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(Steven Shelikoff) wrote in message
There you go again. Were you too stupid to understand me the first,
second and third time I told you I wasn't going to give a stalker like
you any info? You really need to work on remedial english, or ESL.

Steve

I know, it's because you really don't know a damned thing about
Karate, only what you've learned from some fluff websites wanting you
to sign up. Here are quotes, many from the master and father of AKK,
Ed Parker. I know that you will say you know more about the subject
than he, even though he brought the art form to the U.S.:

Here are some quotes of very good, very famous Karate practitioners.
See if these have anything to do with "calmness".

"He who hesitates, meditates in a horizontal position" -Ed Parker
(father of AKK)

"Karate is a defensive art from beginning to end" - Gichin Funakoshi

"Even though surrounded By several enemies set to attack, Fight with
the thought That they are but one." - Ueshiba

"It should be easy to spot a black belt in a crowd, s/he should walk
like a Marine on roller skates" - Fredrick Lovret

When in trouble or in doubt, Cut down all who move about. - Frederick
J. Lovret

"When in doubt, knock 'em out" - "Big" Vinny Girolamo

"When pure knuckles meet pure flesh, that's pure Karate, no matter who
executes it or whatever style is involved." -- Ed Parker

"When two tigers fight, one is certain to be maimed, and one to die."
-- Master Funakoshi

"The Time to Strike is When the Opportunity Presents Itself." -- 6th
Code of Isshinryu Karatedo (think about this one, Steve!)

This one is particularly rich, it basically says, Steve, that you
can't just jump on some websites, read what they say, and then think
you have all of the knowledge:

"Knowledge does not grow like a tree where you dig a hole, plant your
feet, cover them with dirt, and pour water on them daily. Knowledge
grows with time, work, and dedicated effort. It cannot come by any
other means."
Ed Parker, Grandmaster, American Kenpo

"When we apply our Karate well, nothing is waste and nothing is
withheld."
George E Anderson, Pres of USAKF

And finally, from "Further Insights in Kenpo" again, by Ed Parker, the
founder of American Kenpo Karate, which traces it's roots thousands of
years back to India, even before migrating to China, Japan, and
Okinawa.:

Kenpo means The Law of the Fist.
Karate means "Empty Hand".

Further, from the book:
"Mental conditioning is a vital part of kenpo training. Techniques for
concentration, and alertness (Steve, notice NO "calmness"?) help the
karateist to develop his visual and auditory range to an EXTRAORDINARY
power of sensitivity, so that he perceives the approach of danger
BEFORE it strikes."

And finally, Steve, you've stated that you know Karate, and I don't
because YOU think that it requires calmness, I disagree. Here again,
is Ed Parker's words. Now I know that you will think you know more
than HE does, even though he is the father of american kenpo karate!!:

