I deeply respect Jeff Speakman for evolving his Kenpo system and admitting that there were gaps in his skill. So he fixed that, he continued to learn as a student. Ed Parker's Kenpo system had several changes in his lifetime, we have the film footage to prove that. I myself am a Gung fu student who has recently started Judo to fill gaps in my knowledge. Deepest respect to Mr Speakman and to Art of One Dojo for this knowledge.
Jeff Speakman is such a humble and honest guy. What I love is when he said " It's not the instructor that is going to impress me but the student and how he helps others..." Wonderful video Mr. Dan. 👍🏽
Humble not, businessman yes. Met the guy in Vegas during tournament weekend, he is pretty arrogant and ignores his youth “clients” and let’s be real, kempo groundwork is laughable.
This is a fantastic answer to my question that I posed when I was studying back in the 60s under Ed Parker and Harvey Clarey and the Tracy Schools. The answer back then was to "stay off the ground". I moved on to Aikido, and found when it appeared that I was going to be thrown, I resorted to my Kenpo training. The Aikido Master immediately stopped the training and suggested to me that until I could control my reactions, I should leave as I was a danger to me and the other students. Now finally some Kenpo answers. Thank you Jeff.
So impressed by this man. Smart enough to realize his art needed to evolve to not only survive but thrive, and also humble and wise as one would expect a legitimate martial artist to be. Respect! 🙏
I’ve been in GM Speakman’s 5.0 system for over 10 years and have been able to be in a few of his seminars and classes. He is so knowledgeable about the system and the history of the art. He is very welcoming to people of all styles so long as they show respect and an open mind. Lastly, he is so genuine. I admire him and his system greatly.
Congrats to a legendary great, Jeff Speakman, in finally earning his "Senior Grandmaster of the Art" in Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate. And in his development of his own system of Kenpo 5.0 with a mix of Jujitsu and Goju Ryu. My hats off to Jeff Speakman. Always loved his films. And his character. Truly a great man. Another great video, Dan. Oss. Master K, MA
i have great respect for master speakman, his ethos on martial arts is fantastic. Currently in my own training of shotokan im using clich work in free sparring, and incorporating kata self-defence techniques and grappling. no point scoring just good old sparring, i believe we should all be going back to the martial way of making something effective whilst having good moral principles. god bless Jeff Speakman and may he have longevity and many good years ahead in the martial arts.
Had the honor of attending a seminar with GM Speakman earlier this year. Found him to be highly professional, humble, highly skilled, and dedicated. Much respect 🙏
Almost every system I have studied in had many do's and don'ts. I always tried to say maybe and lets try it when I taught. Glad to see Mr.S is open to trying and learning. We need more thinking like this.👍🇺🇲🥋
Fantastic interview! Great work as always. After years of Kenpo with another instructor, I'm currently testing my way through the 5.0 system and can definitely confirm that the online resources are great, especially when I'm on a lunch break at work, I can quickly review something and have lots of questions to bring to class afterwards.
Amazing interview. I remember watching Jeff Speakman in the Perfect Weapon movie when I was young and it made a huge impact on me when I had just started in Kenpo. Listening to this interview you can see his love for the art, its growth and for the students and legacy. Truly, a Senior Master of the Arts.
Been in his organisation since 2021 am currently a purple belt best organisation I've been with in my 18 years of practising martial arts always good to see Mr speakman speak 👍🙂
This is absolutely spot on. Thank you Mr. Speakman for evolving Kenpo. We needed this & now we have it, thanks to you & those who contributed. I got my 1st degree Kenpo Black Belt back in 1991 at Robert Perrys studio in Garden Grove, Calif., United Karate Studios opened its doors in 1963. It’s been 37 years & I’m now a 4th degree Kenpo Black Belt. I too am amazed how black belts feel they can skip degrees & level up! It just blows my mind. I wouldn’t feel right wearing a belt I didn’t earn. I’d love to join the Kenpo 5.0 Family, & learn your system. It’s exciting to think about learning ground/grappling techniques. IT’S ABOUT TIME! Thank you, Sir! I’ve had my own studio for the last 7 years. I’m trying to in-still in my students the attitudes, ideals, discipline, courage, conduct, character & values you spoke about! They need these to be great martial artists, but even more, to continue to be amazing people as they learn & grow each & everyday! I learn so much from my students, who have become not only great friends, that I truly love, but family! Thanks again, Sir!
It's not an exaggeration when Mr Speakman says that the online university is a game changer. The quality of the videos and the clarity of the explanations of each technique are super helpful particularly for someone like me who tends to forget a complicated new technique by the time I get home from class. Now I can refresh my memory whenever I want and it's been a real help. Thanks Mr Dan for another great Kenpo interview. I think it speaks volumes about your own humility that you present different points of view within the Kenpo world on your channel - great work indeed!
