BROCHURE

This was the Ed Parker I studied and trained with. EdKeila Vald Cuarto de hotel barato was in his prime, physically (6' tall. 190-205 pounds) and age wise. Not only did Ed teach, but he worked out with us personally on each technique. It was always "hands on" when Ed taught. Ask him a question about a technique and the answer was always the same: "Let's find out!" Translation: you were going to get hit! As Ed would point out, "there is only one way to know if a technique would work: do it for real"! Ed personally taught all advanced classes (minimum of two each week). And it was always hands on, hands on. In every class he always taught at least 2 new self defense techniques. A little math: 4 new techniques a week times 52 weeks = 208 a year X 4 years = 832! In many cases he taught 3 and 4 new techniques per lesson. Back then, 1957-61, very little time was spent on kata so most of the time was spend on self defense techniques.

Many a time I will hear one of the people in Kenpo comment than someone " moves just like the 'Old Man'" (an old military term coming from the navy: a sign of respect for the head of the ship - but never uttered in his presence). But very few of them ever saw or worked with Ed Parker when he was a young man - nor did they go out running with him! If you thought Ed moved well when he was 50 or 60 years of age, you should have seen him when he was 25-35 years of age. Nor did many see the incredible "breaking" power Ed had: bare fist against boards, bricks, concrete and roofing tile! No spacers, no padding - only bare knuckle meeting solid resistance. As good as Ed was, he stated he was not even in the league of his instructor, William Chow. After I had been studying with Ed for a little over a year he turned most of the breaking at demonstrations over to me. Dumb me - smart ED! Back then (50's) everyone was expected to develop their hands and do breaking. Ed's studio had two makiwaras out in back and a long bench that held buckets full of rice, sand, lead shot and gravel (smooth and rough). All of us carried a "hand makiwara" - 4" x 6" x 3/4" wrapped with four layers of burlap. When you were not at the studio, while watching TV, you would be striking the "hand makiwara" with your fist, sword hand, finger tips, eagle's beak; heel palm. The "macho" contest was to see who would wear through the four layers of burlap, down to bare wood, the fastest. Stupid me: I was also the "winner."

NOTE ON BREAKING AND DEVELOPING YOUR HANDS - Don't even consider it! I was lucky I never broke any bones; and after 10 years - at age 32 - I gave up all breaking. With one exception! I was at a demonstration put on by my senior students in San Jose. I was simply there as a "guest" so at the end of their demonstration they asked me to do some breaking. So in regular street clothes I did what turned out to be one of my most famous breaks. Famous because someone was there with a camera to record it. Click here for a photo of that break. After that I stopped developing or using the hands for breaking. Most others who were doing it at the same time ended up with major injuries - all of them had broken hands and bones. Everyone I have ever talked to who did heavy breaking when they were young regrets it now - and most are now living with those lifetime injuries.

If you did not finish every demonstration with an "impressive" breaking, the demonstration was a failure. It would be at one of these demonstrations at the Beverly Wiltshire Hotel that we would all meet Elvis Presley for the first time. Story time: It was also at this same demonstration that Ed was using Chuck Pranky (in the Mr. America competition he had won "best abdominal") - as Ed was doing a warm up kick to Chuck's mid section, he caught Chuck by surprise . . . as Chuck started to collapse, I on one side and my brother on the other caught him by both arms and kept him from collapsing to the floor. Ed saw what had happened and distracted everyone's attention momentarily by asking Elvis a question. Chuck soon recovered - and only afterward did we tell him that Ed had knocked him out with one of the "warm-up" kicks.

Below is the inside three panels of the brochure - Below the three panels are the individual pages enlarged for easier reading.

Note the straw tatami's on the floor. The tatami's were imported from Japan and measured 3' X 6' X 2" and were covered with a green vinyl with a rice design. They were the same mats used in Japanese homes. Shoes were never allowed on the mats. .Ed Parker's studios were alwasy matted for rolling and falling. When we first started studying with Ed Parker we were taught falling and rolling before we were taught how to kick and punch. Every class stared with a period of meditation - bow in - warm up - then ALWAYS falling and rolling. Then self defense techniques. After Ed Parker had developed his first group of Advanced students, he never taught the beginner's class; that was always done by the Senior students. The original studio was less than 1200 sq. ft. The workout area measured about 20' X 40'. Twenty students would fill up the mat.

(Panel 3) Top picture - once again Chuck Sullivan - Bottom Picture: Jim Tracy

Chuck Sullivan, myself and my brother Jim would all get our Black Belts from Ed Parker in 1962. Click here for to see my original diploma Shodan Diploma.

Notice in 1962 Ed Parker is still using his original Kenpo Karate of America Association.

Click here to see my Sandan (3rd Degree Black Diploma. Note Ed Parker had now formed the IKKA - International Kenpo Karate Association.

Note: In the early days of the studio very few children were taught - note that none of the youth even have Gi's!