How Kenpo Black Belts are Different From Karate

How does black belts in Kenpo differ from the belt system found in other traditional Karate systems? In this video we'll talk about the general belt ranks and the unique titles and traditions found in Kenpo.
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PATREON ◼ / artofonedojo
#kenpo
#kenpokarate
#americankenpo

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

The Kenpo black belt to me was my entry into a new phase of learning, practicing, and teaching. It isn't the red lines on the belt that indicate the skill it's the application of the knowledge. Practice hard, practice with respect. The longer you take to heal the less you're practicing. 🙏🏻

[@robertjugueta2700]

I like what u said. For us (kajukenbo), it's much the same way. The "colored belts" show where they are at in the training program. This really just means they have tested certain techniques, anything in the belt level or below as to be on point. From white belt, all learn all techniques. From "back belt" (what we call student black belt) starts the phase of instruction of tying to perfect techniques and also, more "teaching time". I say it that way because all belts are responsible for teaching and perfecting lower belts.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

@@robertjugueta2700 Thank you for sharing your comment. I agree with your philosophy about student involvement in their martial arts continuing education. Be well Robert 🙏🏻

[@TheOctabreaker]

To me, this is any martial art (how how I personally think it should be) in Tang Soo Do we use "gup" in place of "kyu"( and my association does the colors a little different, but there are 10 gups, a "cho dan bo" which is dark blue and signifies you have learned the basics and are perfecting things to earn your black belt. You're a black belt candidate basically ) Black belt doesn't mean you know everything, black belt doesn't mean you're perfect. To me it means you've learned the basics, you can teach the basics, and you are good enough at the "main curriculum" that you can start working on the higher more advanced things. It doesn't signify an end of learning to me, rather a transition into harder, more and slightly different learning.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

@@TheOctabreaker I appreciate your insights into Tang Soo Do. Regarding your assertion that rank of black belt is just another phase of learning; the lifetime experience is relatable. If an inflated ego is the result, perhaps reassesing the motivation is due. Blessed Be. 🙏🏻

[@mattgarcia1099]

Everybody who says that is already a black belt.

[@fourscorpio]

Kenpo is a fascinating style -- when I was first exposed to it in the mid '80s, it really did have a Chinese feel to it. The style Kajukenbo has the same roots as Ed Parker, and my sensei incorporated a lot of it into our Okinawan Kenpo practice. Though we don't do the red stripes - our obi has kanji for the style and our name in katakana on the other side.

[@markfoster908]

It was interesting that you reference Mr Parker’s Coast Guard service. As a Navy veteran I have noticed Kenpo black belt striping does resemble Navy officer sleeve striping, especially Capt to Admiral stripes.If your interested just do a google search, Navy or Coast Guard officer ranking. Love your vids.

[@TheOctabreaker]

As a navy vet, once he mentioned it, it made sense to me!

[@dianegonzales7345]

My husband received his black through Ed Parker back in the 60's.

[@rchapel]

As usual, a good job sir. Originally, there were no "color" belts other than the "white" and "black" belts. Over time as the curriculum began to develop color belts were added to reflect these changes and to incentivize student retention. Especially when Mr. Parker converted to the Modern System and its commercialization. Initially, students were given black "tips" on a white belt until reaching the rank of Black. Then the "brown" belt was added followed by "green," "purple,' "orange," and "blue." Lastly, Yellow Belt" was added. This is significant because yellow had no real relationship to the rest of the system. Created as an afterthought, it was extrapolated from a women's self-defense course. At the time the system was using 32 technique charts and the techniques at the time included what were later called "extensions." It took so long to make "orange," student retention was a problem with beginners. So, to boost student retention, "Yellow" was created primarily at the urgings of the late Tom Kelly. Consisting of only 10 Techniques, it was a "sample" of techniques from the overall curriculum. Ultimately, that became a problem because most of the material was overly complex and contained basics beyond a beginner's level to execute successfully. This caused some techniques in the yellow Rank to be dropped, modified, or re-named to suit the level of the student, although the basics/rank disparity issue was never actually resolved. Ultimately, Mr. Parker wanted to cut the charts in half to 16 but considered that too drastic for a single adjustment and settled on 24 for "about 5 years" as he put it. Then cutting off the endings of the techniques and moving them up to "Blue/Green" gave us the extensions. Mind you this was before there were brown belt charts at all. However, at the time there were only 32 extensions to match the charts. So when the adjustment was made that meant we were short extensions for the now fleshed-out charts at 24. It is also the reason why in the early days the orange techniques had no "cross and covers" at the end because the techniques were not finished until you learned the extensions. Concerning the "degree" stripes on black belts, that was a product of the commercialization of the business to incentivize instructors. I made Black in 1963 and I never wore stripes until Mr. Parker created the commercial system after declaring bankruptcy from a bad business deal with "Action Karate Magazine." The creation of "Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate" created many of these protocols including, the belt stripes. Mr. Parker himself never wore stripes until he reached the 7th Degree. The 5th degree "brick" as it was called, was a combination of Mr. Parker's military experience in the Coast Guard and the execution by Tom Kelly. There was a mistake made that stuck. Originally, the idea by Mr. Parker was to create the solid bar for 5th. However, when Tom Kelly executed it, he didn't fill in the blanks as Mr. Parker thought he was going to do, which would have made the bar 2 1/2 inches, he simply made it 5 inches and Mr. Parker accepted it. - Dr. Chapél

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Very interesting and insightful information Sir, I appreciate the backstory on the bars and stripes. We did cover some of the early belt rankings in a previous episode but you've added a lot of great additional context here so thank you. I can understand why students got discouraged trying to reach orange belt, that is a LOT of material and unfortunately a lot of people are more concerned with the colors around the waist then what they are learning. I personally like the Yellow belt techniques, even though they were an afterthought there is still a ton of juicy Kenpo to dig in there. I understand there are some complex ideas in it, but I do disagree that they were too complex for a beginning student. I'm a personal believer of throwing in a few advanced tidbits to beginners so they can get a taste of things to come. When I started in 93, or yellow belt consisted of the original 10, with Intellectual Departure, Aggressive Twins, and Spreading Branch. We never questioned them or thought them too complex, we were already doing a lot of those complex moves just reviewing basics. When I saw the alternate list later with Sword and Hammer and Alternating Maces and Captured Twigs...I found THOSE jarring and I didn't like them as much as the original. So right now, I just consider Yellow belt has having 13 techniques and I study them all. I'm still finding layers so a student could easily spend a couple of years with yellow belt alone and get a wealth of information.

