American   Silver   Tiger   Kenpo   Association           

Richard  "Rick"  Hughes,  M.A.

 

Founder of

1970 - 1972

I became interested in Martial Arts while in the U.S. Air Force, stationed on the Island of Okinawa, where a bunch of us enrolled in an Okinawa Te school off-base. There was lots of punching and kicking, and we had to be tough to stay in class. Those little guys loved to beat on us big 'Gaijins'. I was promoted to Green Belt rank (one before Brown, in those days) before I returned to the States...

1975

I began studying American Kenpo under Ed Booze, at the Willow Street School in Long Beach, California. "Huk" Planas was the Head Instructor there and Mr. Booze was Huk's student. A short time later, that school closed, and Mr. Booze continued his group classes at a local dance studio in the Long Beach-Lakewood area, where I was privileged to get some private instruction from time to time, with Mr. Planas...

1975 - 77

I opened and ran a Kenpo program as a Green Belt Assistant Instructor at the Los Cerritos YMCA in Cerritos, California. In those days, I had to obtain permission from my instructor, Mr. Booze, who got permission from Huk, his instructor, who got permission from the 'Old Man', his instructor. This program was submitted to Mr. Parker as the outline of my Black Belt Thesis. The class was held for two hours, two nights per week, with some Saturdays reserved for ‘missed class’ make-up. That was a great group of students, 35 in all comprised of Men, Women and Children...I think 6 of them went on to achieve Black Belt...

1977

I began to prepare for the Brown Belt Test by attending  classes at Mr. Parker's Pasadena Studio once in a while, and became a regular at Mr. Parker's West Los Angeles Studio, where Larry Tatum was the Head Instructor. That is where I earned Brown Belt and after the test, Mr. Tatum offered me a job as his Assistant Instructor / Manager.

This was a 10am-10pm, 5 day per week position and was one of the greatest times of my Kenpo career. I had lots of mat time teaching groups and privates, and was very fortunate to receive lots of private time with Mr. Tatum who taught me how to 'put it all together' and start moving as an advanced Kenpo student. I became personal instructor to many beginning students such as Mohammed Tabatabai, Howard Silva, and Nassar Mohsenin, who went on to become great Kenpo practitioners as Black Belts. I made many friends and met many of the 'old timers' and Kenpo greats during this period, such as Frank Trejo, Paul Dye, Rainer Schulte, Albert Cornejo, Chuck Sullivan, Vic LeRoux, Jerry Leichtman and Bernie Bernheim,  to name a few. Another real treat for me was to work with some Hollywood actors. Sidney Portier, Scott Jacoby, Billy Jacoby (from 'The Bad News Bears') and Addison Randall, my good buddy who took a friendly 'beating' with me from Mr. Tatum while doing the shoot for the cover of Black Belt Magazine (December  1979 issue). Mr. Tatum scheduled many great demos during this time...One in particular was at a private club in Beverly Hills called 'Chez Moi'. We did this great self defense routine, then Addison and I sparred to this heavy disco-beat music with the 'black-light' and 'strobe-light' pulsating to the music...we could only see quick glimpses of each other and neither of us could score a decent point...really a lot of fun...Afterwards, we walked around the club in our Kenpo uniforms talking to all the 'hot' ladies that wanted to chat with us, while receiving a lot of glares from the guys...what a great night!!!

In those days, Thursday night was when the advanced class was led by Mr. Tatum at the West L.A. Studio, and among my Brown Belt peers were Dian Tanaka, Shelly Bates, Dave George, Addison Randall, John Corrigan, Sally Hayes, George Torak, Andy Basch, Cairo Salvatierra, Bernie Bernheim, Hugo Labra, and Ron Leff...Some of the Black Belts were Ernie George, Jimmy Muise, George Downs and occasionally, some of the old timers...Man did we rip it up back then!!!

1979

21 March - Promoted to 1st Degree Black, Junior Instructor by Mr. Tatum and Mr. Parker, at a test in the Santa Monica, California Studio...

