(Taken
from the AKKS site )
Mr.
Ed Parker was the foremost authority and instructor of Kenpo Karate in
the United States and was known worldwide as "Mr. Karate". He was the "Founder
of American Kenpo", the president and founder of the Ed Parker Kenpo Karate
Studio chain, as well as the International Kenpo Karate Association. He
was the Father of American Karate having originated the first American
version of Karate. He commenced teaching professionally in Provo, Utah
in 1954. He opened his first professional Karate studio in the United States
in Pasadena, California in 1956.
He
was featured in National and International magazines: Time, Look, Strength
and Health, Show Business Illustrated, Iron Man, Action Karate, Black Belt,
Karate Illustrated, Official Karate, Inside Kung Fu, American Karate, and
Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated; in newspapers nation-wide; Martial Arts' magazines
world wide; articles in the World Encyclopaedia and many others.
He
appeared in dozens of movies and television shows, including Revenge of
the Pink Panther and The Curse of the Pink Panther. In addition, he taught
Karate to nearly every big name actor and actress in Hollywood -- including,
Robert Culp, Joey Bishop, Jose Ferrar, Rick Jason, Nick Adams, Frank Lovejoy,
Robert Wagner, Elvis Presley, Natalie Wood and Elke Sommer, to name a few.
He was also been a technical advisor for motion pictures and T.V.
Ed
Parker Mr. Parker was well known for his exciting demonstrations at: high
schools, colleges, civic clubs, clinics, tournaments, church groups, youth
groups, etc. He was a highly sought-after speaker and his Karate demonstrations
are famous in the United States and worldwide. He was in great demand throughout
the world to put on his blinding demonstrations of speed, skill and power
along with his picturesque analogies when explaining the Art so all can
understand. He frequently travelled giving Seminars and Demonstrations
in Australia, England, Spain, Ireland, Chile, Venezuela, and Greece and
has many worldwide government officials as his students.
Throughout
the years Mr. Parker authored many books: Basic Karate Book, Kenpo Karate,
The Women's Guide to Self Defence, Secrets of Chinese Karate, A Guide to
Law Enforcement, Home Study Karate Workshop Course, A Guide To The Nunchaku,
Infinite Insights into Kenpo (Volumes 1-5), The Zen Of Kenpo, Kenpo In
The Streets, Speak With A Knife, Speak With A Club, Everyday Gestures That
Can Save Your Life, Answers To Multiple Attacks On The Street, Inside Elvis,
Accumulative Journals (Yellow - 5th Black), and his revolutionary Encyclopaedia
of Kenpo. Instructional videotapes are also products of his endeavours
to enlighten others of the merits of Kenpo.
He
was a graduate of Kamehameha High School (1949), Honolulu, Hawaii where
he was born and raised. Mr. Parker has a B.S. Degree from Brigham Young
University (1956) with a Major in Sociology and Psychology, and a Minor
in Political Science.
Mr.
Parker founded the world's largest and foremost Karate tournament, the
International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California. Mr. Parker
was also a consultant and advisor to numerous other Karate tournaments
worldwide.
Mr.
Parker's uniqueness rests in his continuous efforts to combat traditional
restrictions binding progressive thinking. He was truly a creative genius
because of his incredible ability to discover the problems within the Martial
Arts. His contributions and innovations are endless; encompassing logic
and reasoning not yet employed by others. His four decades of experience,
contributions, and endeavours establish him as the Master of our system,
the author of our training material, and the final voice of approval.
In
1990 Grand Master Ed Parker was untimely taken from this world and his
many thousands of students around the world mourn his passing.