I been in Shotokan karate for a decade and been in Bjj for 7. I think you got to have a ground game. I’m not saying be black belts if both. But good enough to get out of guard to fight your game. Karate can benefit from the ground. Like Bjj can benefit from a stand up game. What an amazing man!
Hopefully, there will be more cross-training between Kenpo Karate and Jeet Kune Do in the future. Both styles complement each other very well. Continuous improvement and adoption are recurring themes in both Kenpo Karate and Jeet Kune Do.
Excellent interview. Master speakman is correct in that the art needs to evolve to meet the demands of the current fighting climate. Thank you for posting
Jeff is absolutely right... I'm in Kempo here in Clovis, CA, and we don't discuss or work on 'ground work'. I mentioned Jeff and got one hell of a scoff from my instructor. You can no longer train as though you're not going up against someone not trained... you HAVE TO TRAIN as though you ARE taking on someone, or multiples, who are trained.
I appreciate whenever I see martial arts that are traditional that are willing to modify and update and not say that their system is perfect and unstoppable. I hope to see more schools implement this.
Great interview. Nice to see Speakman incorporate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu into his art of Kempo to make it more well rounded. Other Martial Artists need to listen or train with Speakman. It’s mind blowing when a high ranking instructor will not admit his art has flaws.
Should've asked him if their is going to be a Perfect Weapon 2! I'd loved Kenpo ever since that movie came out started to research it and study it! Crazy how decades and centuries changes Martial Arts! Great Video and interview of one of the greats in Kenpo. Thanks for showing this Grateful!
will since The Perfect Weapon was to be showcasing American Kenpo, the sequel should also showcase Combat Sambo! I mean Combat Sambo is like street self defense MMA style so imagine an Kenpoist cross tain in Combat Sambo would make them an sufficient fighter!
@@kainonknestrick9202 Kinda of like saying a boxer should meet a Muay Thai guy, huh, I think it depends on the individual because a lot of people are all talk and do nothing but sit behind a keyboard all day. LOL Ed Parker was ahead of his time, Jeff Speakman 5.0 pretty good, it's stand up Karate punching and kicking uses a lot of elements, and has some MMA in it too, if you look into the history of 5.0 system it's not bad, My instructor in BJJ was a Black belt Sambo as well as Black Belt in the Gracie system too, so theres that. If you want your stand up game karate, boxing, even Thai boxing or MMA to be better train in BJJ or Sambo for three or Four months, you'll have more endurance than anyone in your stand up game, it does make a difference. I was just talking about the Perfect Weapon movie thought wished they film more of the behind the scenes with Ed Parker and Jeff Speakman while they were making the movie sure theres a little of it but it would be nice if there were more of Ed Parker and his mindset while bringing Kenpo into the 21st century movies.
Master paker Would be so proud of him he took it to a whole new level which we all knew he was gonna if you haver worked with master speakman..thank you!!
Master Jeff Speakman is a master martial artist, amazing human being and a true hero. I don't need to explain about his mastery in his craft, as a human being he is do humble, kind and sweet to all around him. And he's a true hero cos when I met him Germany back in 2010, one of my friends couldn't be there to meet his hero Jeff Speakman but I managed to get him NOT ONLY an autograph from Jeff Speakman but Jeff also did a video message as well as talk to my friend on the phone. WHAT A HERO!
Totally agree! Grappling used to be part of Kenpo. When Mr. Parker came to the US and started teaching he taught grappling as part of the system, it has now come to be known as Chinese Kenpo. And then it got removed in the making of American Kenpo. I know this because in the 1960's and early 70's I learned Chinese Kenpo (NCKKA) under Steven LaBounty and others and then we became an IKKA school and we trained under Mr. Parker. I am glad to see that grappling and ground fighting are being systematically returned to Kenpo. Mr. Parker was always clear about the need to adapt Kenpo to our abilities and situations. Having more tools and techniques in our arsenal is not a bad thing. Our dojo was an open dojo which meant that any martial artist from any system that was in town temporarily could use our dojo for free. We would often ask that they teach us things about their system which just increased our ability and respect for all the martial arts.
I agree with everything he says. I thought the same thing for many years. I’m a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu “ Gracie “ and I’ve merged them together breaking the Jiu Jitsu and added kenpo targeting. Thx Mr. Speakman.
Jeff Speakman has the intelligence to adapt Kenpo, through trial and error, to the changing environment around him. Jeff is a thinking man's martial artist.