One night after classes were over, around 9 o'clock, Mr. Parker walked into the Studio and went into the office...Mr. Tatum came out and prompted me to get ready to test for Black Belt...matter-of-factly, on the spot...I didn't have time to be nervous...I warmed up while a couple of my friends set up the chairs...and it happened...I earned Black Belt...Great kicks from Mr. Parker and Mr. Tatum. Afterward, a bunch of us went across the street to the bar and celebrated...I was so elated that night, I couldn't go to sleep until about 5am!!!

1980

Mr. Rainer Schulte, Mr. Parker's then European I.K.K.A. Director from Germany, is a Black Belt who was very influential to me back then...I consider him still a great Kenpoist and a great friend. He sat on the Board for both of my Brown Belt stripe tests and always gave me a great deal of encouragement when we worked out together...

He invited me to help him with some Kenpo Seminars in Europe, so off I went...very proud to be an Ambassador of Kenpo and excited to be going to Europe...The students were so hospitable, hard working and dedicated to Kenpo there, that I stayed 4 months or so, teaching,  and sitting on testing boards to promote some and to verify ranks of others.

Mr. Schulte and I tested  most all of the European/British Kenpoists including Gary Ellis (for Brown), Bob Rose (for approval to wear 1st Black as an honorary degree) and the rest of the group from South Britain, as well as Chris Springer (for Brown) and the 'Willich Ass-Kickers' (as they liked to be called) from Germany along with Roy MacDonald and his group from Jersey, C.I. including Graham Lelliot, William, Davey, Jimmie, and many others.

I almost stayed for good in Germany after finding out that Mr. Schulte had set me up with a teaching position in Dortmund, Germany, but I had to come home due to my mother's illness...

One Saturday after my return to California, Mr. Parker called and said 'Come up'...He asked me about my trip and I reported to him how much the students loved Kenpo and how they needed more material (they had only up through Blue Belt) and that he needed to make the trip himself, soon...that day he took me on as his student and I had my first private with him. I was so honored to become 'First Generation' under Mr. Parker...We started with Short Form 1 and the Yellow Belt Techniques...what a day THAT was...Also at this time I rekindled a relationship with my first Instructor, Mr. Ed Booze, and we opened a studio in Long Beach, California near the Community College... I had a great time teaching at that great little school, and Mr. Booze and I operated a 'protective companion' type of bodyguard service called 'Protection Now'. Mr. Parker helped keep me busy in this capacity, with various jobs thru the years...

1981

21 March - Promoted to 2nd Degree Black, Associate Instructor, by Mr. Parker, at a test in his Pasadena, California Studio...

One morning I received a call from Mr. Vic LeRoux, and he told me he was opening a new Kenpo School in Hawthorne, California, The Karate Connection, and that he wanted me to be his Chief Instructor. I was honored to accept the position with full curriculum development and implementation duties, under the keen eye of the Head Instructor, Mr. Chuck Sullivan...Mr. LeRoux amazed me with his ability to fill the mats with students...within 3 weeks, there were over 50 students!!! I was blown away!!!

The students there were very responsive to my then rather 'aggressive' teaching method, and some became tournament winners in no time...After about 9 months, we had this great promotion ceremony with all the students and their parents attending...Mr. Parker arrived and sat on the Board during the promotions, then called out Mr. Sullivan for 7th, Mr. Quinones for 6th and Mr. LeRoux for 5th...they took their kicks and we were all so happy for them...although, being me, I wondered why I hadn't been kicked up to 3rd and was a little disappointed...Mr. Parker must have seen it in my eyes because later on that night he said, "You didn't get promoted tonight because you are MY student and I'm bringing you up the old way...you will be promoted when I say"...Well, who would argue with him?...I felt much better...

1983

17 November - Promoted to 3rd Degree Black, Head Instructor, by Mr. Parker, at a test in the El Cajon, California Studio...

