An In Depth Interviews with : JACK AUTRY: 35 year veteran and instructor of Mr. Parker's American Kenpo. Interview, Part Two - Conclusion Mr. D. - Now let's go forward in time. We now see students who get promoted to black belt without sparring. You come from a time where sparring in the studio was bare knuckle and open handed, and you have seen the evolution of the foam-dipped equipment. What are the pros and cons to the use of each method of teaching sparring? Mr. A. - That is another good question, Paul. When we first started sparring in tournaments there were no pads. The best thing a guy had going for him was the groin supporter, a cup, and a mouthpiece - that was it. The control in those days had to be better because there was no margin for error. I think that us old timers fought in a rougher environment. Almost every tournament saw a broken nose, a black eye, or a wired jaw. Kumite was an absolute must to get promoted to black belt. Freestyling was what it was all about. Most of us just learned the forms and techniques to be able to spar. I'm not saying that the talent was any better than it is today, but there were guys back then who could take a punch and just keep going. You remember, Paul, you fought in those times and they were pretty rough. I like the pads today. There are definitely fewer injuries due to the pads. They are more forgiving and there is more margin for error. It is better to keep your students protected and safe. Mr. D. - If you could tell us in a few words, what was it like at the Friday night rules meeting at the Vagabond Motel just before the Internationals? I know you went to many of those. Mr. A. - The Friday night before the Internationals was always fun, and maybe it is hard for people to understand this side of Ed Parker. He was a multi-faceted person. First of all, he was never on time for the meeting. ( Laughter ) You have to understand we would have 100 to 200 first generation black belts waiting for Mr. Parker to arrive. Mr Parker had a thing known as Mr. Parker time. If you knew him, he would show up when he was ready to show up. (More laughter) So just imagine 200 of his black belts sitting around and telling stories. Whether the stories were of barroom incidents or tournament fights it was just a great time, a lot of laughs, and the camaraderie was second to none. Despite all of the noise being made, when Mr. Parker arrived there was immediate silence. (Laughter) Mr. D. - We as "old timers" knew that he taught in the West LA school on Thursday nights - and he was funny! Mr. A. - People have to understand that Mr. Parker was a comedian. He loved to laugh, and he loved to make you laugh. There was never a class taught by Ed Parker where you didn't laugh sooner or later. You knew that you were going to laugh, sweat, and learn something. I never once missed a class in which Ed Parker was going to teach. There was nothing more important to me than learning Kenpo from Mr. Parker. Mr. D. - Didn't you get the feeling that whatever he asked of you, you just did it? Mr. A. - It didn't matter whether he asked you to get a glass of water or to sit with him on a testing board. He had this charisma where you just wanted to be there. He had that ability that very few people have. Mr. D. - How about loyalty? Mr. A. - I spent close to 25 years with Mr. Parker, and the number 1 thing in his mind about a student was loyalty. I heard him say it a hundred times. He said. "Jack, you can't buy it, you can't steal it, you must earn it." And that is the most important thing I try to instill with my own black belts. Mr. D. - We know that you and I have talked about the last day you saw Mr. Parker. It was at the West LA studio and he taught a couple of seminars that day. Would you tell us about that day and what was said before he left to the airport? Mr. A. Sure. This was December 15th 1990. It was a Saturday. We had scheduled him for a children's seminar and an adult seminar that day. This story is to let people know how humble he was. After he taught the children's seminar we went to the office and he asked me, "Well, Jack, how did I do?" This was on a serious note at the time not a humorous one. He really wanted to know how he did. The last autograph that he did was on a white belt for a 4 year old boy named Angelo, my son. After the seminars we went to one of the student's house for a real brief Christmas party and lunch to feed Mr. Parker, and then he had to leave to the airport. Mr. Parker went to the party and had chili - he loved chili - and put a lot of onions on it - he loved onions. He said, "Jack, I'm leaving tonight to go to Hawaii because I have this terrible feeling that I am not going to see my mother again. I'm going to rest up a bit and visit with her." Mr. Parker was looking very worn out at this time. He said his good-byes