Lecture on the History of Kenpo

In this video Al Tracy will give his perspective of the History of Kenpo and Ed Parker. www.DomoAji.com

[@burtvickers]

Regarding this video Mr. Tracy produced Just a note I have a document signed by Adriano D. Emperado awarding Mr. Parker black belt certificate from awarding him the rank of 6th degree in May of 1965 awarding a teaching certification in Kenpo - Karate - Jujitsu-Gung fu . I am sure A.D. Emperado provided him the rank needed to do what he needed to accomplish his own system without the shadow of Professor Chow or James Mitose. So, Mr. Parker created a system and made multiple changes as he grew his own art. This is progress in any art. So, I am not certain why this video narrative is bashing or exposing something about Mr. Parker own system and his accomplishments and or modifications to his system. In our system our founder A.D. Emperado made several changes to the belt structure and techniques as time moved forward. Great Master of Systems should modify and change / grow as time moves forward. Thank you for the posting the video. Respectfully Burt Vickers 9th Degree Black Belt - Kajukembo Self Defense systems.

[@debraco7748]

William chow is the one who requested emperado do that

[@ratlips4363]

In the mid60s I studied at Tracy's in Menlo Park when I was a senior in high school. If we were lucky, Master Parker would stop by, lend some technical tips and words of wisdom that live with me today (2023). And Al, you are correct. We never heard of any of these stories.

[@uskenpojujitsu]

The longer I sat through this, I actually became a bit sad. The speaker's obvious combination of anger, resentment, jealousy, etc. towards Mr. Parker overcomes the history he was trying to convey. I'm a Kenpo Jujitsu guy at heart, but I know enough about Mr. Parker to want to add some personal thoughts... especially if someone watches this video and starts to think negatively about him. Let's say the speaker's accusations about Mr. Parker's belt certificates are true. It makes Mr. Parker's Kenpo ABILITY even more amazing. If he self-promoted... who cares? So many people who trained with him have stated on record that the man was a bad mf'r. Why? His ability and talent. It sure wasn't his athleticism or physical attributes. As a poor example of health & fitness... when Mr. Parker put his hands on people... respect was instantly earned. Next, look at the students he cranked out. Look at them in their prime: Larry Tatum, Ron Chapél, Paul Mills, Frank Trejo, etc. These men were AMAZING in their prime. I understand that the speaker felt the need to convey his information in this manner for personal reasons. However, for anyone who watches the video... reserve your personal opinion about Mr. Parker until you've gathered more input. The love I've seen so many people demonstrate for Mr. Parker is immense. There has to be a reason for that... and this version of history doesn't cover that. - Coach Brian

[@LeAnnRathbone]

I agree with what you wrote

[@nat51543]

I agree with you in some ways I do have a 2nd degree black belt in American kenpo the Tracy system however I do see problems with the ranking system Bruce Lee has brought this up and how corruption occurred in martial arts besides my 2nd degree in American kenpo I have a 4th degree in taekwondo first degree black belt in Japanese jiujitsu and currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu now MMA the UFC has exposed many martial arts there was corruption in kenpo now ed Parker was awesome and a visionary but eventually systems lead to corruption and is why taking Bruce Lees philosophy is the solution there was and still is divisions corruption in American kenpo Jeff speakman is trying to do something about it look I see Tracy is angry the solution to be open training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has me enjoying the training look this is where American kenpo could of learned from Bruce Lee look this corruption happened in taekwondo as well so really it's Bruce Lee's philosophy should apply this is how you deal with that resentment and arts splitting at least use the split to add things to make things better and kenpo lost that and need to make a return

[@pocollito1]

Just imagine how famous Mr Parker became and not the Tracy’s this guy is just jalous and envy of Mr Parker, just imagine if he only made it to brown belt he create a system no one else could sorry for the guy who is posting this videos if he want to be famous please stop talking trash about Mr Parker

[@BradYaeger]

Please leave this up , as a Tracy's student it is very valuable to me . I can't speak on things I don't know but I think this is really important to put out and let us decide for ourselves . I trained at the Bellevue , Wa school in the 90's , some direct connections to Mr. Tracy there. Be glad to have private and civil conversations if anybody is interested. I'm no longer affiliated with any organization in any way, I just enjoy the subject .

[@LeAnnRathbone]

I have no plans to take this down, I put it up so people can make up their own minds of what is true and what is not. Thank you for your support.

[@pausetape8824]

@@LeAnnRathbone I study Tracy's Kenpo Karate has well my I been blessed to train in boxing Tang Soo Do to five Animal Kung Fu To Aikido and I must say out of all I have Training in ain't nothing like Kenpo Karate I train under Professor Maxx over in Morrisville P.A However I must say I Love the History of our art Tracy's Kenpo Karate is alright by me and I pray that one day Ed Parker Kenpo Karate and Tracy's Kenpo Karate can come together one day. Because at the end of the day we all come from James Mitose Professor Chow Right???????

