Dude still gets to me 50 years later. RIP Master Parker

I Read a story long time ago about Ed Parker a guy in his 50s never knew anything about martial arts came in to his studio the guy was in a bad time in his life and wanted to give it a try he met Ed Parker and said id like to be able to get a black belt but i'd probably fail like everything else and i'm to old Ed said to him how bad do you want it and gave the guy a chance Ed pushed the guy taught him and the guy achieved his goal and got his black belt Ed told him Age has nothing to do with it in life if you want something you can do it the guy was a different person and sorted him self out and got over his problems thanks to Ed and regained his confidence Rip Ed Parker

@Hercules003

3 жыл бұрын

I think the universe wanted me to read this today. Great post.

@deanlidell3303

2 жыл бұрын

Tha KS for posting this. Been doing martial arts 🥋 (American Kenpo and Chinese IKCA Kenpo included.) But stopped 11 years ago when I went into Nursing school. I am partially disabled now but would REALLY like to get back into it again if I cN get stong enough and regain some flexibility. I also did Hapkido/Kuk Sool and a little mma.

@francoismorin8721

2 жыл бұрын

@@deanlidell3303 Don't give up Dean Lidell. There is always a martial art for you. Follow your rythm. Talk with your instructor to respect that. I don't look like it but I was struck witth an inflammatory bowel disease ulcer colitis at an early age of 17 years old. I was one of the fittess person out there before my illness. Probably would have been able to achieve most of Bruce Lee's physical prowes. I remember watching the movie Remo Williams and thinking I could achieve the 1 finger two hands stand that the Shinanzu master Chiun did watching his favorite soap on tv. I never was able to do it on 1 finger per hand, but I was starting to hold the stand on 2 fingers per hands. Believe it or not I was that gifted and determined. By age 20 I got my colon and rectum removed. Luckily I was one of the first to in the early 90's receive a surgery to build a pouch within my stomach. So I did not suffer the humilation to have an outside pouch for a young man. Today I train mostly at home by myself (especially since covid19), but I did not quit. Well I did for a few years, but got back to it. I respect my body and do what I can. It doesn't show, outside that I have to make extra efforts, because when people see me I am well enough to train, but sometimes I feel uncomfortable and you cannot function like before 100% without the big intestin. Anyways. The point to be made is this, If you have two legs and at least one arm or the opposite (a figure of speech), you can practice your Kenpo or another martial art. So don't give up. I did not. So you can with steady will and efforts, respecting your body.

@nelsonmcatee3721

2 жыл бұрын

I got my black belt in Shorin Ryu at age 51.

@grabir01

Жыл бұрын

Age has a lot to do with it. Anyone that says different never lived to be old.

There is NO disrespect from anyone in traditional Martial Arts. Nuff said! R.I.P Edmund Parker, your spirit lives in us.

Notice that Mr Parker broke 3 boards without dividers. That takes real power.

@spartanlukas

4 жыл бұрын

Uuuuuu yeah real power! He was fat and very out of shape too!

@craigmason2260

4 жыл бұрын

@@spartanlukas You are certainly entitled to your opinion , and as the old saying goes , opinions are like assholes , everybody's got one . You just like showing everyone yours .

@thetxaggie6575

3 жыл бұрын

When I took choy li fut, they discouraged dividers because its almost like a solid piece of wood without them

@christinasavannah7992

2 жыл бұрын

@@spartanlukas he is Hawaiian alot of them are "big" doesn't make them Unhealthy though alot of the Polynesian people are Hellaciously Strong even more than a "Farmer" strength

@kiaikarate5387

Жыл бұрын

@@christinasavannah7992 dont argue with him he is not worth it...

Ed Parker was The Man. Even old, and with gout, he could do make those breaks look casual.

@davidtice4972

Жыл бұрын

You do realize that Ed Parker chose Judo Gene LeBell to fight a boxer in the boxer vs martial artist challenge?

@alfredodelacruz1864

Жыл бұрын

​@@davidtice4972 Boxer vs Judo challenge. Newspaperman said that Judo wasn't effective so Ed Parker set up Milo Savage vs Judo Gene

@davidtice4972

Жыл бұрын

@@alfredodelacruz1864 Y Judo Gene LeBell ganó!

