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AKTS Member School |
Triangle Family
Karate - Creed, Salutation, Patch, Universal Pattern, Belt Tying - |
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WHAT IS KENPO?
& VIDEOS
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Kenpo Creed
"I come to you with only karate, empty hands. I have no weapons, but should I be forced to defend myself, my principles or my honor, should it be a matter of life or death, right or wrong; then here are my weapons, KARATE, MY EMPTY HANDS."
"The
scholar leads the warrior forward into battle.
There are numerous variations of the Kenpo Patch, all looking very similar to one another, but all having the same meaning for the various elements that make up the patch. The following is the description of those elements.
The Shape - The top is like a roof which gives shelter to all who come under it while the sides are curved conversely like the roof of a Chinese home to send back evil to where it came from. At the bottom you will notice the shape of an axe. This represents an executioner, symbolizing that should a member shame the Kenpo style or be influenced by evil ideas, they will be cut off and cast out. The Tiger - Represents the physical strength derived through the early stages of learning. The Dragon - Represents spiritual strength which comes with continued training. It is placed above physical strength since the individual at this stage has learned to develop humility and self-restraint. The Circle - This is symbolic of several things. It depicts life itself; a continuous cycle with no beginning or end just like the art of Kenpo . Physical prowess, humility and self-restraint are no more than components of a progressive learning cycle. The circle is the base from which our alphabet stems; all moves evolve from a circle whether they are defensive or offensive. The circle also represents the bond of friendship that should continuously exist among all. The Oriental Writing - This is a reminder of the originators of the art - the Chinese. It offers respect to them but doesn't denote that we serve them. The Chinese characters on the right say 'Law of the Fist and Empty hand' while the writing on the left - 'Spirit of the Dragon and the Tiger' - are a constant reminder that we should strive to attain a spiritual level, and that the physical level is only a stepping Stone to reach a higher, spiritual level. The Dividing Lines - In the circle they represent the original 18 hand movements and directions in which the hands can travel. They are the angles from which you or an opponent can attack or defend, and they also form the pattern in which the feet can travel. The 'K' - Stands for Kenpo. The Colors - The white background is significant of the many beginners who form the base of the art. The circle is grey symbolizing the brain which is often referred to as 'grey matter'. The other colors represent proficiency, achievement and authority. Brown - the color of the tiger's eyes - represent the advanced students . Also at this level the student becomes more observant. His eyes, like that of the tiger, are keen and ever so watchful and critical, always looking up to the higher levels of proficiency; striving for perfection and preparing for the day he bears the label of 'expert'. This level of expert proficiency is represented by the color black, while red is that of professorship over and above black belt. But yet, as indicated by the colors of the dragon, there are still traces white in the eyeball; yellow or orange on his fins; brown in the iris of the eyeball and black in the pupils. These colors are there to remind even the 'professor' that he should always be humble and able to return to any level. He should also be able to perform the things that he expects others at various levels to do and always be conscious of never demanding too much of his students. Universal Pattern - What it Teaches
The Eight Angles
– A multiplication sign laid over an addition sign used to show the eight major directions that someone could
attack or defend from.
The Figure Eight – another geometric path as in
Dance of Death where the right hand is making a figure eight with the
back knuckle strike to the left knee followed by the hand sword to the
groin. It could also be seen as following a path of action in Snaking
Talon as the whole forearm uses the figure eight with the inward and
outward hand swords. The Heart – another geometric path, as found in Blinding Sacrifice, Fatal Cross, and Locking Horns.
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