In El Cajon, California, I accepted a position as School Manager / Head Instructor, with full responsibilities and duties...Mr. Jim Mitchell owned the school, and promised me a chance to buy it...There were many great students at this school, among them Mr. Willy Steele and Mr. Barry Barker, who have remained my friends and two of the most influential Black Belts I've ever met. 

One Saturday we had a Black belt test scheduled for Margaret Colfer and Daniel 'what's his name'...Mr. Parker arrived early and while I was in the office doing bookwork, he went to his car and brought back his Ukulele...He played and we sang Elvis songs for over and hour...Boy could he play that Uke!!! Test time was growing near and as he stood up to go find Mitchell, he said " I'll see you in the test"...I said "but I'm not in the test" and he replied "You're in the test"...I wasn't going to argue...he pulled me from the testing panel up front to warm them up, so I after a few hours of basics, techniques and forms, he sent me out to do Form 6...all went well, and we took a break...then came sparring...Daniel was trying to dominate Margaret and wouldn't let her do much, so Mitchell suggested that I spar with Daniel...I didn't know it, but during the break, Mitchell told Daniel to go hard and to make me look bad...big mistake!!! He got a good hook into my jaw which really hurt and made me realize what he was trying to do, so I set him up, clawed his face, and beat him over into a corner and took him down...he looked up at me with a " I'll get you now " look, and proceeded to rush at me...I downed him with a front kick, and shuffled over to punch his lights out, when Mitchell ran over and grabbed my arm to stop me...I roared " You want some too?" and he backed off...I was MAD!!!

I looked over to Mr. Parker, and saluted apologetically, but he just shrugged his shoulders and said "Hey"...I guess Mitchell's plan to make me look bad had back-fired, so he stopped the sparring, and we all got our kicks...

Later, at dinner, Mr. Parker and I were talking as Daniel walked by and looked at us...Mr. Parker looked at me and I at him and we started laughing hard...Daniel had my claw marks down his face and it really cracked us up!!!

I enjoyed my time managing that school, however, Mr. Mitchell decided to break off from Mr. Parker and start his own association, explaining that "there was no more Ed Parker could teach him"...he also told me he would promote me to 5th Black if I would go with him. I stated that I would be happy to wear his patch on my sleeve but that I  would remain Mr. Parker's student.

He was very upset at this, fired me and pulled a dirty trick on me that, to this day, I will not forgive him for. I left El Cajon that morning, drove straight away to Mr. Parker's house and told him of Mitchell's plan...Mr. Parker became very angry and shortly thereafter, distributed a letter to all his franchised Kenpo Schools banning Mr. Mitchell from the I.K.K.A...

I returned to Lakewood, California to live and continued my lessons with Mr. Parker.

1984

29 September - Promoted to 4th Degree Black, Senior Instructor, by Mr. Parker, at a test in his Pasadena School....

During a lesson one Saturday, Mr. Parker told me there was a test in Pasadena that day and that he wanted me to test for 4th.

Shortly afterward, he asked me to accept an appointment as one of the Southern California Regional Directors of his International Kenpo Karate Association. My duties consisted of visits to various I.K.K.A. Schools to “trouble-shoot” and help solve problems with school management, enrollment, bookkeeping, curriculum development, etc., and to report back to him...What an honor!!!.

1988

5 January - Promoted to 5th Degree Black, Associate Professor, by Mr. Parker.

During one of our lessons at his home, Mr. Parker asked me if I was ready for 5th Black...I responded with "I believe so, but, of course, it's your decision"...he said "Down in your horse" and WHAM!!! it was done...I was so inspired!!!

My private lessons with him continued, and I am proud to say that he shared his expertise with me as my instructor, friend and mentor until his untimely death in 1990.

1990

It was so sad and so difficult accepting that the Ol' Man was gone...and  due to the fact that my own father died when I was 16 causing me to spiral downward emotionally for many years, I could not attend Mr. Parker's funeral...I just couldn't handle it...

