People are often totally oblivious of danger.  Others disregard danger, convinced that danger will never be a part of their life.  However, whatever your attitude might be, be realistic and accept the fact that impending dangers do exist, and consider them seriously.  Once you accept the existence of these impending dangers, and realize that logical measures of prevention can help to avoid them, you have inherently armed yourself with a prime weapon against attack.  You must then create the desire to do something about it, have the conviction to begin your study of preventive measures, and instill the will power to see your desire to completion.  The attitude so, is the response.

          When in or out of class treat your fellow students with respect.
          Belittle no one, encourage all, and become an inspiring example.
          Develop positive attitudes at all times.
          Avoid being averse to changing your attitude.
          Be willing to learn, to think, to accept challenges, to explore, and to share the  knowledge learned.
          As you grasp the elements of the Art, be creative! Do not just solve problems, but discover what they are!
          Subsequently, do not criticize others unless you have established solutions. Problems without answers serve no purpose.
 
 

Cultivate flexible thoughts: They help to expand your Vocabulary of Motion. Developing flexible thoughts inevitably leads to increasing your ability to alter and tailor study. The terminology for it contains a wealth of answers provided by Mr. Parker.

Do not procrastinate: Make every effort to learn the terminology now. It will accelerate your understanding of Kenpo, and increase your enjoyment of the art.

Commence with basics: Do not be enticed to advance your study of the art prematurely.  Commence with fundamentals of importance. First master your stances. They are the foundation of your fighting art. If you follow this advice, you will find greater enjoyment in Kenpo, and look forward to continued study.

This same art will additionally yield self-confidence, self-awareness, alertness, and self-discipline, which may be called upon if needed to defend yourself.

Formalities : Tradition can compliment the present, as well as influence the future, we should not hesitate to adopt it. Formalities and ceremonies associated with the Martial Arts still serve an important role. Because of their positive qualities they are stressed and emphasized at all of our Association schools. Through adherence to formalities and ceremonies, discipline and respect become
ingrained in the students. It must be emphasized, however, that adherence to formalities and ceremonies does not compel anyone
to comply with any sect or religion.

Uniforms : Students' uniforms should be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition.

Patches : The UKS name patch should be placed 1/2 inch below the seam and centered on the left shoulder.
The UKS Association patch should be placed on the left front side of the GI.  To find the proper height, the patch should be positioned so that the dividing lines of the circle in the patch are centered over the left breast at the nipple or slightly above it.  In aligning your patch for sewing, it is recommended that you first put on your top, cross your left lapel over your right lapel and then position your patch.  The Universal Pattern patch is 1/2 inch below the UKS name patch on the left shoulder.  Correct orientation should be ensured by orienting the patch so that the "Heart" shape is vertical down the arm.

Belts : Brand name tags may be removed from belts. Be sure you have been instructed on how to properly tie your belt. Instructors are allowed to tie and position their belt with the knot to the front and in the middle. However when someone of higher rank teaches an instructor, he relinquishes this privilege and places the knot to the left to show respect to his instructor.  Disregarding this formality denotes disrespect to an instructor and to the Art.  The one and only time a student can position the knot in the middle is when he (or she) competes at a tournament.

Male students tie their belt with the knot positioned to the left. This not only shows respect, but it shows that he is a novice who has not yet earned the privilege of sharing the honor given to the instructors and those of higher knowledge.

Female students tie their belt with the knot positioned to the right. Again, this not only shows respect, but that she is a female novice not yet privileged to share the honor held by instructors (male or female), and those of higher knowledge.

Students wear their knot to the left (the weak side) and female students wear their knot to the right (the strong side) because females are the stronger of the two sexes in terms of the amount of internal pain that they can endure (especially during childbirth).

Verbal Respect: Black Belts and instructors should be addressed as "Mr." (Miss or Mrs. if the instructor is female) and then by their last name. This generates respect to those of higher rank.  It helps to acknowledge their skill, experience, and time devoted to the Art. Since we address older men of the community as "Mr." as a means of showing our respect for their ability, wisdom, age, and experience, so should we show respect to those with more experience in the Art.