[@HilawUgLuto]

​@@LeAnnRathboneCan you please put up part two? Thank you! 🙏👍👊

[@hughhughp68]

Well it’s easy to take Ed Parker down like this as he isn’t here to defend his reputation. I know people who took private Lessons with Parker my own instructor being one of them. Jeff Speak man being another. Jeff told me Parker taught him the entire system including all the forms sets extensions. Saying Parker wasn’t capable isn’t true at all. I cannot comment on the historical issues or relationships between these people O wasn’t there.

[@angelorosini4326]

Please upload more on the history thanks!

[@LeAnnRathbone]

I wish I could, someone gave me a box of dvd's and I have not be able to find the other half of this yet but if I do I will post it.

[@anon8786]

If Ed Parker was a fake black belt, I guess that means Al's black belt was fake, as he received one from him. Stupid.

[@rchapel]

So full of misinformation it is hard to know where to begin. Al was obsessed with Mr. ParkerAFTER his death when he really didn't need to be. Al was a brilliant businessman until the subject of Ed Parker came up. Then, he would go completely off the rails. It doesn't help his legacy that all of this "history" only surfaced AFTER Mr. Parker passed away. Either way, they are both gone so hopefully they can rest in peace, or settle it another way.

[@pausetape8824]

Yo Man! This Rift is over 60 or 61 years old this should be died by know and both are gone know

[@grappler240]

Oh please. You’re a Parker sycophant of the highest order.

[@rchapel]

@@grappler240 Yeah, but I was there. Were you? No.

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #9 Tracy claims someone named Dick Tercell exists (where is a death record in all of California that fits this name and the supposed age of such a person at the supposed time of his death) further that he left Ed Parker to study with Woo and that he invented the IKKA crest but this is false. Ed Parker's brother invented it with guidance and input from Ed Parker. The symbols allude to the origins of Ed Parker's Kenpo which would be the Chinese Tongs. The compass is from the symbol on the outside of the Hop Sing Tong building. The Dragon and Tiger are in reference to the Heaven and Earth Society which is the processor to the various Tongs. The hatchet is in reference to the weapon often used by those who enforce the justice of the Tong. The characters allude to the history of Kenpo Karate in Hawaii which was publicly introduced by the Okinawan's in 1933 and it was their writings and teachings that inspired the brothel manager James Mitose to start teaching Kenpo out of his garage in 1942, teaching the Naihanchi kata and the use of the Makiwara. Mitose's book copies the writings of these Okinawan Kenpo pioneers. So yes, from Chow and Thomas Young there was a Chinese connection as Chinese Kenpo was being taught at the horse stable and at later at the Laundry to Chinese and they were both versed in it before associating with Mitose but there was also an Okinawan Kenpo Karate that had been introduced to Hawaii since 1933 and had become popular and also influenced them and Mitose. So, Parker's always mentions EMPTY hands as a nod to the Okinawan's renaming their art to better fit the needs of the Japanese, just as Ed Parker modified his martial art to better fit the needs of Americans.

[@pausetape8824]

Wow! This was Deep I wonder what happened to part 2??????

[@markgrogan1300]

It is sad that there is so much animosity in the kenpo family. Who or whatever kenpo you study if you enjoy it great. If this video is true there are a lot of hurt people out there I agree with Gm Parker with kenpo must evolve and fit the person so they are a better practitioner, and prepared for the world but I love of what the Tracy’s taught also with the other forms.

[@TomBleecker]

To clarify, at the 14:10 mark, the individual on the left is Leonard Mau. Center is Jim Grunwald. And the far right is Brian Adams, not Chuck Sullivan.

[@pausetape8824]

Well he does have receipt on Ed Parker giving him a black belt 😂💯💯💯💯

[@cowlico]

😂😂😂😂true

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #2: Tracy claims that Ed Parker was a racist against every “other” race and that this is a fact and they will prove it, they even specify that he was “racist” against the Japanese, Chinese and Koreans. Of course, they never prove it. However, contrary to this false claim, Ed Parker studied with William Chow who was half Chinese/half Hawaiian, and his first Martial Arts teacher was a Japanese Judo and Jujutsu expert. Ed Parker was friends with people like Bruce Lee who he helped get into the Green Hornet (not the actions of a racist). He was friends with and co-starred with a Korean Martial Arts expert Bong Soo Han, He was a student of both Chinese Kung Fu masters, Ark Wong (President of the Hop Sing Tong) and Lau Bun (Red Pole for the Hop Sing Tong). He had such a good relationship with the Chinese Benevolent Associations throughout his entire life. Ed Parker did have a falling out with a Chinese Kung Fu exponent named James Wing Woo who was helping provide insights on a book but that falling out was because Ed Parker was letting this Chinese man stay in his home, but the Chinese man smoked, and this upset Ed Parker’s wife (it stinks up the house) and so he could no longer provide him with free room and board. Why would a racist man let a Chinese man live in his home? Not only was Ed Parker not racist but he had many students of every race and nationality and many friends who were native to Japan, China, Korea, Philippines and so on. Of course, Tracy would not know this because he only knew Ed Parker for those couple of years’ worth of actual instruction he got directly from the man, he belittled only after he passed away. (a real tough guy)