[@tsan3796]

That is correct some interesting history in Parker system professor Chapel covering evolution of belt ranking and curriculum . According to Huk Planas / Mr Vea - Tom Kelly started the solid bar for 5th degree it stuck and I even recall conversation the black GI uniform was Toms idea for instructors Interesting tidbit in American Kenpo history Mr A.E Vea was the VP of the IKKA of East Coast. In 1970 promoted to 4th degree by Mr. Parker they both shared ideas innovation in “Americanizing” martial arts Mr Vea operated the 1st IKKA studio in Midwest / tournament director for IKKA sanctioned competitions in region . As the IKkA was branching out instructors were discovering the curriculum was overwhelming amount of material for the beginning especially children pupils. Mr Vea had discussion with EKP for adjusting system as well to 24 techs and got Mr Parker’s blessing to do so and began teaching 24 techs per belt before “big red” manual was written compiled I believe this was inspiration helped create model for Mr Parker to revamp the system and create the web of knowledge by reorganizing curriculum. He seemed open and respected his top instructor’s input in developing refining his system. I still have the original manuals/booklets of 32 system and several of published action karate magazines. I usually have fun history discussions with Mr Planas bringing in those historical gems at seminars always thought it was interesting to learn original 32 system before it was refined sets added

[@214warzone]

Great video. I think that fitness level is just as important as belt rank. imo, many guys overtrain and have weak knees, back, etc. stay safe!

[@cjsher90]

I just attended a Seminar held by Sibora Chan and Dan Meck over at AmeriKick NE Philly!!

[@jasonsippola183]

Learn it to earn it! Learn the curriculum, master the techniques, and earn the rank. What you know and the respect you show, both to your instructors and fellow students, is far more important than any belt. Always enjoy your content, insight, interviews, and videos. Thank you and keep them coming.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

What time period is considered to be learning Ed Parker's Kenpo in the early years. I began my study of Kenpo in 1976. My formal training began in 1979. I met Mr. Parker several times since my Instructor trained with EKP personally. I've never stopped learning, practicing, and teaching. It's benefitted my life in many ways. ✌🏻

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Fair question and it can have different answers based on who you ask. By 1976 "American Kenpo" was pretty well established, though it still continued to evolve. Ed Parker was teaching in the 1950s, which was a different predecessor to what turned into American Kenpo. Many students, such as Chuck Sullivan and the Tracy's were in that generation of students. There were groups in the 60s and 70s that can also be considered earlier generations. It's hard to specify because there are different ways you can mark lines in the sand.

[@SuenosDeLaNoche]

@@ArtofOneDojo I don't consider myself an early student, comparatively speaking. As you mentioned, EKP wanted students to use their minds new as well as their bodies to help the system develop through time. Assimilation of useful information and techniques from Any martial art was a goal in my training, and what I have passed on. Thank you for your channel and service to promoting Kenpo and all martial arts. You and the people you talk with are respectful and share a love for the language of motion. Blessed Be Sensei Dan 🙏🏻

[@ja-son439]

Robert Libby use to have a youtube channel " bad kenpo techniques"...he was an original student who was exiled. He and other non Kenpo Cultist will say that Parker was too fat and out of shape, thefefore he stopped teaching

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Robby Libby was problematic.(He used to have the handle "Bobo" something) He and I butted heads on numerous occasion. He was HELL BENT on trying to discredit Kenpo (yet spent 27 years of his life training in the art). He made a false accusations, told me that I was lying about the times I used the art and he insisted on telling me what my experiences were. If your narrative didn't match his exactly, he had a fit. He claimed that during a seminar he stood up and told Mr. Parker off and challenged him to a fight. I don't buy that at all. Anyone who actually knew Mr. Parker knew that if he did that Parker would have put him in his place quickly. His channel was dedicated to only being negative and tearing down Kenpo, he never offered any positive or alternative suggestions. I would constantly ask him, "well what do you think WOULD work" or "What can show us?". He never good, it was all negativity with him. He disappeared from the online landscape, I never found out what happened. In our last interaction I took a different approach with him. He was utterly bashing my Kenpo video so I was super nice an asked him "That's cool, what art do you like?". He based it again and I said "I get that but what art do you think is good? What do you like?". After a couple of attempts he replied with "Oh, well I think Muay Thai is pretty good". I said that's great! I asked him to talk about that a little more and he said "I will later, I have to go right now, my Daughter is in town. Bye!". I never heard from him again.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I hadn't heard he was exiled. He always said he quit Kenpo because he thought it was BS. Funny though, it doesn't usually take 27 years to realize you don't like something. Exile makes sense, do you have more information on that by chance?

[@Grodd70]

Always great content on this channel. I studied a "modified Tracy version" of Kenpo on and off since early 90's. I feel many people think that belt color is associated with a fighting skill. Which it can be regardless of art, a person trained should be better than a person who is not trained...just more tools in the box. However, I have seen lower belts mop the floor against higher belts when sparring just due to personal fighting skills. I have always looked at belts as a gauge of knowledge on the art itself, not necessarily "skill". As it relates to so many 10 degrees in Kenpo is a bit off or an illusion. At my old school and even tracing back to Parker himself, Kenpo encourages change. So many take their Kenpo and add more Judo, Tae won doo, or any other art techniques or philosophies and now you have a "new art" with that person as the grandmaster of that art. I see nothing wrong with that.

[@chadthomas09]

My father ran a school in Arizona in the 90s I spent a extraordinary amount of time there with lots of private lessons and was also held to a much higher standard than most of his students so when I received black belt they also required an even higher standard because of my age but I also saw other people of others styles not held to any standard at all most schools in the valley were mcdojo's and belt factories it was a huge difference that I learned about as I got older and it made me appreciate that high standard

[@miah1571]

In shaolin kempo, our brown belt ranking is 1st, 2nd, 3rd degree brown belt, then shodan.

[@mtndew9427]

The kenpo school I go to kind of has its own belt system. It's almost entirely a kids school, with kids as young as 3 joining. For the little kids ages 3-6 we have special belts that are different from the regular ones. The belts are camo with a colored stripe in the middle. The belts go white, camo white, camo yellow, camo orange, camo purple, camo blue, camo green, camo brown, camo red, camo black. Then when they eventually move up to the older classes they get the equivalent belt. Because most people start really young, we have a lot of extra belts so people aren't getting their first degree black belts at like 12. We have half belts, so the belts before black go white, yellow, beginning orange (half yellow half orange), orange, beginning purple, purple, beginning blue, blue, beginning green, green, beginning brown, 3rd brown, second brown, first brown, beginning black, then black. After black belt you start the "adult belts" so basically you go through all the belts again but you work on extra stuff and you have extensions for techniques and different forms. Once you finally finish the adult belts, you go to first degree black. I've been doing kenpo since I was six years old. I'm thirteen now, and I'm currently an adult purple belt. I'm testing for my adult beginning blue this month. Also at my school you can teach as soon as your no longer in the youngest class. I started instructing when I was 11, and I still do it today. And, the best part, we get payed 15$ per hour. We have summer camps and little events with movies and you can teach at those too for some extra money.