I worked out mostly alone, and sometimes visited Kenpo friends who had schools, such as Dave George in Glendale, California, and Ed Booze in Long Beach, California, to work out...and I taught private lessons by appointment only.

1991

I founded American Silver Tiger Kenpo and started teaching a lot once again, at various schools around Southern California...I felt that it was very important for me to pass on the Kenpo I had learned from Mr. Parker...

1994

I was in Pasadena on a computer repair job, and happened by the Pasadena Studio where Nalu, one of Mr. Parker's sons-in-law, was head instructor and we had a great conversation during which I learned that Mr. Herb Steet had a Kenpo school in Hemet, California, near where I was living...I visited Mr. Steet and offered to help him out by teaching three nights a week there...

Classes filled up with many good students, and accepting the position of Chief Instructor at Mr. Steet's School was an opportunity to teach lots of groups and privates again, and develop a great little 12 person Demo Team...

I decided to offer an advanced class, and quite a few guys showed up...soon there were 15 Black Belts and a few Brown Belts in attendance. Among them, Mr. Willy Steele, Mr. Dan Laxson, Mr. Dan Maxwell, Mr. Richard Post,  and one of my students from the old days at the Karate Connection, Mr. Ed Ramos...we banged around pretty good and had some great workouts there...

1996

7 March - Promoted to 6th Degree Black, Professor of the Arts, by Mr. Dave Hebler. .

One night, I was excited to meet Mr. Dave Hebler...We had an 'Old Time' style workout...Man what a blast!!!...After which, he explained that he had moved from Nevada to found the Original American Kenpo Karate Association, and find some good Kenpo Black Belts to assist him...He spent a lot of time with us and eventually said that he found what he was looking for here...he honored me by accepting me as his student, promoting me to 6th Black and asking me, Willy Steele, Danny Laxson and Herb Steet to accept appointments to the positions of National Director for his Original American Kenpo Karate Association...I also volunteered to became Webmaster of his website, OAKKA.com...I was thrilled and honored!!! We've had many good times with Mr. Hebler at Association meetings, functions, tournaments, and on the golf course...He is such a great Sifu...

1998

1 April - Promoted to 7th Degree Black, Senior Professor of the Arts, by Mr. Dave Hebler.

I taught private and group lessons at various OAKKA, and other Kenpo Schools, and offered local Kenpo Seminars, while continuing to fulfill my duties as National Director and Webmaster for Mr. Hebler's OAKKA.

2001

Got tired of the California Desert heat and decided to move to Fort Collins, Colorado where one of my brothers, Phil, lives...I found a few private students to teach and made an effort to connect with some of the local Kenpo Black Belts...I noticed they were teaching a rather 'watered down' version of Mr. Parker's system, turning out sub-par students...so I offered to help 'standardize' their Kenpo curriculum...some were actually rude, and disrespectful...I guess they were afraid I would interfere and in some way try to shake-up their 'status quo'...my intention, however, was to show them how they could offer Ed Parker quality Kenpo at their schools, but to no avail...so I backed off and continued with the few private students I had...

2002

One local Kenpo school owner did ask to train with me, and if I would teach his intermediate classes for him. I agreed with the stipulation that I would see improvement in teaching methods and, consequently, the students' basic fundamentals and overall skill levels...

2004

1 February - Promoted to 8th Degree Black, Grand Associate Master of the Arts, by Mr. Richard Post, Grand Senior Master of the Arts.  .

I phoned Mr. Hebler one night and to my dismay, he said he was disbanding OAKKA and moving to Florida...I understood his reasons for doing so, yet still felt a little sad...I met many fine people at OAKKA functions...

Mr. Richard Post is one of Mr. Joe Dimmik's highest ranking students and as such, a successor of his Sam Pai Kenpo System...Also, Mr. Post is one of the best Kenpoists I've ever met...nothing but reality, nothing but BAD!!!

I am very proud to have been promoted by him, and to call him my friend...

