Nov newsletter

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Seminars
December 12, 2009 Fresno, CA

March 7, 2010 Charleston, South Carolina

March 20, 2010 Middletown, Connecticut
March 27, 2010 Plymouth, England
Spring 2010 Esslingen, Germany

See the seminar page on my website for details. www.leewedlake.com

Kenpo Lineage by Gary Ellis, 8 th black, Plymouth, England

Lineage in the Martial Arts has always been of great importance to the warrior castes of all cultures.  The Celtic warriors of 2000 years ago for example, in challenging their opponents, would recite their ancestor’s names and the great heroic deeds that they had done, before entering into combat. Their deeds and exploits were an integral part of the tribe’s folklore and reputation, and set the standards for all present and future warriors of the tribe to live up to. The more famous the warrior, the greater influence on those that followed in their bloodline and the greater effect on their opponent’s morale. The longer the bloodline, the stronger the bloodline, the more powerful the warrior became because of reputation, knowledge and skills passed down from those who had gone before. The strong emotional depth and sense of connection, honour and duty associated with their ancestors and their tribe spurred them on to even greater efforts, deeds and glory.

In oriental martial arts, lineage is also considered to be very important.  The two most important things to look for when finding an instructor for any martial art were considered to be humility and lineage.   A master should be able to show and prove his or her connection to the source of his or her particular style or system and will be able to show the names and details of previous masters going back many generations.  Very often teachers on this tree will have been from the same family, although this is not always the case as disciples were not always blood relatives. 

Mastership has always been bestowed by another Master who themselves have proven lineage after a great deal of study and a high degree of proficiency.  This ancestry in the Art shows quality of the knowledge transferred from those from the past who were respected in their field which in turn adds value to what we do today. 

The relationship between master and student reflects the relationship of parent and child and is one of trust which must work both ways.  In fact those that share a dojo, a particular style and the teachings of a master, are in many ways a family.As an example, my Kenpo Father was Senior Grand Master and Founder of American Kenpo Karate Ed Parker. My Elder brother in the Art is my Teacher, Lee Wedlake, and my younger Brother in the Art is my Senior Student, Mark Richards.

Lineage should not be confused with tradition.  Martial art schools are like families, each has their own traditions and customs that are handed down to each generation.To the modern Martial Artist, or prospective student of the Martial Arts, lineage is relevant if you wish to study a particular style or system and a vital tool in establishing the validity, credibility and pedigree of the Instructor. Lineage is about credibility, quality, integrity, honour, loyalty, truth and openness. It is inextricably linked with the history of the Tribe, Family, Group, Association or individuals who hold to it.  It is also linked with lies, deceit, betrayal, egotism, power, money, mistruth and secrecy.  On the surface it represents the history and achievements of those who claim that heritage.

However, the Martial Arts are full of people, and with people come personalities, politics and egos, all of which serve to confuse and colour the issues in many ways. An instructor’s rank and titles mean nothing.  The pedigree of their lineage however goes a long way to ensuring quality of instruction and the knowledge that is passed on. Unfortunately Rank, Titles and belt colours do bring some credibility to “Joe Public” and they also bring status and money.  However as Ed Parker was fond of saying: “The colour of the belt may show, but it doesn’t mean they know.” Egotism is the biggest enemy of the Kenpo System and of Martial Arts in general.  After the passing of Senior Grand Master Ed Parker there was a headlong rush by some individuals to achieve high rank status, with a result that today several very high-ranking individuals in the system who wear 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th Degree Black Belts, have risen far too fast in rank and whose physical, mental and spiritual skills and qualities do not match the high rank that they wear. 

I call it the Great Belt Race! Driven by the desire to be called or recognised as “Masters”, these individuals have done a lot of harm to the credibility of the term “Black Belt” and of the term “Master of The Arts.” Others whose lineage was outside of American Kenpo, or who were “asked” to leave the I.K.K.A. by Ed Parker when he was alive now claim direct lineage and teach American Kenpo.  Ed Parker’s name has great value even from the grave.  Although they are a part of the Kenpo Community, I do wonder where these orphans would all be now if Ed Parker were still alive.

Where does this leave the new student, or more often, the existing Kenpo student?  How do they select the right instructor if they wish to learn Ed Parker’s American Kenpo? Tracing your Kenpo lineage is a journey which quite often brings up surprises, twists and turns. Many who claim direct lineage to Ed Parker do so by association which can be misleading.
It makes sense to receive instruction from someone who has worked closely with the Founder of the system, or if you are very lucky the Founder themselves, or, with someone who’s lineage leads directly back to the Founder through previous instructors and Masters. Modern Kenpoists can no longer work with the Founder as, sadly, Ed Parker passed away in December, 1990.  Their next best option is to align with an established lineage directly back to Ed Parker.  First Generation Students are always the next best thing to the Founder as there are very few links in the “chain”.  “Great masters beget great masters, whereas the students of charlatans go nowhere.”

Working with someone who does not have direct in depth lineage with the Founder, even though they may be an excellent instructor, will hamper and confuse the transmission of the true system as taught by the Founder.  The game Chinese Whispers, is a great example of how information gets distorted with every link in the chain.  The greatest threat to a master’s teachings is the dilution of those teachings by individuals who do not know what they are talking about.  Ed Parker called them “salesmen of motion.”  Sadly he is no longer around to guide us or defend his system.  Anyone can say they worked with him.  Who’s to know?