The Kempo Blog

Folks, it's time...

Matt Barnes — 2008-02-13T13:17:35-05:00

This site has lived at this address for several years, but now it's time to move on.

Introducing:

www.kempoinfo.com

It's been harder to keep pace with how the site has grown, so I purchased some new digs, and I think it will be much easier to remember the address.

It will have a new look, a new style, but all of the existing information has been carried over. (and it's searchable too!)

I hope you've enjoyed this site over the years, and please join me over there and drop me a line.

There will be a few kinks - I'm still finding dead links, missing images, etc., but I hope to have it worked out shortly. If you find one, let me know.

Please update your links - this will probably be the last update here, and then it will be replaced with a redirect for a while. Eventually I'll use the comcast address to develop other projects.

Thanks, and see you over there,

Matt

Growing up a bit.

Matt Barnes — 2008-02-08T13:38:06-05:00

This site has grown quite a bit over the last couple years, and I've had some trouble updating it lately. Apparently this is not what comcast had in mind for 'personal web space', as it keeps choking on the 100 -plus pages that upload when I make changes. I'll be transitioning to a new host with a real domain name, and I'll post the information here (and there) as I complete the transition. Some things will change, but the important things (keeping the information freely available) will not. Hopefully this will be a vast improvement, and I'll be able to implement some ideas that have been held back by the limitations of the site. Please be patient with the transition.

Thanks,

Matt

Statue or Stature?

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-27T19:03:07-05:00

A reader from Connecticut asked if it would be more precise / proper to call Statue of the Crane by the name Stature of the Crane. What is the general consensus? This thread at Martialtalk seemed to nail it down, but I guess it's still open to debate. Feel free to chime in.

Professor Kimo and Kohno, Sensei in NY

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-27T17:28:08-05:00

I had a great opportunity last weekend (1/19-1/20) to go see Professor Kimo at Professor Tom Ingargiola's school on Long Island. I had the good fortune of having 'KenpoJoe' Rebelo accompany me for the very long ride. I was able to meet Tatsuji the K-1 fighter who was in town to train with Professor Kimo and Professor I. The seminar was great - it's not often you get to learn from a student of Wang Shu Jin, and Professor Kimo was great as always. Much of the most fun was 'around' the seminar - meeting Keith Tubman and Kim Kleiman of Valley Shore Martial Arts, exploring the ideas through a variety of martial arts with Professor Kimo back at the hotel, delving deep into the various facets of kempo with Joe Rebelo.

Shushi no kon sho

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-16T13:53:00-05:00

Thanks to youtube, video of Shushi No Kon Sho is avaliable. I've made a page for it, and will add a 'clearer' video once I find it. I've got one somewhere....

Honsuki Video

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-12T10:24:01-05:00

Some fellow named Julian has put a video of himself on Myspace doing Hansuki. I'm pretty sure he's USSD.

Kajukenbo Hui

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-12T10:02:11-05:00

A new organization has been formed to address rank promotion issues for 'black sheep'. Their bylaws essentially forbid any money changing hands, thus precluding the commercialization for Rank. Is it time for something like this in Kempo? What kind of standards could be used?

From their site:

Official Announcement - The Kajukenbo Hui

January 9th, 2008

To the Kajukenbo Ohana and its Extended Family:

Hui: (n) club, organization (Hawaiian)

I would like to take the time to announce the creation of an independent ranking organization founded on the
principles of equality and democratic self-regulation - The Kajukenbo Hui. The Kajukenbo Hui has been created with the intent of giving those that do not have a way by which to gain recognition for their efforts a means in which to do so.

The Hui will promote Kajukenbo black belt ranks based on a criteria agreed on by the members without regard to branch, lineage, or politics. The Hui will provide these promotions of rank without accepting any payment or oath of loyalty. The Hui will recognize the orphans, black sheep and the outcast of the Ohana and award them for their accomplishments. The Hui believe that the recognition and promotion of rank should be based on your efforts in promoting the mind, body, and spirit of Kajukenbo.

The Hui will accept Kajukenbo black belt ranks of first degree and above as members. You are not automatically a member and must fill out an application form either online or by mail. There are no fees associated with becoming a member nor will you be asked to contribute anything other than your studied vote during elections.

Our goal is not to take. Our goal is to give.

Yours in the Martial Way,

Dan Tyrrell - HEO

www.kajukenbohui.com
info@kajukenbohui.com

cc: Sijo Emperado
__________________

Everything old is new again.