[@FloridaMan1976]

In the class I attend, the instructor puts stripes of the belt techniques you're currently learning. For example, I'm currently a blue belt with two green stripes. This helps identify that I know at lest 12 techniques of the green belt curriculum. We get a stripe for every 6 techniques learned up to three stripes. Once you have three stripes, all you have left to learn is 6 more techniques and a form. Usually any sets are done after the second stripe. It also helps boosts self achievement feel good amongst the students. This is only done from white to green belts. Once you make brown belt your degree of brown is the only stripe(s) you have the entire curriculum for that belt. Once you make 1st degree black, you go from wearing a white uniform to a black one.

[@Emigdiosback]

Really? I'm an Orange Belt with one purple stripe, and we get a new one every 4 techniques. Four stripes in total, 5 when you learn a new form/kata, 6 when you passed the test for the next belt.

[@FloridaMan1976]

@@Emigdiosback Every school/Instructor is different. How many techniques per belt is in your curriculum? We do the 24 technique version. Yellow is only 10, the rest is 24.

[@Emigdiosback]

@@FloridaMan1976 16 per belt. 10 for yellow, Brown belts are 20

[@FloridaMan1976]

@@Emigdiosback Not gonna lie, I kind of wish we did the 16 version as 24 sometimes feels like too much. But it is what it is, so I just keep pushing forward. One day if I start my own thing, perhaps I will adopt the 16 to teach.

[@jefffontaine87]

Once I hit purple I was allow to switch to black gi

[@EdwardDudley]

Love the subject matter that this channel continues to produce! Thank you

[@camiloiribarren1450]

Man, I miss you guys! Love your videos and hope to see more as time goes on

[@ArtofOneDojo]

We had to take some time off to deal with schedule issues and prep more material. Hopefully if all goes well we'll have a flood of new content soon :)

[@ryanhouk3560]

Karate black belt and sailor here. I have not ever thought that officer ranks were like Dan grades. ... but they do kind of make sense. The rank insgnia for naval officers Ensign- one Lieutenant jr. Grade- one and a half Lieutenant- two Lieutenant commander- 2 with a half between Commander- 3 Captain- 4 Then the admiral ranks are a thick bar with additional stripes.... like the way he did it. Well very similar. Hot take- im not sure we should actually have stripes on black belts. Or at least it be optional. Once youre a dan grade, it doesnt really matter.

[@CraigAB69]

Chasing rank is usually something kids do, and usually, because they think by being a certain rank, something magical will happen and they will be as good as that rank. I think every martial art suffers from rank promotion issues. It's best not to dwell on the rank, just focus on your own development. Am I getting better? Am I training as hard as I should? Am I putting the time in? In a situation, could I defend myself, my loved ones?

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I wish that was true, unfortunately it's not just something children do. I've known many grown adults who rank chase and all they want is the next belt.

[@SamCobb]

Exactly, you hit it right on the money. I'm a first degree black belt in Ed Parker Kenpo, and I stoped worrying about rank after learning the second black belt list. If you strip the material down like Chuck Solivan and them did, theres plenty and infinitly some to chew on. To many see rank as a measure of ones skill. @@ArtofOneDojo

[@GoldenFistTrainingMethod]

Solid video. Great explanation 🙏

[@jasoncaine7829]

Thank you so much. Best channel ever.

[@jefffontaine87]

Very informative...thank you for the in depth explanation of this wonderful style.

[@KenpoGuyProductions]

one of your better segments in my opinion. Some of us have moved away from the "stripes and bars" as the result of the utter ridiculousness, and adopted "other" means or show of time and rank. but that is or would be another story I suppose. :)

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Very interesting, many thanks :)

[@ajshiro3957]

The red stripes are in my school too. Your name is on the belt too

[@carlfjnon]

I've heard it put best where people say, "would you rather have the belt? Or the skillset to fight under pressure?", and when you think about it that way, the belt becomes a cool marker of progress, but nothing more

[@kickingitwiththekerofskys8476]

I never knew that about Ed Parker (1931 - 1990) that he was in the Coast Guard. I knew that he was Elvis' personal bodyguard for a while. It was nice to have met Ed Parker back in 1987 when he came by the Kenpo School, I trained at in Long Beach CA. And again, at the Internationals that I came in 4th in Kata that year. That makes since now about the solid block on the black belt for 5th Dan (Degree) and then the stripes again for 7th to 9th, and then two solid blocks. It is like the Officer Ranks in the Coast Guard and in Navy and the block and after would be like the Admiral ranks. That is cool. A fascinating video. P.S. I wish I could have trained more in Kenpo but being a Jr. Instructor in it is an accomplishment to me. Oss.

[@NMIBUBBLE]

If i had to teach again, i'd just do BJJ belts for both Kenpo/BJJ for my students. Not to many colors but enough to know where they are at. I love the black belts higher levels though, really Great idea. Another thing i wish kenpo instructors would do is a curriculum Pamphlet that had the direction of the creed, what the belt means, the shape of the form, detail photos and lettering of the form, all the way up to 10th degree, if Speakman did this to his 5.0 system it would be a lot better or Kenpo systems in general. I've never seen a Pamphlet with that much information in my life time though, just a heads up to other instructors out there wanting to improve their students, I'd always say if you show a student a technique or form/kata until they can do it on both sides and backwards then teach it to someone they don't know the form. Once you start to teach someone its like a switch that goes off in your head, and you learn faster too. Patience is key, Love the martial arts!

[@KingJancelot]

What's your rank?

[@harrywilford3032]

The Black Belt in the black and white film training with Ed Parker is one of my instructors Grandmaster Chuck Sullivan.

[@JohnGonzalez-ze8kr]

When I 1st started in Kenpo (1970) then called Chinese Karate there where no color belts there was white belt with 4 brown stripes then brown w 3 black stripes then black.