GRANDMASTER MR. JEFF SPEAKMAN IS TRULY THE MASTER OF KENPO KARATE, WHAT HE HAS DONE ALL OVER THE WORLD IS OUTSTANDING I AM VERY PROUD TO BE ONE OF MILLIONS OF HIS FRIENDS GOD BLESS HIM ALWAYS FOR WHAT HE IS DOING FOR THE WORLD WITH BIG RESPECT
Jeff Speakman is a true discipline of Ed Parker. If he were alive he definitely would have evolved Kenpo to deal with the ground. Good work Master Speakman
Osu. 🥋👊🏼🐉🐅 Very interesting interview so far. Come to think of it, all Kenpo Karate schools descending from Kosho Shorei-ryu Kenpo(James Mitose), Kara-ho Kenpo(William KS Chow, Kajukenbo(Adriano Emperado), American Kenpo Karate(Edmund Parker Sr), Shaolin Kenpo(Ralph Castro) including Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, Kenpo 5.0, and other Kenpo schools should be one whole big family. One more thing, I forgot to mention that you should also please try to interview actress/singer Nia Peeples who holds a 4th degree black belt in Oki Ryu Kenpo. Osu. 🥋👊🏼🐉🐅
Mr Parker wanted the art to evolve. Most instructors tried to be like clones of him. He respected those who had their own styles and thoughts. In and out of the System.
I just rewatched The Perfect Weapon and it is hands down one of the best martial arts movies of all time. The action is sooo good. The enemies are very entertaining and I love the boss battle at the end. Also, many women swooned over Van Damme. Not me. Jeff Speakman was arguably the most handsome martial artist of all time.
Cross training in BJJ I found it hard to avoid striking on the ground. Since BJJ initially started from Judo, and Mr. Parker was a black belt in Judo, it would make sense that he would include and approve of groundwork techniques in his system. My first instructor trained with Jeff Speakman and Frank Trejo, and then found our now head instructor Skip Hancock. Frank Trejo encouraged his students to find the instructor that is right for them and their needs. Kenpo is all about the individual needs of the students and leaves tradition for other styles. So good to train with those who were so close to Mr. Parker.
Kenpo is really such a small world, I remember the picture of my since retired 7th degree instructor getting kicked by his instructor, Ed Parker at his blackbelt test. Mr Parker also taught Jeff Speakman, who has went on to push the art forward.
This is how it looks and sounds when a martial master was otherwise action actor. He not only does know what he’s speaking about, he also knows how to speak about.👍🙏🙇
The Perfect Weapon is one of my favorite movies period. It’s a movie 🍿 I can always go back and watch. Jeff Speakman is an INCREDIBLE Martial Artist 💯🙌🏼👊🏻
It's really interesting, happy to have come across that video randomly. I did Kenpo for a few years as a kid, so that was early 90s for me. I liked the idea and always appreciated Ed Parker's philosophy and insight, but for me it was very much so what has become known as a McDojo experience so I dropped out of it in favor of boxing as an older teen. I'd come back if I could find a school that has such a realistic, honest and humble approach. Good on him for trying to evolve traditional martial arts and keeping Parker's work relevant.
excellent interview, & very well said by gm Speakman, but yes back in the day, we trained in multiple arts to be well rounded, with or without gear ,,lol, but martial arts was meant to be your own & make it to you from being taught by great teachers like gm speakman, & yes yes there is a sport & street application, but to be truly open-minded to learning different arts & adapt it to you is awesome, but some very ole school teachers are closed minded but great in there art,,, great interview ,,
If you go WAY back, before Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate.. Kenpo had many Jujitsu arm and wrist locks, throws and ground fighting as well from the traditional Japanese and Okinawan styles. So the grappling part of Kenpo was always there.. It was just lost and forgotten about. It's good to see it being incorporated again.
Cool guy! This kind of evolution is good for Kenpo to stay alive. I wish there was a place around here to train. Be nice if I could afford it too. Martial arts got expensive these days.
The best way to keep Kenpo alive is simply to put in the time to understand it properly. I respect Mr. Speakman for his 5.0 update and he added a lot of good things, but I also have a tremendous love and appreciation for the "Traditional" Ed Parker system. It is beautifully designed and makes a lot of sense but a person has to be willing to commit and spend some time under the hood to see that.
As a practitioner of Okinawan karate, many of the people I have trained with feel that “I will NEVER go to the ground “, which is ok if all a person does is point sparing or competition Kata. Allot of students come to the martial arts for self protection and as babes in the woods believe that slogan. Sadly they may never get a chance to learn otherwise, until it is to late. Mr. Speakman has a great message for ALL the striking arts community, but as he stated, it is very hard to change the mind of someone who has practiced for for years. Great video, wish that more people could see it before they chose a teacher/ school.