Mr. Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate is a system of fighting that is designed around many concepts and principles such as compliance,commited action, angles of execution, and target alignment. To understand all of this systems concepts and principles is to know why Kenpo is so affective and practical in any combat scenario.

Billy Blanks is in this video with Ed Parker

@pkicng210

8 жыл бұрын

+Marijan Stojanoski Isn't Billy Banks now selling fitness DVD's?

@christopheryasus3666

3 жыл бұрын

Tokey Hill also

I never saw this video of Mr. Parker. All 3 great Karate legends in one video..

Wow, thanks for posting this! GM Ed Parker RIP!

Big eddy. Killin me with his romper room easy to learn concepts. Thanks for everything

to show other people respect shows you have respect for yourself

@mylefnepple1936

5 жыл бұрын

Not true.I hate and despise myself, but show everyone else love.

@sirbrad4

5 жыл бұрын

Wrong I hate everybody but love myself.

@chef423

4 жыл бұрын

@@sirbrad4 and you're a douche...

Mr Parker and my dad were very good friends they both went to BYU and went to the same Mormon Church/Ward Mr Parker tought my father some of his Kempo and my father added his Jukado style

@MrCS-81

5 жыл бұрын

Respect to all of them from the Netherlands ❤️

Anyone can break 3 boards, but it takes a LOT of skill to break them as casually as he did. Especially with that front kick, he was talking to the camera and just flicked that foot out there. Not everyone can do that. Ohhhhh, I just read the description. The black guy is Billy Blanks???? That guy has some serious moves, I love watching him in movies! That's cool that he trained with Ed Parker! 👍💪

'Mr Chong has been recommended by Hong Kong.' Wow. Ed Parker in 'the Pink Panther,' as Mr Chong, was what every kid needed to see in the 70's. Back then, not everyone thought they knew everything. Nowadays you have 'experts' who quote the internet about ANY subject, and what false wisdom promotes is this overuse of this brain function called - 'memory.' You have to 'forget' to actually learn. And then you forget what you learned, but that's how you 'open' a world up, instead of relying on 'answers' for your self confidence, which narrows your expertise to what you say. So. You're always talking, too, because if you don't, you forget. Seeing Ed Parker break boards is the BEST reason to get into martial arts. And it's actually how a cool, impressionable kid thinks . . STILL.

I now enjoy learning a martial art (the art I started in 30 years ago and have returned to) as a hobby with some very solid basics. It's the original Kenpo before it was commercialised and is a great system and fun to train in. A good hard workout.

The disrespect in this comment section is unbelievable. I don't need to explain anything, cause those that knew of Ed Parker or was lucky enough to get taught by him, knows how real this man was.

@Rizaldjohan

8 жыл бұрын

+zzzhuh the disrespect atmosphere does not come out of thin air. Many other martial arts on youtube get the utmost respect from countless audience, namely kyokushin, pencak silat, even boxing or traditional karate. I believe many great athletes are inside the art but compared to many other more solid martial arts, EPAK techniques seem fake and made up.

@zzzhuh

8 жыл бұрын

Rizal Djohan Considering that I was brought up in a Kenpo family, and was forced to do it till I was 12... It is NOT fake. Ed Parker talked and passed notes with Bruce Lee. He was Elvis Presleys body guard. He also grew up in honolulu which if you knew about Hawaii (Not the tourists part) it is very rough, and the people will kill one another for somethings like tail gating. He was tall, and weighed a lot. But he moved so fast. My dad got bumped up by him, and he explained how he would move so fast, and just hit you like a train.

@Tigerpaws9097826

7 жыл бұрын

I am not a Kenpo practitioner (though I would like to be! A health condition limits my athletic pursuits, unfortunately setting a discipline like Kenpo off limits). But even as just a semi-dedicated observer, I can see that Ed was an accomplished man. There are of course the points you made already, but the thought that clearly was behind the design of his system of self-defense was original and logical. Authentic American Kenpo has a number of techniques that are very effective.

