Reference: Kenpo Etiquette addressing senior Instructors

Kenpo has evolved and has grown world wide since the beginning of its origin since the date of 1954. SGM Ed Parker has left us since his passing in 1990 with many First Generation Black Belts that began with him to the last generations who were with him up until the time of 1990.
I believe it is important to instill proper protocol and etiquette to the students and new upcoming Black Belts about the proper way to mention names of authority in Kenpo or to our Seniors in Kenpo.
Another thing is Lineage to your training and to fully understand its importance with tracing a Black Belts beginning and current study with a legitimate Kenpo teacher.
In the Unites States our educational system requires a background check on those who want to teach professionally as a method of researching a persons background so that you can find out if they are not felons or have a criminal background. Also a teacher must go through required college training and be very well schooled to teach at our local schools and Colleges.
Ed Parker created our belt system and curriculum the very same way. As an educational method of learning. The instructors would be also graded with titles like Associate Master, Professor, or Master instructor. All for a reason of showing the parallel of it being a study like a foreign language school.
My point of all this is I was told that on your recent Forum a comment was being mentioned about why certain clubs or schools were being mentioned while others were not as if he was implying no other Kenpo schools exist.
First I would like to say there is a proper way to conduct questioners or asking a Senior Kenpo instructor questions of any sort. First all of the Kenpo Seniors that I have known for years I have always first built a relationship with and second never call them by there first name unless they give the Okay. At a training camp a few years back I had Grand masters Huk Planas, Frank Trejo, Associate Master of the arts Lee Wedlake and Master of the Arts Tom Kelly all together for a weekend event. Mr.Kelly likes to go by the Sibok became very vocal at a dinner when a few under ranks called Master Frank Trejo.... Frank! Even though Master Frank said it was okay he made a point of saying "you are to call him Sifu", or Mr.Trejo not Frank as long as I'm here. Trust me No one was going to argue with Sibok, he is a man of authority and demands respect. He made a point of telling everyone that in our art Ed Parker never might have pushed the protocol of conduct but he was definitely looking for it. People like Tom Kelly, Mike Pick, Richard 'Huk" Planas, Larry Tatum, Lee wedlake, Frank Trejo, Steve Labounty,Gary Ellis, Jeff Speakman, John Sepulveda,and there are more who can be said, but the person who I most wanted to mention is Senior Professor Rainer Schulte. People do your history and ask your teachers about Professor Schulte. Talk to the Parker family and ask how Professor Schulte fits into the history of Kenpo in Germany, Europe and here in the United States? It should be important all to trace there Kenpo Lineage through the roots of there instructors to find the path back to SGM Ed Parker.
Lineage and the history of Kenpo is not that hard to research. The book 'The Journey" was a good reference of a few names out there. Ed Parker, jr., is available and has been around the world teaching his fathers art and doing personal Portraits of many well known Kenpo Teachers, students and leaders of Kenpo organizations. The forum also was suggesting that Professor Jeff Speakman was the top guy or the only personal student SGM Ed Parker had. Not true, nor will you hear Professor Speakman say that. As a friend of mine I'm confident in saying he is a fine man but not "The Man" in the world of Kenpo. There is no "One" person who could achieve or wear those shoes.
Ed Parker had an Army full of talented Black belts and had an Army of close Black Belts who each have there own special piece of the Ed Parker puzzle. Meet as many as you can and share, compare, and be opened minded in your questioning but most of all be...Polite,show Respect, and demonstrate Courtesy when you speak about any one of them. It's just the right thing to do.
If you want to be listed or linked on to Websites or on a mailing list. You need to qualify by meeting certain criteria. Such a being interviewed or background screening. Like in America we take our art serious and professionally. Who needs a phony or unqualified instructor teaching if they are wearing false rank and status?
I hope I made some sense and I hope not to offend anybody. But we demonstrate discipline and proper Ethics in our studios here in the United States, you should do the same were ever you are. Thank you for hearing my thoughts.

Professor Sean P. Kelley CKF President