapon that
is legal everywhere, every state and even on airplanes.
   Summer is not over yet.  August is often the hottest month of the
summer.  Remember to bring water to class.  Please have it in a spill
proof container.  You need to drink plenty of water to prevent
dehydration.
   We got some new equipment.  We now have a mat for blue belts to
practice their grappling techniques.  However, remember that you
still need to practice break falls.  Also we now have a handheld
target shield.  It will allow more versatility in training than the
heavy bag or wave master.
   Class picture day will be on Tuesday August 16th at the beginning
of class.  We would like all club members present for the picture,
which we will be taking yearly to visually track our growth and
membership.  Even if you don't want photos for yourself please attend
the class picture.  Be in full uniform with sleeves down, please.
   We will be having our first demo team meeting this month on August
10th at 7 PM.  We need to start working routines for demonstrations.
The demo team will meet at least once a month to work on routines.
Since no one is really taking advantage of the open workouts we'll
have the demo team practice during one of those times.  Demo team
practice will usually last two hours.  The first meeting will be a
brain storming session to see what ideas people have for routines and
to see who all is interested.  If you're interested in the demo team
come to the meeting.  We hope to do some demos at schools and other
sporting events this next year.
   Again thank you for your business, hard work, and dedicated
training.  Keep it up.

I hope to get the demo team up & running in August.  SO if you're
interested let me know.  We will probably meet once a month.  Also,
I'll be checking into demo team uniforms.  I'm hoping for blue or blue
& black as blue is our school color.  I will have to do some shopping
around and check into prices.  More will be mentioned in the August
newsletter.

The student manual text is done.  Mr. Holland is proofreading and
adding a few things.  I'm working on pics, drawings, and diagrams to
go along with it.  Hopefully soon everyone who want one will have one.
   Also the t-shirts have been ordered and being made up now.  Print On
It moved locations so they got behind a bit.  The proof screen should
be done this week.  Unless there is a problem with the screen it
shoudl only take a week to have the shirts made up.  The price is
looking like $15 each.  Multiple colors costs a lot more.  The shirt
will have our club patch on the chest with Kenpo Karate Academy below
it.  You will be able to wear these during class when it is hot
instead of your gi top.  During testings you will still need to wear
your gi top however.

On 7/9/05 we held our student appreciation day at the dojo after calss
at 11AM.  We fired up the BBQ and grilled hot dogs.  We also watched a
movie "Karate Kid".  It was a good time and a way to ay thank you to
everyone who has helped the dojo grow and stay open.
   Mr. Kent Holland, our assistant instructor, was also presented with
an award.  He's done a lot for the dojo and is a great role model for
all karateka.  His dedication to the dojo is outstanding.  You can see
pics of the award under the photos section.

July 2005 Newsletter

   Just a note about rank levels.  We have discussed creating a
junior belt rank system for younger students (age 7 and under).  We
don't want to water down the material for young students nor do we
want to eliminate techniques because that is not fair to older and
adult students.  So we have come up with a solution, a junior belt
rank stripe system.  It will work like this.  A student will be
tested on the required material for their next belt level.  As long
as they know half of the material (required techniques) they will be
promoted to a junior belt rank.  At the next testing they need to
know the rest of the material in order to receive their full belt
rank.  We feel this keeps it fair for everyone and maintains the
underlying goal kenpo.  So with that…
   Congratulations to the following people on their belt promotions:
Casey H, yellow belt;  Austin H, jr yellow stripe;  Mason G, jr
yellow stripe; Paige H, jr yellow stripe;  James H, yellow belt.
   Elias R also received his nunchaku patch after performing a
demonstration at the testing held 6/25/05.
   Please welcome new student Darren J to the dojo.  Good luck on
your training.
   Student Appreciation Day will be held on July 9th.  We will have
class at 10 AM as usual then eat food and watch a movie at 11 AM.
Food will be provided by the dojo.  We will have some beverages on
hand but you can also bring your own.
   Class Schedule:  July will have some scheduling conflicts that we
will need to work around.  Most of the times and days will remain
the same but a few class dates and times will change.  There will be
NO morning (11:10 AM) class on July 12th or 14th.  Mr. Holland will
be out of town several days and Mr. Lammon has mandatory training at
his employment.  Mr. Rostad will be in charge of a couple of
classes.  Please treat him with the same respect and courtesy that
you show the other instructors.  Be sure to check and follow the
calendar on the back of the newsletter.  Also Mr. Lammon's wife is
pregnant and the due date is the end of July.  Class may have to be
cancelled at a moments for obvious emergency medical reasons.  We
will do everything we can to make contact with students to advise
them of any class cancellation but if we are unable and you show up
and there is a note on the door please be understanding.  Thank you.
   A new policy will be in effect July 1st:  anyone ordering gear
from now on will need to pay for it in advance.  We've been burned a
few times and do not have the finances to order gear and get stuck
with it when people don't pay.  Sorry for any inconvenience.  With
that said we have a heavy weight white instructor gi size 4 in
stock.  These normally sell for $50 but we'll let it go for only
$40.
   We are currently having t-shirts made up and there is an order
form at the dojo.  You will be able to wear the t-shirt instead of
the gi top during the summer months when it is hot in the dojo.  It
is also a great way to show your kenpo pride away from the dojo.
The shirt will be white with the club patch on the chest in full
color.  It will have Kenpo Karate Academy below the patch in the
stencil font.
   Again thank you all for your hard work, dedication, and business.

Most of the manual is done now.  I'm just proofreading it and fixing
any mistakes.  Right now I'm just going back and adding diagrams such
as how to tie your belt etc.  We are still undecided about adding
photos to it.
   I'm also working on the instructor version of the manual right now.
The instructor version will be a lot longer as it gives info on how to
break down techniques and teach them to other people.  It also has a
lot of info for instructors to pass on to the class.
   Again I'm working as fast as I can on the manuals.  I want Mr Holland
to read the manual first and add any of his thoughts before it's
printed and given to students.
   Just remember that the manual is a training tool.  Don't try to use
it to jump ahead of what belt level you are currently at.  After all
not everything little detail will be in the student manuals.  There are
somethings that can only be passed on by showing it to you and under
supervision of an instructor.  What good is it if you do 1000 punches a
day but you are doing them wrong?   You just wasted time.

Just a note about uniforms and other gear...

   I hope no one has the wrong impression that your gi will last your
martial arts lifetime.  Depending on use and amount of training time
you may need to purchase a new gi once per year.  For the younger
students it won't be much of a problem as you'll out grow your
uniform probably before you wear it out.
   The cost we can get the student gis for right now is $25.  Granted
it may go up a bit in the future but it probably won't be a lot.
You can't go to the store and buy a t-shirt and a pair of pants for
$25 these days.  $25 for a uniform isn't bad at all.  Of course you
can spend more for a uniform such as the instructor style ones for
$50 but they too will wear out.  Even the top of the line gis
imported from Japan which cost $150 to $350 wear out over time.
   The main thing I want to get acorss is that you make sure your
uniform is usable.  If you rip the knees out or it gets stained up
then please get a new uniform.  Most times the uniform can be
repaired by a sew shop if it's just the seam or such.  We need to
take pride in our uniforms and belts.  I doubt anyone will run into
this problem until you reach black belt but...
   One thing that bugs me is when you see a black belt who's belt is
so worn out it's coming apart and is down to the white under
padding.  It looks very unprofessional.  So if your belt starts to
wear out then get a new belt.  Nothing says you can't keep your old
black belt for sentimental reasons, just don't wear it during class.
   More on this will be mentioned in the student manuals.

