TRACY BLOG
week-8 Week 1 archive Week 2 archive Week 3/4 Week5/6 Business Blog week -7
Mon 2/22/10
This is not the original Blog I intended to put up, but that is the advantage of controlling your own blog. You can change or add to it any time you want.
I see that Goggle is already picking up almost all of my Blogs. Why? I know what Goggle is looking for and I make it easy for them to find. That is why my web-site does not look like all the others!
Everyone wants to re-design my site so it looks like all the others!
What came to my attention was a classis bit of business warfare. But first let me give you a little bit of History.
"We (the United States) bet on the wrong horse" when we supported the corrupt Chiang Kai-shek. It did not matter how corrupt he was - he was fighting the enemy: Communism! The Chinese remember this very well. Who do you thing supplied the Viet Cong in the war in Viet Nam! In case you do not remember, after loosing over 50,000 American, with no chance of ever winning the war, we deserted those who had fought with us and left! And the supporters of that war still call it a "Noble War" of good against evil!
"His enemy is my enemy" Before the beginning of WWII - Japan had already invaded China. Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of main land china had been in a civil war with Mao Zedong. They temporarily, called off their civil war and both fraught the Japanese. At the end of WWII they went back to they civil war. When they asked Mao how he could give up his principal to join with Chiang Kai-shek he stated" "His enemy was my enemy"
With this background I saw something on TV news that brings all of this into focus.
The restaurant business is one of the most competitive markets in the world. For years McDonalds and Burger King have been going after one another. For years McDonald has tried to come up with a Whopper Stopper! Not much luck. I will still take a whopper any day!
Recently McDonalds has spend millions of dollars to compete with Starbucks in the coffee business. They have opened their new McCafe coffee stations. Starbucks had over expanded and may people turned away from the $4 cup of coffee. One plan that Starbucks had was to open a new series of Restaurants that had cheaper coffee. That would cost them millions of dollars for new stores and equipment, plus they would have to try and sell a new franchise plan.
Then I was the News Headline to day: Burger King will sell Starbucks coffee.
To me it looks like a win - win for both Starbucks and Burger King. It will cost both of them very little. Overnight you will be able to buy Starbucks coffee at thousands of new locations. Plus Burger Kink has a complete breakfast menu and drive up windows. I am not a Starbucks fan but million of people, including my wife, swear by Starbucks. The new McCafe of McDonalds is to new to have developed a loyal following!
Classis example: "His enemy is my enemy!" In the long run we will see how this plays out.
Fri 2/18/10
Warning to Tom Bleeker. I am about to come out with a lot more questionable claims you have made. The only person you continuously use to back you up is Chuck Sullivan. You had better check with Chuck to see if he is willing to back up everything you say or claim. If you are wrong, nothing Chuck can say will make it right. Is Chuck willing to have his credibility tied to yours?
Tom, perhaps you would like to rewrite the cutsie personal account of the first time Ed Parker met Bruce Lee. It would help if you cleared your version with Ralph Castro.
And my wife, Pat, will be giving her account of what happened at the registration desk when you made your grand entrance. She was standing right next to me.
Now for a topic related to training, not just in the Martial Arts, but to almost all sports.
Highly recommended on TV: Sports Science!
If you have cable and a DVR, I recommend you record any subject that will increase your knowledge of how the body works, mainly in relation to sports.POWER!
How do you develop power?
Power comes from the hips; the arms and legs are how you deliver the power! To deliver the power you must have the proper stance, balance and breathing. Just look at any sport! Baseball! Boxing, golf, tennis. The next time you see either of the Williams sister play tennis, watch the serve; notice how the power come from the hips. They criticize Serena Williams for being "unladylike" because she GRUNTS when she hits the ball. That is proper breathing - it is her Kiai!Sports Injuries. 50% of all sports injuries are to the knee, followed by the shoulder and elbow.
Practical self defense "Staying Alive" I have developed a simple Learning device: 5 Critical targets
GET - KNEE - FOOT
G - Groin
E - Eyes
T - Throat
Knee -
Foot
Foot - the foot is overlooked as a major target: 25% of all the bones in the body are located in the foot and ankle. The foot has 30 bones and joints; 100 ligaments, tendons, muscles and connecting tissue.Practical self defense - In any attack - if the opponent is close enough to grab you, you should be able to stomp the foot. The downward stomp - especially with shoes (the heavier the shoe the better) - is one of your most powerful weapons and is almost impossible to defend against. As long as your feet are on the ground you can keep stomping. A woman's stomp can be even more effective if she is wearing high heels. But with high heels, balance becomes critical!
