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Kenpo Ambassador - Bob Liles

By Michael Mandaville

Mr. Bob Liles of Sacramento recently graced our presence at the UKS Training Camp in Culver City, California. During a black belt seminar, he concentrated on elbow strikes, demonstrating three types of strikes ­ horizontal, elliptical and what he referred to a few times as “from the heavens”. The latter strike was a downward strike, originating above the head and angling down into the solar plexus.

The latter reference struck me as unusual until I heard Mr. Liles speak over and over about his “Second Chance”. He was referring to hip surgery a few years ago that allowed him to not only continue his Kenpo career, free from pain and physical obstruction, but to increase his activities as a Kenpo Ambassador. Mr. Liles was probably pointing “to the heavens” in gratitude for his physical recovery to continue his excellence in The Art.

As Mr. Liles pointed skyward to demonstrate the angle to the intended target ­ in this case a line of pummeled black belts, I recollected that Mr. Hawkins told me of his recent travels. Mr. Liles has been on the move, collecting KFFM’s ­ Kenpo Frequent Flyer Miles ­ high in the heavens, traversing our great nation to teach, inspire and enliven The Art.

Before the UKS Camp in Culver City on September 21st and 22nd, he led a seminar in Hayfork, California, at Randy Bashaw’s studio on September 15th. Immediately after our camp, he was off to Chico to teach at the Epperson studio. Once more on the move in early October, he was in Lemore, California, at Dave Calhoun’s, then he vaulted across country to Philadelphia where this Great Nation was born to fight the terror and tyranny of despots. Coming back to Redding, California, on November 9th, he barely had time to catch his breath before running off to our Kenpo brothers in Mexico.

Mr. Liles is a man on the move, grateful for his “Second Chance” at Kenpo, reminding all of us that time is fleeting. With that “Second Chance”, he is teaching and inspiring the next generation of Kenpo Scholars and Warriors in not only The Art but also the freedom to teach The Art insofar as “Whosoever Desires Peace, Prepares for War.” This last quote, from an ancient Roman general, was not only the theme of our UKS camp but recognized by Mr. Bob Liles as an essential component of our current war against tyranny from those who would enslave us and deny us our freedom to practice The Art. He praised our soldiers fighting a just cause and inspired all Kenpoists present to realize that we are the next line of defense in the battle for Freedom.

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