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-09T12:57:53-05:00

After all the arguing about the effectiveness of groin kicks being suspect, especially against trained fighters, this happens. Thanks to John Bishop and the Kajukenbo Cafe for the link to the story.

Kicking form.

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-07T16:26:52-05:00

Stephen Bonk ('Kosho') from the Shaolin Kempo Training Center in Orange, MA - http://www.shaolinkempotraining.com/ sent in a kicking form taught there. It's now in the 'other forms' section.

Two Man Fist Set

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-06T20:44:26-05:00

I realized that I didn't have this one up yet either. I found some youtube videos, so they will have to do until I can do a proper write-up. I gave them their own page in the black belt section for now, but I may move it to the 'other' section, as some schools teach it at brown belt.

Statue of the Crane

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-06T20:00:58-05:00

At long last I've finally done a writeup for Statue of the Crane. There is a page with video in the new 'Other Kata' section. I'll try to get to other ones (heian nidan / pinan nidan, circle of the tiger, etc.) soon. Also, weapons forms too.

Kata series has video too.

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-05T13:44:05-05:00

In my haste I forgot to add, Kata 1-4 have videos as well. I forgot to do 5 kata that day (I just set up a camera and did a quick run through of a lot of forms) so it's not included. I have footage from another day, but need to find it.

Coming soon - Statue of the Crane. I've got video and just finished the write-up. I think I'll make an 'Other Kata' category.

Black Belt Videos are Back!

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-04T20:09:06-05:00

Ken Warner got right back to me. Apparently he had sent me a heads up email regarding the hosting change, but I missed it. Problem solved, thanks again to Ken Warner for the videos. There may be some 'fine tuning' going on, but they should be all set now.

Less videos? I thought you said more videos...

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-04T12:34:36-05:00

A thoughtful reader has brought it to my attention that the evolution karate videos are all down. I'll contact Ken Warner and see if it is a temporary or permanent issue. Thanks for your patience.

On a separate wavelength, the Pinans now do have videos. It's just old footage of me, but it will have to do for now. Let me know what you think.

Happy New Year!

Matt Barnes — 2008-01-04T10:18:27-05:00

It's certainly a happy one for me. I just finished student teaching before Christmas, and I have completed my Post-baccalaureate program at Bridgewater State College. What's that mean?

• I'm done with school for now. (Yay!)

• My teaching license moves up to the next level (MA Initial teaching license in Physical Education, 5-12).

• I have a whole lot more free time on my hands.

• The website will undergo some serious updating.

• I need to find a real job. (Yikes! Well, at least I'm highly qualified...)

So, stay tuned for updates, and wish me luck.

Six Kata

Matt Barnes — 2007-10-06T15:25:35-04:00

I found a few youtube videos of six kata. One appears to be a 'tournament video' , one (that with a demonstrator that looks suspiciously like my first instructor Scott Packard) appears to be a training video, and the last someone in their studio. They all appear to be USSD.

I didn't fall in a well...

Matt Barnes — 2007-10-06T15:18:31-04:00

It only seems that way. Right now I'm working on a 'Self-Defense' unit for my student teaching assignment. I've received some mail lately - thanks readers! - and based on that I've got a few requests:

Sunflower and Iron Fortress blocking - does anybody do these ones?

Also - yes I'm working on putting up more video. Student teaching takes priority now, but early next year it gets moved up on my priority list.

Haven't had any new combos for a while - please check the 'Need' list.

Thanks!

East Coast Kempo Gathering

Matt Barnes — 2007-07-22T20:23:50-04:00

Later Saturday, I attended the Kempo Gathering that was arranged on Martialtalk. It was great to see the old friends and meet the new ones, putting faces to the names on the internet. I took a few photos, and I think this is a great start to improving kempo throughout New England.

Guro Dan Donzella

Matt Barnes — 2007-07-22T19:31:01-04:00

I had the pleasure of visiting Dragon-Phoenix Martial Arts this past Saturday, where I attended a workout with Guro Dan Donzella. It was great to work on the stick and knife, and we covered a lot of ground. This was my second meeting with Guro Dan, and I enjoyed it even more than my first. He's a great technician and a really nice guy. I recommend him highly. Thanks again to Master Jesse Dwire for his hospitality.

Mitose articles

Matt Barnes — 2007-06-14T01:02:54-04:00

I've tinkered with the Mitose article, and added a statement from someone who travelled to see Shaka-In.