[@FuckNewWorldOrder]

Jimmy Wu later taught Choi Li Fut in L. A. during 1960's

[@oldtiger8181]

@LeAnnRathbone I'm taking time out of my day to post this to you. First, really appreciate this video that you posted about Mr.Parker. To ME.. I really don't care what initial belt Mr.Parker had, because he built upon what he learned and had his own schools. There are many Kenpo/Kempo schools world wide, some instructors come from Ed Parker's lineage but some DO NOT come from his lineage at all... And this is what I want to share with you, below: At first, I thought James Mitose was the creator of Kenpo, but he really is not. James Mitose learned Okinawan Kenpo Karate when he was over in Okinawa. The style he learned was Okinawa Kenpo Karate-jutsu. The original creator of Kenpo was Motobu Choki which is made from his families martial art and another very early predecessor of Karate back in the 1920's. From James Mitose, William Chow, Ed Parker and many more instructors up to current all have added there own techniques and other styles of martial to their respective Kenpo/Kempo systems. There are some instructors out there, that are very "head strong" and refute the actual origins of Motobu Choki and his Okinawa Kenpo Karate-jutsu and I strongly feel that is a mistake because there is a lot to learn from instructors and history that has happened in the past. When it comes to Kenpo/Kempo I have 45+ years practicing the art and and again have researched what I wrote above diligently.

[@kiaikarate5387]

I believe he trained with Motobu as well- but NO ONE ELSE does… Parker did legit get his black from Chow… that should not be a debate… I WISH there was proof that Motobu trained mitose I think it is plausible- but I don’t personally know of any proof…

[@kiaikarate5387]

I love Motobu & The Ryukyu connection with Kenpo…

[@oldtiger8181]

@@kiaikarate5387 Motobu is the original creator of Kenpo. Like you referenced above, James Mitose credits Motobu (in his book) but there is no proof out there that he learned directly from him or anyone else from Motobu's line. There is one person who did train with Motobu in 1932 in Hawaii and that would be Thomas Miyashiro. The main thing that I've seen for many years is present day Kenpo / Kempo instructors get arrogant and can not accept the truth that Kenpo was made by Motobu Choki way back in the 1920s. It's fine to add on to Kenpo / Kempo to grow to the style especially to make it more for self-defense in modern times, but again to not accept the real truth of the origins of Kenpo / Kempo and claim that Ed Parker / other created Kenpo themselves makes these instructors out there very shallow and conceited.

[@kiaikarate5387]

@@oldtiger8181 I think you are cool as hell-I am Gary BTW!!!!

[@oldtiger8181]

@samiibrahim5356 While I can not find (for some reason) your comment here in this video, I did get a notification of it and a copy of what you wrote, that was automatically sent to my email. I appreciate your time in what you wrote, and some of what you wrote I already knew. Some of it, I did not know and I was was surprised that you referenced the "dragons'" part... I have not heard of that group.. in a VERY long time. I've been around for a while and I know a few martial arts Okinawa, Japanese and Chinese. I also know and practice modern combatives. To be 100% clear, it's not my intention to disrespect certain historic individuals in Kenpo / Kempo. I feel that as long as they and the instructors that came under them are implementing, testing the changes they have made to their respective of versions of Kenpo / Kempo that is fine... But the main thing they need to truly acknowledge is where Kenpo came from and who was the initial creator that their own system is based from. That simply is, Motobu Choki. Thank You again for your comment and reply.

[@wyldvigilante]

This is exactly how a person who lacks the skill and knowledge about Kenpo thinks and behaves. If anyone is laughing at anyone it’s the internet laughing at the Will Tracy’s videos where he teaches techniques

[@cowlico]

Ooof

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #7 Tracy claims that Ben Otake was first a student of Ed Parker before getting disenchanted due to racism against the Japanese and then going with Takayuki Kubota and some where in that mess he mentioned that Ben Otake created the Ed Parker Kenpo Creed. This is funny because the Tracy’s have also made a claim that Ed Parker’s Kenpo Creed was taken from James Mitose’s Kenpo Creed. OK, where do I start, Ben Otake was already a student of Karate having learned it when he was around 13 years old and he already had a school in Puerto Rico under Takayuki Kubota. Kubota was a friend of Ed Parker’s and they attended and supported each other’s Tournaments. It has often been the custom that every martial art school of the past, nearly every Chinese, Japanese and Korean training hall has had some creed passed down to them from their martial ancestors. The fact that the subject is martial arts means that these creeds are all similar in nature, often fostering the warrior spirit or extolling the virtues of self-defense as a last resort and so on. Is it possible that a practitioner of Japanese martial arts training at an Ed Parker school had learned some prior martial arts creed sure but Ed Parker had at that point studied around eight or more martial arts. Of course, he had his own creed and Ed Parker was open to his student’s suggestions when it came to the development of his Kenpo. First, he listened to the Utah law enforcement and prison guards as they tested out his teachings and made modifications based on their suggestions, then he continued to always innovate but Ed Parker was the last word on what went into his system and what got dropped. So, this claim that Ed Parker stole not only tip money but also the ideas of his students is just typical projection. Why projection, because of the rumor that has always circulated about how the Tracy’s took what Ed Parker taught them, copyrighted it and forced Ed Parker to rename his techniques. I am not making that claiming I am only saying that since they were often looked at as the brown belt dropouts who stole Ed Parker’s system to make a McDonalds style profit off it, they were projecting in the hopes of rewriting history.