Body Momentum and Gravitational Marriage

When you shuffle your body forward and do an elbow strike, you're
using body momentum. As your body shuffles forward, it adds power to
the strike.
"On the other hand," Parker clarifies, "if your opponent is leaning
over and you drop your body weight down while you strike, that's the
principle of gravitational marriage. You take advantage of gravity,
and it's that marriage of my action with gravity that enhances the
power of my action. You're marrying the movement with gravity."
But body momentum is different. "It involves having mass move in a
direction with your weapon so it has added power, " says Parker. "If I
shuffle and execute a move, I'm gaining body momentum on a horizontal
plane. When I drop and let gravitational marriage come into play, I'm
utilizing body momentum on a vertical plane. Or, I could use body
momentum diagonally.
Reassuring his students that they too can learn the more refined
concepts of momentum, Parker uses an analogy that describes how
Eskimos perceive snow. There are about 18 different types of snow to
an Eskimo, Parker notes, but to many people closer to the equator,
there is only one type. The point? The Eskimos' concept is more
refined and is therefore more useful. And that's how a student of
American kenpo should view momentum. "The more you can break kenpo
down into its component parts, the better you understand it," Parker
explains. "My whole idea of training is to help individuals work at
their maximum, regardless of their limitations."
Although such principles as body momentum and gravitational marriage
seem trivial to some non-kenpoists, they play major roles in Parker's
fighting system. For instance, when you contrast a Japanese-style
reverse punch with the one done in American kenpo, the two principles'
role becomes clear.
"When you lunge and move toward your opponent during a Japanese-style
reverse punch, you only use a portion of your weight," Parker
explains. "But when you push the bottom of your foot so your whole
body goes in with the hit, your power and momentum are proportionally
increased."
The analogy of an aircraft carrier catapult nicely illustrates the
effectiveness of body momentum, and Parker frequently draws upon the
comparison during his worldwide seminars. Essentially, a jet on an
aircraft carrier needs a catapult and its own engine to ensure a safe
takeoff. The catapult and the engine are useless by themselves. They
must work together.
So when you do a Japanese-style lunging punch, Parker argues, it's
just like a jet trying to get off the deck of an aircraft carrier on
its own power. But, when the lower half of your body (the catapult)
shuffles and works in perfect harmony with your fist - the jet engine
- you then utilize body momentum in it's higher form.
For kicks, the principle works a little differently, because you need
a solid base. There is, however, American kenpo's pull-drag shuffle.
Parker explains how it works: "With some kicks you pull your leg in,
thereby creating some body momentum. But that really calls for perfect
balance and timing, so when you execute it, you do so with maximum
force."

Focus

The principle of focus is tossed to and fro in the martial arts. And
every time it lands, it picks up a new meaning. Yet, though focus is
seen differently in American kenpo than in any other fighting system,
the kenpo perspective is extremely sound.
Says Parker: "A lot of martial artists say that focus is a
concentration of force that's conveyed to the outer extremity of the
weapon as it meets the target. "But that concept of focus is totally
wrong in my estimation. Are you saying, then, if you argue for this
concept, that a ten-ton truck on its way down to hit a stone wall will
come down and generate all of its energy, so all of that energy will
concentrate in the front bumper? When that truck hits the wall, the
entire truck is in focus with the target."
Therefore, Parker says that focus consists of the entire body, plus
the weapon, being in focus with the target. It has nothing to do with
relaying force to one portion of the body.
While teaching, Parker is often asked why his students can hit so
hard. The answer? His version of focus. "When I hit, my whole body is
in focus at the time of contact," he says. "I don't halt my body and
let everything go to my weapon. If you do that, you lose your
momentum. You've brought it to a halt, and in the case of a punch,
you've brought it straight to the arm. Now, such a halting technique
might clothe job, but the person using it would only be working at a
small percentage of what he's capable of."

Speed

A crucial principle of American kenpo, speed has three phases: 1)
perceptual speed, 2) mental speed, and 3) phys- ical speed. For many
martial artists, speed is simply quickness. For his kenpo system,
however, Parker has greatly expanded the concept.
"Although I categorize speed three different ways, they all function
as one," he says. "What precisely is perceptual speed? It's the
quickness of the senses to monitor the stimuli they receive. This
category is really what makes you fast or slow. Perceptual speed helps
you determine the stimuli's meaning and swiftly conveys the perceived
informa- tion to the brain, so mental speed can parlay the response.
Perceptual speed must be developed first; then the other two types can
follow."
Developing perceptual speed is difficult, but it can be done. The
secret, says Parker, is alertness training. You must develop your
senses to harmonize with the environmental. Parker has designed
special kenpo training methods to aid this development. To those well
versed in American kenpo, a sound, a feeling, or a sense of trouble
can set perceptual speed into motion.
"Mental speed is quickness of the mind," Parker explains. "When
developed, you select appropriate movements and effectively deal with
perceived stimuli. However, mental speed can only be increased by
regularly practicing the various aspects of kenpo techniques. This
involves learning the techniques to the point where you're totally
familiar with them.
"Physical speed is slightly different," Parker says, because it's "a
promptness of physical movement. In kenpo, it's the speed of the
actual execution of the technique." Physical speed can be improved by
stretching, body conditioning and other training methods

All in all, you see, Steve, you don't know anything more than you've
cut from various websites full of fluff.