Congratulations to the following people on their rank promotions: JD
S, yellow belt; Tony L, yellow belt; Alex J, orange belt; Elias R,
purple belt; Kent H, purple stripe, Wayne K, purple stripe;  Laura
L, yellow stripe.
   Please welcome new students Tony, Mason, Jensen, James, and Paige,
to the dojo.  Good luck with your training.
   Summer is here and it's only going to get hotter outside.  Be sure
to bring water to class.  Also please make sure you are taking your
gis home and washing them.  You will be sweating quite a bit during
class this summer.  With that said there have been a few questions
regarding t-shirts.  You do not have to wear a t-shirt under your gi
if you don't want to.  You are also permitted to roll your sleeves
up just past your elbows.  The only time you will be required to
have the sleeves down is during testing.
   The Parks & Rec will be offering Tai Chi classes at the ARCC.
Different times and sessions are available and the cost is only
$12.  Check the flyer at the dojo or check the Parks & Rec summer
activities guide.
   We are looking at having a student appreciation day on Saturday
July 9th.  We will have class at 10 AM as usual then at 11 AM we
will watch a movie, most likely Karate Kid which is rated PG, and
eat lunch.  Food will be provided by the dojo.  We are planning a
picture day in July also.  We're getting quotes right now from
Hardin's Photography and Artz Camera.  More on these two events will
be mentioned in the July newsletter.
   Just a reminder that you need to stay focused during class time.
Class only lasts an hour and when we need to stop training because a
few people are not focused it is not fair to the rest of the class.
Respect has been slipping a bit also.  Remember to call instructors
and senior students by their last name such as Mr. Smith, etc.  If
you don't remember someone's last name Sir or Ma'am is fine.  When
you step on the training floor you should have only one thought –
karate.  Again, class is only an hour long.  Remember the dojo
belongs to everyone.  We all need to work together to make sure it
stays a positive place to learn.
   The wing chun wooden dummy, called a mook yan jong, is done.  We
may add rope padding where the head is and will probably cover the
leg with rope or leather.  Feel free to us it, just don't hang or
climb on it please.
   Several students went as spectators to a taekwondo tournament in
Clark, SD on May 14th.  There are some of you that are interested in
competing in tournaments.  You will need some protective equipment.
A list of sparring gear with price is posted on the bulletin board
next to the changing room.  You should be able to have an entire set
for around $80.  You will need at a minimum: forearm guards,
shin/instep guards, chest protector, head gear, a mouth guard, and a
cup and supporter for males.  I recommend a reversible chest
protector.  The last two items on the list you can obtain at a local
department store here in Aberdeen.  We will not doing this type of
sparring during class time, only during open workouts or after class
with instructor permission.
   There will be another TKD tournament in Clark on June 25th.  This
won't be as big as this last one but it would be a good way to get
some experience if you've never been in a tournament before.
   Fight Night is also coming up at the Eagle's Club here in Aberdeen
on June 23rd.  This is amateur boxing.  It would be nice to do some
type of demonstration at this event since there are a lot of people
who attend.  I will do some more checking and let you know during
class.
   Purple belts will be allowed to wear judo style knee and elbow
pads during training while working on blue belt material.  Since
blue belt covers ground fighting and grappling plan on spending a
lot of time on the floor.
   We have been talking about allowing students to switch to a black
gi at green belt level rather than at brown belt level.  At Mr.
Holland's former dojo they switched about halfway to black belt.  At
Mr. Lammon's former school they switched at brown belt level.  You
can still wear you white gi but if you want to switch to a black gi
you will now be able to once you are promoted to green belt.
     Again thank you for your business, dedication and hard work.
You're all doing great with your training.

Under the guidelines of American Kenpo set forth by Ed Parker
limited the wearing of black gi's to instructors only.  But this was
not the case with many of his rich and famous private students. Both
Elvis Presley and his wife, Priscilla, were private students of Ed
Parker and both by preference wore black uniforms for their private
lessons.
   As fate would have it, Ed Parker went to Hawaii on vacation which
left Priscilla with no private lessons from Ed. Because Priscilla
wanted to work out and continue training during Ed's vacation, she
decided to attend a "class" run by one of Ed Parker's senior
students. When Priscilla showed up for class the Senior Instructor
was caught off guard. Only Instructors were allowed to wear black
gi's - but this was not an ordinary student: this was the wife of
the "King of Rock-N-Roll". So he chose to say nothing. But the next
day he phoned Ed In Hawaii to voice his concern about a "student"
wearing a black gi. The instructor then asked Ed what he should do
about it. Ed told him to "to use his own discretion" in the matter.
   The next time Priscilla arrived for class, she was informed that
she could not attend class wearing a black uniform, that it was
reserved exclusively for instructors. Priscilla was then told that
she was more than welcome to attend the class if she wore a white
uniform.
   Priscilla never took another private lesson from Ed Parker again.
While Elvis would continue to have a close relationship with Ed and
continue his training, Priscilla and Ed were now at odds.
   Because of the black gi incident, fate would take another path.
Priscilla wanted to continue training and at the same time get back
at Ed Parker. She then contacted Chuck Norris for lessons and through
Chuck met Mike Stone, who became her private karate instructor.
   The rest is history. Priscilla then started seeing Mike Stone on
the sly and one day she simply left Elvis and started living with
Mike Stone. And the end result was the divorce of Elvis and
Priscilla.
   When Elvis died in 1977 Priscilla arranged for a private plane to
take his friends from California to the funeral in Memphis. There
were only two people Priscilla would not allow on the plane: Elvis's
current girlfriend and Ed Parker.

Some of you may have noticed that some students have an additional
patch on their right sleeve below the tiger/dragon cicle patch.
Here's the answer to "why?".
   We allow students to have a patch from a former school ro style on
their uniform.  These patches do not mean that we are affliated with
another school or style.  Then why do we allow it?
   To show respect.  Many of us come from other schools with prior
martial arts knowledge.  Wearing a patch shows that you still respect
what you have learned at another school or while studying another art
or style.  It also shows that you are growing as a martial artist.
You are allowed to wear any patch from any style or school that you
have trained in prior to join our dojo.  However please use common
sense.  It should not be so large it covers your entire right arm.
This also helps show your lineage.  Any questions please speak with an
instructor.

I've spoke some in class about the warrior mindset.  It's very
tough to put into words exactly what that means.
   As humans we have built in responses to certain things.  One of
these responses is called fight or flight.  When we are confronted
by danger we either fight by taking on the confrontation or flight
by leaving the situation.
   Developing the warrior mindset is difficult.  It goes against our
built in protection response.  We all fear pain & injury.  To fight
sometimes involves possible risk of getting hurt.
   This follows the art of bushido.  Samurai embraced death, knowing
that everyone dies eventually.  They fought as almost seekign
death.  In doing so the fought with a clear mind and usually won
their fights.
   Today you still need to think and fight with a clear mind.  You
have to decide and train your mind well in advance how you are going
to deal with confrontations.
   As a police officer I am forced to encounter uncooperative on a
dialy basis.  I've also had to deal with dead people.  This is very
un-natural for a human to do.  But you can condition your mind to
handle it.  This is the smae when it come to dealing with
confrontations or even mock fighting such as sparring.
   If you wait until the confrontation comes it will be too late.
You need to build a warrior mindset right now.