Apart from the black gi this looks nothing like ninjutsu Look at the master keys Five Swords Thundering Hammers Repeating Mace Look at kihon happo The shoden level of the six schools Gyokko Koto Shinden Fudo Kukushin Takagi Yoshin Togakure There is no similarity, they are completely different
@@ArtofOneDojo Well, Kenpo 5.0 could always discuss a business partnership with DiamondMMA. The more safeguards Kenpo Karate students have when sparring with other the better.
If you kick another Kenpo fighter there it may be less effective than kicking your average joe. The guys from the Kenpo class at my old school full bore kicked each other in the junk because in a real fight there is no holding back. But in general you get kicked in the groin by a Kenpo practitioner and you will be in a world of hurt and possibly waiting for your balls to drop a second time...
I am by no means comparable to this man, I have studied this art for 23 years and have been saying this since my first month. Without some ground experience, we will get trounced by any adequate grappler.
Couldn't agree with Jeff more. Wrestled in high school, studied San Soo and ultimateley the entire 1st degree black belt program in Kenpo in the 70's. I had planned to study jui jitsu after that. Long story short it didn't happen. The facts are that any unschooled person taken to the ground by a competent jui jitsu practitioner will be mostly helpless. Mr. Parker asked that the system be an ongoing evolution . But even more, common sense dictates it.
I think going to the ground should be second nature for a kenpoist. One of the first concepts we learn is gravitational marriage in our first technique delayed sword. Gravity is ever present and should be a main weapon in a kenpoist arsenal.
People forget the 1st ever MMA match in the US was not UFC 1 and the Gracies. The 1st MMA match was Judo Gene Lebell vs Milo Savage Top Ranked Boxer at the time. Guess who was the genius who set up the fight….yup you guessed it Ed Parker. He knew Judo Gene would be able to take the boxer. Ed Parker without a doubt knew the effectiveness of grappling. I have no doubt him seeing how prominent and wide spread grappling is now would make changes to Kenpo.
I deeply respect Jeff Speakman for evolving his Kenpo system and admitting that there were gaps in his skill. So he fixed that, he continued to learn as a student. Ed Parker's Kenpo system had several changes in his lifetime, we have the film footage to prove that. I myself am a Gung fu student who has recently started Judo to fill gaps in my knowledge. Deepest respect to Mr Speakman and to Art of One Dojo for this knowledge.
You're very wise my friend, very well said.
Jeff Speakman is such a humble and honest guy. What I love is when he said " It's not the instructor that is going to impress me but the student and how he helps others..." Wonderful video Mr. Dan. 👍🏽
he’s a legend
Kemp always reminded me of an inferior martial art. Don't get me wrong it has redeeming qualities. But...Eh I don't like it
Humble not, businessman yes. Met the guy in Vegas during tournament weekend, he is pretty arrogant and ignores his youth “clients” and let’s be real, kempo groundwork is laughable.
I like Speakman more than you
This is a fantastic answer to my question that I posed when I was studying back in the 60s under Ed Parker and Harvey Clarey and the Tracy Schools. The answer back then was to "stay off the ground". I moved on to Aikido, and found when it appeared that I was going to be thrown, I resorted to my Kenpo training. The Aikido Master immediately stopped the training and suggested to me that until I could control my reactions, I should leave as I was a danger to me and the other students. Now finally some Kenpo answers. Thank you Jeff.
This guy has made a great contribution to society.
Aaah man it is always a treat to have sensei Speakman. Much respect.
So impressed by this man. Smart enough to realize his art needed to evolve to not only survive but thrive, and also humble and wise as one would expect a legitimate martial artist to be. Respect! 🙏
I’ve been in GM Speakman’s 5.0 system for over 10 years and have been able to be in a few of his seminars and classes. He is so knowledgeable about the system and the history of the art. He is very welcoming to people of all styles so long as they show respect and an open mind. Lastly, he is so genuine. I admire him and his system greatly.
Congrats to a legendary great, Jeff Speakman, in finally earning his "Senior Grandmaster of the Art" in Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate. And in his development of his own system of Kenpo 5.0 with a mix of Jujitsu and Goju Ryu. My hats off to Jeff Speakman. Always loved his films. And his character. Truly a great man. Another great video, Dan. Oss. Master K, MA
i have great respect for master speakman, his ethos on martial arts is fantastic. Currently in my own training of shotokan im using clich work in free sparring, and incorporating kata self-defence techniques and grappling. no point scoring just good old sparring, i believe we should all be going back to the martial way of making something effective whilst having good moral principles. god bless Jeff Speakman and may he have longevity and many good years ahead in the martial arts.