Motor Skill article

Matt Barnes — 2007-06-13T10:05:07-04:00

I've posted an article on training open vs. closed motor skills that I wrote for www.capecodmartialarts.com. It's brief, but offers some ideas on making your material more useful. I'm really advocating that it's not necessarily what you train, but how.

Two good days.

Matt Barnes — 2007-06-05T23:50:01-04:00

I had a friend / former student come up to train last week. He had moved away and was in the area visiting. We managed to set aside two full days of training, and it was great. Thanks Russ!

New Article

Matt Barnes — 2007-06-05T23:40:08-04:00

I've put up an article regarding training students with special needs that I wrote for the Kempo Jutsu Kai. I'm in pretty good company on their articles page. I've also made some small adjustments to an article I wrote on school identity.

I'm Back

Matt Barnes — 2007-05-23T11:04:32-04:00

The semester is over, and now I can catch up on things a bit. It's going to take some time to regain momentum, but I'll be updating a bit more often now. I'm going to take some time to give the site a 'once-over' and see where to go next. Any suggestions? Drop me a line.

I'm Certifiable.

Matt Barnes — 2007-04-07T17:19:27-04:00

My teaching / work / school obligations are approaching the 90-100 hour a week range, so don't hold your breath waiting for updates until mid-May. (Sorry!). On the bright side, I just received my 'unofficial results' from the Massachusetts subject area test for Physical Education (MTEL -MA test for educational licensure) and I passed so I'm eligible for provisional licensure. I'm going to student teach so I will skip that step and go straight to initial licensure, but it's nice to know it is there if I need it.

A revolution is at hand.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-26T23:44:17-04:00

Ken Warner of Evolution Karate has stepped up with an incredibly generous offer I couldn't refuse. He's providing video and bandwidth. If you like the movies, please consider purchasing his dvds for the high resolution versions. So far, 6 kata and Swift Tigers are up with text, Tai Sing Mon, Hansuki, ShotonQua, Branches of the Falling Pine, Lost Leopard, 1000 Buddhas, Invincible Wall, Five Dragons Face the Four Winds, Nengli North and Nengli South and the Snake are up with just video. I'll get the text up as soon as I'm able. I'm grateful for the support, and am stunned with how far this project has come in less than a year.

Combinations 100-103

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-23T15:26:55-04:00

Andy Henson of Lynchburg Martial Arts has sent in combinations 100-103. This now means we have a 91-100 page, and are one away from needing a final 101-108 page. For now, combinations 101-103 are in the other combinations page.

Changes to Have / Need

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-21T14:48:02-04:00

The Have / Need list has its own page now, as the previous list only mentioned combinations, and we're expanding past that now. I've put up a have / in process / need section for forms, as there are many which I have but just haven't typed up yet, and those closest to completion (on deck) can go there.

1-5 pinan, 1-6 kata

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-20T00:47:21-04:00

1-5 pinan and 1-6 kata are up. We have two versions of 6 kata. Enjoy.

Pinan 1-5, Kata 1,2,3,5 up.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-19T01:29:07-04:00

Okay - the form section is off to a good start. Thanks to Ben Gawiser of Loudoun Kempo and William French - aka (courtesy of fnorfurfoot), we have Pinan 1-5 and kata 1,2,3,and 5 up. Statue of the Crane is in the works. More to come.

So it's time for forms

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-18T23:32:44-04:00

I've received a request for a 'forms' section, so I'm going to start typing out forms I have. Video will have to wait a bit (space and bandwidth considerations). If you have some typed out, please send them in. Once I get a few ready, I'll create the new section.

Four Point Blocking Set

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-16T14:31:12-04:00

Marlon Wilson has submitted the Four Point blocking set, based on the rising crane (or chicken wrist to some schools) and the dropping palm.

Grab Technique section is up.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-16T12:42:48-04:00

I've again gone to the 1998 manual and the grab technique section is now up. It doesn't cover everything but it does have the lapel grab, the double wrist grab, the front choke, and the rear choke.

Request for Sunflower Blocking and Iron Fortress Blocking system

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-14T16:08:54-04:00

One of our contributors has brought to light the Sunflower Blocking system and one based on the Iron fortress. If anyone has any info, please drop a line or leave a comment.

One more plug for the CanAm martial arts board.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-14T12:27:09-04:00

Once again, I'd like to mention that the CanAm Martial Arts board has a Shaolin Kempo board, so anyone who wishes to have a focussed discussion of a topic without 'noise', should go give it a try. If you do go and sign up, tell 'em I sent you. I don't get anything for referrals, but maybe they'll get all warm and fuzzy.