@zzzhuh

7 жыл бұрын

Tigerpaws9097826 That is the differnece. Authentic American Kenpo is an art that you don't pay for. You LEARN it, you apply it, and you use it if needed. Over the years, I've found myself in trouble and have had great success in using what I needed to get out of a situation.

@mejustanormalguy4742

6 жыл бұрын

lol it's the same cut wood as they all use my 90 year old aunt could chop that shit

great video ty for posting

I think no one can’t deny Bruce Lee is the most important and influential martial artist in XX century. With that said, Ed Parker was his counterpart. If Lee was the water, Parker was the steel. Both very important. Bruce was about freedom, instinct, reaction. Parker was about, form, rules, structure.

I studied boxing,Moo Do Kwon ,and then Kenpo with Palanzo(Ed Paker)and then Klemiesh.I met Mr.Paker and he was very fast and could hit hard.When Parker first started he studied Judo and earned a black belt in that in the early 50's or late 40's.Parker also boxed for a while then he met the Chow brothers.The man really could fight and grapple. For the record I also studied BJJ. I work in a prison and Kenpo is very effective in real life situations. Also Chuck Lidell was a blackbelt in Kenpo.

I met Ed Parker in London at an Elvis fun club, we shock hands and he showed me the ring Elvis had gifted him ... RIP

we miss you Grand Master Parker...

What we must remember is that the boards are being "supported." They are braced. A human is moving and is not braced. A kick or punch might just glance the ribs. The boards being held are stationary. You might strike or kick and if the boards were moving backwards, the strike or kick might have little impact. Pine is a fairly easy wood to break compared to oak. Oak is considered a "hardwood" while pine is considered a "softwood." On the other hand, American Kenpo is a great no nonsense martial art.

very cool to see this footage, lots of history we wouldn't have seen were it not for videos like this , thanks for sharing it. Mr. Parker could generate power from a very short distance by whipping his whole body without seeming to move much at all.

Amazing Ed Parker!

I've read most of the post and it's sad to see the disrespect. Mr Parker was great man and a great martial artist. As for the MMA there are some skilled fighters I agree, but it does have rules, no strikes to the groin, throat, temple, back of the neck. Kenpo in a street fight strikes to all these areas with devastation. You go to the ground and your tied up with one person and doesn't work well with multiple attackers. Stay on your feet at all cost, but as a last resort be prepared if your taken to the ground.

@pkicng210

8 жыл бұрын

+Ron Woolley In the street its always the element of surprise; multiple attackers. Also the screams you may hear maybe your loved ones being raped. Someone said that knowing a lot of sophisticated techniques is impractical because at that moment you have someone has a gun close to you, your mind races on the best technique and that's like flipping a 500 page book for the correct technique- No time. Meanwhile your children are screaming and being pistol whipped by another assailant. I agree with you- Ron. Avoid confrontation but when you have to fight -get in and get out

@chrisyasus5563

6 жыл бұрын

This mew era of what have u done 4 me lately is a flush in the toilet. Ill takr my veteran fathers advice over anybodys. Apple not far from tree. Merry X-Mas 2u

@theredninja2817

6 жыл бұрын

Ron Woolley I totally agree with you too many idiots on here

@Liquidcadmus

6 жыл бұрын

ed parker was never a master of anything except con artistry. he would have never gotten away with his lies and shennanigans nowadays.

@joeriley8667

5 жыл бұрын

Liquidcadmus it is better to remain silent and to be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt. Ed Parker’s name is fevered and reckognized, and will be long after you are forgotten!

The only thing lame are people who fail to recognize the value of learning how to strike properly with speed power and timing. BJJ along with many other styles do not teach you this. Kenpo is an ever evolving Style that does not limit itself to what may have worked a few years ago but continues to examine and reexamine any and all scenarios.

@sniktkc2592

2 жыл бұрын

and THAT is the Kenpo spirit...ever evolving...

so much like him it couldnt be anyone else

1:07--- parker stubbed his toe-lol

@experiment54

5 жыл бұрын

kal Desjarlais I thought that when I first saw it but then I watched it again after you provided the link and you can hear the pain in his voice. Hilarious 😂 When it goes wrong it goes wrong 😂

@maexpert11

3 жыл бұрын

Lol but gotta give him credit he handled it like a pro

Kenpo has evolved over the years it has gone to the, next Level. I have combined Hung-ga with kenpo it works. 35 years of experience. wise monk says if you talk, what u don't know don't talk. talk what u know. sifu Fred Robles Chinese combined kenpo.

