There are many less than honorable stories in the martial arts. The one I heard about Kenpo Karate and Ed Parker is one of the worst I have ever heard, however. Perhaps, if anybody knows the truth or falsity of this tale, they could let me know.
Ed Parker is credited with being the founder of modern Kenpo, teaching movie stars, including Elvis, putting on the biggest tournament in the world for years, the Internationals, and all manner of other deeds. His students are legion, and his prowess is quite well known. Unfortunately, he was only a brown belt when he first began teaching.
Shotokan karate was the art he was actually teaching in those early days, and this is illustrated in one of his earliest books. Apparently he ran out of material to teach, and his students wanted more, so he returned to Hawaii and asked his instructor to teach him more, but his instructor refused to do so. Ed was teaching without permission and his instructor took exception.
Ed then ran into a fellow named Jimmy Wu, who had mastered gung fu, but who couldn't speak but a smidgeon of English. Ed took Jimmy home and put him up while Jimmy created the actual art of Kenpo. Ed suddenly had all sorts of stuff to teach his students.
During this time, Ed asked Jimmy to co-author a book on Kenpo, and Jimmy, while still being lacking in the English language department, spent his days writing the book and teaching Ed and some of his students his art. Jimmy saw a rough translation of the book that Ed was planning on submitting to a publisher, and he couldn't find his own name mentioned at all. Even though he was partners with Ed, Jimmy was doing all the work, so he was surprised at this fact.
Why not my name on book, he is supposed to have asked. Ed said he would tell him all about it, but could they take a drive, Ed had an errand to run, and he would explain on the way. Ed drove Jimmy into Hollywood, but Ed didn't say a word about the book the whole time. On Hollywood Boulevard Ed let Jimmy out of the car, and drove away.
Jimmy had only the clothes on his back and a single quarter in his pocket. With that last quarter he called one of Ed's students. In his bad English he explained that he didn't know where he was, or why it had all happened, but that Ed had driven off and left him.
He had been writing and teaching, and creating a whole system for Ed Parker, and he had been betrayed. My question is, is there any truth in this story? If anybody has the straight skinny on it, I sure would like to know. - 16887
Ed Parker is credited with being the founder of modern Kenpo, teaching movie stars, including Elvis, putting on the biggest tournament in the world for years, the Internationals, and all manner of other deeds. His students are legion, and his prowess is quite well known. Unfortunately, he was only a brown belt when he first began teaching.
Shotokan karate was the art he was actually teaching in those early days, and this is illustrated in one of his earliest books. Apparently he ran out of material to teach, and his students wanted more, so he returned to Hawaii and asked his instructor to teach him more, but his instructor refused to do so. Ed was teaching without permission and his instructor took exception.
Ed then ran into a fellow named Jimmy Wu, who had mastered gung fu, but who couldn't speak but a smidgeon of English. Ed took Jimmy home and put him up while Jimmy created the actual art of Kenpo. Ed suddenly had all sorts of stuff to teach his students.
During this time, Ed asked Jimmy to co-author a book on Kenpo, and Jimmy, while still being lacking in the English language department, spent his days writing the book and teaching Ed and some of his students his art. Jimmy saw a rough translation of the book that Ed was planning on submitting to a publisher, and he couldn't find his own name mentioned at all. Even though he was partners with Ed, Jimmy was doing all the work, so he was surprised at this fact.
Why not my name on book, he is supposed to have asked. Ed said he would tell him all about it, but could they take a drive, Ed had an errand to run, and he would explain on the way. Ed drove Jimmy into Hollywood, but Ed didn't say a word about the book the whole time. On Hollywood Boulevard Ed let Jimmy out of the car, and drove away.
Jimmy had only the clothes on his back and a single quarter in his pocket. With that last quarter he called one of Ed's students. In his bad English he explained that he didn't know where he was, or why it had all happened, but that Ed had driven off and left him.
He had been writing and teaching, and creating a whole system for Ed Parker, and he had been betrayed. My question is, is there any truth in this story? If anybody has the straight skinny on it, I sure would like to know. - 16887
About the Author:
Al Case has dissected martial arts, including kenpo, for forty+ plus years. You can See his Research at Monster Martial Arts.
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