Some of your students have expressed different emotions over a
former instructor leaving the dojo.  Some of you have told me that
you feel betrayed and are hurt and some of you simply question why
when I have no answer or reason to give you.  I wish I had the
perfect answer but I do not.  I doubt I will ever know the exact
reason.
   The thing that you all need to remember is that you are in charge
of your own training.  I've gone through close to 20 instructors in
the past 15 years.  That's more than one per year.  Out of those 20
or so instructors several have left with out giving a reason or any
notice.  This is difficult to understand.  But remember martial arts
have been around for hundreds of years and just because an
instructor leaves does not mean that training has to stop.  One of
my favorite instructors when I was in taekwondo joined the USMC and
left for training.  He ended up being stationed in Okinawa and began
studying hardcore karate.  When he came back on leave he showed us a
bit of what he had learned.  This sparked my interest in karate over
taekwondo and also got me thinking about joining the military.  I
eventually did join the US Army and because of that began studying
kenpo karate.  I now prefer kenpo over taekwondo.
   On the other side of the coin there are bad instructors.  These
people may be good martial artists but lack capacity and
understanding to pass that knowledge on to other students.  Some of
these instructors teach just to make a profit.  They lie to students
and have them doing katas for hours on end because the time passes
and the money keeps coming in.  In short you can not teach someone
how to fight with katas.  So instructors have been the victim of bad
instructors and sadly pass the poor traits on to other students.  It
is not their fault they are poor instructors they just learned for
poor instructors and where never shown the error of their ways.
   This all follows the budo view of the world call tao.  This is
known as the principle of yin and yang.  These positive and negative
energies affect everything we do.  Think about it this way…with out
darkness we can not appreciate the light.  With out coldness we can
not appreciate the warmth.  Martial arts is a life long journey and
budo is a way of life not just a sport or a hobby.  Many people are
good at martial arts but few are martial artists.  You can become
good at self defense without becoming a black belt.  To become a
true black belt you need to have a deep understanding of the budo
philosophy.  Many instructors lack this.
   Egos and greed keep too many students and instructors from
obtaining the highest levels of understanding.  Look through any
martial arts magazine and you will see this.  Grandmaster this and
10th degree that.  I even saw a 10 year old who was a 3rd degree
black belt.  You need to ask yourself if these people are really
that good or have the standards fallen to an all time low.  In fact
many people are simply frauds.  I laugh when I see ads in magazines
or on the web that state such and such will show you "secret" moves
that the US Navy SEALs or Special Forces use.  Having been in the
military I can tell you this is a load of crap plain and simple.
Yes the military does teach combatives and they do have several
manuals on hand-to-hand combat.  But in general the US does not win
wars because we are good at hand-to-hand combat.  If a SEAL has to
use hand-to-hand combat then odds are things have really gone bad.
The main focus on training is to do as many things as possible to
prevent the worst case scenario.  Then put as many steps in place to
limit the odds of getting to that last resort.
   Just remember your own goals and don't give up no matter what.  We
have to look at the positive side of things.  During the last month
we have improved the dojo a lot.  We got a great article in the
newspaper and got more equipment on the walls.  We've gain more
students.  Mr. Holland has been helping out a lot and brings a much
needed different view to the dojo.  His experience at his last dojo
allows us more ideas to improve our kenpo training.  Although I had
some serious doubts we'd be able to stay open we are still going
strong.  We have a lot to look forward to.  For one I want to be
able to promote some of you to black belt.  This will take time but
I know you can do it.  Remember the main aspect of kenpo karate…it's
not the external but the internal.  It is not up to me to train you,
it's up to you to train yourself.

Congratulations to Daren, Ben, and Zach for successfully testing and
being promoted to orange belt.  Congratulations to Nate for
successfully testing and being promoted to yellow belt.  Just a
reminder that you can have your friends and family members come to
testing.
   The article in the American News helped give the dojo some much
needed exposure and also brought in a few new students.  Please
welcome new students Casey, Jason, and Laura to the dojo.  Good luck
with your training.
   Starting this month on Tuesday nights after class we will be
focusing on kobudo weapons training.  Mr. Holland will be able to
teach cane to those of you who are interested.
   With summer just around the corner remember you can bring water to
class.  Please have it in a spill proof container and keep it on the
carpeted area.  You need to drink plenty of water to prevent
dehydration.  Also during open workouts please wear a t-shirt.
Muscle shirts and tank tops are not appropriate.  Also be sure not
to wear any jewelry during class.  This includes watches, rings,
piercings, necklaces, etc.
   There is a taekwondo tournament in Clark, SD on May 14th.  The
tournament begins at 11 AM.  Some of you have expressed interest in
competing in sparring tournaments.  Because we are in the Midwest
the majority of the tournaments around here will be based on
taekwondo rules.  They usually require chest protectors, head gear,
gloves and foot gear.  Since no one (except Mr. Holland) has such
gear and there would not be enough time to practice with it prior to
this tournament, I wouldn't recommend anyone compete in this
tournament unless you have prior TKD experience.  However it would
be beneficial to go and watch to get an idea of what to expect in
such tournaments.  There is a $4 admission cost per spectator to
attend.  If there is enough interest we can car pool to Clark after
class.  These tournaments usually last several hours.  If you are
interested please let Mr. Lammon know a least a week in advance (by
May 7th) so vehicle and other arrangements can be made.
   We will be offering an 11 AM day class starting this month.  Class
will begin at 11:10 AM and end around 11:50 Am to allow people to
attend lessons on their lunch breaks.  This will be an intense class
because we will have to fit 60 minutes of training into only 40
minutes.  Mr. Lammon will be teaching these classes.
   Thanks go out to Mr. Holland for his assistance in teaching and
helping the dojo reacquire some training equipment.  Also because of
his motivation and innovation we now have training mirrors mounted
on the wall.  These will work great for shadow boxing and allowing
you to evaluate your techniques.
   The Parks & Rec will be offering Tai Chi classes this summer.
Classes are once a week for several weeks.  They have different
times and sessions available.  The cost is only $12.  Tai chi would
blend in with the kung fu aspect of kenpo.  For more information
check the flyer on the bulletin board at the dojo or check the Parks
& Rec summer activities guide.
   We need to start working routines for demonstrations this month.
This summer we'll have plenty of opportunities to do demos such as
at the Brown County Fair and Arts in the Park.  If you're interested
in the demo team talk to an instructor.  We hope to do some demos at
schools and other sporting events next year also.
   We hope to have the student manuals done this summer and be able
to offer belt level videos to assist your training at home by this
fall.  We'll keep you posted as our progress proceeds.
     Thank you for your business, hard work and dedicated training.
Keep up the good work

Academy puts strength into self-defense

Kenpo karate blends martial arts, other styles

By Elissa Dickey

American News Writer


Ben Ramsey really isn't into competitive sports.

That's why his mom thought Kenpo karate would be a perfect fit for
her 12-year-old.

"This is just a wonderful way he competes against himself," said
Michelle Ramsey of Aberdeen.

This is the first experience in martial arts for Ben, a sixth-grader
at Holgate Middle School.

"I think he feels good to be doing something he can excel at (and)
not constantly (be) compared to other kids," Michelle said.

That's how it works at Kenpo Karate Academy, according to instructor
Bill Lammon - students are graded only against themselves and are
not compared to others.

Lammon, 25, of Aberdeen, opened the academy on North Main Street
earlier this year. He says this semi-traditional karate style is
geared more toward practical self-defense moves rather than
competition.

Lammon said it's common for people to become more aware of self-
defense/martial arts training and look into it more when a high-
profile tragedy occurs. That can be a school shooting or child
abduction.

Or, in Aberdeen's case, the suspicious death of a professor.

That's actually part of the reason the business got going, Lammon
said - many people looked into self-defense options more after
Northern State University professor Morgan Lewis was fatally shot
outside NSU's Seymour Hall last fall. But, he said, the area's self-
defense training options were limited.

Lammon believes his academy has filled that void.

He said some parents enroll their kids in martial arts because they
say they need focus or are having problems in school, or to teach
them discipline and respect. Karate camouflages such lessons, making
them more interesting to youths, he said.

Michelle Ramsey said Ben, who has been involved with Kenpo for a few
months now, is more responsible because of the classes.

It's also a good activity for kids, considering "the epidemic of
childhood obesity," Lammon said.

"This is something they can do year-round," he said.

Unlike other sports, kids don't have to rely on a team, and it's
something they can do throughout their adult life.

"It's awesome exercise," Michelle Ramsey said, laughing. "I couldn't
do it."

"Kenpo" means "law of the fist" in Chinese, Lammon said.

The style: Kenpo is a combination of karate and kung-fu that is more
self-defense-based than sport-based, Lammon said. It also uses some
techniques from other styles, including western boxing and jujitzu.

Unlike some other forms of martial arts, Kenpo is practical, simple
and realistic, Lammon said. It'll work for anyone - from an elderly
individual to a woman wearing high heels and a dress.

"Our ... motto is 'what you learn today in the dojo you can use
today out in the street,'" Lammon said.

