I’ve become a cranky old man.

 I think as of late, some of the organizations have really been rewriting history to suit their own interests. It should surprise nobody who has been to this site that I’ve put in quite a bit of work to trying to nail down an accurate history of the kempo, mainly Shaolin Kempo  / Karazenpo Goshinjutsu and its offshoots, but I feel like there are many obvious questions that haven’t been answered by folks who were supposedly there and active since the beginning. I’ve ticked off a few folks lately by pointing out some (often glaring) inaccuracies in histories, but then again, what do I know?There was a post on a bulletin board regarding the history of Shaolin Kempo, and I replied like this:

I didn’t hear of anyone but Fred V. when I started, and a few brave souls dug a little deeper, and thanks to them I have a much better understanding of my art. Along the way, the internet is littered with folks who have ‘fudged’ history to make themselves look more ‘official’. When I call folks on it, people get mad and say I’m making Kempo (especially Shaolin Kempo) look bad. That’s like saying it’s the weatherman’s fault it’s raining. I didn’t put the baloney on the internet, I’m just pointing at it so it can be fixed. At this point, I find myself in the ironic position of having constructed an elaborate timeline of ‘facts’ provided by the ‘people who were there’ who are now disavowing many of the things that they’ve said themselves. This has left me with a few realizations lately.  

1.) I barely have enough years in to justify the rank I hold. 

2.) People who started training 5 years after me hold 8-10th dans. 

3.) Therefore rank in kempo has apparently lost all meaning. 

and;

1.) People have stated various ‘Facts’ about shaolin kempo ‘because they were there’.

2.) The same people deny the same ‘facts’ when they want to discredit someone. 

3.) They’ve had 15 years to answer obvious questions, and haven’t gotten around to it. 

4.) I’m never going to have a clear picture of the history of the art, and neither is anyone else.

 I guess you just have to do what you like, and lay no claim to heritage. 

 

 I have become a cranky old man. Am I being too judgemental? I’m going to still try to complete the history and archive, but at times it feels a little false and a little frustrating. One thing that has happened, however, is that I’ve gained a much clearer vision on how I want to pursue my future in Kempo.  

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4 Responses to I’ve become a cranky old man.

  1. Jason sexton says:

    Matt
    Don’t get to frustrated, you’re site is a welcome and refreshing look at kempo. I have been studying kempo for about 13 years. in that time I have decided some of those who passed the art on may not have been particularly pleasant people, they may not have had the best business ethics, and in some cases they may of had an overactive imagination. This does not mean that they were not great martial artist. I don’t know where Villarie acquired all his material but it’s still great material. No martial art system is perfect, but kempo is perfect for some people. I live in an isolated farming community in central Kentucky. I became very disenchanted with my instructor and I am currently training at home. Your site has been a great tool. Keep up the good work.

    Sincerely,
    Jason Sexton
    P.S. does anyone know the translation to some of our forms in English-Honsuki, Nenglis Etc.

  2. matt says:

    Thanks – If I didn’t enjoy kempo so much, I probably wouldn’t get so aggravated. I’m glad you are finding it useful, and I hope you find a new training outlet that suits your needs.

  3. andy says:

    No Matt…you’re not a cranky old man. I feel the same way you do. I love Kempo, but so much of our history is so shady. Keep up the great work!
    Your site is AWESOME!!!

  4. Jesse says:

    Matt,
    Why dont you skip forward a generation? You have waited 15 years and still no answer, maybe we are asking the wrong people and the ones who have a greater understanding are either waiting to be asked or just won’t tell. Where did the Kata’s of SKK really originate? 5-7 are claimed by SGM Pesare. 1 and 2 have similiarities.. but 3 and 4? sure 4 has a striking resemblence to Heiean Nidan in the beginning. I think we need to look around here more. Get people to say they made it up, or they stole it from small circle jujitsu, shotokan, Kung Fu, Goju, and so on. It does not bother me where it came from, I like it, I’ve seen a lot of others and i still like it, I just want to be able to tell my students the truth.
    Jesse

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