[@brandonwellington3547]

As it should be. Beginner, Intermediate with a grasp of basics, and finally full proficiency ready for advanced learning. I think too many got pissed off and quit over slow progress

[@TheOctabreaker]

I'm not a huge fan of the way Kenpo looks. So I don't do that style, but I do follow you and other Kenpo practitioners, and I appreciate the breakdowns that you all give. For me, it looks flimsy, like someone is doing bad karate, or tried to make karate work at the speed/style of kung fu. It just isn't my thing, but thats fine! I love that you brought up that Ed Parker said that ranks don't mean someone is better than someone else, but its rather a marker of what they have learned. I'm working towards my black belt in Tang Soo Do, and sometimes I forget that there isn't a rush, and that my rank reflects what I have learned, and not whether I'm better than my peers or not. So while I don't practice this art, its cool to see that teachings from other styles can play into each other!

[@kiaikarate5387]

You are awesome!!

[@herokillerstain4147]

The movie, perfect weapon with Jeff speakman. Met Jeff at accouple dojos as a teen. Dad was a big fan of his. Lil brother and I took kenpo back in the 90s. Fun martial art.

[@jasoncaine7829]

I'm interested in exploring how this discussion relates to various styles ranking systems. It feels like 5th degree was considered master for various systems, styles what have you. Especially as new styles were formed. But as those new individual systems expanded things needed to evolve. And as people learn more and teach more curriculum naturally expands. I think in studying the founders of various systems that zen and other levels of spiritual development such as the four levels of awareness in zen in your videos, were part of the ranking. also administrative positions in a system are needed and this becomes part of rank. All Mixed with peoples personal expression. Thank you for this video. With all the political arguments in different styles and systems I appreciate your videos just to enjoy martial arts instead of arguing about it. Thank you

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It is definitely interesting. You're right, in many styles 5th Dan is considered a Master rank. In Kenpo, the rank of Master is not applied until 8th Dan. Then you have some arts like Tang Soo Do where 7th degree is a Grandmaster. It's interesting to see just how different it is across the board.

[@jasoncaine7829]

@@ArtofOneDojo thank you for sharing so much good information

[@oskarjohansson5757]

Good video as always osu!

[@TheMusicWorld52]

Hey Can you please do a video on William Chow and his influence of pretty much all styles of Kenpo nowadays? Ed Parker was only one of his students to make his own version of Kenpo. American Kenpo is the most well known, however it would be cool to learn abour Chow's other students who made their versions of Kenpo and shared with their students. Also, can you do a Shorin Ryu history video? It's my style's foundation.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

We have about 10-12 art history scripts in the works currently, Shorin Ryu is one of them :) So is Shorinji Kempo.

[@TheMusicWorld52]

@@ArtofOneDojo Awesome! Thank you so much for always responding! Keep up the great work. I just wore my Karate shirt from your shop the other day.

[@artlapham6380]

In my system of Kenpo (Raven Kenpo Ju-Jitsu), the intermediate levels are reversed in comparison to Mr. Parker's order. After orange, its green, blue then purple as opposed to purple, blue and then green. The reasoning is that the belts are supposed to go from light to dark; white to black. If you take the three colors in question, blue is the primary color and should be in the middle as it is in both instances. However, green is a combination of blue and yellow, which when painting, is used as a lightener therefore green is lighter than blue. purple is a combination of blue and red, which is generally used to darken a tone meaning purple is darker than blue.

[@furwerkstudio2057]

This is informative. On the behalf of the viewers, I will bestow the rank of, Miami connection belt on you.

[@BoyInTheVault]

I love your Channel I study Kenpo as well but the one thing you have to remember Ed Parker self-promoted self-promotion in Kenpo is quite common especially when forming your own system of Kenpo if you look at the Legacy right James mitosis William Chow Edie Parker and if you look at any of the branches of American Kenpo most of those founders self-promoted

[@808frontline]

I teach Kajukenbo: in my school, We test for belt rank every 6 months: Our belt rank system, Rank 1: White belt Rank 2: Purple belt Rank 3: Brown belt Rank 4: Green belt Rank 5: Blue belt Rank 6: Black belt (Must be black belt 3 years to qualify for Grey belt) Rank 7: Grey belt As a grey belt, a student must study the healing arts for 3 years to attain his or her White sash. Rank 8: White sash We don’t utilize degrees of black belt We also don’t utilize terms such as master, grand master or senior grandmaster Additionally, Students must be able to perform, execute and thoroughly explain the curriculum of each belt rank in order to pass rank exams.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Very interesting and different ranking system. I like it :)

[@BoyInTheVault]

I love your Channel you think you could ever do an in-depth one about Shaolin Kempo Fred Volare recently passed away highly successful system

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It's a possibility, we currently have about 10 scripts for art history in production. That is one we may come back to.

[@BoyInTheVault]

@@ArtofOneDojo absolutely he studied under Nick's cereal where he received his second degree in Nick Serio's American Kenpo Karate and then when he decided to form his own it was highly successful Jim buzard was one of his top students Steve Randazzo definitely worth it at some point he received a lot of criticism however because like anyone who forms a system he self-promoted and then when his senior students promoted him to 15th degree that's where the controversy ensued nevertheless excellent system

[@pausetapest.v8302]

​@@ArtofOneDojoHello or Good morning it's me again 😊 however I do have a question can a person be proficient in Epak and Tracy's Kenpo Karate at the same time? Or does even matter???????

[@darealblazegamer2416]

Hey man, could you make a video on Shorinji kempo, I don't see it talked about a lot and was curious about the style.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Working on it as we speak :) We have about 10 scripts of different arts currently in production and that one is one of them.

[@darealblazegamer2416]

Awesome can’t wait to see it, love this channel

[@merkerb]

One issue I have personally seen a couple times is those who don’t generally train or teach getting promoted. One person that come to mind was active teaching and training years ago but has stopped. He keeps track of when he is eligible to be promoted and then about 4-6 months before he starts up a little club and starts teaching again. He shows people that he is “still teaching” ect so it looks like he’s never stopped. Gets his promotion, not sure how much money is exchanged but probably a decent amount, then closes down his club and walks away for several years. REPEAT! Now I’ve seen this a couple times and it’s something I personally believe dilutes the rankings in that organization. But in reality there will always be someone looking to con others, always be less that reputable organizations and let’s be realistic and say that a organization can’t exactly know everything about everyone so it’s up to us to make sure the higher ups are aware of this. If they still do things that we don’t believe is right or ethical then perhaps it’s not the organization for us to be in. At the end of the day people make up the art. Great people can make an ok art great! And terrible people can make a great art terrible.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I have to agree with you, I know individuals who do this as well. That's belt chasing and it shows you where their focus is.

[@ThePatience404]

Great video, but I think more controversy wraps around the style of belt tying. 😂

[@ArtofOneDojo]

You aren't wrong LOL.