Kenpo is considered a semi-traditional martial arts form, meaning
it's somewhere between the more rigid traditional forms and the more
liberal non-traditional forms. Students still wear uniforms, or gis,
bow to the instructor, and there is the belt system - white for
novices, black for experts. Lammon said they still try to maintain
the respect and discipline common in martial arts, but they are also
open to people's questions or suggestions.

This method is fairly new to the Midwest, he said. While the more
popular tae kwon do is sport-based, he said, "ours is more get down,
get dirty," use everything you can to get away in an actual life-
threatening defense situation. The style includes eye-gouging and
finger-biting.

"If it's something you couldn't use in a tournament," Lammon
said, "it'd probably be great for self-defense."

Lammon, who is a full-time Aberdeen police officer, said they also
throw in some law enforcement and military moves.

"I like the idea that he's a police officer," Michelle Ramsey
said. "I feel safe having him do it ... that my kids get to know a
police officer."

Lammon said the classes also cover the legal use of force.

"You have to tell people what they can legally do to defend
themselves."

They teach that physical force is a last resort and should be
avoided at all costs, Lammon said. But if it does come to that, they
are trained to end the fight and get away safely as quickly as
possible.

Lammon, who has been studying Kenpo for 15 years, is a second-degree
black belt and hopes to test for third degree by this summer. There
are 10 levels of black belt in Kenpo. Ninth and 10th are honorary,
he said, and the sixth degree is considered mastery - people
actually switch to a red belt at that level.

Currently there are about 15 students in Lammon's academy, ranging
in age from 4 to 50-something. Lammon's assistant instructor, Kent
Holland, helps teach the classes.

Classes are at 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday and 10 a.m. Saturday, but
students don't have to come a set number of times, Lammon said.
There are also informal workouts during the week for students who
want to practice on their own. Private lessons are also available,
as is oriental weapons training.

When students feel they've reached their own goal, they are tested.
Some people pick it up fast and are promoted every couple of months,
Lammon said, and some take longer.

Ben currently has a yellow belt, which is the second level in Kenpo,
and will be testing for orange by the end of the month.

Michelle and her husband Chris also have two younger children. She
said Logan, 10, will be starting Kenpo this summer after baseball.

Their daughter Madeline is only 18 months - but Mom can even foresee
her taking Kenpo someday, too.

If you want to check your fitness level the follwoing physical
fitness test (PFT) is a good way to evaluate you level and determine
what you need to work on.

500 yard swim using breast and/or side stroke in less than 12 miuntes
30 seconds.
10 minute rest
Perform a minimum of 42 push-ups in 2 minutes.
2 minute rest
Perform a minimum of 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes.
2 minute rest
Perfrom a minimum of 6 pull-ups, no time limit.
10 minute rest
Run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes 30 seconds or less or run 2 miles in 16
minutes or less.
Flexed arm test for 10 seconds.

These levels are very obtainable.  They do require work and a bit of
practice but the average person can reach these levels with out too
much of a problem.  And just to make you feel great if you do reach
these levels they are the same the US military uses as its minimum
requirements.  While these are the requirments to be accepted to
BUD/S (Navy SEAL training) they are not unrealistic as all Army
soldiers need to meet these same requirments (except for the swim) in
order to complete basic training (boot camp).  You shold work to
imprve your over all fitness level.  You would have a much better
chance of surviving an encounter the better the shape you are in.
Also the flexed arm test is being int he pull-up UP position and hold
that position for the full 10 seconds.  The felxed arm test is only
required for Airborne paratroopers.

Just a personal note: When I got out of infantry school at Fort
Benning, GA I was able to run 2 miles in just over 12 minutes, do 50
push-ups in 2 minutes and do 80 sit-ups in 2 minutes and do over 20
pull-ups.  So yes it can be done if you work hard and you can even do
much better than the above goals.

Please welcome new students Nate, Austin, and JD to the dojo.  I
hope you enjoy your training and follow the budo (martial art) path
to enlightenment.
   As some of you may have noticed Instructor Lance Aeschliman has
quit the dojo.  He did not give any reason and I do not know why.
Because of this event we will be lacking some equipment such as
gloves, focus mitts, jump ropes, etc for a while.  We need to stay
focused on training.  Also because of this some training times will
change.  On the back of this schedule is a calendar.  For now class
times and days will remain the same but open work days will be
changing.  Assistant Instructor Kent Holland will be leading some
classes.  I expect everyone to treat him with respect and courtesy
and address him as Mr. Holland.  He has close to 7 years experience
and has a lot of Kenpo knowledge.
   The calendar will list which days I will be at class.  I'm may
change my shift at my fulltime job as a police officer but the
soonest I would be able to do so would be the end of May.  So for
now we'll just have to work around any scheduling conflicts.
   Also because of Mr. Aeschliman's leaving we have lost a couple of
students thus we have lost some revenue.  In addition our rent has
been raised.  I will do everything possible to keep things the same
but unless we get some more students monthly membership dues may
need go up to $55 or $60 or we may need to move the dojo to a
different location.  So if you know anyone interested in martial
arts tell them a little about Kenpo Karate.  If you get someone to
join you'll get a certificate for $10 off dues or gear.
   Also because of the recent events we will be holding off for at
least another month from going to separate adult and children's
classes.
   If anyone has any questions or concerns please feel free to
contact me.  I just want to say publicly thank you to Mr. Kent
Holland.  With out his assistance and leadership ability night
classes probably would have been reduced to only one night a week.
He's a great example and role model for all karataka (karate
students).
Thanks again everyone for your hard work and dedication.  Keep up
the great work.

There was a question about school charters and instructor
licenses.  I'll try to clear up some of the confusion.
   A school charter is what a particular school / dojo is recognized
by a larger / parent organization.  It allows the dojo to use
certain items such as patches that are owned / copyrighted by the
parent organization.
   An instructor license allows the instructor to use the material he
or she learned and be able to use all symbols, patches, etc that
belong to the school where he / she trained.
   Confused yet?  The sound the same but they are slightly
different.  For example if someone becomes a black belt at the dojo
here in Aberdeen and the want to become an instructor they can do so
without either of the above mentioned items.  Now if they move
somewhere else and want to open up their own kenpo dojo and develop
their own school requirements yet want to be tied or affiliated to a
larger organization they would need a school charter.  Now if that
same person wanted to teach the exact same thing that is taught here
at the Aberdeen dojo and be able to use the same training material
(techniques, patches, etc) he or she would need an instructor's
license.  You can get a school charter without getting an
instructor's license.  If you get an instructor's license you
automatically get a school charter.  This allows you to use
copyrighted materials developed by this dojo.  One you are an
instructor you're always an instructor.  An instructor's license is
just that, a license to teach outside the head dojo.  It can be
revoked by the head dojo at anytime.  If you just want to teach at
the head dojo then you don't need a charter or license.  They only
apply if you want to open up your own dojo.
   Now I'm sure the next question is do we have a charter with any
other organization?  Right now the answer is now.  The one style of
kenpo that I studied shut down.  They did issue school charters only
but now they are all void since the parent organization no longer
exists.  Also our curriculum has been modified and some of the
techniques changed for student safety and liability concerns.  Also
certain techniques that are not practical and would never work
outside of the dojo's controlled environment have been eliminated.
Several other techniques from different styles of kenpo have also
been added.  Additionally some jeet kune do concepts and wing chun
principals have also been added.  One of the dojos where I plan on
testing for my 3rd Dan doesn't teach any weaponry.  They view kobudo
as something only for karate traditionalists.  Each school is
slightly different.  I am researching several different
organizations regarding school charters.  I'm trying to find one
that would benefit our dojo the best rather than just waste money.