[@zdubyaguro]

GM Ben Otake, founder of Shinshin Mugendo is still alive and kicking. Otake Sensei's system is extremely street effective and is as relevant as any modern self-defense system that I have seen. His skill level is exceptional. The first person to tell me that Ben Otake was the author of the Kenpo Creed was GM James Ibrao. He said that Mr. Parker had become aware of other systems having a creed and proposed to his student's, as a class project, to see what they could come up with. Ibrao told me that the very next day Ben Otake came to class with his written version of the Kenpo Creed. There are multiple witnesses to this event including Rich Montgomery who I think is also still alive. I know Ben Otake personally, I have been on the mat in multiple classes with him. I have been out to dinner with him and had long talks with him about the early days of Ed Parker's Kenpo. Otake Sensei told me himself that he wrote the creed, Mr. Parker adopted it, added the word "or" published it and never gave Ben Otake an ounce of credit. Unlike Al Tracy, GM Ben Otake is no joke, he is as knowledgeable and skillful as the title GM requires. He is an intelligent innovator and his integrity is rock solid. I take Al Tracy's bitter ramblings with a grain of salt while anything that Ben Otake says I trust with complete confidence.

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@zdubyaguro This is why I stated, "Ed Parker was open to his student’s suggestions when it came to the development of his Kenpo." and this is a far cry from Ed Parker being a racist. Ed Parker would often run these kinds of "information pulls" from this students and martial friends, especially those with extensive backgrounds in law enforcement, military or other martial arts. In this way he constantly updated and modified his own system. I personally have never heard or heard of Ben Otake bad mouthing Ed Parker or calling him a racist. If I open a school and ask my students what I should put on a sign I intend to hang in the school or if I have a sports team and want their input on ideas for a mascot and then I have my secretary, or someone record or type up all the ideas for me to review later. I select a top ten, narrow it 5 then to 3 and at last I pick one, modify it and decide this will be my school's creed, this does not equate to stealing, the entire process was voluntary, and the intent was clearly stated. Have him get in touch with me if he has an issue with anything I've said.

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #8 Tracy claims Ed Parker jerked people around instead of really teaching them and claims this is backed up by Huk. Ed Parker designed American Kenpo to be a progressive system, he was warning instructors even in his earliest books not to teach too many techniques to students too quickly. Teaching one, two or three techniques was better because it gives the student enough time to really explore and work on and grasp the techniques. If you want students to retain information teach them only a little, if you want them to walk away a confused mess and hardly remember anything, teach them a dozen different techniques. Yes, people like Huk have a tendency to teach too many details because they are so knowledgeable, it becomes more and more like a lecture in college and less and less physical conditioning and actual doing. It was not that Ed Parker was hiding material from his students, he just knew that at certain levels they needed more hard work and less talk about details. As the generations changed Huk noticed that many students did not want to work hard but were more fascinated with the talk and a sort of gobble, gobble kenpo was emphasized among the physically lazy. This should go without saying but there comes a point when students break away from their teacher's way of doing things and think they know better, but you will find that toward the end of their life spans they often realize and understand why their teacher taught in the manner that he did and return back to the orthodox. It is just the way these things happen.

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #10 Tracy states Funakoshi changed Chinese or Tang hand to Empty hand because the method was no longer Chinese in nature. This is another example of incompetent research. Funakoshi opened a Dojo in Tokyo at that time and understood that the Japanese occupiers of his homeland had bad blood with the Chinese. He changed the character to have the same sound but a different meaning to keep from offending the Japanese. The Okinawan martial arts are still to this day very similar to many Hakka and Cantonese martial arts not to mention the White Crane Fujian connection. The zen empty thing was just a way to avoid offending the Japanese who were often allowing him to use their Kendo schools to teach. When Funakoshi taught the Japanese, he changed and elongated the Karate movements to become more of a health exercise and better hide the more lethal applications, thus a secret reason for using empty was to imply that he was not giving his homeland occupiers the real deal but an empty shell. However, that did not stop the strong discipline and warrior mindset of the Japanese who took those extended moves and still managed to fight well with them. Also, people like Motobu came around and started teaching practical Karate which sort of balanced out the exercise version.

[@juanrodriguez5404]

Awesome 👍😎👍. I wonder how the book of kenpo is going? Any chance it would be finished?

