Hi, I'm new to this forum and also new to martial arts. I'm planning to take Kenpo, since it's one of the more interesting styles around my area (mostly tkd and hapkido). If anyone would take a look at the site and tell me what they think of the place, I'd appreciate it. I'm planning on going to the place tomorrow after work. Also, anything I should know or ask before joining a dojo? Thanks! http://www.americankenpokarate.net/
As about the cost of lessons and gradings, contracts, attitudes towards cross trainning (Some schools make you sign agreements that forbid you from trainning in any other MA, this is a bad thing usually) and the attitiude towards sparring and how it realtes to self defence. Check the atmosphere of the club and see if the higher belts are in shape and technically impressive (If you look at them and think "Ehh, I can take him" then maybe somethings up). If you care about self defence then look at the techniques done at higher belts are "Alive". Alive trainning means that the techniques look realistic, the attacker is genuinely trying to do df amage to the defender, the attacker will atempt to resist the counter techniques to some extent and they arent just falling into rythm. Attack-counter-fall-stand back up-repeat. A personal bug bear of mine is kids trainning in the same class as you, I dont like it and it makes learning MA harder sometimes if they are in the same class and get partnered with adults.
I found the following on their site- "Training: .... No contact is permitted to the head, neck, face, legs or groin in freestyle sparring; and only light contact is permitted to the helmet and body in freestyle fighting. No full contact fighting." Is this a normal rule for a dojo?
I do Kempo and for sparring (though I haven't actually gone to a specifically sparring class) for lower belts the contact is minimal, for higher belts it's full contact. We do no take downs, no hits to the face, and nothing below the belt or the back. Everything else is okay.
Thats Weird..... That seems a lot different from my dojo, and all the dojois from all the styles my friends do. In my dojo we dont necesarily harbor boxing matches, but light contact isnt enforced, just control in the way of forcefull strikes and that contact isnt restricted by belt rank, we pretty much mix it up in the sparring matches, the sensei's choose students to spar each other on real skill level not soley belt rank because people still vary in skill. Ive sparred a green belt and done well, im only a yellow belt, (goin' for orange soon tho') Th3r3z0rz
I believe the instructor of this particular school is one Larry Tatum's black belts. Tatum's school is also in the same town, probably across town, or within the same vicinity. As for no-contact stuff during freestyle to certain areas of the body, many times that could be a condition of their liability insurance coverages. Or maybe it boils down a control factor with the students strikes and kicks.
Pasadena is the epicenter of American Kenpo. This is probably not the best school in that area. Contact this guy, Ron Chapel, he will guide you to the best chapel@martialscience.org. Also there is a very good Kenpo board at martialtalk.com
Thanks for your help! Larry Tatum's school is nearby, but more expensive. He also seems to deal a lot with kids. I visited the American Kenpo Karate place yesterday and it was a nice small place. A student I spoke to said that they had a few people in the higher belts that like to spar harder, but you just couldn't hit to the head. They have an introductory package for $35 which includes 3-30min personal sessions and 2-group sessions. But I'm definitely going to give Ron Chapel an email and see his recommendations.
