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The Art of Kenpo (as a Street Defense)

By Steve Nee

My name is Steve Nee and currently I am an orange belt in American Kenpo Karate, developed by the late Grandmaster Mr. Ed Parker. I would like to tell a very recent experience that I had using Kenpo.

It was a Monday morning around 11:30 AM, and I decided to stop by Taco Bell. I wanted to try the drive-through for the very first time. I had been to Taco Bell many many times and I was nervous about ordering from my car.

I started to drive through the area where I can order. There was one car in front of me, where he was picking up his order. I was very excited to order my favorite, three beef burritos, as I rolled down my window on the driver’s side. I looked in the rear view mirror and I saw an old-looking white pick-up truck.

Suddenly, he started to honk his truck horn, many many times, and started to call me nasty names, really nasty! His temper got violent. I tried to stay very relaxed and calm in a meditative state. I counted from 1 to 10, three times, trying to relax my nerves.

He continuously honked the horn, and to my surprise, got out of his truck. He was in a rage, and his faced turned really red. He started to kick my car tires violently. At that moment in time, I felt surprised, scared, and confident, all at the same time. I started to get agitated, annoyed and edgy with his behavior.

Yet still, I saw Kenpo Karate and other martial arts as a discipline, and wanted to avoid fighting. At that moment I was reciting the Kenpo creed, “I come to you with karate, empty hands,” in my mind.

Suddenly, he got two long steel poles from his truck and came to the driver’s side. He started to bang the sides of my tires. At this point, I was thinking about my Kenpo training and all the instructors that taught me.

As an orange belt, I had no previous experience dealing with weapons or weapons defense. I decided to try to drive away, thinking “This guy is crazy, crazy, crazy, just plain crazy.”

He kept pounding my tires and the road in front of me was jammed. I couldn’t get out. I looked into his eyes as if I was Clint Eastwood.

At that moment, I was terrified, scared, trying to think of what to do. I only had a fraction of time to think and make the decision that could change my life. I could get hurt or injured, or something even worse.

He was aiming for my car windshield when I got out of my car. I tried to take the peaceful way out and apologize. He got really violent with his temper, his face turned more red. At this point, I was very aware of the two steel poles that were long as the traditional karate bo. They were thin, but still made of steel.

I looked into his eyes and I knew what he was thinking. I knew in my heart that this was going to be really nasty. Suddenly, he took the pole from his right hand and tried to swing it across my face. I stopped it using the twin inward block, and the pole stopped a fraction of an inch from the corner of my eye. I did Five Swords on him, followed with Triggered Salute as an offensive move, finishing with two collapsing elbows. His lips and nose started to bleed. As he tried to swing I chopped his throat three times and he dropped like a paper bag. I dropped him like a bad habit.

I took the poles away and threw them to the side. There was a car that pulled up and saw what happened and called 911. The police came and arrested him. I was scared, but happy at the same time. All this took place within the first 2 1/2 minutes!

I’d like to thank all my Kenpo instructors -- Mr. Gregan, Mr. Idol, Ms. Burns, Ms. Brown, Mr. Parent, Mr. Pemberton, and of course Mr. Hawkins -- for teaching me to be aware of my environment, and that an attack does not only happen in dark alleys. It can happen anytime, anywhere... So, I want to say: Be very aware of your environment, even if the sun is out and it is a beautiful, beautiful day. Every action has a reaction and your action has to be faster than the reaction. You are born naked, all that you have and own can be lost, leaving you and only you and Kenpo Karate. Training is a responsibility, and so is being pure of heart.

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