Being an instructor in martial arts is very different than teaching
in an other profession.  The time invloved to become an instructor is
usually greater than other jobs.
   The role of a karate instructor is also different.  The purpose is
to pass the martial knowledge on to the next generation.  That is the
underlieing goal.  Teaching is not about becoming rich and famous.
While those things are nice then can give instructors big egos which
can happer their further training and damage the relationship with
students and other instructors.
   The dojo is almost a spiritual place.  Part of this dates back to
when kempo was practiced in temples in China.  The dojo needs to
remain void of big egos and hate.  These emotions can weaken the
fighting spirit.  A certain level of respect needs to reside in the
dojo which is very different from the rest of society today.  Pick up
a newspaper or turn on a tv news show and you will see that society
has fallen to an all time low.  People do not respect themselves much
less others.
   Martial arts training is a way to make students better people in
more ways than just one.  Discipline, respect, perseverence.
Karateka can not act unjust.  They must be fair and maintain a level
of professionalism through their daily lives.  The lessons learned in
the dojo art not just about karate but about life in general.
   Many people want to become karate instructors but they do not know
why.  Many will say it is to make money but as I've already mentioned
money is not what the art is all about.  If you take away the money
aspect most instructors don't have an answer as to why they want to
teach.  I'm not knocking anyone or any school that is profitable or
any instructor that makes his livelyhood solely from teaching karate
as long as that is not his only motive for doing so.
   As an instructor I make an agreement with each and every student
that joins.  I agree to teach them and they in turn agree to learn.
The dojo is not a place to socialize it's a place to train.  You need
to train seriously and hard.  Shoudl you be forced to defend yourself
excuses that you are tired, or sore, or stiff, or had to work
overtime yet again won't save you.
   As an instructor it's difficult to continue your own training when
you have to focus so much on training other students.  In order to
stay at your level and to continue to improve your own skills you
need to work that much harder.  The instructor shoudl be training the
longest and hardest out of anyone in the class.  And working out
during class does not really count.  You need to push yourself to a
higher level but during class you can only push the class as hard as
the lowest rank can handle.
   Over all being an instructor means being committed to your students
and ensuring that they reach their goals but motivating them and
leading by example.

It needs to be understood that different styles and founders have
changed the system to meet their own needs and desires over the
years. The fact is that a Shodan in one school may only be equivalent
to a purple belt in another school and vice versa. Keep in mind that
ranks and titles can and have been self-appointed and probably will
continue to be. One of the most famous proponents of Kenpo, Grand
Master Edmund Parker was self-appointed to the rank of 10th Dan, but
keep in mind he created his own style of Kenpo and could back his
claim with technique, years of experience, as well as recognition by
the World Head of Family Sokeship Council.
   Where to these masters come from?  Self promotion tends to be the
keys.  Many people change a few simple moves with little or no
research and come up with some new name for their art and
ayutomatically call themselves grandmaster soke 10 dan founder etc.
This is a bunch of junk.
   Koichi Tohei and Minoru Mochizuki are the only two recognized 10th
dans in Aikido.
   There are currently no 10th dans in judo and only a small handful
of 9th dans.
   There are only a small handful of karate 10th dans and most are
asian.  Even the late Ed Parker was self appointed to 10th dan and
never awarded that rnak by anyone.
   The problem American's have when it comes to martial arts is that
they want to be masters and grandmasters.  Being a student or
practicioner is not enough.  When peoiple start giving themselves
fancy grandmaster, soke, 10th Dans and master titles this is nothing
but out of control egos.  Adding a few moves while deleating a few
others does not make a new system.  You have to have plenty of
research, theory, and practical application in order to truely
consider it a new system or even style.  To develop a new art
requires even more work.

How the Masters Got Their Ranks:
Origins of the Karate Rank System

Throughout the course of our karatedo training, we take for granted
the grading system that awards our belt ranking and titles. Sometimes
this system is manifestly personal, with the headmaster--and only he--
bestowing each promotion directly, according to his own standards.
Often, the testing for and awarding of rank is a more bureaucratic
affair, with a committee exercising a perfunctory duty in a formally
standardized and even routine mannerless ceremony, yet somehow more
officious.

The recent writings of Hanshi Richard Kim of the Butoku-kai (Dojo
Fall 1993) taught how the dan/kyu (degree) system was adopted by
modem budo systems, promulgated by the Butoku-kai, and codified in
its final form for Japanese karatedo by the Federation of All Japan
Karatedo Organizations (FAJKO). To truly understand this ranking
system, it is important to gain a clearer insight into how the
various masters obtained their ranking, since that forms the basis
for your rank.

This much we know for certain: On April 12, 1924, Gichin Funakoshi,
the "Father of Modern Karate," awarded karate's first black belt dan
upon seven men. The recipients included Hironori Ohtsuka, founder of
wado-ryu karatedo, Shinken Gima, later of gima-ha shoto-ryu, and Ante
Tokuda, Gima's cousin, who received a nidan (second degree) black
belt. Like Gima, Tokuda had trained extensively in Okinawa before
coming to Japan proper. The others were Kasuya, Akiba, Shimizu and
Hirose. This beginning was a highly personal, yet formal ceremony in
which Funakoshi is said to have handed out lengths of black belting
to his pupils. Still there is no evidence that Funakoshi himself had
ranking in any budo under the dan/kyu system.

Actually, Funakoshi was greatly influenced by Jigoro Kano,
aristocratic founder of judo, and originator of the dan/kyu system.
Kano was a highly respected individual, and Funakoshi prided himself
on being an educated and "proper" man who rightly believed that he
was acting correctly. Kano's system was not only being applied to
judo, but to other budo as well under the aegis of the Butoku-kai and
the Japanese Ministry of Education. Funakoshi, then, just adopted the
order of the day: a ranking system officially sanctioned by Japan's
greatest martial arts entities. Funakoshi's own rank was of no
consequence, since it seems that belt ranking was really just
something for the students, not for headmasters.

For its part, the Butoku-kai issued instructor's licenses: the titles
renshi (the lowest), kyoshi, and hanshi (the highest). It would be a
while before the dan/kyu system became universal in karate. By the
end of the 1930s, each karate group was called upon to register with
the butoku-kai for official sanctioning, and in 1938, a meeting of
the Butoku-kai's official karatedo leaders was held in Tokyo. Its
purpose was to discuss the standards for awarding rank within their
art. Attending, among others, were Hironori Ohtsuka of wado-ryu,
Kenwa Mabuni of shito-ryu, Kensei Kinjo (Kaneshiro) and Sannosuke
Ueshima of kushin-ryu, Tatsuo Yamada of Nippon kempo, Koyu Konishi of
shindo-jinen-ryu, and a young Gogen Yamaguchi of goju-ryu. Most of
these men were founders of their own styles, and as such
automatically became the highest rank that their agreed-on respective
standards allowed. Yamaguchi assumed leadership of goju-ryu because,
we are told, goju-ryu's founder, Chojun Miyagi, personally asked him
to take the leadership of the style in Japan. About then, Funakoshi
also finalized the grading standards for use at his shotokan dojo.

Of course, the Butoku-kai continued to sanction head teachers
directly. This was not without controversy, however, since Konishi
sat on the board that awarded Funakoshi his renshi and Konishi had
been Funakoshi's student. Of course, Konishi had inside ties to the
Butoku-kai by virtue of birth, something the Okinawan Funakoshi could
not have.

Back on Okinawa, the dan/kyu system did not become universal until
after World War II. It was not unknown there, however, and some
individual teachers did utilize the black belt. Judo had been
practiced on Okinawa at least since the 1920s. In fact, it was at a
Judo Black Belt Association (Yudanshakai) meeting on Okinawa that
Miyagi and shito-ryu's Kenwa Mabuni demonstrated karate kata (forms)
for Jigoro Kano garnering praises from the judo founder. Miyagi, it
should be noted, became the first karate expert given the title of
kyoshi (master) from the butoku-kai in 1937. Miyagi was then
appointed chief of its Okinawan branch

After the ravages of war in the Pacific, the surviving karate leaders
had to begin anew. With the Butoku-kai administration shut down for
years to come, each karate group was on its own. The acknowledged
leaders of each faction, as well as individual dojo chiefs, gave out
dan ranks based upon all original sanctioning by the Butoku-kai or
mandates inherited directly from the ryu's founder.