[@MichaelSkinner-shaolinkenpo]

My personal thoughts are that a current governing board of Kenpo should consist of 20 high ranking Black Belts decided on by peers, with established offshoots of American Kenpo (Shaolin Kenpo, Kajukenbo) who have recognized Grandmasters or heads of the systems in place such as Rob Castro, Al Dacascos as part of this governing board. Let's make it a requirement that the style had to be established a minimum of 40 years ago in order to qualify. Set the rules for Black Belt progression so that we don't end up with 30 year-old 7th Degree Black Belts, and have each member of this governing board name their successor in the event of an unexpected passing, along with an alternate in the event the successor should pass before the recognized head of each branch. The rules don't have to be ironclad, but some format moving forward would provide direction to the whole.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It's a good idea but at this point too many branches have veered away from each other. There are efforts to unify this, but there are too many of the higher ranking instructors that don't want to interact with the others. We're at the point where arts such as Shaolin Kempo, Kenpo 5.0, Chuck Sullivan's Kenpo, Tracy Kenpo....are so far removed from what Ed Parker American Kenpo is that the combability between them is lost to a high degree.

[@ericte2400]

Be good to have a round table of the elders that have trained and can talk about Parkers version, and mindset, from the likes of ChicknSulkivan, Richard Huk Planas, Larry Tatum, etc..

[@jefffontaine87]

Planas ..stupid autocorrect..lol..oss

[@samowens3]

I talked about this on Kenpo forums for the last month . I have 6th Dan in Tracey’s and 2 Degree in EPAK also hold 8 th Dan in Okinawan Kenpo . All my Karate friends have made fun of American Kenpo because their are 100 10 th degree BlackBelts out there give or take few with alot of the seniors passing away this last year Mr White and Mr Mills etc . In Mr Lee book written in 2013 they were over 70 at that time in EPAK system where as Tracey’s only has about 20 on their family Tree and 10 of them are passed away . My Karate friends such as Che in South Africa who’s study for 30+ years is just 5 Dan and Dan in Okinawa is 9 th but has been in art for almost 50 years. I stated on the Kenpo forum there should be hard time limits for all Kenpo just like BJJ and Karate to some degree we could all agree upon . My biggest problem with Kenpo is that we have seniors like Mr Kelly that wear 9 th out of respect for Mr Parker but then we have several 8 degrees that haven’t been in art 30 years and some 9 th s too. I don’t see how this fare or even acceptable by us as Kenpoist. How can one person have 50 or 60 years in art and guy that hasn’t got 30 be the same rank . Anyway that my 2 cents for what it worth . But like the old Kenpo jk says how may Kenpoist does it take to do 5 swords a 100 one to do it and 99 to say that not what Mr Parker taught me lol.

[@KingJancelot]

Have you thought of developing your own expression of self defense?

[@shattereddnb3268]

Have you done a video on Shorinji Kempo? If not, maybe you should, could be interesting!

[@justamurse5646]

The inconsistency among different Kenpo schools in the US was what really got me. It can very from “black belts” who would lose to a boxer with 6 months of experience, or just a wild and strong street fighter with no training vs guys who could really handle themselves and were the kind of guy you didn’t want to get him by. I remember one guy who came to an mma gym I trained at at the time, and we had some really hard sparring. I was surprised kenpo was is only experience as his hands were good and he kicked better then any Muay Thai fighter I’d spar’d or fought as an amateur. There are some legit schools of kenpo out there with some dudes that are straight killers. However there seem to be just as many bs schools in my subjective experience.

[@stehairy]

I hear that in the LTKKA as soon as you achieve black belt ranking you are also given red tape

[@jkdbuck7670]

There's American Kenpo. But has anyone in France thought of making French Kenpeaux? Just kidding. Great video.

[@user-dk3up2nl1m]

I remember seeing The Perfect Weapon as a kid and thought it was bad ass! Unfortunately...i grew up with only TKWD schools which built a false sense or confidence. I say that because in real life you gotta know how to box or use your hands first before kicking!

[@mizukarate]

When I used to teach karate I wanted to shrink the ranking down to 3 Ranks. My students would not go for it.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Unfortunately there is a psychological effect with ranking. It works with children at works with adults. Sometimes people need to see a tangible change in order to recognize achievement. It's an award based mentality.

[@mizukarate]

@@ArtofOneDojo Well with my kids I was going to keep the standard ranking used in Goju-Ryu but the adults I was going to streamline it to 3. But since I wanted to be fair I put it to a vote. All the adults still wanted to stay as before. I was the only person in favor of streamlined ranks.

[@mizukarate]

I wanted to use White, Black, and Black Instructor(Or Red). I wanted to focus more on learning and skills.

[@merkerb]

On the issue of having so many 10th dans or very high ranking dans in an art, to me it ultimately comes down to what the requirements are to achieve. Some styles I know have just the time in grade standard that was talked about where say a 3rd dan has to wait a minimum of 4 years before eligible to test for 4th. Others have kinda a hierarchy type system where everyone can achieve up to say a 5th dan but above that is reserved for the people who are investing to furthering the advancement of the art, helping put on tournaments, traveling to teach the art ect. Having only one 10th Dan who is the head of the art. Ultimately I can see the positives and negatives in both and don’t really prefer one over the other AS LONG AS EVERYONE FOLLOWS THE GUIDELINES!

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Timewise alone, from White belt to 10th degree black belt...if the person trains in a consistent schedule with no breaks and passes all their tests....it should take roughly 40-45 years to qualify for 10th degree. That's just based on the time requirements. But as we mentioned, a lot of people find ways around it or simply just put in their time and not the contribution. Many of them do though. Some of those 10th degrees are absolutely earned.

