(When I wrote the following, I had recently passed my yellow belt test.)
I am constantly amazed at how slight motions that don't appear to be strikes or blocks, but casual or passive in nature, serve to manipulate the opponent or protect yourself. A slight downward "frictional pull" on the opponents bicep with your forearm can ground the front leg (prevent it from kicking) and bring the head forward into an uppercut. These are the things you can't learn from a book (I should know, I've tried). Just moving your hand four inches to the right and turning your chest slightly toward the opponent creates an opening and invites an attack to that region. One of the most valuable skills in martial arts is being able to anticipate the opponent's next move. In Kenpo the concept is to trick, lead, and tempt the opponent in such a way that you know what his next move will be because you are guiding him to it. This is a daunting skill to even think about trying to master, especially when I am just trying to angle my block in such a way that I don't accidentally cause my opponent to head-butt me!
Mr. Steinman told us last night, "You guys are way beyond yellow belt calibur, and that's why I'm showing you some things I normally don't introduce until higher ranks. You are self-correcting, you are understanding the concepts and principles behind the techniques..." I told him, "To be honest, since I've been here I've felt that it's harder for me to learn and pick things up, both physically and mentally. Maybe I'm older, and for sure we are working much harder to refine little details that weren't even touched on in other styles I took." He said his goal is to get us to a higher level, and that he's had the experience of going to conventions and seeing or hearing about other students wanting to work with his students because of how sharp they are and how well they know their stuff. But he said, "If you feel like you're struggling, it's a good thing. If you push yourself through those stages, you'll come out on the other side MUCH better, and with a higher level of skill."
I've never been good at complicated combos, and since that's mostly what Kenpo is, I could just be feeling clumbsy. But after all the years of admiring Kenpo, I only recently understood that it really is a modern and more sophisticated system than traditional karate. It combines elements from both karate and kung fu, but Mr. Parker, the genius who created the system, inserted so many practical things, that Tae Kwon Do or karate just don't compare! In Tae Kwon Do, I learned to punch and kick harder, and with more accuracy. In karate, I learned more of the same (although the style of moving was different), along with ways to make your body tougher. Blocks, kicks, and punches, and different ways to perform each. In contrast, Mr. Steinman compares Kenpo to "a full course meal". Striking and incapacitating the weapons (arms and legs) thrust at you are "appetizers". Working your way into the vital targets like the neck, solar plexis, and groin is "the main course". "Dessert" is the eye pokes and back fist strikes "on the way back out". And there is so much more to all this than just blocks, kicks, and punches.
Most people probably couldn't care less about this stuff. I find it fascinating.
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