@stonehand49

5 жыл бұрын

Wilfredo Robles ..42 years Kenpo....I added Escrima. Great match.....so much to learn.

Awesome!! Where did this come from? And how can I get to see more?

American Kenpo is the most practical art. Probably the best 1 to learn as a core teaches you in a sequential and logical manner

@Rizaldjohan

9 жыл бұрын

Paul S how do you measure practicality of a martial art really? any statistical study that shows kenpo students can finish fights in less than 5 second and less than 2 moves for instance? if no standard to measure an MA practicality then it would merely be claims and subjective perceptions

This is s Great Video. I'd would love to see more like this. Thanks for sharing this.

The most interesting thing is that without much hip rotation and a quick snappy retraction of his punch he broke the three boards. That's easy to do with a thrust and full rotation and follow through. Not so easy with that seemingly light flick. It tells me even in his old age he had a lot of power in even his short range snappy strikes. And in his prime would have been formidable. Consider few white haired sixty year olds do breaking! thanks for sharing. where is this from?

He is billy blanks

Excellent!! Is this from an old TV show? Great quality video. Is there any more of this out there?

MMA is a totally different animal altogether. But anyway this has nothing to do with my previous comment about what Bruce Lee said; he was referring to Ted Wong and his system of kung fu.

The guy holding the first board is Shihan Tokey Hill he was the first American to win the world championship for the United States. Look him up on my page and subscribe he's all over my channel. Tokey hill has also develop some of the best coaching programs for the United States.

Great information

Gran maestro!

The last double mid-side strike was used on Bruce Lee's film "The Big Boss". Awsome!

@tombstoneharrystudios584

6 жыл бұрын

Justin Gause Ed Parker was the one who first promoted Bruce Lee, at the famous Long Island Tournament. They were good friends, and Ed helped Lee get work in Hollywood; Ed was trainer to the likes of director Blake Edwards for example. It was how Lee got the role of Kato in the Green Hornet Later, when Ed was working with Blake on the Pink Panther movies, they called Clouseau’s martial arts manservant Cato, as an in-joke to their friend!

SGM Parker was very charismatic. I wish I could have met him.

And you managed this remark from the comfort of your home, sitting behind your computer, while never setting foot inside the ring? Bravo. Your hypocrisy knows no bounds.

Hey! Check out Billy Blanks holding the boards on the right per Tae-bo

Nice. Mr. Parker gets right to the point.

Board breaking is a useful tool, mainly for building confidence and because people think it's cool. It's not hard, you don't really break the board as much as split it across the grain. The secret is the board holder; if they know how to select the boards, align them, and then hold them then all you have to do is hit them hard. Before she passed I got my grandmother to break three one inch pine boards with a sword hand. She did it on her first try, at age 84, with maybe three minutes of training. A good board holder can get almost anyone to break at least two boards with almost no training.

@daniellink4637

2 ай бұрын

I disagree, sir. 3/4 inch boards are very easy to break, but it really depends on the people holding the board. They HAVE to provide the correct resistance or the break can’t happen. I broke 5 1 inch boards( actually 3/4 inch) with a sliding side kick with NO spacers. I also broke 8 boards with a hammer fist technique the same way. You just need the proper resistance. 1:28

@matthewschafer6359

2 ай бұрын

​@@daniellink4637 I'm not sure what you disagree with as your comment pretty much echoed my own.

My aunt is ed parkers daughter

@Fearl3ss234

4 жыл бұрын

But that would mean hes your grandfather...

Why isn't there any movies made about him? If it wasn't for Ed Parker, we wouldn't have had Bruce Lee and also taught Elvis karate.