Rushing in to fill the vacuum left by the Butoku-kai, various dojo
coalesced to perpetuate the art and legitimize its members' ranks. In
the late 1940s and early 1950s, each new association, including the
Gojukai, Shito-kai, Chito-kai, Shotokai and Japan Karate associations
codified their rules and issued rank accordingly. Generally, several
instructors created a board of directors or council to govern the
association. Some officer, be it the chief instructor, president,
director or chairman would have signature authority on menjo (rank
certificates). In this way, the senior-most members would attain
their rank by being acknowledged and "signed off" by the board or
committee. Other times, a senior member of one faction would attain
high enough rank from the faction-head to then go out and form his
own style or organization. Supposedly, the famous Masutatsu Oyama
received his eighth dan from Goju-kai head Gogen Yamaguchi. Oyama
later formed his own style that was not completely a type of goju-ryu.

Usually in a legalistic and officious way these groups would simply
adopt or adhere to some even higher authority or granting agency to
further legitimize their actions. Recognition by the Japanese
Ministry of Education was the ultimate sanction for individuals and
groups in these times. Also new associations -- both in Japan proper
and in Okinawa -- appeared. These became the grantor ranking
authority, much in the way the Butoku-kai had acted previously. These
new organizations were to set the pattern and be the original source
for today's ranking. As with the single-style clubs, the head
instructors often assumed the rank for which they were qualified,
based on criteria they wrote themselves.

One of the first was the All Japan Karatedo Federation, which seems
to have started shortly after World War II as a confederation of
headmasters such as Funakoshi, Chitose, Mabuni, Yamaguchi and Toyama.
They regularized the dan/kyu system to some extent, and with this
group the modern Japanese karate ranking system became the norm. This
unity did not last however. For example, the ranking was not
consistent from group to group in the upper levels. The shotokan
associations such as the JKA and the Shotokai only used up to godan
(fifth rank) at this time. As a result, some groups had ceased to
participate by the early 1950s.

Even more reminiscent of the Butoku-kai was the International Martial
Arts Federation (IMAF), known as the Kokusai Budoin. Originally named
the National Japan Health Association, IMAF was launched in 1952 by
powerful martial artists from several disciplines. From judo there
was Kyuzo Mifune, Kazuo Ito and Shizuo Sato. From kendo came Hakudo
Nakayama and Hiromasa Takano, and from karatedo there was Hironori
Ohtsuka. Its first chairman was Prince Tsunenori Kaya. From the
start, IMAF was set up by senior martial artists to preserve and
promote various budo to create a mutually supportive network. A
ranking system consisting of first through tenth dan, as well as the
title system of renshi, kyoshi and hanshi, was adopted. Now highly
respected and skilled instructors could have a direct avenue for
promotion themselves. Several karateka including Gogen Yamaguchi,
Hironori Ohtsuka (I and II), and more recently, Hirokazu Kanazawa of
shotokan, received their highest grades through IMAF.

For Okinawa, the dan/kyu system did not really take hold until 1956,
with the formation of the Okinawa Karate Association (OKF). Chosin
Chibana, first to name his system shorin-ryu, was the first
president. According to the historical data of the Shudokan (a
Japanese group started by Kanken Toyama in Tokyo), Chibana and Toyama
were officially recognized by the Japanese Ministry of Education to
grant any rank in the art of karate, regardless of style. Chibana
helped organize the OKF, and it was then that the mainstream Okinawan
groups, on a widespread basis, began differentiating their black belt
ranks as other than simple teacher and student demarcations.

A talented and, some say, colorful character, Toyama gave several
certifications as largess to dojo heads in Okinawa and Japan proper.
These were usually shibucho ("superintendent," from the feudal area
commander title) diplomas. These certifications set up the
individuals so named as head of their own branch of the All Japan
Karatedo Federation and, by extension, of their own groups. Eizo
Shimabuku, founder of the shobayashi-ryu/shorin-ryu faction (a Kyan-
type tomarite/shurite shorin-ryu blend), traces his own tenth dan to
a Toyama certification. Shimabuku's assumption of the tenth dan, and
his wearing of a red belt, was not without dispute, and it was
controversies of this type that led most Okinawan leaders to eschew
the red belt altogether.

The AJKF did not last as a unified group of different styles in Japan
proper. Toyama's foray back to Okinawa did lead later to the
formation of the AJKF-Okinawa Branch with the organizing help of
Isamu Tamotsu. Tamotsu became a student of Okinawa's Zenryo Shimabuku
(of Kyan-type shorinryu) and would become known as the soke (style
head) of the Japanese faction of Shorinji-ryu. In 1960, the Okinawan
branch of the AJKF organized with Zenryo Shimabuku as president. A
constituent group of this AJKF was the Okinawa Kempo League headed up
by Shigeru Nakamura and Zenryo Shimabuku as a loose confederation of
various technique sharing dojo.

Like other associations, the AJKF Okinawa Branch provided for the
ranking of its member instructors. It operated as a rival to the
Okinawa Karate Federation. However, it did not last long either and
its member schools drifted away and formed other alliances. Its
emblem did not die, however. The same patch is still used by Tsuyoshi
Chitose's Chito-kai. The center karate leaders continued on their own
or became part of other groups, using authority inherited mostly from
members of one of the original Okinawan organizations, the most
significant is the All Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Rengokai. Formed by
Seitoku Higa as a successor to the Okinawa Federation in 1967, the
Okinawa detail of the emblem was used to distinguish each member
group.

Chitose was a founding member of the original Japanese AJKF, but his
tenth dan was issued in 1958, according to the Chitokai, by the All
Okinawa Karate Kobudo Rengokai. His hanshi title was issued by the
same group in 1962. This is confusing however, since the AOKK-
Rengokai was not formed until 1967. It grew out of an earlier group:
the Okinawa Kobudo Federation that was organized in 1961. This later
group was organized by Seitoku Higa (of various lineages related to
shorin-ryu) and Seikichi Uehara (molobu-ryu). Higa had been ranked by
Toyama while living in Japan and may have been connected with the
original AJKF.

As we learned from Richard Kim, the most significant event in the use
of the dan/kyu system in karate was the formation of the FAJKO in
1964. All the major groups and factions of Japanese karatedo were
brought under FAJKO's umbrella. By 1971, a ranking structure was
adopted that standardized all the systems. High rank was issued to
FAJKO member instructors by the organization's board. In this way,
heads of constituent organizations could be upgraded, much as in
earlier attempts at confederacy. An earlier, but smaller, confederacy
of schools with rank-sanctioning authority was the Japan Karatedo
Rengokai, which still exists and is a member of FAJKO.

After the birth of FAJKO, the JKA upgraded its own ranking
requirements to conform. Sixth and eighth dans were awarded in the
JKA back in the mid-1960s, and Hidetaka Nishiyama in Los Angeles was
one of those upgraded at that time. Though not all groups participate
in FAJKO these days, most still are tied to that organization in
terms of rank structure and sanction. Others, not so tied, have
conformed to the FAJKO criteria and standards nonetheless.

Shortly after FAJKO was launched, the Okinawans formed the All
Okinawa Karatedo Federation as a successor to the old OKF. Members of
both the OKF and AJKF-Okinawa Branch became part of the new
association. Some of Okinawa's most mainstream karate leaders formed
the AOKF board. These included Nagamine, Zenryo Shimabuku, Meitoku
Yagi of gojuryu, Kanei Uechi of uechi-ryu and Yuchoku Higa of shorin-
ryu. They adopted a dan/kyu and renshi, kyoshi, hanshi (plus a
hanshisei) system almost identical to FAJKOs.

Other karate leaders continued on their own or became part of other
groups, using authority inherited mostly from members of one of the
original Okinawan organizations. Probably the most significant is the
All Okinawa Karate and Kobudo Rengokai. Formed by Seitku Higa as a
successor to the Okinawa Kobudo Federation in 1967, the Okinawa
Rengokai also adopted very similar standards to the AOKF. Higa's
organizations had certified as hanshi--and hence supreme instructor--
several who were style or group heads in their own right. These
included Shinsuke Kaneshima of Tozan-ryu from shurite, Hohan Soken of
matsumura shorin-ryu, Shinpo Matayoshi of matayoshi kobudo Kenko
Nakaima of ryuel-ryu, ShianToma of shorin-ryu (Kyan type) and motobu-
ryu, Tatsuo Shimabuku of isshin-ryu, Shosei Kina of uhuchiku kobudo,
and Zenryo Shimabuku of shorin-ryu.