to everybody and I walked him out to the car. I gave him this big Kenpo type bear hug goodbye and it was the last goodbye from a Kenpoist on the Earth. As it worked out his vision was correct. He never saw his mother again. Mr. D. - With almost 10 years since the passing and a whole generation of black belts that never met him, yet with strong Kenpo organizations in place with good leadership, where do you see Kenpo in 5 years? Mr. A. - Another good question Paul. I think that what has happened in the last 10 years is no surprise to Ed Parker. I think he had a handle on each one of us, and I think he knew what each person was going to do. If you look at the people who are wearing a 10th degree to day, he could have told you that after 10 years these are the people who would wear this rank. We cannot change this. And we cannot say if this is right or not. There are a couple of people whom I would ask, "If Ed Parker were here today would you be wearing that 10th degree black belt?" I would ask that to any of them that have that rank today. After the passing, 34 of us senior black belts met and tried to keep the IKKA the way it was when he was here. We failed, and I knew it was going to fragment. What is really disappointing to me is what happened to the International Championships. If you loved Ed Parker, then how could you not think positively about his family? This event is what kept his family secure. I have a real problem with people who have not attended the Championships for the last 10 years. My loyalty was with Ed Parker and then it went to his family. I want to go on the record that this may be the first year that there is no Internationals. You cannot expect a family to do business in the red. I think the next 5 years will be exactly how it is heading at this moment. I don't see any changes. There is nobody out there that can put it as it was. Mr. D. This question is for the newer Kenpoists that may not realize that the concept of a Kenpo camp did not exist when Mr. Parker was here. You have been to all of Mr. Speakman's Kenpo camps. What do you think of camps? Mr. A. - I think that camps are a wonderful concept. I think that Jeff Speakman and Brian Heins have a great thing going, and I will support it forever. I feel it gives Kenpo practitioners an opportunity to train with the best Kenpo instructors around today. Jeff has the best Kenpoists teach at his camps. I go and even jump in the classes. I learn something new everytime I go to one of his camps. I see old friends and learn new stuff, and I thank God that I am still able to participate. I think that Jeff is doing everything he can to keep Kenpo alive just as many other Kenpo people are doing. I think a student can get more information in one weekend at Jeff's camp that he can get in a year at the studio. I would like to see more of these things occur. Jeff is just one man but other Kenpo people are doing the same in their areas. I am very honored to be invited back and it means a great deal to me. Mr. D. - Let me ask you a very tricky question. I have taught at successful camps in the mid-west and the east coast. I explain to them that the camp concept just doesn't work out as well in the west. Can you tell them why that is? Mr. A. - To me, it is very disappointing what the west coast is doing today. I think that there are way too many egos and not enough loyalty. I think this sums it all up. Mr. D. - I will change the subject just a little bit. Do you think that the students achieve Black Belt a little too quickly these days? Mr. A. - I am fortunate to attend many Black Belt tests at many different schools. Maybe on a rare occasion this may be the case. But the majority I see earn their belt. When I'm invited to sit on a testing board there is no free belt from me. I can say this with 100% confidence. I see some talent today that is just unbelievable. Remember that when you and I started there were no kids. Today students have many years of experience and are still at a young age. I see 12 year old kids that know everything to perform, white through black, and they perform it very well, flawlessly. It was also male oriented with no women in it. Mr. D. I want to thank you for coming down. For those who don't know, we are sitting in my "garage" (laughter) doing the interview. Mr. A. - For those of you who don't know, this little "garage" in Covina produces some of the finest, meanest, and badest Kenpo practitioners in the world. They graduate from this "garage." Mr. D. - We will post this interview on our site, and if anyone wishes to ask a question to you through our site I will forward it to you, and if you respond to them we will post it. Thanks again, Jack. I hope we have many more years doing what we love to do. So Viva Las Vegas! Mr. A. - God Bless you. Thanks. |
Jack Autry Interview |