New Section - Club Techniques

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-12T23:51:33-04:00

Out of the same 1998 manual come the club techniques, although again, I teach them differently now. They do give an example of 'typical' Shaolin Kempo club material however, so they are included in the archive.

I also took the liberty of reorganizing the site a bit. Some of the sidebars had become ridiculously long. Hope it works for everyone.

Milestone of sorts

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-10T14:05:44-05:00

As I was watching the most recent changes to the site get published, I realized that it was taking a bit longer these days to complete the upload. That's because the site now spans over 50 individual pages. The archive has really taken on a life of its own, as it now contains:

88 combinations
47 Kempos (with maybe some overlap)
39 Animal techniques
10 knife techniques

and 10 blocking systems. That's about 184 self defense techniques, and we're not done yet. I'd like to thank all the folks who've contributed, or even just sent feedback. Every one of you has really made this worthwhile for me. Thanks for being along for the ride.

New Section - Knife Techniques

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-10T13:48:46-05:00

After much searching, I found the files for a 1998 manual I typed up for the dojo. I've grabbed the knife techniques out of it, although we don't teach knife defense in that manner any more. I figured it was a good example of 'typical' Shaolin Kempo knife defense.

Huge update to the combos

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-10T01:35:15-05:00

Thanks to Ken Warner of Evolution Karate, we've had a big influx of combinations. Now we have 88 of the 108. We're in the home stretch.

Arrogant pronouncement on how to run your school.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-09T13:12:27-05:00

I teach at a martial arts school, but I don't run a school. That apparently doesn't stop me from telling you how to run yours. Well, maybe not how to run it, but at least how to find the right students.

From Shaolin Kempo to Kempo Jutsu

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-09T12:56:05-05:00

I was asked a good question on the forum 'MartialArts Planet' about the relationship of Shaolin Kempo to the Kempo Jutsu of Professor Feliciano 'Kimo' Ferreira, as I've been studying with Professor Kimo since late 2001. The person asking was John Bishop, Kajukenbo Professor, and author of the recent book Kajukenbo the Original Mixed Martial Art. After typing the answer, I thought, hey, this might make a good article for the web site. Thanks to Professor John Bishop for prompting me to put my thoughts down on (electronic) paper.

One more blocking system.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-07T22:07:18-05:00

The Dragon Blocking Set is up now. Once again courtesy of Stephen Bonk of Shaolin Kempo Training Center.

Huge revision to 'other techniques' - new 'blocking systems' page.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-06T13:12:30-05:00

Due to a recent submission of two new sets and a second variation by Sifu Bryan Bagnas of Golden Leopard Kempo, the blocking system page has become so robust as to deserve its own section. We now have pages for: the 8 point (three variations), the ten point (including a set with strikes), the palm blocking set, the twelve hands of the tiger (two writeups!), the plum tree and the "Masters' Set".

Ten point with strikes.

Matt Barnes — 2007-03-02T22:18:27-05:00

I had never heard of it, but Stephen Bonk has sent in the ten point with strikes. He learned it from Jean Louis Arseneau. Thanks for the interesting contribution.

Shushi no kon sho on youtube

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-28T23:57:43-05:00

I don't have a writeup for it yet, but there is a video of Shushi No Kon Sho (usually the first bo form people learn in Shaolin Kempo) up on youtube.

Looking for: Forms Dragon 1 and Dragon 2

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-27T09:08:31-05:00

I've had a request from someone looking for the forms 'Dragon 1' and 'Dragon 2'. They don't ring a bell with me - does anyone out there have them? Drop me a line if you do. Thanks!

65, 66 and 89

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-27T00:19:15-05:00

I've been sent these by email and we now have a 61-70 page and an 81 - 90 page. Thanks goes out to Chris Muehlebach.

Tip on Combination #3

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-20T11:41:14-05:00

Not exactly the way I do it, but Jim Brassard offers an interesting tip on combination three on Youtube.

Plum Tree blocking system is up.

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-19T23:25:24-05:00

I had a moment, so I wrote up the plum tree. It's a quick writeup, so feel free to contact me with corrections, variations and alternate wordings to improve clarity.

More top end combos from Jesse Dwire

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-16T22:42:20-05:00

I've received combinations 85, 87, 94 and a variation of 93 from Master Jesse Dwire IV or Dragon-Phoenix Martial Arts. Thanks again! One more in the '80's and they'll need their own page.

