It goes back to some coffee shops and cheap burger joints in Los Angeles. I used to sit around and chat with other young instructors. We were all pretty new to teaching and excited about how much people seem to benefit from Kempo.
Most students only know their own success stories but instructors get the privilege of hearing countless examples of how Kempo helps people. I heard from a student who had become so much healthier he no longer needed to take medications for his blood pressure, hypertension or cholesterol. I met a woman who almost glowed as she spoke of incapacitating a man who tried to steal her car. Another student told me that Kempo had given him the confidence to apply for — and get — a promotion that he had wanted for years. All the stories were different but the theme I kept noticing was that everyone was happier. I understood it back then but it was years before someone finally put it into simple words for me: “Kempo People are Happy People.”
So as we sat around our cheap burger joints and coffee shops (I don’t actually drink coffee, but I’m a sucker for an overpriced iced tea) we got to thinking about how much better the world would be if more people studied Kempo — better not just for themselves, but for all of the people around them. People who do Kempo are happier, more centered and have less stress, which means that everyone they bump into benefits from their happy, centered, low stress presence. We got excited when we decided that if even one in a hundred people that you met each day did Kempo the world could be just a little bit happier and a little bit better.
That is what got me excited enough to open my first studio, and each one since.
By studying Kempo you can become a more peaceful, happier and more centered person. Every day, in small ways, you can pass this happiness on to the people around you. Together we can all make the world just a little bit better.
Here are three simple ideas that, when taken together, can change your life. They are so deceptively simple that I almost feel silly writing them down. But every day I encounter people who aren’t applying them to their lives — and almost as often I realize that I seem to have forgotten them myself. Truth…
What do you think about as you fall headfirst towards the ground? Or, more to the point, what should you think about? If the surface is pavement or gravel? Should you tense for impact? No, obviously, you should just relax. In the case of falling, as in so many instances, our instincts are flawed. If…
Some people describe a punch in terms of the structure of the body that supports and projects the arm and fist. Others harken to the term “throwing a punch” and explain that a punch is led by the hand and that the body needs but to form behind it. Of course, they are both correct…
At the Shaolin Temple, we had the privilege of training with a senior monk possessing the congenial, relaxed demeanor that so often accompanies mastery. Working in a back alley behind the ancient curved rooftops, watched only occasionally by resident (indifferent) cats and our taciturn teacher, we aimed to make our bodies mimic the skills being…
So the question is: “What should you do if someone punches you?” Almost reflexively many people will answer, “Hit them back.” It seems so reasonable and it certainly happens often enough. But to really answer the question you have to know what your goal is. “What are you trying to accomplish?” In the context of…
Finding a dojo in Cuba is harder than it probably should be. Google Maps coverage is weak and Yelp is nonexistent. Cellular internet does not exist in Cuba and you can’t get internet to your home or hotel either (at least not legally). Want to surf the interwebs? Head to any public park with a…
Cookie Consent
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using our site, you consent to cookies.
Cookie Preferences
Manage your cookie preferences below:
Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website.
Name
Description
Duration
Cookie Preferences
This cookie is used to store the user's cookie consent preferences.
90 days
These cookies are needed for adding comments on this website.
Name
Description
Duration
comment_author
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_email
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
comment_author_url
Used to track the user across multiple sessions.
Session
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us understand how visitors use our website.
Name
Description
Duration
_wpfuuid
-
_gcl_au
3 months
_ga_W9YYTHHKYM
2 years
_ga_HL8EN1E8LS
-
_ga_EQDN3BWDSD
-
_ga
2 years
Marketing cookies are used to follow visitors to websites. The intention is to show ads that are relevant and engaging to the individual user.
Name
Description
Duration
tk_tc
Session
tk_qs
30 minutes
tk_aip
-
tk_ai
-
You can find more information in our Cookie Policy and .