Lee Wedlake’s Karate Newsletter March 2015
What’s here? Dropping the martial arts, some big news, online lessons, The Kenpo Karate Compendium, Wonder Valley Kenpo Camp, KenpoTV updates, podcasts
Update AKSC Instructor Certification Program The reborn American Kenpo Senior Council will offer instructor certification. I have written the manual and exam and it is now done. It’s being beta tested. More details on what you need to do in order to become a certified Kenpo instructor will be forthcoming. You can see our page on Facebook for more info. https://www.facebook.com/AKSeniorCouncil?ref=hl There is a three-tiered system of certification. The levels are instructor, examiner and chief examiner. The cost of the manual will likely be about $40, which will include your certificate when certified. A list of contacts will be published as will procedures on how to get started. More to come.
Update Kenpo TV We changed to a different subscription software because we’ve had problems with the current system and developers are moving away from it. With the change many of the videos can be viewed on new devices without using the Photon app. Some still need to be converted to web-friendly format and will still need that app or have to be viewed on a PC. Use the Photon app if you want to watch on your iPad. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/photon-flash-player-for-ipad/id430200224?mt=8 Lately I recorded several videos on terms and concepts. They should be available to view by the time you read this. More instructional clips on extensions are on the list to shoot soon, too. If you’re not familiar with my website, I have uploaded over 1,000 instructional videos with everything from the basics to the high forms and a section for instructors. Beginners can take advantage of the site for $20/mo and have access to basics, forms, drills, the freestyle techniques and 42 self-defense techniques. This, plus everything else, is $45/mo including the Instructing for Instructors and extensions is also available. A week-long trial is only $1 and you can cancel anytime. Pay by credit card or PayPal. kenpotv.com
“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” –- Albert Einstein
Upcoming Seminars Details on my page at kenpotv.com/leewedlake/seminars-2 March 7 Goose Creek, SC. March 13-15 Esslingen, Germany Bob and Barbara White Invitational – I’ll be there March 20-22 March 28-29 Colleyville, TX w/John Sepulveda April 23-26 New England – Holden and Dartmouth, MA, and Amherst and Manchester, NH May 1-2 Chicago, IL May 22-25 Wonder Valley, CA Sept 18-20 AKF Camp, Austin, TX Sept 25-26 Chicago, IL See John Sepulveda’s schedule at http://www.akts-js.us/Js%20Seminar%20Schedule.htm
Update – The Kenpo Karate Compendium The book seems to be going world-wide, based on the comments I’ve gotten. All the feedback has been positive. It’s in e-book and paperback formats. Amazon seems to be the best way to get it, particularly overseas although it’s on iBooks and others. Prices are all over the map. Of course, I’ll recommend you buy it off my site where I can sign it for you. And I have a book combination with Lessons with Ed Parker, which saves you some money. Can’t ship overseas, though. I have some stocked but they go fast. Thanks for buying the book.
WRBBOF I am on the Board of Directors of the World Registry of Black Belts, Organizations and Federations (WRBBOF). It’s run by Barry Moyer in Indiana, whom I have known since the 1980s. The organization is non-political and not a certificate factory. Take a look. http://www.wrbbof.com/
February Premium Subscriber Article The last month article was multi-part, subjects including slopping through techniques and use of Japanese titles in Kenpo schools. Every month I post a new article for Premium Subscribers. It’s $29/yr and includes access to everything previously published. Here’s a list. https://kenpotv.com/leewedlake/articles/. Here’s how to subscribe. https://kenpotv.com/leewedlake/join-lwks/
Dropping Martial Arts I was sent this extract by Mike Ilderton in the UK regarding a decision by the schools system to drop judo and karate. The Telegraph Report dated 2nd Feb 2015. Letters to Editor A lady from Birmingham draws attention to the concerns that the GSCE intends to drop karate and judo from the Physical education syllabus. She draws to the reader’s attention the physical and mental improvement in her grandson since taking up the art. She highlights how the sport of karate developed a greater understanding of a different culture and assisted him in learning the basics of a new language (Japanese ). What can we do to highlight our concerns that sports such as Judo and Karate which actively promote respect for others, courtesy and commitment, which is lacking in many of the so called national sports.