Late Students: If a student is late for class, he must stand at the edge of the training room, be recognized by the instructor, and acknowledged by the instructor. The student will then return the instructor's acknowledgment with a salute, before being allowed to join the class.

Creed & Pledges: The Creed has become an accepted Code for many Martial Artists. It denotes the Martial Artist's way of life in today's environment. Equally as important, the Creed acts as a guide to the Martial Artist in developing a keen sense of justice.

Use of the words "right or wrong" leaves no margin for clemency but to defend one's self.
A matter of "life or death" means strict adherence to survival in protecting loved ones or self even if it means death to the adversary should no alternative be left.
"Principles" must be upheld and protected, for without them the very core and soul  of man is valueless.
"Honor" motivates a Martial Artist to action because it gives him dignity.
"Empty Hands" (as well as other body weapons) are the substitutes that a Martial
Artist uses in place of man-made weapons to sustain his honor. Discipline developed through training without weapons implants justice and discretion when applying the Martial Arts.

Pledges are extensions of the Creed composed and designed to further promulgate spiritual character among the lower ranks.

Bow of Respect: Whenever a student enters or leaves the training area, he is required to bow.  Bowing to the training area demonstrates respect for the Art as well as the area where others have trained before him. Bowing is done to inanimate objects only.  A salute (hand gesture) is always done to show respect to an instructor or individual.  A bow should stem from an attention stance.  When you are bowing, bow your head for a period of two seconds before returning to an attention stance.

Salute of Respect: Upon entering the school, salutations utilizing prescribed hand gestures are made to all Black Belts and instructors along with the proper verbal greeting.  The salute is always directed to the senior belt holder first and then in the order of their rank (highest to lowest).  Black Belts from other systems are acknowledged after those of our own system.  When a class is being conducted (private or otherwise) an instructor is required to call his students to attention, have his students face the senior instructor when he arrives, and salute him.  The same procedure, utilizing the prescribed salute, occurs after meditating and when a student is about to leave the practice area or school.  While away from the school, students are encouraged to continue to show this respect.  Like a handshake it is a sign of respect and friendship.  Through such practice, students learn to humble themselves, to be courteous to others, to develop patience, as well as appreciate their instructor's efforts.

Meditation : Before a class actually commences, students are required to meditate in a horse stance, with their backs erect, head bowed, eyes closed, and their left open hand covering their right clenched fist.  This position is also assumed at the end of the training session.  The purpose of this practice is to have the students clear their minds of all outside activities prior to starting their class.  In the event they may have had a confrontation on the street causing negative thoughts, they should clear their minds of such thoughts to prevent them or fellow students from receiving possible injury.

With a calm and serene mind, they will be able to absorb new material more readily, become more conscious of their every effort, and crisp in their actions.  In short, it prepares the mind and body to receive or reflect on the knowledge obtained.

Meditating at the conclusion of class, students are to ponder over the knowledge received and make a personal commitment not to ever misuse the new (or old) knowledge. They are to constantly reflect upon the preciousness of life and the Creed that they are to follow.

Personal Conduct: At all times you are to act with respect toward yourself, others, and your school. Absolutely no smoking, drinking, or abusive language is allowed on any occasion involving you and/or other members of your school, and certainly not while in uniform.  Be respectful to your training center; help keep it clean at all times for the benefit of all. In addition, be prompt and courteous with the payments for your lessons.

Kenpo Karate: A simple translation of Kenpo Karate would be "Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand".  Chinese instructors of Kenpo were imported by the Okinawan to teach them the art of Kenpo.  The Okinawan then developed the "Karate method of Kenpo".  When Mr. Parker first began learning with Mr. Chow, Mr. Chow was calling the art, Kenpo Karate. This choice of words was due to the public familiarity with the word Karate.  Today we refer to our art as Ed Parker's American Kenpo.

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