Texas conference registrations

There's a rumor that we're running out of rooms and it's not so.
We can take more than 65 people for the seminars if the additional people book rooms off the ranch in Bandera.
 The ranch has a limited amount of rooms. After you register and receive confirmation from us, then call the ranch to get your room reserved. Most rooms will accommodate several people but if you want to have your own, you can. The ranch charges us by the person, not by the room. If you want several people in your room, just tell them at the ranch when you call.
If you'd rather not take a room just for yourself to allow others to "pack a room", your option is to book at a Bandera hotel and just pay the seminar/dining option.

T-shirts are back

The shirts are back in black for winter.

seminar tour shirt

 Push here, carpe testes, bad things, carpe jugulum and seminar tour shirts are in the store. www.wedlakekenpotv.com/leewedlake/store

Bad Things shirt

 

 

Books on sale this month

20% off when you buy them on my website. Go to www.wedlakekenpotv.com/leewedlake/store, use the code holiday12 and hit the apply coupon button. I'll autograph them for you, too.

The Kenpo Karate Compendium

My new book will be out in the Fall of 2014. My books now will go off the market June 1st. The new books consolidates Kenpo Karate 101 thru 601 and adds new chapters. This is not just a reprint. New photos, new information.
The cover has been done and the marketing guys are working out their strategy. The publisher is Blue Snake books. More to come.

KenpoTV

I've recently added several clips of Ed Parker which have never been posted before because they are in my personal collection. He's seen teaching Short Three, Four, Finger Set, basics and techniques. You'll see him move and hear him tell his stories. I will be posting more, including him doing nunchaku.
If you're not a member, it's $1 for a trial. Go to www.wedlakekenpotv.com

December premium article

It's a few days late due to being away for two weeks in November. The title is Changes. Should be up next day or so.

The Texas Kenpo Conference in May

Below is what you'll find on our Facebook page (2014 Texas Kenpo Conference) and on the registration link. There's a countdown on the page and it gets lowered every time we get a paid registration.

Texas Kenpo Conference, a Gathering of Kenpo Seniors
                              (formerly the Kenpo Senior Conference)

                  May 2-4, 2014  Rancho Cortez in Bandera, Texas

      Your hosts are Lee Wedlake and Steven White

Welcome to Texas! In the spirit of past camps hosted by our lineage friends, this year’s event will be held on a guest ranch outside San Antonio, giving you a real Texas experience. This weekend will be the anniversary of Sibok Tom Kelly’s birthday and we dedicate this event to his memory.

We’re expanding the schedule with classes starting during the day Friday. We also reduced the number of simultaneous classes so you don’t have to struggle so much with “which one?” Topics and instructors are listed below.

Senior Instructors are 9^th degrees Lee Wedlake, Stephen LaBounty, John Sepulveda, Bob White “Faster and Stronger”

The “Lieutenants”, representing the four lineages;
Steven White, NH, 8^th degree -  
Graham Lelliott, CA, 8^th degree – zone applications of storm techniques/Long Two
Brian Duffy, TX, 8^th degree – Staff applications
Ron Sanchez, CA, 5^th degree - 
Denise Plowman, ID, 5^th degree – kickboxing/conditioning
Barbara White, CA, 4^th degree- Women’s self defense, open to all women including non-students
Felix Indest, LA, 2^nd  degree – sexual predators
Rebecca Knight, AZ – Cudgel

Registration: all-inclusive fee with early registration before Feb. 15, 2014 is $450. $495 after and up to the event, space permitting. Registration includes lodging, six meals, use of all amenities including horseback riding*, any/all seminar sessions, participation certificate, and a patch.
* See their website at www.ranchocortez.com for the full list.

Due to space considerations, participation will be limited. You can bring family members if they want to take advantage of what the ranch has to offer, and there is a separate fee per person. If you do not want to stay on the ranch you can get a rate that includes seminar fee and meals only. 

Location: Rancho Cortez www.ranchocortez.com is a working dude ranch 45 minutes from the San Antonio, Texas airport (SAT). 872 Hay Hollar Rd. Bandera, TX, 78003

Transport: The ranch has a 10 passenger van that can transport to/from SAT. $125 each way. Plan to fly in/out close in time so you can share the costs (arrange this through the ranch) or rent a car.