It is clear that karate ranks sprang from several original sources --
a relatively modem construct on an old martial art. It was issued by
individuals and institutions with set standards that were recognized
by other prestigious groups and individuals. And this is the crux of
the matter: For rank to be recognized, the bestower must be
recognized within karate's mainstream community. It must be based in
tradition, and linked to a body or sanctioned individual who is
perceived as beyond reproach. The standards by which rank is achieved
and given must be recognizable, and conform to already existing norms
in the Okinawan/Japanese martial arts hierarchy. Anyone can print up
or write a fancy certificate, but absent of any governmental or legal
guidelines, it is the recognition and acceptance by existing groups
and institutions that give each ranking group or individual its
legitimacy.

The development of the ranking system is a typically human
development, with rivalries and contradictions, and our own masters
received their rank in different ways. The highest-ranked of the old
masters did not-could not-receive the tenth dan from their "style."
They were invariably ranked by someone else and applied this grade to
their own group. This is still true. As in a medieval European
knighting, originally any knight could dub another, then regal
institutions took over. However, it is the skill and knowledge that
gains the rank, not vice versa. The quest for rank, per se, misses
the point.

I have been asked if kenpo karate is the best martial art.  This is
a complex question from the very start.  I don't think there is a
perfect martial art or that one system is the best.  All martial arts
have good aspects.  An Okinawan saying is that people may take
different paths up the mountain but everyone can see the heavens when
they get there.  I think the basis of most arts and styles follows
this principle.  Some styles are better for tournament competition
while other are better for self defense.  Some work great on a thick
wrestling mat but have limited use on the street surface which may be
asphalt, concrete, or gravel.
   Each art was originally designed for the people of the region where
the are originated.  Along with that techniques were developed to
defend with certain types of adversaries.  Traditional techniques are
very powerful but lack fluidity and speed.  This may be okay if your
are fighting a warrior clad in armor who's reflexes will be slowed by
the weight and confinement of the armor.  Today however very few
people wear armor therefore their reflexes will not be slowed, thus
you have to fight in a different way.  Your techniques do not need to
be as powerful because you do not have to punch through rigid armor
to inflict damage on your opponent.  This is why in kenpo we do not
do the traditional chambering.  A punch that will break one board
will do just a much damage to bare fresh as a punch that can break
through three boards.  The extra power is generally not needed and is
simply a waste of energy.
   Further I do not have an illusions about the art.  It's been around
a long time and many of the bugs have been worked out.  But in order
to stay realistic it needs to continue to evolve to be practical
against today's thugs and attackers who would do you harm.
   While the school is unique here in the Midwest it not a brand new
concept.  I do not see myself as a Bruce Lee figure developing a new
art.  Sadly many people do this.  They pull several techniques from a
few different styles, combine them and thick they have developed a
new art.  While they may be able to start a new school or even a
system if they get larger enough the art remains the same.
   I feel the importance of teaching martial arts is to be able to
pass it along to the next generation to ensure that my great grand
children will be able to find quality instruction if they so choose
after I'm dead.  Knowledge is power that few people want to pass on
or give away.  It's like money in a way which is considered to be the
root of all evil.  Even if you gather a bunch of knowledge what good
is it if you do not pass it on?  None.  Like money, you can't take
knowledge with you when you die.  It is your responsibility to pass
it on.  Be doing so you reach enlightenment and gain immortality.
   So to answer the first question, what is the best martial art,
system, style, or school?  The one that you believe in, practice, and
follow for a lifetime.

Congratulations to Zach B. for being promoted to yellow belt.
Congratulations also go out to Elias and Kent for being promoted to
Orange belt.  You all are doing a good job and will reach black belt
if you keep with it.  Good job and keep up the hard work and
dedication.

Well AKKA held it's first seminar titled SELF DEFENSE COURSE FOR
WOMEN.  It was a great success.  The seminar started at 1130 AM
after our normal Saturday morning class and ended at 2 PM.  Various
topics of self protection were covered and the women got a chance to
get hands on trying defensive techniques and stikes against AKKA
staff members wearing padded gear.
   Thanks to Kent and Elias for you assistance in getting people
signed up and also for being human targets.
   AKKA plans on having more seminars covering various tpoics monthly
or bi-monthly.

I've been considering having a karate camp this summer pending
interest and available funds.  This is just int he idea stage right
now.  I went to a taekwondo camp in 1992 or 1993 that was held at
Richmond Lake if I remember correctly.  This would be a similar
event.  I'm looking for input from club members on this.  It would
probably be a 2 1/2 day event.  People would show up Friday
afternoon or evening.  Train all day on Saturday and finish up on
Sunday afternoon.
   When I say train all day I mean there would be different martial
art related events going on.  I'd like to bring in different
instructors to put on classes.
We'd get up in the morning and do some sort of PT (physical
training) such aa a run or cardio.  Have breakfast then do class
work of some sort until lunch.  More training until supper.  Have
some training after supper or discussion.  In the evening maybe
watch a martial art movie such as DRAGON: The Bruce Lee Story.
   It would be nice to have some sort of obstacle course and maybe
even a competition on the last day.
   Again this is just in the idea stage and planning right now.
Because of finances we may have to wait until summer of 2006 to do
this.
   It would be nice to open this up to other dojos throughout the
state.  All meals (6 that is) would be provided: Friday supper, Sat
breakfast, lunch, supper, Sunday breakfast and lunch. I wouldn't
want cost to be more than $100 per person at the most.  A lot of the
cost would depend on what cabins cost to rent etc.
   Again I'm looking for some input on this.  Let me know what you
think and what you'd like to see or do.  Just remember that we will
probably have students of all ages at an event like this.

Just a reminder that students are expected to wear their karate gi
when training during class.  There are many reasons for this.  First
of all it looks more professional if all students are in uniform
when new or prospective students come to visit the dojo.  Second of
all it's a matter of safety and practicality.  You don't wear jeans
to go swimming, you wear a swimming suit.  To play hockey you wear
ice skates and protective gear not tennis shoes.  The same applies
to karate.  Wearing street clothes can be a safety concern because
people could forget to take items out of their pockets.  Also the
karate uniform is designed to allow kicking and will handle the
abuse better than street clothes.  Jeans don't allow for proper
kicks as they are too confining.  Also t-shirts will tear when doing
throws and trapping drills.  There may be a time this summer if it
gets too hot in the dojo or if we train outside when we don't wear
the gi tops or wear street clothes but for the most part we will
train in gis.  Brown belt and higher students have the option of
wearing white or black gis.  You do not need to wear you gi during
open workouts but it's still a good idea.  If you don't wear your gi
during open workouts you are still expected to wear appropriate
attire such as sweatpants.

There have been a few questions regarding minimum ages for belt
ranks, weapons training, and such.
   I don't like to impose set in stone minimum ages for anything but
here are the follwoing:
must be 7 years of age or older to train in kenpo karate.
must be either a brown belt or 16 years of age to train with sharp
weapons (swords, sharp kamas, and shuriken).
must be a yellow belt to train with kobudo weapons (sai, cane,
tonfa, bo staff, escrima, kama, and nunchaku).
must be 16 years old to be a black belt.

Now again the above terms are not set in stone.  As far as minimum
age to train it varies depending on the child.  If a child has the
ability to follow along in class and understand simple instructions
I will train them.  We currently have a 5 year old white belt as
proof of this.  I feel the great benefit of martial arts training
should be available at any age if the student wants to train.  This
is done on a case by case basis.

Because of liability issues you must be a brown belt to train with
live blades.  Again this can be waived by the head instructor(s)
under certain circumstances.  This will depend on maturity level and
ability level.  There are some adults that I would not train with
live blades because they are not mature enough.  This is why I have
put the brown belt level in there.  If you start young enough you
may obtain your brown belt prior to being 16 years old.  Also if a
student shows great ability and sincere devotion to the art and the
truely want to train in swordsmanship I will train them.