2005

I noticed a growing lack of respect for my position in the local Kenpo school...the students in my intermediate class were the only ones to offer me a salute as I entered the school, and I saw very little improvement in the quality of the head instructor's and his students' skills after having taught there for 3 years...also I didn't agree with his practice of using students with very minimal skills to teach classes that I believed he should be teaching...and I guessed that he was a bit envious of the fact that my intermediate students were moving better than him now...so I decided to leave that school and open my own school, so I could offer the community 'Ed Parker' quality Kenpo...as a side note, he stated that "we would not be friends if I opened a school here"...some nerve, eh?...I just chuckled and left...his loss would be my gain...

2006

With the support of a close group of core students dedicated to developing their Kenpo skills to higher levels, my new location in Loveland, Colorado has the beginnings of a great Kenpo school...and two of the local Recreation Centers accepted my offer to teach Kenpo classes for them, so the American Silver Tiger Kenpo Association is on its way in Colorado, doing business as 'Loveland Kenpo Karate'...

2007

2 February - Promoted to 9th Degree Black, Master of the Arts, by Mr. Frank Trejo Jr.

Mr. Trejo and I have been friends for a long time, and have enjoyed many 'raucous' times (when we were younger, Ha, ha!).

Recently I reminded him of our first meeting...As a Green Belt preparing for the Brown test and working on Short Form 3 left side in the Santa Monica Studio, I was having trouble with one of the transitions. He had happened by, come in, was watching me for a few minutes and, realizing my dilemma, came onto the mat to help...I remember his demeanor was kind and helpful and he cleared up my problem quickly...from then on I vowed to show the same attitude when working with any students I would teach...

Over the years we became good friends, sharing food, drink and laughter, and some close calls that could have turned out, shall I say, possibly not so good for us...our most recent escapades were at the Disneyland Martial Arts Festival, but, since we are both older and wiser, were pretty tame in comparison with the old days...I never told Frank this but I really wanted to be on his Budweiser Fighting Team back in the day...

Anyway, I'm sure we will conjure up some great memories when he visits my school March 31st to promote me formally during a Black Belt test I have scheduled...

I am pleased that Mr. Trejo has acknowledged the over 100,000 hours of mat time I've spent teaching Kenpo during the last 37 years, and I am proud, honored and inspired to be promoted by Mr. Trejo to such an important rank... 

Frank Trejo...what a great Kenpo legend...Love you Frankie...

2008 - 2012

I met Mr. Martin Castro (Cousin of Mr. Ralph Castro, Shaolin Kenpo) some years ago and we've become friends who share ideas freely and are of like mind.

He is gracious enough to share his mat space with me so I can hold classes for the LKKC...

2013

The Club continues to grow at a meager pace...mainly, because I want the Club to remain small, but also because I'm such a picky instructor. Well, hey, this is an old style karate club...the teacher gets mad when the students don't practice enough...so if you're not ready to commit to learning this Art, and not able to give me your best, then go to a 'family fitness karate center' and learn some watered-down form of the ancient Art of Karate, and pretend you can actually use that, to protect yourself and your loved ones...good luck...

2014

The Club moved again with Mr. Castro. It's going ok for now...In October, My good friend Mr. Willy Steele came to visit and sit on the Black Belt Testing Board...Great test...Only one was borderline and I shouldn't have let him test yet...That won't happen again. Oh well, at least he's a good 'average' black belt. Mr. Steele received an Honorary 9th Degree Diploma from the Association, acknowledging his promotion to Master Of The Arts...Bumped up Mr. LaTurno to 7th Degree, Senior Professor Of The Arts, Miss Kelly to 3rd Degree, Head Instructor of The Arts and Miss Bethany to 2nd Degree, Associate Instructor Of The Arts...Great day for the Loveland Kenpo Karate Club...Great party afterward...Heh, heh...

 2015

Moved again...Back to the house...back to good old 'garage karate'...

Bumped up the new blacks to 2nd in November...

2016

Another good year for Kenpo...

 

 

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