[@samiibrahim5356]

Working on a different project at the moment. When I finish, I will get back to finishing the book on kenpo.@@juanrodriguez5404

[@cowlico]

Thank you for making this correction, that is a know fact about the characters being changed

[@Duane-tl2zc]

I have a old book by Ed Parker "Secrets of Chinese Karate" would it be around this period?

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #5 According to Al Tracy who wants you to think he is a great researcher, no records exist of when Ed Parker studied with William Chow and when he was promoted. It takes less than 5 seconds to find an image of William Chow’s certificate promoting Ed Parker to black belt in THREE different martial arts, Kenpo, Jiu-Jitsu and Kara-Te (spelled as they are spelled on the certificate) Why three, because anyone who actually knows about William Chow (rather than just pretends to know) knows he was a practitioner of MULTIPLE MARTIAL ARTS, The Southern Chinese Martial Arts, the Okinawan Kara-Te and the Jiu-Jitsu of Danzan Ryu, which is a hybrid of several martial arts as well. Ed Parker’s Shodan certificate is dated June 5th 1953 (it was witnessed by Emperado who advocated for awarding Parker his black belt in kenpo on the grounds that it would be great for Parker to spread Kenpo on the mainland) and was seen by many people before Ed Parker started teaching in California. He received this certificate during his time in the Coast Guard because he continued to study with William Chow when he was around Hawaii. Tracy knows when Parker went to College in Utah and he knows when he enlisted in the Coast Guard but he does not give you those dates because they would overlap In 1951 Ed Parker was a sophomore at BYU THEN serves in the coast guard for 3 years which is when he gets his Shodan from Chow and that makes sense because Ed Parker started learning Kenpo around 1947, that means he was a 7 year practitioner of Kenpo at that time. Tracy of course knows that in 1959 Ed Parker and William Chow go their separate ways and William Chow ends up living in poverty while Ed Parker becomes successful and famous. Tracy knows that this allows him to imply all kinds of ambiguity regarding Ed Parker training with Chow because neither Chow who has passed or his remaining family will likely stand up and defend Ed Parker (however Chow’s most Senior student Emperado not only publicly defended Parker but publicly promoted him to 8th degree black belt but I see the great researcher Tracy has missed yet another nugget of factual information

[@angelorosini4326]

Hopefully you never share you're interpretation of Kenpo because its way off lol

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@angelorosini4326 how so?

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@angelorosini4326 still waiting for an answer Rosini.

[@angelorosini4326]

@@samiibrahim5356 Funny Ralph Castro tells a completely different story about Parker black belt are you calling him a lier? Parker did not train 7 years under Chow that's a really crazy statement. Everybody knows it was few years only and he couldn't learn 3 arts in couple years.

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@angelorosini4326 No Ralph Castro is not intentionally lying but his perception is clouded by the information he received from the Professor when he (Chow) felt he was not getting the money and recognition he deserved from Ed Parker. I did not say that Ed Parker trained for 7 unbroken years directly with William Chow, I am saying that at that time he had been training in the art for that length of time. Like you may train under me for three years get a black belt and go off to study with other teachers, move away, open your own school, etc. none of that means you stopped training in the martial art I taught you. In Ed Parker's case he goes back and trained with William Chow while in the coast guard and again after he finished service and graduated. Also, the people around him for that time frame were aware of his constant training in Kenpo. So you mean to tell me you insulted me based on misunderstanding the 7-year thing or did some of the other facts I laid out upset you?

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #6 Tracy mentions “The first issue of Black Belt is in 1962” and in it, Ed Parker “claimed” to be a 3rd degree black belt. Since Ed Parker was a Judo Black Belt at 18 and later was promoted to 2nd and then 3rd degree black belt in Judo in College and later a first-degree black belt in Kenpo, Kara-Te and Jiu-Jitsu back in in June of 1953 (also with boxing and Lua training) it’s plausible he was a third degree black belt, it would mean he was promoted a rank every two years which is fine or just as likely if not more likely, Ed Parker in the 1960s was training with several Chinese Masters and was giving his equivalent ranking using the familiar dan system instead of explaining how the Chinese ranking structure works (he did that in Secrets of Chinese Karate). So, this claim of a secret hotel meeting where a mere students of Ed Parker promote him is POOP. So, has anyone ever seen who promoted Al Tracy to 2nd degree black belt all the way to 10th degree Grand Master, how long did he study with whoever it was that promoted him to all the ranks he claimed to have, since he left Ed Parker as a brown and was only recognized as a 1st after opening a school with his brother and requesting it? Where are those certs? Amazing what happens when we look at the credibility of the accuser. Anyway, Tracy further claims that this 3rd degree black belt claim made Ed Parker a laughingstock at Black Belt Magazine. Factually this is utter poop, the publisher of Black Belt Magazine was from Hawaii and friends with Ed Parker and best of friends with Bruce Lee who was also friends with Ed Parker, so the claim that Ed Parker wanted to sell Black Belt Magazine in his school but was turned down because of not having a 3rd degree certificate is insane, Black Belt Magazine was $30,000 dollars indebt and anyone who was willing to sell the Magazine would have been welcome. Tracy is amazingly good at keeping a straight face while spewing such fiction. Amazing that Black Belt goes on to feature more and more Kenpo content in each of their editions and even puts Ed Parker the so-called laughingstock on the front page of several of their issues.