Ten Point Blocking

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-10T23:33:38-05:00

The ten point blocking system is now up. I did the writeup, so feel free to comment and suggest improvements. The flood of combos coming in has abated a bit so I had time to write the ten point down.

51-60 now complete

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-08T09:56:21-05:00

We've got an entry for each of the combinations in the 51-60 range. Thanks to fnorfurfoot for filling in the last blanks.

Marlon, Jesse Dwire, and Fnorfurfoot

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-08T00:43:49-05:00

Thanks to these folks, we now have several versions of the combinations from 40-50, and in fact, it has its own page now.

#69 and #74

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-05T23:34:07-05:00

Once again, Marlon has come through. We've made huge steps in filling in the gaps. Thanks Marlon - your help has been invaluable.

Matt

Marlon Wilson comes through again.

Matt Barnes — 2007-02-04T23:26:48-05:00

Sifu Marlon Wilson has come through again, this time with combination #57, a variation of #59, #63, and one other for which I need to verify the number. Thank you for your continued support!

'New' Kenpo forum.

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-27T22:52:47-05:00

Al Cunningham has posted some descriptions of the combinations he learned in 1970 in his forum. It's an interesting read. This is at the forum formerly known as NE martialtalk.

Combination #68

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-26T10:35:00-05:00

Jim Brassard was kind enough to send me an email this morning to let me know that he put a video of Combination #68 up on youtube. I did a write up based on the video, and it's now in the archive.

Discussion of Combinations at Martialtalk

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-25T11:26:23-05:00

There is a thriving discussion in a thread at martialtalk regarding the combinations. Many folks are contributing their interpretations of the combinations - it's great to see. Check it out if you haven't already. I wish I had time to participate, but updating this site takes up most of the spare time I have for 'internet play'.

Combination #60 and some video found.

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-25T11:12:52-05:00

Kosho and Marlon Wilson have posted descriptions of combination #60 to the 'Shaolin Kempo Technique Archive' thread at martialtalk, so we now have two (pretty close) variations. Also, there are some video segments linked at youtube based on combo's #5 and #8. They are not me, but they bring up some good points.

Combination #59 and more to come.

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-23T11:22:09-05:00

Fnorfurfoot from martialtalk has provided combination #59 for us, and there are more on the way. Thanks again to everyone who has supported the technique archive.

Combination #81 and the basic blocking systems

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-18T16:04:54-05:00

'kosho' from Shaolin Kempo Training Center in Orange, MA has provided combination #81, and I finally put up the basic eight point blocking systems from Ben Gawiser.

New section: Other techniques Featuring Twelve Hands of the Tiger

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-15T00:22:19-05:00

'Gufbal1982' a former USSD instructor has graciously provided the Twelve Hands of the Tiger blocking system. Thanks, and let's enjoy the new section. More material coming soon - the other blocking systems, forms, clubs, knives, etc.

Thanks for sharing and for using the archive.

More additions to the archive (and an edit)

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-13T09:42:29-05:00

Quick edit:Thanks to Marlon Wilson and James Reilly, we now have combination #73, #42, #43 and fixed a typo that made me think we had two versions of #43 (it was actually, #44).
.
Thanks for your continued support.

The 'Contact' page should be working again.

Matt Barnes — 2007-01-06T00:27:37-05:00

It seems that I needed to re-register to keep my mailform working. I have done so, so the contact form should be working again. I apologize for any inconvenience. I have several things that have been submitted as of late, so I hope to get them posted shortly.

Thanks for your patience.

Thanks Master Dwire! Combos 50-55.

Matt Barnes — 2006-12-01T15:40:59-05:00

Master Jesse Dwire IV of Dragon-Phoenix Martial Arts was kind enough to send a writeup of combinations 50-55, so now the archive has a "50's" page. Enjoy.

Sorry for the sparseness

Matt Barnes — 2006-11-11T21:46:24-05:00

Sorry for the lack of postings, school has been very demanding this semester. I promise more posts come the new year.

Speaking of Canada...

Matt Barnes — 2006-08-31T00:19:50-04:00

Things seem quiet over at CanAmMa, so I started a thread or two. Again, since they have a dedicated Shaolin Kempo forum, I really want to support it. So far I started one about whether more really was better in regards to the quantity of material we have in Shaolin Kempo, and one simply to discuss the technique archive. Check them out, it's a small board, but at least it has a Shaolin Kempo forum. Hope to see you there.