[@arthurflorez7413]

Like to see you make a Kajukenbo shirt 🤙🏽♣️

[@darkapostate8358]

While this is an older subject, it is interesting. However, I have to ask... Is there no soke, head of the style? The soke should set the standard for promotional requirements and standards. In the absence of a single authority, why is there no council/board/panel of the highest, legitimately ranked teachers who set these things? If this was done, there would be uniformity and consistency throughout the style and much of this confusion would simply vanish. I know there are personal issues between teachers, politics, and ego. However, that really should be put aside to strengthen the art. Many people dislike changes that the ZNKR make, in physical technique, reasoning, timing, etc. Despite this, changes come directly from the governing body to all the sensei and senpai at national or regional events, and we adjust our training. It is the standard, and we have to adapt. There is no personal interpretation, only the standards. That is not to say you cannot practice what and how you like, just that at competitions or promotions the standard is correct, nothing else.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

This is a very deep question and I'll try to answer it as succinctly as possible. To answer your direct question, no, there is no Soke to head the entire system. Mr. Parker died unexpectedly and had not named a successor. Many believe he had not plans to name a successor. From my understanding he wanted people to learn Kenpo the way he wanted them to understand it, which meant to ask question, study the relationship between motions, and peel away the thousands of layers of knowledge and master it. Unfortunately, most people didn't want to do that, they just wanted to "learn the moves" and progress. When when he died there was a sudden void of leadership. There is a central organization, the IKKA (International Kenpo Karate Association) but there has been a lot of controversy with them in recent years. There are a few reasons Kenpo splintered: First, the people who learned what they wanted to learn and didn't want to go deeper, ended up opening their own schools and eventually creating their own organization. Second, people who DID understand how he wanted it taught, continued to do so the best they could, but many of them still created their own organization. Third, after Mr. Parker's death all intellectual property went to his Wife. Upon her death, it went to his daughters and with lawyers they decided to rule the intellectual property with an iron fist. This burned a lot of bridges and created bad blood, so even more people broke away to make their own system. Fourth, you have higher ranking individuals who decided to take Kenpo into a different system and tailor it for a different style of fighting, such as Jeff Speakman and Kenpo 5.0. It's still American Kenpo at its root but its also very different at this point. And finally, politics, ego, misunderstanding, and sometimes a lack of finding a good instructor can be reasons for more splinters and lack of quality control. There are a lot of great Kenpo instructors out there, but they can be hard to find. I feel very lucky to currently have found one who understands the material inside and out and has opened my eyes to a lot of hidden in formation I never would have know was there otherwise. At this point, it's a bit too hard to put the genie back in the bottle. Mr. Parker died 33 years ago, that's a lot of time for various branches to go back to one unified front. It's like having a big tree that branched out, dropped fruit, grew more sister trees and then wanting to put them all back into the original flower pot. It's not going to happen at this point. The best we can hope for is people continue to preserve and understand the rich material and encourage everyone to get along and respect each other's work.

[@darkapostate8358]

Thanks for the detailed response. Certainly, that is a great deal of complication. While i do not know how hard it would be to correct, i know that without effort nothing of value is achieved. Before the ZNKR was founded, and to this day, there were many separate ryuha who did not work together. Indeed, many held centuries long resentment. However, the desire to come together and focus on the core tenets and application allowed the ZNKR to come together. You do a lot of work on this channel. I don't look into all of it, but I have seen the depth of your work and commitment. Someone with that passion could find a few cooperative sensei over time. The course correction may be small at first, but it can happen. Perhaps with your work here, it already has.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@darkapostate8358I appreciate the kind words, and you aren't wrong. There ARE efforts in place to reunite, but there are a lot of system incompatibilities now. Putting all of Kenpo back under one curriculum will not happen, because there were already several different versions while Mr. Parker was alive. He always changed the material so his first generation students learned differently than his last, so technically they all have Ed Parke Kenpo, but who's to say who is right? There are those, including my instructor, who are leading unified efforts to include different forms of Kenpo into an understanding and respectful relationship with each other. An umbrella that recognizes each other as brothers and sisters while also respecting the different material they may teach. My person goal with this channel is a different kind of bridge. I'm not looking to unify Kenpo, I'm looking to build bridges and relationships from one style of martial arts to another. I would love to get BJJ students to understand and respect traditional Karate. I would love to get traditional Karateka to respect and understand MMA. I would love to get MMA fighters to respect and understand that even THEIR roots come from tradition. I want to create an umbrella for ALL martial artists to share knowledge, and to appreciate and respect each other's differences. That's what the name of this channel means...The Art of One....of one collective group of understanding and respect. We have the same anatomy....one art of fighting just done a thousand different ways.

[@darkapostate8358]

​@ArtofOneDojo If there is a sincere attempt at unification, a strong focus on core tenets and shared principles will suffice. As for the common thread in all martial arts(and sport to a degree) I will stand by my previous comments that you should actively pursue the One-ness. You have a large audience of skilled martial artists. Surely some of them would welcome you to a seminar or some dedicated training time. You could make a true study of it, share what you find. That is the material that earns Renshi, Kyoshi, or maybe one day Hanshi. Ask around, I am sure you will find some cooperative members.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I do have a goal for unification, but it's on a different plane. I'm not as concerned with Kenpoists all getting back together and holding hands and becoming friends again. At this point the systems are very different, but I fully support them respecting each other. My goal is to unify a one-ness among ALL martial artists. I'm trying to promote an environment where the BJJ guy and the traditional Karate guy can appreciate each other while still sharing knowledge. MY efforts are trying to break the negative attitudes and politics in the martial arts. I am very clear on the path I want to take and the mark I want to leave in the martial arts and I am working hard toward that path :) It just unfortunately doesn't line up with the path you're suggesting because I already see work is being done there and I feel my efforts can be better utilized in other areas.

[@ryanhelms4358]

Have you trained with master tony Martinez?

[@AndreiGonzalesIturri]

In Jeff Speakman' s Kenpo 5.0 they had changed the black belt system

[@ArtofOneDojo]

They changed the physical belt color from 5th degree on I believe, but I think the titles are still the same. The upper black belts now have white/red edges to the belt.

[@Scorch1028]

Sensei Dan, One thing that I have a problem with, is someone who creates their own belt ranking for a system that they did not create. For example, Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do systems place their red and brown belts in a different order than the founders of these systems placed them. If someone wants to do that, then I believe that they should create their own system and call it something else.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

But in the end, belts are arbitrary. Taekwondo and Tang Soo Do are also notorious for having belts in different orders. I've seen so many TSD and TKD schools have completely different orders than other TSD and TKD schools. It really is just a curriculum marker.

[@enderbykarate]

rank is always a subjective issue. depending on your system black belts show up as young as age 9. for us, the first black belt is 6-7 years of consistent training, and should be 16 years of age min. 1st dan is one year later, 2nd dan is two years after 1st, 3rd is 3 years after 2nd etc. for me rank is merely a representation of where you are in your training, for the colour belts. Black belt ranks are hugely subjective , and are so wrapped up in argument that they mean less and less all of the time. I base my respect of a persons black belt rank not on how high they kick or fast they punch, but on experience, knowledge, time put in, and respect for all other martial arts.

[@jasoncaine7829]

I'm already second degree news paper belt

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Oh sweet, congratulations on the promotion! I'm hoping to one day earn the newspaper belt that's made out of the Sunday comics.