Had the honor of attending a seminar with GM Speakman earlier this year. Found him to be highly professional, humble, highly skilled, and dedicated. Much respect 🙏
Almost every system I have studied in had many do's and don'ts. I always tried to say maybe and lets try it when I taught. Glad to see Mr.S is open to trying and learning. We need more thinking like this.👍🇺🇲🥋
Fantastic interview! Great work as always. After years of Kenpo with another instructor, I'm currently testing my way through the 5.0 system and can definitely confirm that the online resources are great, especially when I'm on a lunch break at work, I can quickly review something and have lots of questions to bring to class afterwards.
Ed Parker would be so proud of what Jeff Speakman is doing to add on the system.
Amazing interview. I remember watching Jeff Speakman in the Perfect Weapon movie when I was young and it made a huge impact on me when I had just started in Kenpo. Listening to this interview you can see his love for the art, its growth and for the students and legacy. Truly, a Senior Master of the Arts.
That's why I started Kenpo myself.... after seeing that movie 🎬!!!
Been in his organisation since 2021 am currently a purple belt best organisation I've been with in my 18 years of practising martial arts always good to see Mr speakman speak 👍🙂
Where are you at now on your Kenpo journey?
"…the only person I would accept a 10th-degree black belt from was Benny Urquidez…" WOW, a legend promoting/honoring a legend
Benny The Jet!!!!!
This is absolutely spot on. Thank you Mr. Speakman for evolving Kenpo. We needed this & now we have it, thanks to you & those who contributed. I got my 1st degree Kenpo Black Belt back in 1991 at Robert Perrys studio in Garden Grove, Calif., United Karate Studios opened its doors in 1963. It’s been 37 years & I’m now a 4th degree Kenpo Black Belt. I too am amazed how black belts feel they can skip degrees & level up! It just blows my mind. I wouldn’t feel right wearing a belt I didn’t earn.
I’d love to join the Kenpo 5.0 Family, & learn your system. It’s exciting to think about learning ground/grappling techniques.
IT’S ABOUT TIME! Thank you, Sir! I’ve had my own studio for the last 7 years. I’m trying to in-still in my students the attitudes, ideals, discipline, courage, conduct, character & values you spoke about! They need these to be great martial artists, but even more, to continue to be amazing people as they learn & grow each & everyday! I learn so much from my students, who have become not only great friends, that I truly love, but family! Thanks again, Sir!
Bro STILL has the power.. 👊🔥
The Perfect Weapon 💯🙌🏼🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥👌🏻
I have my volume off but as soon as they showed his face I heard the song in my head
He is the most powerful man in the world
It's not an exaggeration when Mr Speakman says that the online university is a game changer. The quality of the videos and the clarity of the explanations of each technique are super helpful particularly for someone like me who tends to forget a complicated new technique by the time I get home from class. Now I can refresh my memory whenever I want and it's been a real help. Thanks Mr Dan for another great Kenpo interview. I think it speaks volumes about your own humility that you present different points of view within the Kenpo world on your channel - great work indeed!
I been in Shotokan karate for a decade and been in Bjj for 7. I think you got to have a ground game. I’m not saying be black belts if both. But good enough to get out of guard to fight your game. Karate can benefit from the ground. Like Bjj can benefit from a stand up game. What an amazing man!
Beautiful interview. Jeff continues to be a great martial artist and a humble human being. Salute 🫡 Ouss. 👊🏽
Hopefully, there will be more cross-training between Kenpo Karate and Jeet Kune Do in the future. Both styles complement each other very well. Continuous improvement and adoption are recurring themes in both Kenpo Karate and Jeet Kune Do.
Excellent interview. Master speakman is correct in that the art needs to evolve to meet the demands of the current fighting climate. Thank you for posting
I called Jeff Soeakman in Las-Vegas and he welcomed me warmly! He does treat Kenpo brothers as family.
Jeff is a true and honest martial artist always evolving teaching and continuing Ed Parker's vision of Kempo all over the world.
Jeff is absolutely right... I'm in Kempo here in Clovis, CA, and we don't discuss or work on 'ground work'. I mentioned Jeff and got one hell of a scoff from my instructor. You can no longer train as though you're not going up against someone not trained... you HAVE TO TRAIN as though you ARE taking on someone, or multiples, who are trained.
Facts!
Steve Sanders (BKf) once said, REMEMBER..... you're always fighting another fighter!
Art of One Dojo, does it again, takes the information given and presents it in a way that benefits all, my huge respects to you, sir.
We just pushed record. Mr. Speakman did all the work here :)
I appreciate whenever I see martial arts that are traditional that are willing to modify and update and not say that their system is perfect and unstoppable.