The one form of conditioning used in almost all sports (except golf - they even have the caddy carry the clubs) is RUNNING! Very few athletes enjoy running - but it is a must. I think one thing that separates the really good MMA UFC fighter from the average is they now make enough money that they can train and condition as their only job. Its pretty had to work an 8 hour job and be able to train and compete at a professional level.
Running is what separates the Big Guys from the smaller guys! Big men are limited as to how far and fast they can run. The longer any race, the smaller the competitor!This is a trick statement: The are no BIG MEN IN FOOTBALL!
Where are you from? The first thing you thought about were the 350 pound lineman playing in the NFL.The most played "football" in the world is soccer. You don't see any big men - or women - playing soccer. The tallest man will be the goalie! This is why it is probably the most popular sport in the world. Especially in poor countries when you need only one ball to play a game.
Interesting observation (but not Politically Correct) to mention: why are there so few tall, big men in rest homes? Notice those who live the longest are usually small women under 5 feet tall! Have you observed how young most sport stars are when the die, as compared to the average person?
2/17/10
I have a lot more follow ups on Tom Bleeker. I met the man only once. He was a Party Crasher at our GOE 2001. He - uninvited - marched up to our registration table and declared I did not know what I was talking about, that James Ibrao was not Ed Parker's first Black Belt and he was going to confront James Ibrao face to face.
He was not prepared for my reaction as I yelled at him: "Who the F--K are you?!" And my language did not get any better. Lucky for him there were tables with computers and printers between the two of us. A couple of my real bad asses looked at me and I shook my head - No! Did he really think we would be trembling in fear because the mighty Tom Bleeker had put me in my place? Needless to say like a whipped puppy, he put his tail between his legs and got out of there as quickly as possible. I let him know what would happen if he dared to show his face again. Never saw him again. I am sure he will tell a different story; but he made a fool of himself in front of over 20 people. Did he forget to take his medicine that day?
I guess he forgot that lesson. Now he is now claiming that Rich Montgomery was Ed Parker's first Black Belt! Are you going to believe your eyes or listen to the people who were there when Rich was eventually promoted? I am once again inserting the Jump Kick of James Ibrao.
Ben Otake, a Brown belt, took this picture of James Ibrao. The picture was taken in Ed Parker's original studio on Walnut Blvd.
I am sure that Tom Bleeker can tell us why Ben Otake split with Ed Parker!
James is a Black Belt and Rich Montgomery - on the right, holding the boards - is only a white belt! Pete is the other person holding the boards. Beside Ed and myself, Peter was the only other breaker. Pete would break with his fingertips. After a serious hand injury he had to quit breaking.
_____________________________________
As a followup to my comments about Dan Inosanto, Dan and I live in a parallel Martial Arts world. We both do our arts 24/7. In addition I was born 6/24/36 - Dan was born 7/24/36!
If you get a chance to attend a Dan Inosanto seminar do not pass it up. For those of you who not know who Dan Inosanto is, or his background, I am providing below a link to his web site.
With all the controversy about training routines originally taught by Ed Parker, I have decided to make available my DVD Group Routines at a special price. It covers the following routines: (1) Walking the Horse; (2) Deflecting Block; (3) Star Block; (4) Two Eagles; (5) Threading the Needle (6) Attacking Eagle; (7) Iron Circle; (8) Double Iron Circle; (9) Rotating Iron Circle; (10) Parry Traps; (11) Trapping Circle; (12) 3 Count Strike; (13) 5 Count Strike; (14) Speed Set; (15) Stretching the Bow; (16) Locking Limb; (17) Teasing the Tiger; (18) Kenpo Intermediate Striking Set; (19) Cat in the Box; (20) Springing Tiger. PLUS: Kick and Cover - Push-up to Back Kick - The Wheel - Roll to Back Kick.
Now my critics will come out and claim I am only doing it to make money! I figure I can make enough to retire off this DVD. (Note the sarcasm.) The price is $12 and we pay shipping. In reality I will sell about 50-100 DVD's. If you don't have this DVD you will not know what we are talking about when we reference one of the above topics.
In the next few Blogs I will be addressing a forbidden Subject: Charging for Black Belt Testing - its cost belt by belt.
Example: After Jay T. Will died, I got a letter from one of his Black Belts. He wanted to know where he should send his $900 for the annual renew of this 9th Degree Black Belt. I almost told him that Jay wanted him to send it to me! The problem: I knew the student and he was not qualified for a colored belt.
I have a policy that I never charge for Belt Testing no matter the rank. If I do not charge it's hard to say I am selling rank. My fees are just for diplomas issued from National Headquarters.