[@VicNorth2023]

While I'm not defending Al Tracy I think your "logic" is flawed concerning Ed Parker's ranking. Just because a person holds a rank in Judo it doesn't translate to holding the same rank in Kenpo Karate. It is by no means unusual for an association to promote their "leader" to a higher rank than anyone in the association. Whether Mitoshi Uyehara wouldn't allow him (Ed Parker) to sell Black Belt magazine is open to debate and only possibly Ed Parker, Mitoshi Uyehara and those close to Parker would know so that your reasoning is purely conjecture on your part. And while I agree it seems unusual for someone who has incurred so much debt not to try every possible avenue to sell the magazine we have no evidence to be call Al Tracy a flat out liar! Bottom line is Al Tracy was there at the time from 1957 and we weren't!

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@VicNorth2023 I don't mean that holding rank in Judo translates to holding the same rank in Kenpo Karate, I am just pointing out the intentionally missing context. Ed Parker was a 3rd degree black belt in Judo and a Black Belt in the three Martial Arts that William Chow listed on Ed Parker's Black Belt certificate, Kenpo, Kara-te, Jiu-Jitsu which according to William Chow's certificate qualified him to act as instructor. Furthermore, he was trained in Western Boxing under his father and the Hawaiian Martial Art of Lua from his aunt and uncle. In addition to this, he was training under the top Chinese Martial Arts Sifus in California. This was during a time when attaining a Shodan degree in most martial arts could be achieved in two to three years of training under a qualified instructor with some gifted practitioners even attaining it in one year. So, my point was that at the time that Ed Parker was listed as only a 3rd degree black belt he was well beyond that rank. The value of black belt ranks changed with inflation. Originally, the belt ranking system was developed in Judo for the sake of fair competition to identify opponents with similar levels of experience, to avoid pitting beginners against seasoned experts. It was adopted into Karate after Funakoshi was gifted a Judo uniform after he visited the Kodokan. Kenpo and its Kara-Te offspring did not have a belt ranking system for the majority of its existence. Such things became valued in the commercial martial arts industry as aids for keeping track of many paying customers who come and go like rain clouds and who the studio owner didn't always bother to directly teach. It served as an excellent tool of manipulation and control of practitioners. Awarding some of them high ranks made them "invested" in the school and allowed the studio owner to nap in his office while the newly minted higher ranks taught the beginners. This was the just the latest take on the pyramid scheme of commercial martial arts. The Professor William Chow also modified his ranks value as the martial arts world was saturated by masters and experts who couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag with scissors in their hands. Tracy's desperate and pitiful attempt to disparage his own teacher's rank actually backfires against him. Factually, he studied for a very short time under Ed Parker and left as a brown belt at time when there were only three belt ranks, white, brown and black. He reached out only after his brother and him opened a school to ask for promotion to black belt. Thus, it is not a lie to say he was a brown belt when he left Parker. If his ego was not as fragile as the wings of the dragon fly, he would have just openly admitted that he left as a brown, kept up with his training in college and then opened up a school and was recognized and promoted by Ed Parker so he could eventually grow into his new rank. Instead, he felt like this was a personal attack on his credibility and had to invent a dozen stories full of mental gymnastics to talk out of both sides of his mouth, on the one hand Ed Parker was a skilled expert in Kenpo when it came to teaching him but was a fraud when it came to teaching everyone else. You say Al Tracy was there in 1957 but actually he was not there, if by there you mean actively training with Ed Parker. Also, bottom line is that people were there from the 1930s-40s-50s-60s-70s-80s-90s of kenpo history, and those people have given accounts with enough supporting evidence to give any investigator enough of a clear picture to be able to identify when one shmuck makes up a bunch of BS.

[@VicNorth2023]