Matt

Kempos From Canada

Matt Barnes — 2006-08-29T00:55:44-04:00

Sifu Marlon Wilson was kind enough to send me some curriculum info, and I've been able to transcribe some of the kempos.

Please check them out and keep those submissions coming.

Thanks,

Matt

Submissions- 20 and 43.

Matt Barnes — 2006-08-28T14:43:41-04:00

Hai (I'm not sure if that's his first, last or nickname) noted that I must have forgotten to put combination 20 up. As an added bonus, he transcribed combination 43 as well. Thanks for the contribution!

New Tiger from Dominic

Matt Barnes — 2006-08-21T16:14:26-04:00

Dominic Bilodeau has been kind enough to send another tiger technique. It's been added to the archive.

Mitose Article has a small update.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-29T20:42:16-04:00

I just updated the Mitose article. I've put in a couple details about Mitose's activities before he started the 'Official Self Defense Club'. The first update is regarding a newspaper article reporting Mitose's arrest on August 19th, 1941 for extortion, and the second part details his brief career in the Hawaiian Territorial Guard.

The Blog Comes First.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-28T11:25:01-04:00

I've moved the blog to the front page, as that's what gets updated most frequently. I've also enabled the 'comments' function, so now you folks can comment on my posts. The pictures don't seem to want to load in the 'that was a weekend' post, but refresh once or twice and they will show. I'm not sure what the problem is. So, now that we're past the 'big event', I can get back to updating the history articles. I've got some really interesting info to add to the Mitose story, having to do with his 'I was a spy' comments at the trial. Stay tuned.

I found combination #88

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-27T01:08:37-04:00

I just found some old notes I had written down after an 'instructors workout' years ago, and there it was, combination #88. It's certainly interesting. Again, if you have any combinations that aren't yet in the archive, please share.

Now THAT was a weekend.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-26T00:41:48-04:00

As is obvious by my previous post, last weekend was the East Meets West seminar. I can't give a complete recap, as that would be more like an article, but here's some highlights:

Motobu Chosei, Soke and Inaba Hanshi. Period. Genuine articles.

Tokunaga Sensei and Sugiyama Sensei of the Jigen-ryu. Way to step in in the clutch for your teacher. People have been contacting me to express their thanks for your seminar section. Outstanding demo as well.

Professor Kimo Ferreira and his wife Kiko. It was great to see them, and Kiko did an amazing job as translator.

Spending the weekend with all of the above: Priceless.

Master Bill Chun, Jr., both during the seminar, and talking after.

And touching base with friends both new and old. Catching up with Marlon Wilson, my partner on my shodan test, Todd and Nelson from Connecticut, Gerry Green and the New York crew, Sigung Duncan, Ron Broughton and the Syracuse folks.

I hope to have a complete report in soon, but right now I'm just busy enjoying the aftermath.

It's the big one.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-18T14:45:44-04:00

This weekend is the East Meets West seminar, and I'm looking forward to it greatly. I'm trying to recover from a (stupid) back injury but will be there no matter what. Anyone else going? Has anyone been living under a rock and not heard of it? If you get a chance, please say hi - I'll be easy to find. Look for the young guy walking like an old man. By the way, if you are doing standing barbell bicep curls and you catch yourself breaking form to get 'just one more' and get away with it, don't go for another.

CanAm Martial Arts is back up.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-08T14:57:51-04:00

Once (or twice) upon a time there was a bulletin board trying to bring together Canadian and American martial artists. I never quite registered - until now. The CanAm Martial Arts board is up again, and it has among many other things, a Shaolin Kempo section. Please go and register and ask intelligent questions (and hopefully give intelligent answers). I think it's a promising place to address some of the questions I've been having, and I think I'll tend to pose them on their board. I'll be frequenting it, and I hope to see you there.

Fitness, part of or in support of kempo?

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-08T00:45:49-04:00

I've been on a fitness kick lately. I took a 'Physiology of Exercise' course this summer, and really wrapped my head around what I need to do for my own fitness needs. I adjusted my cardio, and picked up some weights. What consideration do you give fitness in your kempo practice, and teachers, what fitness elements do you include in class.

I've often thought of conditioning as a separate domain from the skillset that includes 'the fighting arts'. I include fitness in my classes, but I don't confuse that with the learned skill of kempo.

How do you see it? How do you do it?

Standardization?