[@jasoncaine7829]

@@ArtofOneDojo but it can only be awarded by Bodhidharma

[@lake_cooper]

"Recycled newspaper belt" 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MrAwak3]

Did you get your black belt from one of the Kenpo organizations or from an independent dojo?

[@justamurse5646]

“A belt is there to hold your pants up, and it covers 2in of your ass. It’s up to you to cover the rest” Belts have their purpose, and i get the debate for the ranking system and how it varies based on some schools/dojos valuing experience or skill and balancing both. I think with any martial art it should vary on the side of slowly ranking up. Yea many people like to see a visual representation of their progress, and waiting too long can make people frustrated or lose interest. But it’s better than having people who receive a nomination for a black belt but have no business being it, and embarrass your school or dojo. Weighing on the side or caution is always better.

[@NotTomS]

My belt.... holds my pants up... I'm at 6 notches and growing... kinda matches my bb... lol...

[@TheSuperGringo]

Belts simply denote exposure to a certain set of techniques.

[@SDongil]

My school, Arnott Kenpo Karate, is I think moving away from the belt knot position denoting sex/gender, and in these times, that's a good, inclusive thing as we have non-binary people in our school.

[@bentoncushing8693]

Is color important,,,my blackbelt has grown gray heading to White..

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Well then you'd better slap some stripes on there to let people know you're serious! :P

[@eliotquintana9802]

Black belt kenpo different level self defense depends you so go good job practice higher levels attack martial arts someday coach kids

[@errolthomas9426]

Osu. This video has very interesting topic as well as very good true story. Osu. 🥋👊🏼🐉🐅

[@robertnguyen9493]

The saying goes that a black belt is just a white belt that never quit. Fall in love with the journey, not the destination

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Agreed! I also like to look at it as the reverse....every white belt is a potential black belt that just started :)

[@robertnguyen9493]

@@ArtofOneDojo Clarissa Shields, professional boxer, said she wants to be a black belt in BJJ in two years. She could very well be a black belt in two years or possibly less, but that doesn’t mean her skills in grappling will be any good. She could become a legitimate black belt with a high level of skill, but that will only happen when she stops thinking about how long it’ll take.

[@pausetapest.v8302]

I was told that the Tracy's kenpo had something to do with Parker belt color this was something I was told

[@ArtofOneDojo]

I haven't heard this, so I can't say for sure. I do know that Ed Parker originally had white, brown, and black colored ranks. From my understanding though, the other colors came later when he created "American Kenpo", but the Tracys had already left him. Yellow belt came later when he realized a lot of new students were overwhelmed with the amount of material required for Orange belt, so he created an entry level belt with less techniques. Enough to give them a taste of the system (there is actually A TON of Kenpo material in yellow belt) and short enough to give them a sense of accomplishment.

[@oskarjohansson5757]

Think bujinkan has the strangest dan grade up 15th dan

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It is different yes, students go from white belt and then to green belt if they are male or red belt for female and stay that color until reaching black belt. They usually use patches to denote different grades of rank.

[@oskarjohansson5757]

Before I begin with kyokushin and jujutsu I train bujinkan for a while that club could women choose between red or green. I think some other european country even have brown belt.

[@Knight2682]

I had thought the wear of the belt knot on the side in some Kenpo schools was due to its Chinese influence. When I practiced Kung Fu we wore the sash knot on our right side, and I know in some Kung Fu schools men and women would wear the sash knot on different sides. The only other art I've seen where the belt knot is worn on the side is Modern Arnis. I'm curious where that tradition came from. If it's Chinese influence or some other origin

[@baydweller8241]

Having come up through a Tracy offshoot in the late 70's and on, we never had belt knots to the side. We did wear our belts lower and looser than other traditional arts. Our instructor, who had also trained in ju jitsu, encouraged the loose belts because it was harder to do an effective throw when grabbing a loose belt. I still keep the belt loose and get the side-eye from my Shotokan instructor (no Kenpo dojos in my current area).

[@Knight2682]

@baydweller8241 I actually started at Shotokan school a few months ago too, due to lack of options. My first art was Shito Ryu, so not as much of difference as there would be between Kenpo and Shotokan

[@oskarjohansson5757]

Btw I heard that color belt was adopt from japanese swimmers

[@ArtofOneDojo]

Sorta. The general story is that Judo founder Jigoro Kano used the armband as an idea for black belts. Japanese swimmers that achieved proficiency were awarded arm bands. So it's said that they decided to give Judoka who achieved proficiency a black belt. So it was no belt, or black belt. Black belt was the first belt. The colors came later little by little as it evolved into a more standardized curriculum marker.

[@oskarjohansson5757]

@@ArtofOneDojo but do you know why some arts choose other color grades than judo? for exampel kyokushin where the first belt is orange and first at 6kyu comes yellow which is first in judo/jujutsu

[@ArtofOneDojo]

@@oskarjohansson5757 After Judo incorporated it, Funakoshi liked the idea and put it into Shotokan. They were friends so that was normal. Then as it became more popular, the belt ranking system spread, even back to Okinawa were some styles picked it up. I think it got to the point where each style and school chose the colors and order based on their own preference. In some styles, like Kyokushin, the colors often represent elements. Such as orange/red representing the clay or dirt which is the foundation, and blue showing the student can flow like water. In American Kenpo, the colors go from lighter to darker (also one of the few times I see blue come before green). Some schools leave colors out, some add more in. In the Jujustu school I train in...the colors are White, orange, yellow, green, brown, brown, brown, black. No blue or purple (purple actually seems to be the least common color used). It confused me for a long time having orange come before yellow, because in Kenpo orange is after yellow. The belt system has been around for about 100 years now, and I think it's honestly at the point people use whatever order they want. Even in the same style. You can go to one Shotokan school and it will have a different color system than another.

[@oskarjohansson5757]

@@ArtofOneDojo in that jujutsu school I train the kept judos belt order but its interesting to know why some art/school chose other belt order 😀Thanks again for interesting topic!

[@kiaikarate5387]

I was ARMY- cant say I see any rank similarities...

[@ArtofOneDojo]

The Army Epaulettes have very different markings. The Kenpo stripes/blocks more closely resemble Navy/Coast Guard.

[@johnlopez9014]

Congrats for reaching the recycle belt ooooossssss

[@ArtofOneDojo]

:: Takes a bow....thank you! Thank you!

[@dcltaylor]

I think it was Kenpo Jujitsu first, but moved to Kenpo Karate.

[@Vincentorix]

A black belt martial artist is a mindset, not a rank.

