Every four years, my family watches the Olympic Games. The physical and mental skills of these athletes are beyond compare. At the end of each competition, the scores are tabulated to determine the winner. On the three-level platform, the three best athletes in the world for that event receive a gold medal, silver medal, and bronze medal. These three steps lead from a great level to an amazing level.
How do you develop great Kempo techniques through contemplation and exploration? The dojo is your martial laboratory. Test the techniques, evaluate them, and then improve them. But first, you need to learn them well, and by well, I don’t mean only rote memory.
You can distill the process of learning into categories or levels of learning. Traverse these three learning levels to digest and infuse your body with true martial prowess. The levels are:
Foundation level
At this level, you do things by the book. You’re at this level when you are White to Blue Belt. The proper body mechanics and positioning develop when you learn the curriculum as taught. Don’t assume you’re good enough to make changes at this stage. Compare this to thinking you knew how to make a better A while learning to write. You still couldn’t make a proper A yet. Learn each move correctly, then take it to the next level when it is time.
Adaptation level
At this level, you are exploring variations and what-ifs. You enter this level about the Green Belt and remain until the Black Belt. In Kempo, you are not a “master” at Black Belt. You are merely very proficient. Now, you start to appreciate the differences in the sizes and shapes of the uke (practice partner). It makes a difference in how you do each step of the technique. Also, his bodily and defensive reactions may alter how you continue to perform each successive move. Learn to flow from move to move and make changes to adapt to the shifting targets and center of balance.
Analysis level
You reduce the techniques to smaller pieces at this level and explore how each works with Kempo principles. Then, rebuild the technique using Kempo theories to become a spontaneous fighter. You’re at this level when you reach an expert Black Belt. This level is where you dissect what you are doing and see how the pieces fit together. Why are we making this move? Why does the body do that? What are the additional attacks and targets for each technique? How would the target respond or counter?
How does it relate to pressure points and acupuncture meridian lines? The list of potential questions goes on.
Dissecting the technique is a good strategy for learning a move or technique. Teaching and analyzing it are two other methods for improving comprehension and understanding. This analysis is why it behooves Black Belts to begin teaching or assisting in classes–where legally permitted by municipalities and local laws.
What is the net gain of doing this? You have become an outstanding artist and an exemplar of Kempo. Don’t worry about your rank or if others respect your lineage. You truly learned if you can walk the talk and defend yourself using the Kempo. Don’t settle for “knowing” techniques like a dance move. Know the technique on an unconscious level. That is the goal we’re all striving for.
Our slogan illustrates these levels: Explore, Experiment, Evolve.
Each word maps to one of the levels in order. The key here is to embrace the art, not just parrot the moves. The defense is just a building block to teach you how to move. No fight will ever map to the rearranged techniques or kata.
“No plan survives contact with the enemy.” – Paraphrased in The Swordbearers : Studies in Supreme Command in the First World War (1963) by Correlli Barnett.
Apply the principles and adapt to the situation now. For our school, the bridge between traditional kempo and actual combat is our Kickboxing program, which puts the material to the test in a live-contact situation. Enroll in both programs to maximize your warrior skills.
