Welcome to Gaia! ::

"The idea for the WEB OF KNOWLEDGE came to me thirty two years ago in Hawaii as I observed a spider constructing a web. As I watched a spider meticulously build this ingenious trap for his survival, I attempted to parallel the principles of this construction with the learning of the Martial Arts. From this designed created our Supreme Being, I pondered about how it could be used as a beneficial trap: A trap that would be an aid in retaining Martial Arts' knowledge. Surely, if a web is primarily a trap to ensnare victims, why couldn't a similar structure be used to ensnare knowledge? As I began to develop the concept, I pondered about topics that could be studied. What knowledge was the web to contain and what order of priority would it follow? Would the topics of study vary from one belt level to another? If so, what belonged where? Such unanswered questions did not make it easy to create and organized a progressive plan utilizing a WEB OF KNOWLEDGE. Through trial and error, I arrived at what I thought to be an equitable solution. I organized the web into prime topics of concern and arranged the course into what I considered progressive."

-Ed Parker Sr.
Cite Needed

The Web of Knowledge would become Parkers map of the Kenpo System. A way in which he classified the self defense techniques into eight catagories; starting with the least difficult attacks to defend against to the most threatening and complicated of attacks. They are as follows:


Grabs/Tackles-
-Easy to defend against because the motion of the attack is genreally stopped/stagnant and the attacker is not necessarily going to follow up with another strike.

The first techinque taught to every new student in the system is Delayed Sword. This is a defense against a Right Handed Grab to the Left shoulder. And while this is originally used for this specific attack, it can be used in many different situations.


Pushes/Pulls-
-Pushes and Pulls can be harder to defend against because the defender is now have to take into consideration the forward/backward momentum created by the attack. This means that better judgement and timing are required to effectively execute the counter.

The second technique taught to Yellow belt students is against a Two Handed Push to the chest and is called Alternating Maces


Punches-
-Punches usually pack with them more speed and force. This requires even better judgement, calculated timing, and also more confidence in ones ability to defend.

Sword of Destruction is the third technique a student is taught and is meant to defend the easiest of all punches to detect and defend...the John Wayne "hay maker" or a Roundhouse punch.


Kicks-
-Because of the vast difference in the mass of a leg Vs. the mass of an arm kicks require the student to use proper technique and timing to safely execute thier defense. It's better to step completely out of the line of fire when dealing with a kick then it is to try and do the technique without proper execution.

Take it from me! I bruised my right arm from the base of my pinky to the top of my elbow by ******** around and not clenching my fist at the right time. The technique I was trying to do is the forth on the list; a technique against a right front kick called Deflecting Hammer.


Grabs/Holds-
-Generally, a grab or hold is used to pin you down and keep you in place. Because you can't as easily manuver out of a grab or hold they are considered a more difficult attack to defend.

Captured Twigs is fifth on the list of Yellow Belt requirements because it deals with a bear hug from behind in which your attacker has pinned your arms to your side. This is also the first technique that utilized flanking (moving to your sides 6:00-9:00 as opposed to the front or back 12:00-6:00).


Locks/Chokes-
-Locks and Chokes are considered more complicated because not only can they have more severe consequences, but generally, they denote that the attacker has a pretty good idea as to what they are doing...think about the last time a wrestler put you in a full nelson....

Grasp of Death deals with what is supposedly the most comon lock people use; a side headlock.


Weapons-
- Much like a person using locks and chokes, a person with a weapon, 99% of the time, knows how to use it. A weapon give the attacker an advantage, he can cover more distance, and lets face it, a knife or club is more intimidating then a fist or foot.

These techniques require persice timing; too early and you can get cut/hit, too late and you can be even more severely injured. You also need more coordination to disarm a weapon then you to do block a punch/kick/ect. I don't know how many times I've bonked myself in the head taking a club from someone.

Checking the Storm is the seventh technique in the system and the first to incorporate the use of a weapon. In this case, the attack is an overhead club.


Multiple Attackers-
Because of the level of sophistication in techniques involving multiple attackers, these techniques aren't generally taught until a student is a Brown Belt. They require exact timing, usually complicated transitions, and an ability to see everything at once.

Ironically, the first multiple attacker technique I learned (no I'm not a brown belt. Though, my fellow students are either brown or black belts, I've learned a few things my fellow colored belts haven't) was nothing more then a very sophisticated arrangement of Sword and Hammer (the last technique on the yellow belt list) and Delayed Sword (the first on the list)


It should be understood that these are the most basic of techniques and as one progresses through the system the techniques become more gravitated towards more realistic scenarios, such as someone follows up a shoulder grab with a punch...ect.

For the most part, these more sophisticated techniques are not taught to new students for the simple fact that their basic movement isn't as refined as it needs to be; that and already the students are loaded down with so much information to begin with. Even the most decorated of black belts are constantly fine tuning and adjusting their Kenpo.

Anyway, my friends here to take me to dinner so this will conclude my introduction on the Web Of Knowledge!

Thanks, this really outlines the progression of kenpo in a nut shell. There are soooo many nuances in the art that it's sometimes hard to follow but by understanding this, one's able to keep a grasp on everything!

Oh I definitely agree that personal feedback is good.

I look at it this way: the one on one time and personal training are like papers in the gigantic filing cabinet that is your style. Each technique is like it's own sheet; each concept being taught is a single page. The web acts like the yellow file folders with different labels like "Knife Attack" "Gravitational Marriage" "Stepping up the Circle". You take each concept and lay it out in it's respective place and this way you know exactly where it is kept. As you progress you understand more clearly because everything is organized and once you finally are audited (in a situation you need to utilize your abilities) it is much easier to obtain the infomation because it is tucked away neatly in the folder.

For instance...say someone attacks you from behind. There are lots of techs that teach effective defenses for this attack.

But in the heat of the moment you only have a split second to react.

In case A...you never really used the web to make sense of how the techniques are laid out and just kind of shoved everything in a box under the bed.

And as the attack is taking place you've set you mind on one specific technique, you're going to do Captured Twigs. So you drop down into a horse stance and hammerfist him in the nuts...only something you don't anticipate happens, the attacker continues to hold on..uneffected and you are totally stumped because you had it in your mind that when you added 1+1 it would equal 2 and suddenly it isn't adding up.


In case B, you understood the progression and evolution of the technique and were able to adapt with the situation. Instead of freezing up when the assaliant didn't budge you instinctive move on to the evolved form of the technique, Crashing Hammer which starts out with the same base moves.



The Web is not the Teacher but is more like a study guide.

I'm curious in Kempo do you have a concept similar to this?

Yeah the concept of spontaneous muscle memory. One of the things we do quite frequently is to line up in a technique line and react to an unknown attack. Instead of saying "Attacker, you throw a Right RH Kick and Defender, you react with Swinging Pendulum" We'll say "Attacker, you throw any sort of kick with your right leg, and Defender, you get the hell out of the way." It's amazing what techniques get pieced together in the process. The idea isn't to execute the technique step by step but to react in an effective manner and end the confrontation.

You can always tell who practices their techniques more because those people just flow right through it whereas those who don't practice usually do one of two things...get hit right away or stop half way through the technique with a blank expression on their faces. LOL

Yeah, we usually reserve the "any attack" for more advanced students...beginners don't have enough controll when they are completely surprised....we were running out of tissue...too many bloody noses! sweatdrop