1. If you simply want to be listed on our family tree - and are qualified by a certified Tracys Instructor - No Charge.
2. Black Belt diplomas on parchment $50
3. Our famous hand silk screened Diploma on Black Linen Paper $100.
Until recently I used to do all the hand silk screening myself. It got to be too much work so now I send it out and have it done commercially! It's not cheap as each one has to be done individually. An individual screen must be made for each diploma.I know that most of the Kenpo Organizations do not want the general public to know what they are charging or if they have to renew the diploma each year.
I know of many people paying thousands of dollars for rank.
Most of the information will come from former students who feel they were ripped off.
For this reason you can send confidential information on what you were charged for Black Belt Diplomas to tracysdvd@aol.com
Too many organizations exist for one reason: Selling Rank! Most of these organizations don't like me anyway. I might as well give them one more reason!
One liners
What I like most about MMA fighters: they are not Tae Kwon Do!
I just got off the phone yesterday with a person whose 7 year old daughter will be testing next week, in Tae Kwon Do, for Black Belt.
In Michigan, for $800 a year you can wear a "Tae Kwon Do" Instructors patch. No extra training - just an "Ego Patch"!
A mother called the Kenpo Store to see if we sold MMA gloves for 6 year olds.
Another mother called our Chicago school; she wanted us to teach her 6 year old son how to: Fight - Fight - Fight for real!
Wed 2/16/10
The "World According to Tom Bleeker". If Ed Parker did not teach it personally to him it does not exist or was made up by someone else.
I will have a lot more Topics for the discussion groups because I plan to put up a lot more Drills that were taught by Ed Parker before any of these Kenpo Authorities ever put on a Gi. Back then we wore Judo Gi's. Why was that? And why did Ed Parker import straw Tatamis from Japan? All other Karate studios simply had hardwood floors. Could it be we did rolling and falling and ground fighting?
Fact: In the beginning class ** after the warm ups - set procedures were used for falling and rolling. I'm sure these were taught to Tom Bleeker so he should be able to tell you what they were.
** Ed Parker originally only had two classes: beginner and advanced. (Beginners were taught by my brother Jim and myself.) Classes were Mon/Wed, Tues/Thurs and Saturday; no classes on Friday. Ed did not teach on Sat. Friday night was where the advanced students came in and worked out for 2-4 hours. We brought our own "Everlast" heavy bag, because Ed never had heavy bags in the original studios. We did have two Makiwara for training. In reality only the "Breakers" ever used the Makiwara.
It was a ritual that after working out Friday nights, we would go to the local "Orange Julius" or the world famous "Bob's Big Boy" on Colorado Blvd. Most students trained in the beginning class for 1-2 years. All advanced classes were taught by Ed. The average advanced class was only 5-7 students. It was usually the same people: myself, my brothers, Jimmy, John, Chuck, Bill, Rick and Rich. Let all the Seniors fill in the last names.
A matter of Seniority
There is no one active or associated with Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate who is senior to my brothers or me. James Ibrao, Rich Montgomery, Rick Flores and Ed Tobian were all our seniors when they were with Ed Parker. Of those only James Ibrao continued with Ed Parker in any capacity. However about 2001 James Ibrao told me and my brother, Will Tracy, that he wanted no contact with anyone other than us in Kenpo, and wants nothing to do with the garbage being put out there.
Dan Weston has asked about Mills Crenshaw being senior. Mills Crenshaw was a white belt with no rank when my brothers and I began training with Ed Parker. He never attended any class in Pasadena, beginning or advanced. He attained no rank, Kyu or Dan or otherwise until after the forming of the IKKA in late 1963. In Ed Parker's own words, IKKA was an outgrowth of the KKAA . However, seniority begins with receiving Shodan, and Mills Crenshaw has been unable to produce any certificate of any Dan rank until what he claims as Yodan (4th black) in 1965. Mills Crenshaw's seniority is therefore counted from May 1965.
Here is how seniority works in Kenpo Karate: My brothers and I began training with Ed Parker in 1957. Everyone who began before us were our seniors on the day we enrolled. There were only 5 Kyu ranks at that time. As soon as we received our 5th Kyu rank we were senior to all who had no rank but who had started training before us. In April 1961, I was an Ikkyu (first Kyu) with the next highest rank above me being Shodan. When Ed Parker's shodans left him that month, I was the most senior Ed Parker student. With the exception of Dan Inosanto (Sankyu)**, there were no other brown belts, which made my brothers and me the most senior of Ed Parker's students. My brother Jim and I received our Shodan in January 1962, and there is no one more senior. Dan rank seniority begins with Shodan. Anyone who got their Shodan after 1962 is junior to my brother and me, even if they are given a higher rank, they are still junior. I'll repeat, seniority is determined by when one receives Shodan.**Dan Inosanto is no longer active in Kenpo, but as part of Kenpo History Dan Inosanto would have a lasting influence of Kenpo.