To train with the kobudo weapons you need to know the basic empty
hand movements and stances.  A weapon is simply an extention of your
body or more specifically your hand.  If you do not know the basic
stances and movements and have trouble with simple things how do you
expect to use a dangerous weapon?  Yes these weapons are dangerous
that is the very nature of weapons.  These were designed not as wall
hangings but as weapons to kill with.  They are just as effective
today as they were 500 years ago.  With proper supervision kobudo
can be learned in a safe environment with very little risk to the
user.  Because kobudo is taught the same way as kenpo the advanced
techniques come only after you have learned the basic ones.  Just
because there are now age limits does not mean that anyone at any
age can train in kobudo.  Instructors reserve the right to refuse
training to any student(s) for safety reasons due to a lack of
maturity or ability.

The minimum age of black belt (shodan) is again not set in stone.
I'm just trying to avoid 9 year old black belts from running
around.  The reason behind this is that 9 year olds lack the
maturity level and understanding to be considered black belts.  It
wasn't until I was a black belt for several years did I truely
understand what being a black belt was all about.  At that level
students need to take their training to a higher level.  Young
karateka lack the ability to train at that level.  again this is not
set in stone.  If someone shoes real ability and maturity I will
promote them to black belt prior to age 16.  I remember seeing an
article in a martial arts magazine about a 10 year old 2nd degree
black belt that was the Arkansas state Taekwondo champion four years
in a row.  Now is that child really that good or have the levels by
which black belts are judged fallen to a lower level?  As I have
mentioned before someone can be a great martial artist and be good
at self defense without ever becoming a black belt.

As far as minimum go that's just life.  Minimum driving age in SD is
14 and even then there are more restrictions that a regular licensed
driver.  Minimum drinking age is 21.  Minimum voting age is 18.  As
far as the minimum ages for higher ranks that will take care of
itself.  There are minimum time periods between the Dan ranks.  As
mention on a previous post, you need to be a black belt for a
minimum of 31 years before you can become an 8th Dan and that is if
you test and pass every time at every minimum time period.

The first word will be in Japanese, the second will be how to
pronounce it then a short definition of the term.

Yoi (yoy) get ready / get into a ready stance

Hajime (hah-jee-meh) begin

Yame (yah-meh) stop

Yasume (yah-su-meh) relax

Rei (ray) bow

Seiza (say-zah) sit..in formal sitting position

Shomen ni rei (show-men nee ray) bow to the front of the dojo

Sensei ni rei (sen-say nee ray) bow to the instructor

Otaigai ni rei (oh-tie-guy nee ray) bow to each other / partner

Shugo (shoo-go) formation / fall in line or formation

Kiotsuke (kee-o-tah-sue-kee) attention

To clear up some confusion on the Dan ranks reagrding minimum times
for each rank:
**see "Titles" post for explanation of Dan ranks**

Shodan (1st Degree)- We have yet to decide on a minimum age.  It will
probably be somewhere between 12 and 16 years of age.  There is no
specific time frame on how long it takes to become a Shodan however
usually on average it takes 2 years.  This depends on how hard and
how often you train.

Nidan (2nd Degree)- Must be a Shodan for a minimum of 1 year before
you can test for Nidan.

Sandan - Must be a Nidan for a minimum of 2 years before you test for
Sandan.

Yondan - Must be a Sandan for a minimum of 3 years before you test
for Yondan.

Godan - Must be a Yondan for a minimum of 4 years before you test for
Godan.

Rokudan - Must be a Godan for a minimum of 5 years before you test
for Rokudan.

Shichidan - Must be a Rokudan for a minimum of 6 years before you
test for Shichidan.

Hachidan - Must be a Shichidan for a minimum of 10 years before you
test for Hachidan.

In short you must be a black belt for a minimum of 31 years before
you can be promoted to Hachidan (8th degree black belt).

Kudan is only awarded to school founders who are a minimum of
Hachidan after a life time of involvement in the martial arts.
Although there is no set time it's usually 50 or more years of
training.

Judan is awarded honorary to founders of a style or to Kudan
instructors after their death (or right before they die).

As far as the times for titles go...

Renshi - must be a Yondan for a minimum of 2 years.  This title would
be similar to Bachelor of Arts.

Kyoshi - must be a rokudan or renshi for a minimum of 2 years.
This title would be similar to a Master of the Arts.

Hanshi - Must be a hachidan and a minimum of 50 years of age and must
already have kyoshi title.  This title would be similar to a Doctor
of Philosophy.

Soke - it's not awarded, only inherited and you must be a family
member (or adopted family member) and also be the highest ranking
student and leader of the style or ryu (school/dojo).  **note:
adopted does not mean legal adoption via the court system.  In this
case in means having been made a member of the family of the
founder/current head instructor.  The art is passed down to you and
by doing so you are a member of the family with a much tighter bond
than even by blood.**

There have been a few questions regardining titles and terms.  This
post will cover titles and a later post will cover terms.
   First off colored belt ranks (white through brown belt) are
refered to as Kyu ranks.  Black belt ranks are refered to as Dan
ranks.  Specifically:
1st degree black belt - Shodan
2nd - Nidan
3rd - Sandan
4th - Yondan
5th - Godan
6th - Rokudan
7th - Nanadan
8th - Hachidan
9th - Kudan
10th - Judan

Certain titles are also awarded:
Sifu - experienced teacher, must be a minimum of 3rd Dan to get this
title.
Sempai - senior student (assistant instructors)
Kohai - junior students
Shihan - master (chief instructor) must be a minimum of 6th Dan to
get this title.
Renshi - Polished Instructor, must be a minimum of 4th Dan to get
this title
Kyoshi - Professor Instructor, must be a minimum of 7th Dan to get
this title.  Must have a great understanding of budo philosophy.
Kancho - head of the school
Sensei - teacher/instructor, not a title but a term students use to
refer to their teacher as a sign of respect.
Soke - Inheritor, head of an art not just a school or style.  Very
rare term seldomly encountered.
Shidoshi - Instructor of ninjutsu
(name)San - used after saying a person's name, similar to using Mr
or Mrs.
Hanshi - reflects a person's lifestyle rather than skill level.
It's someone who has maintained and followed the martial way
throughout their lifetime.

The next post will cover terms used in training.  Most specifics on
the above titles will be in the student manuals.

There have been a few questions about weapons training.  Student
are required to learn at least one weapon in order to get your black
belt.  There are 7 traditional kobudo weapons a student can pick
from.  They are: kama, sai, nunchaku, bo staff, escrima, tonfa, &
cane.  Although cane was not an original part of traditional kobudo
we are including it because it is so similar to a hand bo or short
staff and is very effective.  After a student learns a weapon and
can demonstrate it to the instructors they are awarded a weapons
patch that is worn below the US flag on the left arm.  We are not
looking for mastery just a good working knowledge of the weapon.
   To answer a second question the sword does not fall into the
catagory or required weapons.  Use of the sword is an art all by
itself.  Although we will students how to use a sword if the want
they will still need to learn one of the 7 previously listed kobudo
weapons prior to testing for black belt.  This same rule applies to
other weapons such as the shoge and other exotic weapons.
   Be sure to check out the pics of the patches and weapons in the
photos section.
   Also you must be a minimum of a yellow belt to start weapons
training.  Sharp weapons will not be taught to minors (any one under
age 16 no exceptions.  Age 16 to 18 only with parental consent).
You can still learn sword use with a bokan, a wooden sword.  Most
sharp weapons are also made in a wooden or rubber training version.
Students will be required to by their own weapons.  Prices for
nunchuku are around $10.  Bo staffs can be found for $25 and up.  If
you want to order a weapon(s) let us know and we'll try to get you
the best deal possible.  You can by equipment one your own but it
needs to be inspected by an instructor prior to you using it at the
dojo for safety reasons and to make sure you have the correct type.