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From The President...

by Bryan Hawkins, President, UKS  

Kenpo is about…

Only somewhat recently, in the past eight years or so, did I begin to incorporate Mr. Parker’s Belt Pledges back into the curriculum as belt requirements at my dojo. I, of course, was familiar with the pledges, but had never really studied them - probably due to the fact that they were not part of the requirements while I was coming up through the ranks. (It is my theory that the Senior Instructor at my first Kenpo studio never required them because he personally was of such low character, he couldn’t possibly live up to the virtues they espouse.) In future newsletters I’ll be examining each pledge individually to maybe lend some insight into what Mr. Parker had in mind when he wrote them and made them mandatory to learn, interpret, understand and then, hopefully, to implement in our everyday lives.

What I’d like to address at this time is a word that is used in Mr. Parker’s creed, pledges and throughout much of his writings - that word is Honor. Verbal language is paramount in our communication process, so the specific words we use should have specific and true meaning to give the proper impact. Webster’s Dictionary defines honor as high regard or respect and adherence to principles considered right, integrity. The Tiger and Dragon on our crest represent many things, they are symbolic of many different ideas. As all good Kenpoists know - the Tiger is looking up to the Dragon because consciously or sub-consciously it reveres the virtues and values of the Dragon and aspires to be like-minded. One of the many virtues the Dragon is representative of is Honor. The Kenpoist who truly lives the honorable life will be respected and looked upon with high regard. The Kenpoist who truly adheres to principles considered to be right and honestly pursues that path will ultimately find the inner-peace, harmony and universal balance that is inherently ours. It is my belief that most people in today’s society are blind, deaf and dumb to intellectual pursuits in the areas of philosophy and spirituality. There is not a lot of individual or original thought processes going on, but rather opinions and basic value systems are probably more ‘media-driven’ than anything else. We as Martial Artists know better and are not so easily swayed by the electronic media, talking heads, sound bites, and childish political rhetoric. We are compelled by the very nature of our art to be philosophically introspective, to look at things and see below the surface to find their true essence and continually strive to achieve and maintain an honorable way of life. Staying true to our code of ethics, which is our Kenpo Creed, is not always easy or comfortable. This is, of course, not coincidentally, true of our physical training in Kenpo as well. It’s not always easy or comfortable, but the rewards of mental and physical excellence that we attain are well worth all of the bumps and bruises we suffer along the way. Living with Honor also brings its own reward - the attainment of spiritual integrity. Just as being honorable in ones physical training brings the rewards of physical and mental integrity, so too conducting oneself honorably ‘off the mat’ will bring spiritual integrity. Of course as I’ve stated many times before that the ultimate goal of all Kenpoists is to achieve the true unity of mind, body and spirit. When one achieves even a modicum of this unity, ultimately harmony and happiness will follow.

Integrity does matter and not only does it matter, but in the end it’s the only thing that matters!

Kenpo is about Honor!

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