EDMUND KEOLOHA PARKER SR.
Founder Of Kenpo
Senior Master of the Arts Ed Parker is known world wide as the father of American Kenpo. He was the founder and president of the International Kenpo Karate Association, and Ed Parker's Karate Studios. He is the father of American Karate having originated the first American version of Karate. He opened the first professional Karate studio in the United States in Pasadena, California in 1956.
He has been featured in national and international magazines: Time, Look, Strength and Health, Show Business Illustrated, Iron Man, Action Karate, Black Belt, Karate Illustrated, Official Karate, Inside Kung-Fu, American Karate, and Karate/Kung-Fu Illustrated; in newspapers nation-wide; articles in the World Encyclopedia and many others.
He has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, including Revenge Of The Pink Panther and The Curse Of The Pink Panther. In addition, he has taught karate to nearly every big name actor and actress in Hollywood since the late 1950's. He has also been a technical advisor for motion pictures and TV.
Throughout the years, Mr. Parker has authored many books: Basic Karate, Kenpo Karate, The Woman's Guide to Self-Defense, Secrets of Chinese Karate, A Guide to Law Enforcement, Guide to the Nunchaku, Infinite Insights into Kenpo (volumes 1-5), The Zen of Kenpo, Inside Elvis, and much more.
He was a graduate of Kamehameha High School in (1949), Honolulu, Hawaii where he was born and raised. Mr. Parker received a B.S. Degree from Brigham Young University in 1956, with a Major in Sociology and Psychology, and a Minor in Political Science.
Mr. Parker produced the largest annual martial arts tournament, the International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California.
Mr. Parker's uniqueness rested in his continuous efforts to combat traditional restrictions binding progressive thinking. He was truly a creative genius because of his incredible ability to discover problems within the martial arts. His contributions and innovations are endless, encompassing logic and reasoning not yet employed by others. His nearly four decades of experience, contributions, and endeavours establish his as the Master and Founder of our system, and the author of our training material.
Ed Parker and Elvis!
For more on Elvis and Ed Parker, visit:
http://www.elvispresleymusic.com.au/pictures/1974_july_4.html
“An ounce of logic can be worth more than a ton of tradition that has become obsolete through the weathering of time.”
Ed Parker Sr.
“When I am gone, I hope that people won't try to traditionalize my Art. I want you to always remember that Kenpo will always be the Art of Perpetual Change. If you remember this, then the Art will never become obsolete because it will change with the times. While the ignorant refuse to study and the intelligent never stop, we should always be mindful of the fact that our reward in life is proportionate with the contributions we make. A true Martial Artist is not one who fears change, but one who causes it to happen. To live is to change, and to obtain perfection is to have changed often."
Ed Parker Sr.
“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, of right or wrong, then here are my weapons, Karate, my Empty Hands.”
Ed Parker Sr.
1931 - 1990
KENPO KARATE is a combination of two of the world's most devastating self defence forms. Actually, the two arts are very similar, differing only in detail. The word, Kenpo, describes the Chinese style of Karate, while the more modern term, Karate, best describes that system which is now practised in Okinawa. Kenpo means "law of the fist" while Karate, its related technique, means "empty hand". "Empty hand" refers to the fact that no weapons are used. Instead, the hands, elbows, fingers, feet, knees and other parts of the body are developed and used as weapons.