@@samiibrahim5356 Clearly there seems to be some level of animosity or resentment from Al Tracy but again there are some things with Ed Parker that raises questions concerning his claims. Insofar as Ed Parker's black belt ranking goes William Chow stated in a Black Belt interview that he only awarded Ed Parker a purple belt and from memory that interview was around 1986. Ed Parker also stated that he got into many street fights in Honolulu when there is nothing to substantiate that claim. Read this! Ron Morgan | November 10, 2013 at 5:21 am | Reply "Ed was a fraud. I was at his school for 6 years, and in that time he taught two times and they weren’t even the full 2 hours. One serious question comes from Ed’s own credentials. Mills Crenshaw has presented us with Ed’s black belt certificate from William K.S. Chow. Why from Mills? Why not from Ed Jr. or his wife Lelani? In the 60s we asked to see Ed’s certificate. He said he didn’t know where it was. But the one presented by Mills Crenshaw says Ed is a shodan or 1st. degree black belt. So where did Ed get all the degrees leading up to his 10th. degree? And many say Ed never got a black, but rather his highest belt was hrown. So let’s get to the “real Ed Parker.” I trained at the West Los Angeles school, sometimes referred to as the “Santa Monica” school as it was on Santa Monica Blvd. I trained Monday through Friday in the afternoons and evening classes, and then went in on Saturday, which is when Dan Inosanto taught. So I basically lived there. I used to train with Larry Hartsell when he came in on Saturdays, and GOD was that an experience. Classes there were taught on Tuesday and Thursday by Scott Loring- a truly PHENOMENAL fighter. The Monday-Wednesday class was taught by “Stormin Norman Pattiz.” Not even close to Scott’s level but a very competent teacher. And Norm even developed a couple of really good techniques- one called the “high five” and the other the “back knuckle five.” After Scott left his classes were taken over by Russ Fineman. Russ was a small man- but he cut his teeth sparring with Scott Loring. Russ was like 5’6″ and 135, Scott was 6 feet tall and 210. Russ fought like a cross between a game cock and a cat. After Russ left Paul Dalton took over the classes on Tuesday-Thursday, and Paul has a deep seated hate for Ed Parker due to Ed totally screwing him over. The reason for this little history lesson is point something out- you never see any reference to Ed PArker teaching. And all his classes at Pasadena, the home school were taught by people like Frank Trejo, Dave Hebler or others. Now the plot thickens. One of Ed’s teachers, Robert Libby, had left the school and was teaching at a health club. So Robert got inot a verbal arguemnt with a PArker green belt. The green belt was bad mouthing Paul Dalton, a very good friend and teacher of Robert’s, so Bob finally told the guy to shit up and walked. The green belt called ed and told him that Robert had torn up his black belt certificate in front of the entire gym, urinated on it and said “Ed PArker isn’t shit.” Ed Believed it and called the health club. He told the owner “Bob goes or I come down there and start hurting people.” So the guy told Robert he had to leave. And Robert was a key figure in rebuilding Ed’s schools after Ed was closed down by the IRS, told Ed he would teach for free until the schools got back on their feetm and repainted and washed down 3 of Ed’s schools for free. And can you oimagine a guy urinating in public in a posh Westwood health club? That is how Ed Parker pays back those that are loyal to him. Ed was a scumbag, a thief, a liar, a fraud, and I beklieve mentally ill. So did Robert take this lying down? NO!! He called Ed at his house from the phone of Tom Bleecker. He told Ed “when and where do you want to fight?’ (I do not know all the exact details of this exchange, but I do know that Tom Bleecker and Gary Brandoliono were there). A few hours later Lelani called Robert at home and said “please don’t kill my husband! He has a very bad heart and could die if he fights.” So this is why Ed never trained and never did much of anything. He was nothing but a fat-mouthed coward. And as one last note- if you are studying Ed Parker’s American Karate you are throwing your money away. The techniques are crap and canot work in a real fight. As many others have mentioned, why isn’t there one video of a Kenpo being used in a real fight? Because they are a fraud and do not work, just like their creator." I recommend you resist backtracking - that is building the case based upon your preferred outcome. That type of "logic" is always flawed. Certainly there is at least some truth to substantiate Al Tracy's claim. Also check out what happened to Jimmy Woo! jameswingwoo.com/about-sifu-woo/

[@rchapel]

@@VicNorth2023 I was, and he's right.

[@kym-ni6rk]

Leave Ed Parker to RIP Your back stabbing a dead man very disrespectful. I’ve never heard Chuck Norris say anything bad about Mr. Parker. How can you live with yourself

[@fvdj2204]

GM AL TRACY IS ALSO DEAD LEAVE THE BICKERING BETWEEN THOSE 2

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #1: Tracy claims to know a, Ed Parker that no one else knows simply because he took lessons under Ed Parker at a commercial martial art studio for a few years, he did not grow up with Ed Parker in Hawaii. He was not there when Ed Parker earned his black belt in Judo (his first martial art) nor was he around when Ed Parker took boxing lessons from his father. He was not there when Ed Parker’s aunt/uncle taught him the Hawaiian martial art of Lua and Tracy was not there when Ed Parker studied Kenpo under Adriano Emperado, Frank and later William Chow. He was not around when Ed Parker taught Judo and Kenpo in college in Utah and he did not serve with Ed Parker in the US Coast Guard during the Korean war, when Ed Parker traveled to Japan via the Navy. How long did Tracy spend training with Ed Parker in a commercial martial arts studio? From 1957 as white belts to when they left for college as brown belts at a time when Parker Kenpo had only THREE BELT COLORS and, they were mostly taught by James Ibrao not Ed Parker himself (which he tries to cover up by saying Ed Parker was “hungry” and taught all the classes even though James Ibrao taught the Tracy’s too). They did not get “black belts” at the time they left, only later when they opened their own school as brown belts did they request to be recognized as black belts that is why their black belt cert is dated January of 1962 which is the SAME year they started teaching (Ed Parker back-dated their black belt cert to the start of 1962 to avoid people pointing out that they opened a school on their own while only brown belts.

