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From The President...

by Bryan Hawkins, President, UKS  

Since the passing of Mr. Parker in December of 1990 there has been an intense division in the Kenpo community. Without Mr. Parker’s undisputed leadership and final authority at the helm, what was once an art that was dominated by his organization, the IKKA, is now represented by numerous associations. Mr. Parker once told me that every organization “needed a big enema” every now and then. Another phrase he was also fond of using in regards to the possible merits of a particular group or organization was that he always liked to see “who’s who in the zoo”. Mr. Parker’s death most definitely gave American Kenpo a very large enema that in turn now ten years later lets us see “who’s who in the zoo” in terms of Kenpo leadership and various degrees of influence today.

There is a book coming out soon which was originally titled The Top 25 Kenpoists in the United States that now, upon its completion, is called The Journey. This is an appropriate title being that it will feature the journeys of 24 American Kenpoists from the beginning of their lives, to the start of their Kenpo careers, to the present. It will highlight the ups and downs and every thing in between as each of the Kenpoists’ travels along the road of life, having the experiences and making the discoveries that we all must.

I was very fortunate to have had long conversations with Mr. Parker years ago in which he would recount many of the highs and lows in his life so I could learn from his successes and failures both. Well now with the new book The Journey, martial artists and non-martial artists alike will be able to learn from 24 prominent Kenpoists of today through their successes and failures and the lessons they derived from each.

I feel that along with Mr. Parker’s Infinite Insights Into Kenpo: Volumes 1-5 and The Zen of Kenpo, and Joe Hyams’ Zen in the Martial Arts, The Journey belongs in every Kenpoist’s bookshelf for reference and guidance on their own personal journey for years to come. I know it will be on mine.