Why the split?

[The Tabasco Kid]

From what I have been able to glean from various open sources online, the Tracy brothers formally broke away from Mr. Parker due to changes he made in American Kenpo. Most of what I've read is what I consider hearsay (nothing from either Mr. Parker's papers or the Tracy brothers themselves), but it still makes me wonder.

What changes did Mr. Parker make that drove a wedge between him and two of his trusted students? One source claims that Mr. Parker's changes watered American Kenpo down and that the Tracys did not agree. Another claims that Kenpo was never as strong as it was before the changes (I'm assuming the publication of Infinite Insights is used as the point of delineation) as evidenced by the lack of Kenpoists rising to high levels in tournaments after the change.

This same source then goes on to state that Mr. Parker deliberately planted techniques and concepts in the final version of Kenpo that would be found to be absurd by those who truly understood what Mr. Parker was trying to teach. I find this claim incredible on its face. The material Mr. Parker wrote and that Messrs. Lamkin has preserved shows that Mr. Parker was not the sort of man to play tricks like that. The material is organized to lead the student down an orderly path to reach a level of ideal performance while simultaneously preparing them to apply their new skill in ways that are not ideal but personalized to the studen't own needs and abilities.

[administrator]

I've actually talked with Mr. Parker and Mr. Tracy on the subject.
There's no conspiracy as many would like to hold, just a business split.

Since I am from Kentucky, let me give this example. Suppose the CEO of KFC decided that he wanted to change the 'secret recipe'. Other board of directors would, of course, revolt. Some perhaps would go along, others not. The new recipe would start a new national chicken chain, the original recipe would continue on as before.

Is one better than the other? That depends on your taste.

Regarding some of the more specifics in your post:
-I don't this Ed Parker watered down Kenpo with the changes he made. However, I have seen that many associations have watered down the requirements to get to the various black belts since his death.
- Kenpo is not as strong as before - I agree, not due to changes, but people don't train as we used to in the 60s and 70s.
- Kenpo not strong in tournaments - same as above, proper training is the key.
- About absurd techniques that Parker may have put in the system - I don't think so, but there are a few people out there that lead their students on to believe that, so that they can string them along longer (and tell them when they are ready to receive the great revelation). There are a few American Kenpo techniques that are often taught wrong, so, by the time it has been passed down a couple of generations, the techniques appear as absurd.

The bottom line is, Kenpo is a great system, but you have to train properly. Also, this response is not directed at Tabasco Kid for posting the questions. The questions are very important ones, and I get them emailed to me all of the time. Regardless of the system of Kenpo that you study, there is no place for rivalries. All of the energy expended on trash talking each others systems could be better used in training.

Kevin Lamkin

[bajakenpo]

This is true. I have been around for a long time. Kenpo is what you make of it. If you go to a school for one hour or so a week, That's what you are. A hour or so kenpo system. The master that trains you what was He or She? befor you. How long have thay been a black belt? This is not a watered down system. I date back to some of the first black belts of Mr parker's. It's just like Mr limkin says about the KFC. Some folks may do almost anything to be called Grand Master And have two big red stripes on there belt.