I hope to see more schools implement this.
Great interview. Nice to see Speakman incorporate Brazilian Jiu Jitsu into his art of Kempo to make it more well rounded. Other Martial Artists need to listen or train with Speakman. It’s mind blowing when a high ranking instructor will not admit his art has flaws.
Should've asked him if their is going to be a Perfect Weapon 2! I'd loved Kenpo ever since that movie came out started to research it and study it! Crazy how decades and centuries changes Martial Arts! Great Video and interview of one of the greats in Kenpo. Thanks for showing this Grateful!
will since The Perfect Weapon was to be showcasing American Kenpo, the sequel should also showcase Combat Sambo! I mean Combat Sambo is like street self defense MMA style so imagine an Kenpoist cross tain in Combat Sambo would make them an sufficient fighter!
@@kainonknestrick9202 Kinda of like saying a boxer should meet a Muay Thai guy, huh, I think it depends on the individual because a lot of people are all talk and do nothing but sit behind a keyboard all day. LOL Ed Parker was ahead of his time, Jeff Speakman 5.0 pretty good, it's stand up Karate punching and kicking uses a lot of elements, and has some MMA in it too, if you look into the history of 5.0 system it's not bad, My instructor in BJJ was a Black belt Sambo as well as Black Belt in the Gracie system too, so theres that. If you want your stand up game karate, boxing, even Thai boxing or MMA to be better train in BJJ or Sambo for three or Four months, you'll have more endurance than anyone in your stand up game, it does make a difference. I was just talking about the Perfect Weapon movie thought wished they film more of the behind the scenes with Ed Parker and Jeff Speakman while they were making the movie sure theres a little of it but it would be nice if there were more of Ed Parker and his mindset while bringing Kenpo into the 21st century movies.
Love your Speakman interviews, keep up the good work!
Love the new intro and this interview is more personal. It hits a lot better than the first one.
Jeff should of been a much bigger action star than he is. Great Master and tons of respect
Master paker Would be so proud of him he took it to a whole new level which we all knew he was gonna if you haver worked with master speakman..thank you!!
Master Jeff Speakman is a master martial artist, amazing human being and a true hero. I don't need to explain about his mastery in his craft, as a human being he is do humble, kind and sweet to all around him. And he's a true hero cos when I met him Germany back in 2010, one of my friends couldn't be there to meet his hero Jeff Speakman but I managed to get him NOT ONLY an autograph from Jeff Speakman but Jeff also did a video message as well as talk to my friend on the phone. WHAT A HERO!
Wow. Thank you, Sirs. I’ll be on the mat with Mr Speakman in just under 5 months 🙏
That was a great interview. Really see Master Speakman's passion and dedication to the art and journey.
ossu, much respect to GM Speakman and his humble perspective of his art and the martial arts world.
This is a great interview and I believe everyone in every martial arts style or system should take the inner message seriously
I love Jeff Speakman. So glad he's still active teaching.
Jeff gets it! I was fortunate enough to earn BB in Jujitsu and judo and Kenpo this is 64 years of my life
Totally agree! Grappling used to be part of Kenpo. When Mr. Parker came to the US and started teaching he taught grappling as part of the system, it has now come to be known as Chinese Kenpo. And then it got removed in the making of American Kenpo. I know this because in the 1960's and early 70's I learned Chinese Kenpo (NCKKA) under Steven LaBounty and others and then we became an IKKA school and we trained under Mr. Parker. I am glad to see that grappling and ground fighting are being systematically returned to Kenpo. Mr. Parker was always clear about the need to adapt Kenpo to our abilities and situations. Having more tools and techniques in our arsenal is not a bad thing. Our dojo was an open dojo which meant that any martial artist from any system that was in town temporarily could use our dojo for free. We would often ask that they teach us things about their system which just increased our ability and respect for all the martial arts.
I agree with everything he says. I thought the same thing for many years. I’m a blue belt in Jiu Jitsu “ Gracie “ and I’ve merged them together breaking the Jiu Jitsu and added kenpo targeting. Thx Mr. Speakman.
Jeff Speakman has the intelligence to adapt Kenpo, through trial and error, to the changing environment around him. Jeff is a thinking man's martial artist.
GRANDMASTER MR. JEFF SPEAKMAN IS TRULY THE MASTER OF KENPO KARATE, WHAT HE HAS DONE ALL OVER THE WORLD IS OUTSTANDING I AM VERY PROUD TO BE ONE OF MILLIONS OF HIS FRIENDS GOD BLESS HIM ALWAYS FOR WHAT HE IS DOING FOR THE WORLD WITH BIG RESPECT
Jeff Speakman is a true discipline of Ed Parker. If he were alive he definitely would have evolved Kenpo to deal with the ground. Good work Master Speakman
AMAZING DUDE!!!!!! Even with or without KENPO!!!!!
