| Question |
Answer |
| I have never participated in martial arts, however am very athletic, and have always been involved in team sports (and am a very competitive type A gal!). After graduating from high school (in 97), I started competing in figure competitions, and focused more on working on myself and being competitive w/ myself (how much could I improve or get better?) then competing w/ others. I moved to TX about 2 months ago, and haven't been in the gym since the move. I'm still in great shape, but really miss ""pushing myself"" and setting constant improvement goals for myself physically. I am very interested in martial arts, although I'm not sure which style is right for me. I would like to begin to train in a style that is physically demanding and one that will help to improve my coordination. Does Kenpo Karate include a lot of kicking and leg work? Would there be any chance to ""compete"" as I progress? | Kenpo is considered to be very challenging, based on it's curriculum. As with any art form, you are always challenging yourself to improve, and grow.
Kenpo is excellent for women because it focuses on self defense situations, that is the heart of our work. Ours can be a demanding one, but interesting.
Kenpo is not known for kicking, but we have a large arsenal of kicks, like most other martial art styles.
Competitions(tournaments) are very few around here, but we do compete among ourselves here.
Come by and see what we can offer you! |
| I am 40 years old with a family, and I am interested in pursuing a martial art in a safe,low impact format. In particular, I am interested in how hard this style of art is on the knees and if knee injuries are commonly experienced among practicioners. | You can take the Kenpo, and work it to your sense of feel, and satisfaction. I don't hear alot of knee issues with kenpo, the kicking is not meant to be high like TKD |
| I have just moved to the rockport/fulton area and am trying to find a place to expand my martial arts training. I recently earned
My first star black in american karate and have been training for 4 straight years. what do you recommend as far as trying tracy kenpo to further my ma training? | I think you'll find our Kenpo very compatible to what you've learned. Come try us for a week for free. It'll add a new dimension to your existing knowledge.
Thanks for stopping by. |
| When does a black belt be considered a master? What ranking must
they be? | When Master Tracy decides, or the other ranking Black Belts accept you as one! It is assumed it begins at 6th dan, but the above usually applies first. |
| I have a first degree black belt in American-Korean Tae-Kwon-Do
but I've been out of martial arts for almost ten years. I'm interested in
learning from other martial arts schools and fighting styles. I also want
to get back into martials arts for the exercise, and to help get into shape
and lose weight. Should I look into beginner's classes, or would you
recommend something more advanced, given my previous experience with martial
arts? | You can try the beginning class if you like, or go into the advanced group. Once you get the basics down to what Kenpo requires, you should do ok. You are also allowed to keep your rank. |
| I'm a former student(last rank achieved-purple) who's been out of the game for
quite sometime. What do you suggest to aid my reaclimation to the system? | Come back, relearn what you may have forgotten, and move on from there. Your body may surprise you! |
| I live in Springfield,Mo and i am a green belt in the Mitchell system.I am
getting ready to move to Corpus Christi,can i keep my rank or will i have
to start all over.But naturally i will learn your system. | Thanks for coming by. You may keep your rank. We look forward to working with you. |
| How do we get are gi uniform? Do u issue it to us, or we buy it? | You can buy one from our distributor, or from an outside source. Our students wear white. |
| How long will it take for a person to advance to another belt? | Between 3-4 months, but It really all depends on the person. |
| I'm a former student (last rank achieved-purple) who's been out of the game for
quite sometime. What do you suggest to aid my reaclimation to the system? | Come back, relearn what you may have forgotten, and move on from there. Your body may surprise you! |
| I have heard it is a chinese martial art before. Is it true? | Some people see it that way, but in reality it's made of of five different cultures, Chinese, Okinawan, Amercian, Japanese, Hawiian. |
| How much is it a month? | Rates are 50 dollars monthly, no start up, or registartion fees. |
| Does Kenpo use any wepons? | Yes, of Chinese origin. We use the Butterfly swords, The Staff, Spear, and one Japanese Sword form. |
| Is Kenpo a better martial art than Aikido? | Difficult to say that one MA is better than the other. It comes down to the mindset, what your objective is, and most important, it's person that makes the art. |
| If you are to join the military. Is it possible to keep your rank, and still
train? | Yes, very much so. It's also important to maintain connection with a nearby school, and with Master Tracy, that way, you will remian familiar to them. |
| I studied Tracy's kenpo a few years ago, but moved to Texas to attend school
in Fort Worth. There are no Tracy schools in the DFW area. Is there any
sort of distance learning program offered so I can continue my training? | I believe there is an Instructor in Grapevine! |
| I have studied Aikido previously and earned my Green Belt ranking 10 years ago
but, due to personal reasons stopped participating. Am considering your
class but unsure what to expect or how they compare. What could I expect
as far as body joint fatigue ( I am 47 years old)? | Your experience will be of great help to you, and would work well into kenpo. You work your body to the best of your ability, as everyone moves at their own pace. Kenpo utilizes jujitsu(not ground work) as it also uses rapid fire hand techniques, kicks. It's very street style self defense, but don't let that bother you. In Kenpo, you make it fit you, not the other way around. Come by, and see us |
| Was wondering on average how long does it take to achieve the 473 techiques? | About 3 years. Much of it depends on the individual. Could be sooner, or later. |
| Do you offer text books or instructional videos of your system? | Picture manuals, Quick Reference manuals, Quick Reference, and Instructional Videos that cover the entire system are available. That's the great thing about Tracy's. These are available through the Instructor. |
| How much are your private lessons as apposed to your group rates? | Privates run 30 an hr. This is beneficial in that you get one-one attention. One can move faster, depending on the individual. Whereas in groups, I'm striving to meet all needs of the students, but they still get individual attention as the situation warrents.
Groups run 50 a month, but we can always make time after class for extra help. That's what I'm here for.
Thanks for writing! |
| What are Techniques and Katas? | Techniques are defensive and offensive movements against chokes, holds, grabs, kicks, and punches. Katas are sincronzied movements into a form or kata. The movements are both offensive and defensive. Katas follow a flow or path and generally end up in the same place that you started. |
| What is Kenpo and what does it mean? | Kenpo is a mixture of five cultures: First and most important, Chinese; second Japanese; followed by Okinawan, Hawaiian (before Hawaii became a state) and American. In modern usage, "KENPO" spelled with and "N" indicates the original Chinese origin; when spelled with an "M" it indicates its incorporation into the Japanese culture. It was James M. Mitose, whose family moved from Japan to Hawaii, who established the spelling of "KeNpo" with an "N" in the art we teach and call "KENPO". |
