Principles

The Kenpo Creed

“I come to you with only Karate, empty hands, I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, of right or wrong; then here are my weapons, Karate, my empty hands.”             Ed Parker

Important Rules

1.  Establish Your Base.  If you are off balance nothing will work.

2.  Create Distance - get away from the attacker.

3.  Control, disarm, technique.  Your first priority in an attack is to control whatever weapon an attacker might have.  Second, disarm the attacker and third, run your technique to dispose of the threat.

4.  Strike high/check low & strike low/check high.  Anytime you strike an attacker high, you must check for a low counter by the attacker.  Same goes for when you strike low; make sure you check high.  The check might be with a leg, arm or hand; doesn't matter as long as your vital areas aren't exposed to the attacker.

The 3 Stages Of Learning

1.  Embryonic - You know nothing about Karate and are just beginning to learn the basic steps involved in techniques and forms.

2.  Mechanical - You understand the mechanics of running techniques, but not necessarily the flow between techniques and you can't react instinctively to an attack.

3.  Spontaneous - You understand both the mechanics of running techniques and how they flow together.  You properly react to an attack without thinking.

General Rules

1. Establish your base
2. Strike high, check low
3. Front hand neutral bow
4. Rear hand forward bow
5. Shuffles go where they are needed

Principles of Body Momentum

Torque

Back-up mass – depth

Gravitational marriage – height

1. Hammer – High to low
2. Thrust – Low to high
3. Whip – snap
4. Slice

Eight Considerations of Combat

1. Environment - Conditions that confront us on a daily basis. It involves social and cultural conditions, objects around us, thoughts that are in us, condition of our bodies, weather conditions, ability of your opponent, objects which an opponent may use, and all other factors that influence our chances of survival. It is everything around you, on you, and in you at the time of confrontation.
2. Range - The distance which exists between you and your opponent.
3. Positions - How your or your opponent's body is angled.
4. Maneuvers - Ways you can move your feet, arms or body to initiate or avoid an attack. Methods used to close or extend your range.
5. Targets - Important areas on your or your opponent's body which when struck can be injured or damaged.
6. Weapons - availability of both natural weapons and nearby objects that could be used as a weapon.
7. Blocks - A defensive maneuver used to hinder or check an attack; all defensive moves employing physical contact to check, cushion, deflect, redirect, or stop an offensive move.
8. Cover - The repositioning of your body into a protective pose while creating distance between you and your opponent. This is usually done by shifting the forward leg to the opposite side as you turn and face the opposite direction. This maneuver will not only create distance, as you turn and face the unknown, but will help decelerate your opponent's action as well. A notable characteristic using this maneuver, when used as an exercise, and depending on the lead leg, is that you will continue to move laterally, away from your original stance.