Osu. 🥋👊🏼🐉🐅 Very interesting interview so far. Come to think of it, all Kenpo Karate schools descending from Kosho Shorei-ryu Kenpo(James Mitose), Kara-ho Kenpo(William KS Chow, Kajukenbo(Adriano Emperado), American Kenpo Karate(Edmund Parker Sr), Shaolin Kenpo(Ralph Castro) including Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, Kenpo 5.0, and other Kenpo schools should be one whole big family. One more thing, I forgot to mention that you should also please try to interview actress/singer Nia Peeples who holds a 4th degree black belt in Oki Ryu Kenpo. Osu. 🥋👊🏼🐉🐅
Mr Parker wanted the art to evolve. Most instructors tried to be like clones of him. He respected those who had their own styles and thoughts. In and out of the System.
I just rewatched The Perfect Weapon and it is hands down one of the best martial arts movies of all time. The action is sooo good. The enemies are very entertaining and I love the boss battle at the end. Also, many women swooned over Van Damme. Not me. Jeff Speakman was arguably the most handsome martial artist of all time.
Cross training in BJJ I found it hard to avoid striking on the ground. Since BJJ initially started from Judo, and Mr. Parker was a black belt in Judo, it would make sense that he would include and approve of groundwork techniques in his system. My first instructor trained with Jeff Speakman and Frank Trejo, and then found our now head instructor Skip Hancock. Frank Trejo encouraged his students to find the instructor that is right for them and their needs. Kenpo is all about the individual needs of the students and leaves tradition for other styles. So good to train with those who were so close to Mr. Parker.
BJJ always had striking on the ground, because it was created for Vale Tudo fighting.
Amen to Sensei Speakman! 🙏
I very much respect Jeff for evolving Kenpo.
Kenpo is really such a small world, I remember the picture of my since retired 7th degree instructor getting kicked by his instructor, Ed Parker at his blackbelt test. Mr Parker also taught Jeff Speakman, who has went on to push the art forward.
Master Speakman is telling the total truth. You’ve got to learn ground game otherwise you won’t survive on the street 👍
This is how it looks and sounds when a martial master was otherwise action actor. He not only does know what he’s speaking about, he also knows how to speak about.👍🙏🙇
I love the fluidity of this style.. and The Perfect Weapon is without doubt a classic Martial Arts movie that still holds up!!
I studied Kenpo many years ago and the lack of ground game was always an issue which is why I studied judo. Glad to see it being addressed.
jeff speakman is a great teacher
He is the best teacher on earth
The Perfect Weapon is one of my favorite movies period. It’s a movie 🍿 I can always go back and watch. Jeff Speakman is an INCREDIBLE Martial Artist 💯🙌🏼👊🏻
Awesome 👍👍 great video! Good to Mr. Speakman doing great!😊
This is where the fun begins 🙏🏽 💪
It's really interesting, happy to have come across that video randomly. I did Kenpo for a few years as a kid, so that was early 90s for me. I liked the idea and always appreciated Ed Parker's philosophy and insight, but for me it was very much so what has become known as a McDojo experience so I dropped out of it in favor of boxing as an older teen.
I'd come back if I could find a school that has such a realistic, honest and humble approach. Good on him for trying to evolve traditional martial arts and keeping Parker's work relevant.
I have the most respect for, For Master Jeff Speakeman, Long live 5:27 5:30 6:07
Amazing interview. Thank you.
Love this I wish all martial artist thought like him Osu !!!
Art of One Dojo still killin it
Thank You from this video! And Thank Mr. Speakman's WISDOM!
Mr. Dan, I love seeing traditional striking arts incorporate ground fighting / wrestling / bjj into their curriculum. This is the future!!
Great interview. Great martial artist.
excellent interview, & very well said by gm Speakman, but yes back in the day, we trained in multiple arts to be well rounded, with or without gear ,,lol, but martial arts was meant to be your own & make it to you from being taught by great teachers like gm speakman, & yes yes there is a sport & street application, but to be truly open-minded to learning different arts & adapt it to you is awesome, but some very ole school teachers are closed minded but great in there art,,, great interview ,,
I remember Jeff Speakman in 90s awesome actor. And good evolving the art.
Long live the teaching of Kenpo Karate And En Parker',style, Sincerely Richard E.Dodds.
Mr. Speakman. You nailed it he was brilliant, 💯👍❤️
The Perfect Weapon is still one of my favorite movies and made me want to be better in martial arts!!Thank you Jeff!!