“Think with your whole body.” — Taisen Deshimaru
Red Belts in BJJ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is bigger than Kenpo and has very tight controls on who wears a 9th or 10th. They have been around longer and have less high ranks than our system. http://www.bjjee.com/articles/updated-list-of-bjj-red-belts-there-are-much-more-than-you-think/
Lessons With Me Via The Web The web can be a wonderful thing. I have been teaching via video to individuals and groups for about a year now. One school has me do a group class for them from time to time. This is not limited to school owners and more people are jumping on this. You can do it with your desktop, laptop, iphone or iPad. I’ve been told you can use a Skype app on your Apple device, too. You can schedule a block of 5 or 10 lessons running about 30-45 minutes each. I can arrange single lessons too, but the block saves money. Here’s what you do. Pick a block of lessons. Schedule a time slot. Pay by credit card or PayPal. Select the subject(s) you want/need to cover. Off you go! I’ll send you notes on the lesson by e-mail afterward. If you’re interested, please contact me at lee@leewedlake.com. My schedule is filling, so if you’re interested you should act now. By the way, the protocol would be to make sure it’s ok with your teacher, if you have one.
In the online store My new book, The Kenpo Karate Compendium, is available in my online store. $24.95. A combo deal with Lessons with Ed Parker saves some money, too. I have two copies of Amy Long’s Kenpo Continuum, Vol. 2 book left. Lessons with Ed Parker is still available. Should be back up on Amazon soon. Technique manuals, form videos and t-shirts available. Links to Dennis Conatser’s and Bob White’s stores are there, too. https://kenpotv.com/leewedlake/store/
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” –- Confucius
Some Big News There is a big development coming soon to the Kenpo world. Kam IV, Inc. owns all the Ed Parker Sr. logos, trademarks, copyrights and intellectual properties. A public announcement is expected in March about their efforts to stop the wildfire spread of illegal sales of IKKA patches and manuals as well as use of his name and logo. This is good news for us who are direct lineage. This is bad for those who split off, changed their system but kept his name on it, use his picture to advertise or hold out as being high ranked when they really only went to mid-level ranks. They have a world-class attorney, too. This will be interesting.
Update 2015 Wonder Valley Camp If you made a reservation, now is the time to fork over the cash. May is coming fast. This will be a big one. Graham and Jaydean Lelliott host a great kenpo weekend in the Fresno, CA area on Memorial Day weekend. Graham tells me he and I will teach along with Steve White, Ingmar Johansson, Paul McMurray, Ian Harris, Marty Zaninovich and others. If you think you’d like to go, click the link here for info. http://www.jotform.com/form/2270931241
Podcasts I posted new ones in January on my website in the articles section instead of the iTunes page. This is due to problems with the podcastmachine website that links to iTunes, which I’m still working out. They have horrible support and it’s taken months and months to get anywhere. I have over 130 to hear with more coming. Hear them at https://kenpotv.com/leewedlake/articles/ or at http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=381705015
Forty Ways to Less Stress Robert Wallace is one of my 7th degrees. He sends out a free “Daily Dose of Motivation” e-mail. 143 of them! You can get on his e-mail list by contacting him at wallacekenpo@gmail.com. Prof. Wallace also does a string on stress reduction.
Kenpo Senior Conference Steve White and I have selected some dates for the 2016 conference, which should be in late April or mid-May that year. Location is now narrowed to two cities (either Austin, TX or Tucson, AZ). It’s looking like Austin, though. More to come.
Bob White Invitational This month the event happens the weekend of the 20th-22nd in Southern California. Last year the banquet, seminars and tournament raised $100,000 to benefit the Royal Family Kids Camps. Mr. White and his team work hard to make this happen, the slogan being “For the Kids”. Try to be there. http://bobwhiteinvitational.com/
Until next month,
Lee Wedlake