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-08T00:13:40-04:00

With the advent of the technique archive, talk of 'standardization' has begun. Is this a good thing? On one side of the debate, there is the 'minimum standards' position, where anyone walking into any SK / SKK school would be able to expect certain things. On the other hand, I have the nagging fear that the ' minimum standards' will emphasize the 'minimum' at the expense of the 'standards'. I feel a small core curriculum is good. I fear that the point of nuance is being missed. I think diversity is healthy, and that not all folks want all things. Once upon a time, I was working with someone at an "instructor's meeting" on knife defenses, and my ideas (lifted from FMA) freaked them out. Needless to say, most folks there didn't want my input. The folks there wanted to standardize on the traditional 'cross block and wristlock' defenses they had been doing. If we're going to standardize, let's let it be a core to develop around.

Sorry for the 'quiet'.

Matt Barnes — 2006-07-02T14:20:30-04:00

I've just finished a class in 'Exercise Physiology', so the last couple weeks have been a flurry of lab reports and exams. I've gotten some really nice feedback on the site, and I hope to resume adding information - although lately it's been mostly catching up on sleep. On the bright side, it seems to have sparked some discussion on the shaolin kempo group on yahoo. It's a good place to discuss these kinds of items - check it out.

How about combination #93?

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-18T00:14:39-04:00

I happened to have been taught combination #93 at a seminar once upon a time, and then one day about four years ago, it was posted on the old yahoo newsgroup for our enjoyment. I just stumbled across that post, so it reminded me. Since the two folks who described it haven't had contact for quite a number of years, and both were pretty high up in the organization, before starting their own, I think it is pretty good corroborations. I'll start an 'other combinatons' page for 'out of order' ones, until I get more surrounding ones.

A dozen dragons.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-17T23:16:20-04:00

I've reached the end of my recently found 'animal notes' with a dozen dragon techniques. Please, check them out and send in your variations. I'm sure I have more techniques floating around, but I've got a few more notebooks to track down. So, now it's pretty much up to the community. If you want to see it here, let me know. If you have something that's not here yet, send it in.

Enjoy,

Matt

Cranes are up.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-16T22:56:07-04:00

There's about 5 crane techniques up now, and I received a submission of a snow leopard technique, appropriately from Canada.

Thanks to all who have contributed.

Matt

Animals vs. Kempos

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-15T08:33:06-04:00

There is a thread discussing the nature of this distinction on martialtalk. I haven't hopped in yet, mainly because the starting point was the animal page here, so it feels like my opinion is already noted. It feels somewhat strange to have spawned a thread. Stop by and participate - the more the merrier.

Tigers and snakes and leopards, oh my.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-11T07:38:25-04:00

Okay, I've pasted in from my notes some tigers, snakes and leopards. Does anyone recognize them, and if your school teaches animal techniques, please send in some not on the list, or perhaps confirm ones that are.

Thanks and enjoy,

Matt

Animals have begun.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-11T01:14:06-04:00

I found more of my notes, so there are some tigers up along with a bunch of snakes. The animals section will be filling up shortly, as the rest will go up at my next chance. I will probably have to reorganize the site to keep the menus under control. Bear with me.

Thanks,
Matt

Animals coming soon.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-10T10:58:07-04:00

I just remembered that a while back I typed up a manual for my friend's school, and created a page for each of the basic 5 animals with five example techniques. I found them on my hard drive, so a page for each animal will be up shortly. Before I post the techniques, though, I want to develop a quick blurb on why these techniques are considered 'tigers' or 'cranes'.

Bunkai article is up, sort of.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-08T01:12:00-04:00

I rescued an article that had been lingering on my palm pilot recounting my process of exploring the bunkai of the Shaolin Kempo 1-5 kata series. It's not really done yet, and the technical aspects have been left out for the moment, but give me your thoughts on it. Do you have parts of these forms that you have no idea about why you are doing the movement you are doing?

What's a kempo?

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-07T00:45:40-04:00

Over the course of sharing some techniques, the question 'What is a Kempo' cropped up in regards to kempo techniques. Most folks in Shaolin Kempo have combinations and 'kempos', along with weapons defenses, grabs, etc.

Some however aren't as familiar with 'kempos' as we often term them, so I took a moment to give an explanation as to why we might have a bunch of front punch defenses called combinations, and then have another set of front punch defenses called 'kempos'. As soon as I sent the email containing the explanation, I thought that I might need to explain this again sometime, so I figured I would post it. It is over in the articles section.

Got some Kempos up.

