Modern Kung Fu

What is the the Kenpo influence in Modern Kung Fu ?

By James B

Everyone knows who Ed Parker , but what about Devin Willis?

Devin is a combative instructor and Founding Partner of the P.W.P Training and protection education (http://www.selfdefenseeducation.com/) With well over 30 years martial arts and protection field. His experience in modern sanshou . karate, judo kobudo, Chin Na , Modern Kung Fu Fighting Systems (knife , gun baton, club, Kali stick ect)

He was known for his Combative Knife Fighting and Comprehensive Realistic Hand to Hand Combat. This type of training has led to the development of special law enforcement and military programs,

Devin Willis is a veteran of the Protection field, He graduated from Executive Security International (ESI) in 1991 became a Certified Protection Specialist(CPS) and a Certified Security having served as a control tactics instructor, street weapons expert, Lead agent, Manger for Major client accounts.


Few people may know this but Devin Willis and Ed Parker knew each other.

Devin Willis was raised in South and Pasadena, California. a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Willis Family and The Parker family have known each other for years.

He knew Mr Parker , simply as Brother Parker and had the fortune of discussion the martial arts and self defense. Mr Willis knew Sherri Parker , Ed Parker Jr and Sister Leilani Parker and has a great respect the family. I have always wondered how much he had learned form Mr. Parker and his son. Devin has told me, he was only friends with the family and had so much respect loved to visit them and help at the Long Beach International Karate Championships

One of the reasons I had to leave Devin because of his religion of Mormonism, His Instructor Don Neal was a Lay Pastor and my current instructor is also a Christian(what is a Christian?.) I trained with Devin Willis for many years. He was talented


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In the time I knew Mr.Devin Willis, he always had respect for Mr.Parker and his Familly

Ed Parker and Kenpo

I think the following shares how most feel about Ed Parker

".... American Kenpo began with Ed Parker. But it is not a single system as Ed went through five transitions before arriving at what would be come the Ed Parker Style of American Kenpo. It might rightfully be said that Ed Parker's new system sprang full grown from the head of Ed Parker, much like Athena sprang fully armored when Prometheus split the head of Zeus with a two man beetle at Lake Tritonis. At least Ed was pleased with this analogy when it was presented it to him in 1990. Ed Parker's martial arts training under Chow, his teaching of Kenpo and study of the Chinese systems, his education and his life experience all, like the wisdom of a swallowed Metis, grew in Ed until the past became too confining for his new gift to the world. Thus, in 1965, Ed Parker's new system (his fourth) began to emerge from his genius. But Ed did not reveal this new system completely that early. He was still using the term Chinese kenpo, which he would later change to Ed Parker Kenpo. He recognized that his students would not be able to assimilate all of his new knowledge and theories immediately, so he gradually introduced his new concepts and movements over the next several years--"line upon line, precept upon precept... here a little, there a little," that he could "prove" his students "herewith." Ed often spoke in parables and reminded others that even Jesus had said that you cannot put new wine in old bottles. Ed knew that the future of American kenpo would not be with the his existing students, because they would resist breaking their ties to the past, and most had already gone beyond kenpo to study kung fu, first under James Wing Woo, and then under Bruce Lee. And as a prophet of the new order, Ed Parker would rightfully foresee that most of his black belts and advanced students would either reject the new system, or forsake it after a few years. Ed felt no great bitterness toward this, because American kenpo was not created to replace Ed Parker Kenpo. It was created as a way to advance to his standard of Ed Parker Kenpo. Ed knew his existing students would not serve two masters. They would not learn a system that was designed to take them where they already were, and most would go on to other systems where they could continue to develop. What Ed eventually created as "American Kenpo" was like, and yet very much unlike, the Kenpo systems and his former styles. The differences were those of style and theory. But most importantly, this new system was the stairway to Ed Parker Kenpo. His new system would have its critics. And while much of their criticism was valid, no one could deny the genius of the man who was its father.." (see dedicated to the memory of Edmund K. Parker from American kenpo)

Edmund K. Parker-- 1931-1990--American Kenpo Karate International


Note- Devin Willis never spoke dis-respeckful of Mr. Parker at anytime. By James B