Josh Meredith

Grandmaster Edmund K. Parker once said something like, "Those who know HOW will always be a student, but those who know WHY, will continue to be the instructor."

I have jumped upon such a statement as should all who hope to advance. We all need to start with HOW: How a technique is performed, or how a proper kick should be delivered. But, to advance personally, physically, mentally, and in class, we need to know WHY.

Let's start with a basic technique, Striking Leopard. If we've learned the technique, we know the HOW. Block - Step forward, palm strike - half-fist as you shift into a forward bow.

Now, let's dig into the WHY. We step forward into the left neutral bow as we deliver the palm strike to add Back-up Mass. As we do so, we keep our block up to fend away any second attempt by the attacker. We execute the half-fist (leopard fist) because the palm strike should have caused the head to shoot back, leaving an open target. Again, we are shifting in our stance to add Back-up Mass. As we execute that half-fist, we shift our left hand to check where our right had blocked.

The student learns the HOW- the step-by-step process of how a technique functions. Through never-ending analysis, the student will become the instructor and impart knowledge on their own students. Students in the UKKD- Iowa are getting their fair share of the teaching. As they advance, they begin teaching the lower ranks. Learning only the HOW is not enough. Anyone can have fancy moves that look real flashy. Yet, without having the WHY, that is all they are, useless flashy moves. They have no self-defense purposes. Knowing the WHY also enables you to react in a self-defense situation. You will begin to notice open targets as soon as they appear and take advantage of them with a weapon suited for the target. As an example, you would not want to execute a half-fist to the ribs when you can execute a palm strike- hitting a bone with a half-fist is too big a risk to take. Knowing the WHY will also make you react faster to stop the assault.

In essence, remembering the HOW is necessary before any understanding of the WHY can begin. I look back at techniques I thought I had figured out and a whole new group of WHYs will jump out. Never give up looking for WHYs and the possible WHY NOTs. Before you know it, you'll be in front of the classroom watching your own students struggle with the HOWs and WHYs as they advance.

People interested in contacting Josh or taking part in the Kenpo forum should go to:

http://disc.server.com/Indices/47338.html