If you go WAY back, before Ed Parker's American Kenpo Karate.. Kenpo had many Jujitsu arm and wrist locks, throws and ground fighting as well from the traditional Japanese and Okinawan styles. So the grappling part of Kenpo was always there.. It was just lost and forgotten about. It's good to see it being incorporated again.
Man I love that guy - great video.
Cool guy! This kind of evolution is good for Kenpo to stay alive. I wish there was a place around here to train. Be nice if I could afford it too. Martial arts got expensive these days.
The best way to keep Kenpo alive is simply to put in the time to understand it properly. I respect Mr. Speakman for his 5.0 update and he added a lot of good things, but I also have a tremendous love and appreciation for the "Traditional" Ed Parker system. It is beautifully designed and makes a lot of sense but a person has to be willing to commit and spend some time under the hood to see that.
His movie got me interested in Kenpo/Kempo. If he brings one of his seminars to my neck of the woods, I'll b there!
As a practitioner of Okinawan karate, many of the people I have trained with feel that “I will NEVER go to the ground “, which is ok if all a person does is point sparing or competition Kata. Allot of students come to the martial arts for self protection and as babes in the woods believe that slogan. Sadly they may never get a chance to learn otherwise, until it is to late. Mr. Speakman has a great message for ALL the striking arts community, but as he stated, it is very hard to change the mind of someone who has practiced for for years. Great video, wish that more people could see it before they chose a teacher/ school.
I like this guy's attitude and ideas about martial arts.
This Kenpo looks so similar to my Bujinkan dojo where I practice ninjutsu. It looks almost the same.
Great job
Apart from the black gi this looks nothing like ninjutsu
Look at the master keys
Five Swords
Thundering Hammers
Repeating Mace
Look at kihon happo
The shoden level of the six schools
Gyokko
Koto
Shinden Fudo
Kukushin
Takagi Yoshin
Togakure
There is no similarity, they are completely different
As a black belt in 5.0 a kick to the groin is very effective 👌
You're saying a groin shot won't work? If there's something down there...it hurts lol.
@@ArtofOneDojo Well, Kenpo 5.0 could always discuss a business partnership with DiamondMMA. The more safeguards Kenpo Karate students have when sparring with other the better.
If you kick another Kenpo fighter there it may be less effective than kicking your average joe. The guys from the Kenpo class at my old school full bore kicked each other in the junk because in a real fight there is no holding back. But in general you get kicked in the groin by a Kenpo practitioner and you will be in a world of hurt and possibly waiting for your balls to drop a second time...
I absolutely love this man!
Thanks for sharing this, I really enjoyed it. 👍
I like when Mr. Speaksman talks about Rank. He is right on the money about that :)
Great interview🙌🏾 I enjoyed Mr. Speakmens detailed explanation of his 5.0 Kenpo program. I’ve been a fan since *Perfect Weapon👊🏾😎✌🏾
Great video! I started watching your Batman video and then came here. Lots of awesome nuggets in this, and not just about kenpo. 💪🏻
I am by no means comparable to this man, I have studied this art for 23 years and have been saying this since my first month. Without some ground experience, we will get trounced by any adequate grappler.
Couldn't agree with Jeff more. Wrestled in high school, studied San Soo and ultimateley the entire 1st degree black belt program in Kenpo in the 70's. I had planned to study jui jitsu after that. Long story short it didn't happen. The facts are that any unschooled person taken to the ground by a competent jui jitsu practitioner will be mostly helpless. Mr. Parker asked that the system be an ongoing evolution . But even more, common sense dictates it.
Great suggestion !
I think going to the ground should be second nature for a kenpoist. One of the first concepts we learn is gravitational marriage in our first technique delayed sword. Gravity is ever present and should be a main weapon in a kenpoist arsenal.
Another wonderful video! Thank you!
Thank you for your information and knowledge you shared with your viewers ☆☆☆☆☆
Wow Jeff Speakman ! Loved perfect weapon as a kid.
People forget the 1st ever MMA match in the US was not UFC 1 and the Gracies. The 1st MMA match was Judo Gene Lebell vs Milo Savage Top Ranked Boxer at the time.
Guess who was the genius who set up the fight….yup you guessed it Ed Parker. He knew Judo Gene would be able to take the boxer. Ed Parker without a doubt knew the effectiveness of grappling. I have no doubt him seeing how prominent and wide spread grappling is now would make changes to Kenpo.
Very cool interview!
Can't wait for 5.0 fighters to start being visible in the current mma. gotta retrain myself, this is inspirational.
"We are an art, and they are a sport. So they have rules and we have NONE."
Most memorable.
Amazing interview!