As a forty year practitioner of Tae Kwon Do and boxing I can tell you that breaking boards is a faulty measure of power. Especially boards that are braced. There are some beneficial aspects to board breaking. Suspended speed breaks to demonstrate precision, etc. But to really judge the quality of the punch or kick one should look at the body movement behind the break. Hip rotation, shoulder snap, etc. Finally, you should think hard about the benefits of breaking vs the risks. I have broken many cement slabs, patio blocks and boards over the years. I no longer recommend it to my students. Arthritis , weakened structure of the striking instrument, etc. Strengthen your body and the points of contact with diligent mitt and bag work, work a sand filled bag every now and then barehanded if you are already proficient w technique.

Hey, if you turn on the captions, "tournament Karate" becomes "termit Crotty" lol

@chef423

4 жыл бұрын

LOL!!!

BTW,the uniform that Mr. Parker is wearing was designed for the US Karate Team in the 1970's by Elvis Presley

Danny and Larry Hartsell taught for Parker before joining Bruce and who do u think introduced them PARKER. Danny studied with Parker for awhile and he already had a foundation in basics when he went to Bruce.There have been students that have left the Gracies to train with others to add to what they felt they was lacking which is striking.

That last statement by Sensei ~*~ Namaste ~True Power, healthful Strength & some other natural born gifts like Super fast twitch response aka Reflexes, enables a Truly Powerful person to out maneuver & defeat an opponent.. WITHOUT ANY HARM..

His last comment sort of mirrors the phrases, 'winning the war without firing a shot' or perhaps even 'the art of fighting, without fighting'. I remember reading somewhere ages ago, that some folks turned up at a session where Bruce Lee was teaching, intent on causing trouble, so Bruce got his two best students front and centre, to execute a technique he had shown them. The 'visitors' were suitably chastened and went on their way. That's the rumour anyway.

Interesting points but JKD is still a prominent art and is still growing as is Kenpo. While it may not be in the limelight at the moment as Krav etc. is (but that will die down too), Kenpo is very popular in Europe and other parts of the US. I've been to Kenpo camps and they are very busy with a lot of dedicated students.

This was created by KB productions [Harry Krebs & Kenny Bloom] created a promotional video for the Internationals in association with the Budweiser Karate Team in 1985

@borobei It is.

Ed Parker like me wasn't missing any meals.

@shooter86-uw8ce

4 ай бұрын

Certainly missed a lot of work outs

Is anyone still impressed with breaking pine boards? Try 1/4 inch plywood and finger strikes.

Ed Parker was scary

youre right,sports fights are quite different than self defnse due to several factors,not least the fact that theres no start point on the street,preemption reigns supreme in that environment so thats the only way kenpo could work.Once the swinging starts ,a style without fullcontact and wrestling is lost because theyve never been there before,if youve done both of those very often,you react automatically,no thought needed.

Edd parker, a gentleman

The effective fighters using kenpo Ive only ever seen come out of Steve Muhammeds BKF. Steve was def' a top fighter in the blood n guts era thru to mid 70s, and really fast. He took his knowledge from sparring, modified alot of kenpo techniques to make them work with real distance and timing. The differencebetween BKF and EPAK is night and day. Hats off to all who train in martial arts with seriousness, but I cant see how trying to apply EPAK techniques is beneficial, and if someone does win a fight with those techniques, theyre probably a natural fighter where the particular style they do is a minor detail. Kajukenbo is also a kenpo related style (but no Parker influence), and that has good efficient methods in fighting in my opinion. Parker was instrumental in the blossoming of American karate, mainly through his open tournaments, for me.

@jerelkenworthy2650

2 жыл бұрын

Who did Steve learn from?

wao

And now you know, and knowing is half the battle...

Hmm.. clean breaks with no splintering at all at the breaking point. Must be breaking that balsa wood right on the grain line or pre-cut.

Ever been attacked by a tree?..........probably not!............venerable Ed Parker

He was a godxxxxxx

You are correct, it is Billy

Anyone who disrespects a martial art practitioner by saying he's not a real martial artist because he didn't win a tournament, his style is a trash, etc. completely missed the point of studying a martial art. If you don't like a style, then don't practice it, but show some respect for those who do. Judging from your chair doesn't make you a better man than he.

Boards don't hit back!!! I love that saying Mr. Myiagi!!!

Bruce Lee was actually talking about Ted Wong when he made that comment but he disliked all traditional styles. Saying that Kenpo was the best of the classical mess wouldn't make sense as it's not a classical art. It is a traditional art but those two things are not the same.

