Attitude First

You decide...

"There is little difference in people, but that little difference makes a big difference. The little difference is attitude. The big difference is whether it is positive or negative."
~W. Clement Stone

Intentional training helps us to understand how our physical expression occurs through environmental interaction.

Gravity provides orientation, the ground provides reaction, the opponent provides information, and action provides feedback.

A great song... a sad loss!

In honor of Bonnie Tyler - "Holding out for a Hero"

In the Better Bad Guy Handbook we work to build a better hero.

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In time, through intentional training, many understand that applying Kenpo Principles of Motion is the continual organization of tension and compression that allows structure to adapt, movement to emerge, and force to be expressed.

Stand Out it's Out Standing!

I've been thinking about something and would love to hear the thoughts of other Kenpo practitioners.

We often say that Grandmaster Ed Parker was a visionary who revolutionized martial arts—and I completely agree. His principles and approach changed the way many of us think about self-defense.

At the same time, our understanding of the body, movement, motor learning, and biomechanics has grown tremendously since 1990.

So here's my question:

Can we honor and preserve Mr. Parker's teachings while continuing to deepen our understanding of why they work?

To me, these ideas aren't in conflict. Preserving the principles doesn't mean our explanations can't evolve. If modern science helps us better understand movement, adaptation, and efficiency, isn't that building on Mr. Parker's legacy rather than changing it?

I'd be interested in hearing how others approach this.

How do you balance preserving the art with continuing to learn from new discoveries in movement science and human performance?

What are you paying attention to?

Mistakes keep us looking backward. Pain keeps us looking inward. Fear keeps us looking toward what might go wrong. Movement directs us toward action. Opportunity directs us toward possibility.

"Attention guides Intention"
~Skip Hancock

To feel is to believe...

AttitudeFirst

Forms are more than a sequence of techniques. They are a laboratory for movement.

One of the most overlooked principles developed through forms is the Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC)—the body's ability to organize, store, redirect, and release movement efficiently.

While the SSC is often associated with producing more force, its greater value may be in improving movement control. It helps create smoother transitions, faster direction changes, and greater adaptability without sacrificing structure.

Perhaps it is time to stop viewing forms as something to memorize and start exploring them as a means of understanding how the body organizes movement.

How intentionally is the Stretch-Shortening Cycle being taught and trained in your forms?