[@kiaikarate5387]

Okay All- I personally respect Al Tracy, his Brothers & Tracy Karate. I believe they were Legit Parker Black Belts-ETC. But Everyone understands there are TWO SIDES to the story & Rebuttals, Right? - there is counterproof to Al's claims. Many of his claims are subjective. I respect Both Parker & The Tracy Brothers, but I am positive he is NOT the FINAL WORD on Ed Parker or American Kenpo- most are capable of delineated reasoning & the capacity to sift information-right?

[@samiibrahim5356]

False Claim #4 Tracy strongly implies that pictures of a Japanese man kicking high in his underwear is some how to be taken as evidence against Ed Parker’s Kenpo which did not emphasize high kicks because of the emphasis on practicality and the Southern Chinese origin which later Al Tracy proves he has zero knowledge of. He claims that the character of KEN is pronounced Chuan by the Chinese because apparently he failed to put together the fact that William Chow’s father comes from Canton, in Southern China and at the time that William Chow was learning Chinese Martial Arts before working at James Mitose’s brothel, he was training with mostly Cantonese speaking practitioners, Cantonese is also closer to the original northern dialect, (they immigrated South during the fall of the Han) Mandarin is the result of outsider invasion and influence. In short that character was pronounced Kuen or Ken by the Southern CHINESE especially the ones that interacted the most with the Ryu Kyu islands and Japan. (The Southern Chinese were the ones on the sea) so Ed Parker was using the Chinese character and a correct traditional pronunciation Ken for the character. Why empty hands instead of Tang Dynasty Hand. To understand that Tracy would have actually had to know something about the true history of Kenpo in Hawaii but since his version of history is 99.9% poop he can only point out that Ed Parker never changed the meaning in his writings. This goes all the way back to 1933 Hawaii, but Tracy does not know because he thinks Mitose showed up and introduced Kenpo Karate to Hawaii (WRONG).

[@meiam7737]

Tracy Brothers are true Kenpo.

[@KenpoJutsu-FullContact]

Video super interessante. Eu acredito particularmente que as raizes do KENPO esta entre Choki Motobu e James Mitose como sendo o verdadeiro karatê Jutsu caso assim seja chamado. Contudo, Mitose se referia a seu estilo como Kenpo Jujutsu. 🙏🥋

[@dennisthurman2070]

Sounds like a bitter man ...wonder what transpired to have him bash Ed Parker ? There are alot of inflated egos in all branches of the martial arts unfortunately

[@grappler240]

Trias’ school opened in 1946.

[@dennisthurman2070]

Where is part 2

[@wulfschlueter2112]

Get over it it's all history now every master taught in a different manor and every student adapts themselves to what they are capable of and accel from that point

[@pausetape8824]

You know! To be Honest I really can care less about the rift between these Men and there styles it was almost 60 years ago man it should be died by know for me it's the fact that they were both Mormons that caught my attention.

[@LeAnnRathbone]

it was their Mormon faith that introduced the Tracy's to Parker and I agree the rift between the two systems needs to end.

[@kiaikarate5387]

@@LeAnnRathbone I am also Mormon

[@kiaikarate5387]

You are a fairminded thinker....

[@pausetape8824]

Listen y'all the main reason for me to have studied this art for almost one year. Is because out of all the Karate systems it stands out like a sore thumb every other system of Karate looks a like to me except for maybe Mas Oyama system. Has for Kenpo Karate people see us and say one or two things it's fake or where are you getting learning Kenpo Karate from ? And that this both teams Tracy's Kenpo Karate and Ed Parker so come on can we please died this for 2023 and beyond! Enough is Enough!!! And for the Record I am from New Jersey!!!!!!!!

[@samiibrahim5356]

So much misinformation and outright nonsense 😂

[@rchapel]

Good job sir.

[@pausetape8824]

Where there to substantiate his claim?

[@samiibrahim5356]

@@pausetape8824 which of his false claims are you referring too, and can you clarify your question, I am not sure if you are asking me a question?

[@pausetape8824]

I was asking where there to substantiate his claims? If of course he is Lying I really didn't can't say but I didn't know he is a Mormon either are you a Mormon????

[@pausetape8824]

@@samiibrahim5356 I love history of our art which is why I am asking the question because I always wondered what was the beef between Tracy's Kenpo Karate vs Ed Parker I study Tracy's Kenpo Karate. But real talk this is 60 years ago this should be over regardless right?????

[@Dan.50]

Since neither Parker nor Tracy could fight their way out of a wet paper sack, does any of this really matter??

[@matthewcane1111]

kenpo=bulshido

[@brucemccraney1669]

Look A he was underground sects that's why we ownly A frue have seen his shit DRAGON CLOW POM AN THE DRAGON FIST TECHNIQUES THE MOVMENTS Came if you was present at the time of his KOTAS HE would practicing on black people at that times of the 1970s...ok A