I remember Ed in the Pink Panther movies.

What year was this done?

@Ambrose2017

11 ай бұрын

1971

@deejin25 Senior Grandmaster Ed Parker was born in Hawaii I believe :)

Groovy

that is crazy....Crazy Glue that is...

Young Billy banks

Was that Billy Blanks on the right of him?

Nereye vuruyor kenara mı? Ortaya mı?

God bless bruce lee

edy parker twenty years of practice the karate he gaves the book type karate for her friend bruce lee and edy parker and her friend yamamoto sensie two big masters of karate

He broke a lot of ribs in this video….

The problem is that people put titles on everything and unfortunately mix things up. I've done years of self defence training and keep my skills sharp but I don't need to learn tonnes of stuff as what's needed can be learned quite quickly and then honed through practice.

Billy Blanks on Mr. Parkers Left

I wish I was taught by the man himself, the lord and maker of American Kenpo. But, I am taught the art, and grateful I am of it. And his words were wise, he said not to kill the opponent. Contrary of popular belief, staying away from a fight is better, not hurting is good, hurting is not good but if you have to... And killing is a crime.

Billy Blanks!

Yeah tai bo, billy blanks 👍

I never disputed how long MMA has been around, I was saying it is a different thing. If you want to be a "fighter" do MMA. If you want to learn self defence, you could do Krav (or something better) and if you want to learn a martial art, you could do kung fu, karate, jujutsu etc. You see fighting, self defence and martial arts are three different things!

my Sefu trained under Mr. Ed Parker

Are there any matches that are won by death in anything?

@Machinelf

8 жыл бұрын

+Machinelf other than boxing I guess...

@dalebrimhall1071

8 жыл бұрын

+Machinelf Interestingly, I believe there haven't been any deaths in UFC so far, at least not directly from the fights themselves.

@Machinelf

8 жыл бұрын

Dale Brimhall There has been around 3-4 deaths in mixed martial arts. All lower level guys though.

Viva el rey de españa

The bodyguard of elvis

Ed Parker was a wise man.)and from his fighting style it looks that he was in a lot of street fights in his life.

@Ambrose2017

11 ай бұрын

​@@jakecollins4545LMAO BRO Says you 😅😅😅no profile pic😂😂😂😂

@Ambrose2017

11 ай бұрын

​@@jakecollins4545LOL ok😂😅😂😅😂😅

@Ambrose2017

11 ай бұрын

@@jakecollins4545 Still he was a good person but yeah I get what your saying

@Ambrose2017

11 ай бұрын

@@jakecollins4545 ok

To protect one's self by lashing out in defence or running away is instinctual but knowing the science of combat is not im afraid so your wrong there. And yes it is a science and can be backed up by the physics involved as well as the psychology and the way nature has engineered us physically.

Seriously im sure that studying karate for 30 years was awesome and id love to have as much experience as you ive only been doing it 8 but Ed Parker could beat both of us every day of the week and twice on sunday he is nicknamed creator of american karate ,created american kenpo, when he was alive he trained chuck norris bruce lee and Elvis Presly he is one of the greats so please just shw some respect

One thing that i appreciate about Ed Parker breaking the boards in this video is he didnt feel the need to still hit the guys holding the boards for him unlike Steven Seagal in Jesse's video who broke the board and still smacked the young man in the face in the process its kinda dickish

Here's the thing. I am a Self Protection instructor and have trained in this area for too many years. I like the martial arts and the health benefits one can glean from then. The Kenpo I learn doesn't have that many rules and is the John McSweeney lineage, a very straight-forward system, this is not EPAK.

I'm guessing the black dude is actually a young 'Billy Blanks'.

In the first 13 seconds he just underlines Point Karate wasnt full contact fighting. But yet today there are some ppl on YT and other plattforms who try to sell it as "real" fighting. It was a tagging game. A rough tagging game but still a tagging game. That stuff wont help you much in full contact be in sport or in the street.

im not in the kempo or boxing camp but did he say that karate unlike boxing places great emphasis on technique! Any martial art worth its salt HAS to rely on its technique.