Frank Trejo

Mr. Trejo went into the hsopital with a heart problem while on a seminar weekend in Fresno recently. I spoke with the gentleman who took him to the hospital and he said Frank was out and home by Weds. Let's keep him in our thoughts.

Trejo

Frank Trejo was back in the hospital over Easter. He's back home and resting. Ed Parker Jr. says he requests no phone calls. Just wanted to let you know and he appreciates everyone's concerns. Thanks to Sam Babikian for the notice and Ron Chapel, Ed Jr for the verifications.
Frank was one of my teachers at Pasadena. Rumors of this sort of thing get started and I like to check things out before I post. We got a phone call at my studio years ago, offering their condolences for my passing away. The instructor who answered the phone said "Well, he looks pretty good for a dead guy. He's teaching a class". Someone had told this person I'd had a heart attack and died. Maybe it was wishful thinking.

Frank Trejo

I was alerted that one of my former teachers, Mr. Trejo, had a stroke very recently. I was not sure if it was rumor, so I sent word out and got verification. He's 60% recovered, from what I'm told.
Thanks to Sam Babikian in PA for the news. More details as I get them.

New Raking Mace Video

Ed Cabrera has been working on boxing infusions into kenpo techniques. He sent me this clip of his variation of Raking Mace. Ed's working on a book as well on the blending of boxing and Kenpo. He's a former Golden Gloves winner, and I know Frank Trejo would approve.

Ed Parker's passing

This past Saturday was the 17th anniversary of Ed Parker's passing. I posted a small salute to him and those who have kept the flame burning on my site. I include even those who just started taking kenpo lessons because they are a part of the history of the system.
The photo I put on the site is the same as the one above. I could have used one of the portrait shots I have but I wanted one that showed him as one of the gang. He's relaxed and enjoying being with the guys. You see Frank Trejo throwing a back elbow at John Conway Jr, too, so you see it's not a formal photo.
I've been working on scanning many of my photos for inclusion on my websites photo gallery and another book I'm working on. But these pictures always remind me of how much I miss him, and of the responsibility people like me have as seniors in the system.
I had the strangest thought on Saturday morning, which was the actual anniversary day. It was that if I live only as long as he did I have five years left. When it's your time to go, it's time. I'm pretty sure I'm going to be around a long time to aggravate you guys. My dad is 80 and going strong.But, realistically, I do ride a motorcycle and fly airplanes, which are "risky" and, God help me, I drive in the Ft. Myers traffic. Some blue-haired old lady who's been mixing her medication and martinis could take me out. In the meantime I'm not going to not about dying. Got too much stuff to do.

Some people

I've been teaching for a long time. When I was a young brown belt I had visions of training with a true Master. But those people are few and far between despite what the phone book and Internet would have you believe. If you have been to my seminars where they have introduced me as a Master you've heard me say I don't claim to be a master - I have much work left to do to deserve that. I am a master teacher, I'll buy that. But that's only one aspect.
Anyway, I understand the allure of training with a master, or saying you train with a master. I understand the "prestige", or maybe it's "street cred" today. And I understand the responsibility involved in such things, especially when one is labeled as a protege (how do you get the accent mark over the letters anyway?).
What's bugging me today is that I came across a website with the statement that the man "is a direct student of Lee Wedlake". I've had many people tell me they met so and so and he was a student of mine, or one of my black belts, or how they know me and we hang out, blah, blah, blah. And it's just not so. I even had a guy call my studio and tell my sister, who was working the desk, that we went to college together in Arizona and got our black belts at the same time. For one, the whole of my time in Arizona was in the Phoenix airport one time on a connection. Second, I took my black belt test alone. Actually, it was the second I took alone. The first was in a group and I flunked it. Where do we get such people? My sister was amazed.
This man with my name on his site took a total of about three private lessons and a few seminars. We never got past Short Form Two. I never certified him for anything. In fact, last time I spoke with him I told him we had no future in any kind of relationship because I had heard his bad-mouthing about me. Then he has the balls to call me and ask me to do a seminar. He did not deny he said the things but he still advertises my name on his site. If you e-mail me at wedlakekenposeminars@comcast.net I may tell you his name.
There's a guy in PA that has a diploma that I witnessed at his test and tells people he studied with me. I met him but I didn't train him. I guess it's easy to fall into the trap that you're in the lineage or whatever but please give credit where it's due. And don't take it when it's not. What do we do about this? Probably not much. We have people with fake Physician and Religion degrees. They get caught from time to time. And so do these people with the fake lineage. It catches up with them most of the time. I was with Frank Trejo at someones apartment in California many years ago and we noticed an IKKA black belt diploma on the wall. I said it looked fake. The man actually told us that it was and Frank said "I wish you hadn't told me that. I'm in charge of tracking these things down."
Be careful who you brag to.

It's backwards!

There is an opposite and a reverse for everything. Yet, some things shouldn't be reversed. For example, airplanes shuld not land backwards. And students should not be promoting their instructors.
Ed Parker's Kenpo has been around since 1954, when he opened his firast commercial school, longer if you count his pre-studio teaching. That's a bit over fifty years, by my Chicago Public Schools math education. I tend to beleive that 50 years is a good amount of time to produce some competent instructors, pretty well distributed throughout the world. And if you count the number of 10th degrees, there are certainly enough to go around.
Why then, are there people who resort to promoting themselves under the guise of taking a promotion from their students? Can't find a teacher?
I pointed out this type of situation to Bruce Meyer, who read it and said "It's backwards. The students are promoting the teachers." Absolutely to the point. Other writers have said "Of course your students are going to want to see you promoted."
We agree that it's just not the way to go.
There is a mechanism for promotion in situations where it's just not possible to get tested and a group will elevate their best to the rank. It's called a quorum. That was more common many years ago when instructors, especially in kenpo, were few and far between. Now it's just an escape hatch for a lazy instructor who wants to be a fourth, fifth, or sixth degree without having to be trained and tested by a higher, more seasoned authority.
There are more kenpo instructors of senior rank now than ever and it seems there are more of these "association" promotions than ever. My point is, it's easier to get under someone to train you but these ranks are being assumed with little or no effort to hook up with someone with credibility.
Live in New England? Get with Steve White or Doreen Cogliandro. Middle East Coast? Joe Palanzo has a large group of competent people. Midwest? Kurt Barnhart in Chicago or Steve Hatfield in Ohio. Mountains? Paul Mills, Mike Pick. Northwest? John Sepulveda. Lower Midwest? Tom Kelly, Rick Fowler. West Coast? Larry Tatum, Graham Lelliott, Bryan Hawkins, Frank Trejo. And there are waaaay more that can get you on track. Make a phone call, save some money and either go to them or fly them to you.
I've seen too many guys who take a few private lessons, figure it's too hard, and decide to have their students promote them. I know the reasons - "Too expensive", can't travel", "I"m being held back", "I run a business and don't have time". Some reasons are legit, espceially the "we don't get along" one.
In the event you are genuinely stuck, there's a mechanism for that, too, and I've discussed that previously. But for most situations, going the route they've gone is just chicken***t. Do I sound upset? You bet. And so is anyone who put their time in, took their lumps, spent their time and money to earn that next stripe.
What do you think?