Capacity : The ranch has limited capacity, so register early. Lodging ranges from 14 person bunkhouse (dormitory, one for the men and another for the women, two bathrooms each) to rooms of various sizes, some of which can hold 4-5 guests.  The single rooms are already booked.
When you register we will contact you to confirm receipt and then you can call the ranch to arrange your accommodations. Rancho Cortez will do their best to put you in the appropriate room. If you’re ok with the bunkhouse, just tell Cheryl there. 830-796-9339

If you just have to have you own room there are other motels and guest ranches within 15 minutes of Rancho Cortez. The ranch can accommodate RVs. Book with the office

www.theriverfrontmotel.com/

www.riveroakinn.com/Welcome.html

www.flyingL.com (closest)

What to bring:  The ranch is a mile down a gravel road off TX 1077 and it’s real dark out there so bring a flashlight. The rooms have no TV, telephones or coffee makers. Wi-Fi is available but cell service is spotty. The food is good and rooms comfortable. They have a small store, so you can buy water and soda, etc. but you may want to bring bottled water. They have a pool and spa, so bring your swimsuit. There is a workout room onsite, too. If you plan to ride the horses, bring your jeans, hat and boots.

European seminars

I'm back from a series of seminars in Germany, England and Ireland.
  I spent almost a week in Esslingen and Willich. Esslingen is near Stuttgart and my student, Marc Sigle has a studio there. Willich is near Dusseldorf, about 4 hours north. Thomas Kozitzky teaches up there.

  At Marc's I taught over the weekend, covering the techniques in Long Three and then the form. We even had some beginners who hung in and did well with the task. Grafting was on the menu, too. Mr. Kozitzky came down from Dusseldorf, Phil Buck was in from England and Chris Junge was there from Saarbrucken. We always have dinner Saturday night at Katerinelinde, overlooking the valley with a nice view of Stuttgart. Great food and good company. Got a couple of nice kenpo t-shirts from Lenny Steinke, too.
  Marc and his wife are moving into a new home as well as having a baby boy about 6 months ago. The boy has a great grin and makes me laugh.
  Tommy and I drove up north Monday  and I taught a small class for him that evening on general rules and principles. It gave me a chance to reconnect with Udo Zehl and a few others, as well as meet Chris Mueller, who would host me on Thursday.

  Tuesday night I taught at Peter Ritter's club and went over master keys. Wednesday I was at Chris Mueller's and the subject was angles and timing. Everyone in the Dusseldorf seminars were great to work with.

  I flew up to Bristol, England to meet with longtime friend, Gary Ellis, who picked me up and took me down to his place in Plymouth. That evening I taught a class for the kids and another for his tai chi class. Friday evening we did lock flow with the kenpo group. Saturday's classes were very full, with visitors from other groups. Ed Downey's reps came down from Birmingham. The subjects includes two man techs and knife work.

  Gary and I goofed off a bit Sunday before he took me back to Bristol. The next morning I flew to Dublin to work with Ed Downey's group. Last time I went to Ireland they lost my luggage and they did it again. Mr. Downey was good enough to give me a uniform to teach in. I always keep my belt in my carry-on because this isn't the first, or last, time my bag has been delayed.
   Ed took me on a quick tour of  a local university that looks like a set from Harry Potter. It has an impressive chapel. We had lunch with his two daughters. I had not seen Aisling in years. Then off to the studio to work on Form 5.
  Tuesday morning we went thru the knife work with a flow integration using standard techniques. That afternoon, Ed put me in the care of Darren Mahoney and Gerry Shanahan. Darren work at the Irish Air Corps base and he escorted us thru the museum and the hangars. Gerry is a pilot, too. I enjoyed the time with them both.

  Gerry and his wife, Helen Meade, run Trim Kenpo Karate, where I would be teaching in the evening. The town of Trim is known for being the shooting location of the film, Braveheart. They restored the castle there for the film and "unrestored" it afterward. Gerry gave me a framed aerial photo of the castle that he took from a Cessna 150. That's a pretty cool memory of Ireland. 

  The class for the kids was packed. Dorenda McGee gave me a hand with the demos and the kids were attentive. Easy to work with. The adults were working Triggered Salute variations with the them being an extract if my seminar on concussions. The McGee family gave me some nice souvenirs of Ireland to take home.     
  I was fortunate to get an upgrade to first class across from Dublin to JFK. Even with the gloomy forecast for bad weather in the US, none of my flights were delayed.
  My thanks go out to everyone who hosted and those who made the events a success. Your participation is appreciated. I renewed many friendships, made some new friends, got to catch up with the guys in England and had lots of laughs with our Irish friends.
  It's notable that it was not just my lineage people who made this happen. This was possible with the support of John Sepulveda and his AKTS, Ed Downey and his EKKA and the CKF and Larry Kongaika groups along with our own PKS people.
  I go back to Stuttgart in February and there are tentative plans for England in October.