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"Smoove"

by Gurujodha Singh Khalsa

“Action beats reaction unless the target, or object of the action is the first thing moved. Hitting in transition minimizes or eliminates your opponent’s ability to retaliate. Now as you execute a front cross over hit your opponent with a punch to the solar plexus before your foot hits the floor and then as your foot hits the floor execute a back knuckle to the side of his head.”

“Steve, let me borrow you.” Swish-pop-BAP. “Now you try it.” As Steve returned to the line he looked at me. “G.K. shall we do this?” he asked. I said, “Sure.” Mr. Gluckman and I struggled mightily to get the precise quarter beat timing. We were not alone that night in the advanced class. A lot of red stripes were straining to capture the effortless movement that had been executed moments before by the silver haired sensei -- Mr. Ed Parker. It was a real privilege to work with Mr. Steve Gluckman a third degree black belt at the time, who later became a close personal friend and respected Kenpo instructor.

Intellectually, I knew what Mr. Parker wanted, but my body and mind weren’t in synch. Mr. Parker watched us for a moment. “Ah not quite,” he said. Steve and I redoubled our efforts to get what looked like such a simple motion. Then we heard Mr. Parker say, “You know Kenpo is not complicated, but it is sophisticated.” Steve and I looked at each other as if to say “You’re not kidding.”

“OK, OK grab up the clubs.” Oh baby, I thought, more Long Form 7. I was doing well not to hit myself, let alone execute the moves being demonstrated by Senior Grand Master Parker. “We’re going to finish it up tonight.” First we did a segment of the form I later found out was called “Criss-Crossing the Storm”, which involved club strikes and a knee strike with a final checking motion, which propelled your adversary away from you. I watched Mr. Parker execute the moves and I thought to myself, this guy is so powerful, yet all of his moves are really smooth, not this stop action karate evidenced in other systems I had observed. My goal is to move like that.

Needless to say the brown belt contingent including myself was lost but doing our best to execute as many moves as we could. Mr. Parker watched us collectively for a moment and kind of nodded his head forward and to one side as if to say, “OK, OK keep going, it’s starting to at least look familiar.” I took renewed energy from this silent encouragement and applied myself with more vigor to “Leaping Storms” the next technique. Since it was based on “Leaping Crane” -- a technique I was familiar with, I started to gain confidence. Reflecting back I can see that this was a key feature of Mr. Parker’s system and his teaching philosophy. He was always building on basics and expanding on material that you had learned and mastered previously. This was the beauty of the “web of knowledge” which advanced your knowledge of self-defense techniques in a spiral fashion. At each belt level you orbited through material based on prior knowledge but at a new level of execution, application or sophistication.

“Let’s finish up with a technique line.” (“What?”) I felt my heart leap into my throat. (“A technique line?!,” my mind screamed. “Do you see who’s in here with us rookie brown belts -- Bryan Hawkins, Tony Martin, Lex Sensenbrenner, John Corrigan, Tommy Chavies, Muhammed Tabatabai; Barbara Hale; Howard Silva, Steve Gluckman?!! Like are we going to have a rookie line?” I felt myself ask mentally.) Mr. Parker must have been on the same frequency because he articulated out loud a response to my mental inquiry -- “One line.”

On the first technique I found myself facing Mr. Bryan Hawkins, big, strong, fast, and skilled (with attitude). The technique was “Thundering Hammers” and my “fear flight response” was paying dividends by keeping me just enough out of range to avoid major tenderization. “Let’s mix it up.” Mr. Parker said and he rearranged the line. Rookie brown belts were now sprinkled throughout the line among the senior black belts and we couldn’t take comfort in our collective insecurity. “We’ve been thrown to the ‘stripes’,” I thought, “All is lost.”

Mr. P was into it now, and the line took on a new energy. After each technique he had some words, or grunt, laugh or grimace for the person doing the technique. Next technique I dummied for John Corrigan. “Flashing Mace”. I knew what was coming -- a fair amount of pain, several seconds of being airborne and a re-acquaintance with the dynamics of gravity. I don’t remember the sweep, but I remember the landing. I survived.

I got up and turned to face Mr. Gluckman. He was short, yes, but Mr. Gluckman was strong, solid and quick. On top of that he was not going to cut me any slack, especially in front of Mr. Parker. The technique was “Shield and Sword”. As soon as the “Sw” of the word sword left Mr. Parker’s lips I saw the left punch coming and it was coming with authority. I off-angled, executed that left outward hand sword and the rest of the technique just seemed to fall into place right through to the right round house kick to the kidney which (being young back then) I delivered with a fair amount of enthusiasm obviously to the delight of Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker said, “What do you think Steve?” Mr. Parker looked at me and answered his own question with a slight smile “Smoove, Very Smoove”. My mind hiccoughed for a brief second (“Smoove?” Oh, Oh- “Smooth,” I translated mentally -- but Hawaiian style.). I was stoked. Mr. Parker had called my stuff “Smoove”. From that moment on I proceeded to participate in the rest of the technique line with renewed vigor and -- upon later reflection and icepack application -- with a total disregard for my physical body. But it was a great feeling. I reached a new level of confidence that evening and finally began to feel like I could achieve the same level of success as the senior instructors that I watched and learned from. I realized that Mr. Parker was teaching and challenging “us rookies” by placing us in unfamiliar surroundings which forced us to grow and adapt. In retrospect I find this to be another key element in the Parker teaching philosophy -- encouraging growth and development by placing new and often unfamiliar elements in the student’s environment. This is a great life lesson in that often in life you are forced to deal with new and unfamiliar circumstances and challenges.

As a student of Mr. Parker I never received a lot of personal attention or praise from Mr. Parker, but I always did and still do feel very connected to him. There was a look here, glance there, even a few kind words to my wife about me that let me know that he was aware of and interested in my development as a Kenpo student.

I never heard him speak in anger on the mat, or demean or belittle a student. He knew just how to offer encouragement and wisdom the same way he delivered his Kenpo, with perfect timing and maximum impact. I am still learning from his example and every so often I like to say to one of my students: “Smoove, very Smoove”.

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