In the early 1960's after we had opened "Ed Parker" Kenpo studios in San Francisco and Sacramento, Ed Parker and the Tracys wanted to keep the system - especially Katas - standard. With this in mind I drove down to Ed Parker's studio in Pasadena where in the parking lot we filmed Dan Inosanto doing all of the numbered Katas - Short #1 thru Long #5. Until Ed formed American Kenpo they would be the standard of reference on Kenpo Katas. I'm not sure if Dan Inosanto was ever aware of this. No I am not going to post any of these original 8mm films - mainly because they are in such bad shape - and the color on most have faded so you cannot see large parts of it. Beside this was a private thing that Dan did to help Ed and Tracys. He never meant for it to be made public. He did the Katas at a pace where you could see and duplicate every movement. Dan has left this part of his life behind - but he was very good in doing Kata. Dan had what I called "Classic Form". If you ever attend a Dan Inosanto seminar you will see what I mean. Some of my top people have studied with Dan, and many have told me that in his art, "Dan has taken it to another level" that none of us will ever obtain.
At this time it was agreed between Ed and Tracy's that each of us would add a signature to the individual Katas so we could tell who had taught the Katas. An example is in Long #3 - on the technique "Wrap Arounds" Tracy's #3 starts with the wrap section while Ed Parker's starts with the down motion. Each Kata has its signature, but now that Ed is gone he did not pass them on to anyone else!
Mon / Tue 02-15-16/10
Clearing the air!
David Arnold gave me a phone call in reference to my Blog. I have not read any comments he may have made on the Talk Forums. The following is my own personal response to his phone call which lasted over an hour.
I found David Arnold to be an honest, active martial artist with a solid background in the martial arts. He continues to study with people I have the highest respect for.
After we established the fact that he was not calling me a liar, but he was only questioning "alleged" facts - particularly the origin of the "Speed Set" - presented by others, we had a good conversation.
For most part the conversation was very civil except when the subject of Tom Bleeker and Mills Crenshaw came up. Not directed at David, I let him know in no uncertain terms what I thought of these two self appointed "Kenpo Authorities." I will be covering both of them, and their claim, in full detail in later blogs. Someone on the forums asked Tom Bleeker if he still maintains that James Ibrao was not Ed Parker's first Black Belt.
To the right is a classic photo of James Ibrao. Next they will be telling you Ed Parker did not teach kicking. James Ibrao did this kick from only two steps. Notice he is high enough to be kicking down. Notice Rich Montgomery is a White belt and Ibrao is a black belt. James Ibrao toured and played with the Harlem Globe Trotters ... which meant you always lost.
Or ask Mills Crenshaw when and who promoted Ed Parker to 9th degree as appears on Hi (Mills Crenshaw) Yodan (4th degree diploma)!
Getting back to my phone conversation with David Arnold, I must admit I dominated it most of the time. For his patience he learned more of Kenpo History and all the politics involved than anyone in American Kenpo has any idea exists. Like I told him, most of this is information you will never be able to pass on; and if you do, no one will believe you.
In summary this was a classical case of "failure to communicate"! As you can see I came away with a very positive opinion of Dave Arnold.
The main reason for starting my blog was to challenge all of these "False Kenpo Prophets" who by simply repeating lies long enough, and they go unchallenged, they become accepted fact!
Business update!
Since the beginning of the recession America has lost 8 million jobs. Actually we did not lose them; they were all shipped overseas, to markets with cheap labor. These high paying jobs will never come back. Obama speaks of the need for more emphasis on Science and Math. If you get a degree in either of these where will you find work? Why would an American company pay American engineers $50-$70,000 a year when they can get the same work done in India for $18,000 a year?
Have you noticed that when you call any company (banks, Web Sites, etc.) that all the people giving you technical help speak with a heavy "Indian" accent! Recently I had a case of identity theft. The person handling my account was in India. That means all of my personal information and financial records were also available in a foreign country.
Can you believe this: As long as we can remember all NBA basketball uniforms have been made at a factory in New York. No longer! They are now to be made in Taiwan. Every time you look at the huge salaries paid to NBA players know that it come at the expense of American jobs.