[@MrAgbesq]

In your Kenpo histories I haven't seen any references to Bruce Juchnik who I've heard met and learned from James Mitose in the U.S. after Mitose was serving time in California's Folsom prison. Do you know this story? For further ref: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qJ2yo32gd5eBoMU

[@user-xk3wb6tv9g]

Ed parker was nick named Tiger ED PARKER HE DEFENDED HIM SELF AT A RESTURANT AGANIST 5 PEOPLE AN SCARED HIS WIFE FOR A WHILE ABOUT HIS PROLNESS IN THE ART

[@AGC828]

Belts---part of JP tradition....doesn`t say how good one is (as mentioned....just means one has learnt the testing materials to the satisfaction of people doing the testing)....does not mean the student who`s earned his her first black belt is then automatically a `perfect weapon`ready to take on ALL in no rules street fighting taking on all comers....heh..... Belts are just another saleémarketing tool for schools.....helps get people into schools.....as many people like to feel theyve earned soemthig and like to flex....

[@gerard4803]

I am a 32nd degree black belt in kenpo. I once was attacked walking out of Target store. I used the technique called mass attack and I defeated all 32 of my attackers

[@ArtofOneDojo]

If you can keep adding more opponents to beat you'll keep gaining rank. I, myself and a 43rd degree master because I can take on 43 people at once (toddlers count...right?)

[@gerard4803]

❤️😀

[@leoneljvalladares5402]

All I know, the true traditional way is white, brown and black.

[@jefffontaine87]

Oss

[@Knight192]

kenpo is the KER-WAPPY-SLAPPY method ........your opponent does this and you do this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this and this in 4 seconds while your opponent stands still like a mannequin until you finish with a cool pose and he knows to fall down..... useless

[@ArtofOneDojo]

If that's what you think Kenpo is then it's unfortunate you didn't learn Kenpo. That's not at all what the techniques teach.

[@radiantmind8729]

In Kajukembo, we wear our knots at dead center regardless of rank because we're better in every way than you American Kenpo posers. Yeah, I said it. Nyah.

[@ArtofOneDojo]

It's ok, we can't all reach this level :P

[@fucu41]

I am definitely including that left side right side belt tying in my Quanfa class.count on dat

[@ddmound]

For instance, in Kenpo (basic) headlock defense tech (Chow) will release you but where it came from (outside) Shaolin will leave you dead. (James Cook) But belts came out (of corruption) of the 8 phases of Martial Arts that are represented by 8 circles. The 2nd through the 7th circles are represented by Yin and Yang(s) with different colors. Its where belts came from color-wise. Belts became in America what hey could get for therm. Everything is repetition. In these are the knowledge of the 2 1/2 circles inside another complete circle which means there are 2 circles but 3 parts. These 3 represent the 3 texts Buhhda brought to Shaolin after which the Chinese discovered Martial Arts bc Buhhda did not bring Martial Arts to Shaolin, nor did he take it away. The whole circle is the 1st manual of the lotus sutra and the the 2 1/2 circles are the I-Hseing and the I-Chieng (the latter having the I-Chin chin in it that is represented of 2 yins which produced Sil Lum(teacher) and Wing Chun(student) who were two females. Therefore they will not build chi. Neither will kenpo or karate. These colors were copied by the Japanese (40 years after they were licked out of China during the Infamous Chinese Boxers Rebellion) first and then spread from there to Korea and Okinawa. But TMA Style consists of 3 Stages/levels and 8 phases that take 12 years of consecutive training to complete.

[@ddmound]

The 3 Stages are student/disciple/Master. The 3 levels are Southern China 1) 5 Animals; dragon, crane, tiger, leopard and crane which require lifetime commitment unless taught by Black Dragon (Northern have over 400 Animal and none of them like Kenpo as well, will build chi with practice) 2) Black Dragon, 3) and the 3rd level has 3 levels based upon the Superiority of their movements as man, monkey (5 forms) and (most deadliest in the world) Mongoose. And finally, the 8 phases are represented by the 8 circles. The 1st and 8th are clear representing when you come to Gung-fu you know nothing about it. At the end (the 8th circle) demonstrates if you do not show it no one will know you know it. Yet there is a standing rule that if you know it, show it. But you are not supposed to see True Martial Arts unless you are learning it or it kills you. If it does not kill you, you will seek a gun to go kill them, period! The 6 yin and yang (2nd to 7th) are represented by these colors that Practitioners have used for commercial teaching of the system (not a Style) for belts. The 2nd is green and white (that teaches defensive techniques much like Kenpo format except they have twice as many as Kenpo does per belt - is it still 40?). The 3rd is plural and white (for attacks and counters). The 4th is Yellow and white (they teach forms and the counters to counter the defenses in first level). The 5th is Red and white (where you learn more forms from the original 36 chambers of Central/Northern Shaolin before they took Martial Arts out of Shaolin to preserve it after 3rd rebuild). The 6th is gold and white (and your learn Black Dragon for 3 of the 12 consecutive years). The 7th is gold and red which is the highest designation given (this is what Bruce Lee with his 2 years of Wing Chun said he had reached in JKD which was him stealing Martial Arts Name "Kuntao" and cost him and his son their very lives) but her you also learn the highest forms known to man that has to come from the Grandmaster. I learned 21st generation making me 2nd. The forms in Gung-fu not only build chi but they speak! One of the oldest ones I was taught is bak sai which produces speed and power to utilize chi through when fighting. But ppl themselves Martial Artists have not even seen it. Nothing Bruce ever did was Martial Arts.

[@ddmound]

Ppl I must tell you that "true Martial Arts" is still a secret like it was behind the walls of Shaolin (originally) before its first destruction in 574 AD. But any of these guys learning self-defense/ karate/kung-fu, barr none, would swear off everything they have learned in one hour of Gung-fu Instruction. But any belt system is nothing more than a strategy for money from karate students. "Karate" is self-defense and fake Martial Art bc no one ever did Kenpo/Wing Chun or karate (barr none) in Shaolin.(then) These were (what they called elementary moves) they designed Gung-fu to completely counter. For instance, there are absolutely no belts in anything Chinese! Ppl will do and say whatever they want. If you do see belts in Chinese Northern or Southern China it is basically showing its corruption from Chinese Sages. In fact, Ed Parker was not the Grandmaster of Kenpo but Dr. Chow. (although he allowed things to happen bc its was America also Hawaii) But Chinese Kenpo (means shorten) which is what they did from outside Shaolin techniques. (note: what the Dutch influence in Indonesia did to Kuntao to get PenChak Silat looking ridgit, is what Parker did to Chinese Kenpo kung-fu to make it look like karate. Even though he was checked on it the fact of the matter is Caucasian/Japanese/Koreans, etc don't move like Chinese and blacks)