Matt Barnes — 2006-06-05T00:32:13-04:00

I've been (in the spare time between doing three websites, doing my job, teaching at CCMAA, going to graduate school and maintaining some semblance of family life) searching out my notes and finding kempos that I have accumulated. I found some that I had been sent, and they are already typed in, so I've pasted them into their own pages. They are going to be in groups by source, as for now, I don't have time to analyze, compare, contrast and so on. The source for one set is Carl Heinzl, who was kind enough to send me some techniques from the (no longer in existence) New Hampshire MSDC schools ages ago, and the other came from someone in New Jersey whose name I lost ages ago. The New Jersey ones, however seem to reflect the kempos I learned at the first school I attended in Connecticut.

Technique archive has begun.

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-26T14:35:05-04:00

I posted the idea at martialtalk and martial arts planet, and I've gotten some pretty positive feedback so far. Almost all of mine are up or will be shortly, so now whether or not the project goes further is going to shift to the community. Let's see what happens.

Pictures are up!

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-26T14:33:53-04:00

I've put up a small slideshow of pictures from over the years. Hope you enjoy. I'll try to update them now and then.

Technique archive?

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-25T12:44:57-04:00

I'm considering posting a technique archive. Shaolin Kempo has long had the 'secret technique' problem. It's like a little club - you can't even see the 'higher' stuff until you test for it. I've always felt it was a bit dishonest. There's a whole generation of 7th dan folks walking around with huge gaps in their material, because nobody seems to know what it is. So we get a bunch of folks 'filling in the blanks' and out come some really weird results. Often I've heard it was so those at the top would know who was and wasn't a Nth dan. Well guess what. You judge them by skill. Or how long they've been working with you. At the olympics they don't ask the skaters how many twirls and jumps they know. They watch them do the jumps and judge how well they do them.

For those who are concerned that someone will set up shop as a 'fraudulent master' based on access to the material, I have two considerations.
One - there are plenty of frauds set up all by themselves.
Two - The entire shotokan syllabus has been available for ages. How bad is the shotokan fraud problem?

Let's start with the combinations, as they are the most standardized of the bunch. I only have 1-40 plus some stragglers from the really high numbers, so I'll need contributions. If you do send them in, try to be specific writing them out, and if possible, tell which lineage they come from in case of duplicates. If I get three versions of #50, I'll post all three with where they came from.

I've started with #1 and will continue as time allows.

Contact form is working properly now...

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-25T00:04:19-04:00

Can you hear me now? Good...

The contact form is working properly now, so if you have a question, article idea or request or just would like to tell me how wrong I am, you can use the convenient form.

Matt

David German, RIP

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-24T00:17:26-04:00

I've seen some sad news posted by 'KenpoJoe' Rebelo. His teacher and mentor David German has passed away. Mr. German was the founder of T.A.I. Martial Arts, and he specialized in grafting together kempo and jujutsu in a seamless way. He was an innnovator in the mixing of stand up and grappling, and was way ahead of his time. Mr. German was 65.

The contact form may not be working.

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-24T00:15:09-04:00

I've sent some test messages using the contact form. I haven't received any yet. I'm not so sure how fast it works, but then again, I'm not so sure it is working at all. If you wish to contact me, I guess just email for now.

I went to a Fumio Demura Seminar

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-23T00:50:17-04:00

A couple of years ago I went to a Fumio Demura seminar. I had penned a review, but had never gotten around to posting it. Well, here it is.

Let me know you're out there

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-23T00:00:21-04:00

I just revamped the 'contact' form, and don't know how well it works. Drop me a line if you read the site, and test the form out.

Thanks,

Matt

Pictures will return

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-22T13:52:54-04:00

I'm going to set the pictures up in a different way, so they will come down for a bit. Once I get the new system up and running, they will change more often, and there will be a separate section for those that deserve to stay up.

Slow practice article.

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-22T13:17:45-04:00

I've put up an article on practicing techniques and forms slowly. It's a huge help in memorizing and (more importantly) internalizing your art.

Welcome.

Matt Barnes — 2006-05-22T13:12:51-04:00

I've put in a 'blog' page, as the website was previously so labor intensive to update that I didn't want to unless I had the 'perfect' article. Now I can pop up short bits, and put the articles elsewhere. In the olden days it was 'text edit', yep the free text program that comes with macs, and now it is rapidweaver ($35 well spent!). So, now we might see some regular updates. I will get all of the previously existing info up ASAP.

Thanks for your patience,

Matt