The history of how this Manual of the Lost Techniques was developed is an interesting one. For those who know my other writings on Kenpo topics will know that I normally do not give much personal details or ‘name-drop’. However, the people involved with the background of this material are very notable. It is hopeful that practitioners of Kenpo from the 1960s and 1970s will experience nostalgia, and the new practitioners of our art will get inspired from how we trained in the developmental days of Kenpo in America.

Part 1 – The Golden Age of the Martial Arts – 1974 to 1980

In 1974, I had searched for a martial arts school to study at, after watching the new series, Kung Fu, on television. Two schools were nearby where I lived – a Tracy’s Kenpo Studio and a Tae Kwon Do school. I had no idea which location would be better, but I reasoned the name “Tracy’s” sounded friendly, and maybe a place to meet girls. (At 13 years old, that was important to me.) The Tracy’s Studio was better than I had expected; self-defense material was very effective, the teachers were very competent, there was a great sense of camaraderie - and within a year I had a girlfriend.

There were two Tracy’s Studios in Louisville, KY owned by Gary Avery and Jim Stewart. Gary was a shodan (1st black) and Jim was a sandan (3rd black) at that time. All of the other instructors at the studios were blue, green or brown belts. No one ever questioned the knowledge or authority of the lower belt instructors. They all were very adept, tough fighters and knowledgeable. My first instructor, Roger Lee was a green belt when I first met him. We were all very proud when he received his brown belt promotion. He was finally promoted to Black Belt just before the studios went out of business in the summer of 1979. It is very difficult to explain to the new generation of kenpoists how it was to study under a non-black belt. Today, most kenpoists expect high-ranking black belt instructors and demand pedigree papers. However, the level of maturity and devoted training that existed in the 1970s produced instructors at the blue belt level that would easily rival black belt instructors today.

Part of the Tracy’s Kenpo Studio Method was for each student to get a 30 minute private lesson each week. I took notes after each lesson over the material that was taught to me. Back then we did not have videotapes, books, or even copy machines. So, in order for me to ‘get my money’s worth’, I took notes, and trained constantly. My method of training new material was to train slowly the first day, perfecting each move. Then each day thereafter, I would increase the speed of the techniques and forms until they were ‘full-speed’; ready for review during my next lesson on the following week. Because of this, my instructors did not have to spend much time reviewing and correcting my form; and therefore, I retained more information, and they could teach me the finer details. Even still, with the hard work that I put into my individual home training, my instructor did not allow me to get into group classes for 3 months. Group classes were where the students of all belt ranks would train their basic skills, interactive timing drills, bag work, physical fitness and some limited sparring. The actual sparring class was by invitation, and only after they had completed an Introductory Sparring Course developed by the then, current World Champion Karate Heavyweight, Joe Lewis. Normally, this would be when the student had already achieved Orange Belt and had begun Purple Belt material.

Sparring class was on Thursday nights. It was often referred to as “Animal Night” because only the toughest would participate. Back then we did not have foam sparring pads (unless there was a visible injury that needed to be covered). Contact was heavy to the body, and light to the face – but contact was inevitable. As a result was, our fighters were tough. We could take a punch and give it out. Occasionally, a challenge would come from other martial arts competitor schools within our region. They would be invited in for class. Although there were some tough fights, no one ever beat our top guys. Jim Stewart, Gary Avery, Tracy Schiller, or Paul Bryant would always clean house. Afterward, the challenger would either never come back, or they would join our school so that they could be trained like us. The Tracy’s Studio in Louisville had, and maintained a high reputation for ability, knowledge and camaraderie. As a result, our school attracted many other martial artists seeking to train hard.

Taped on the walls of the studio were the belt requirement sheets for the belts of orange, purple, blue, green and 3rd degree brown belt. Back then there wasn’t a yellow belt and no one had attained the rank above 3rd brown. These sheets listed the names of the techniques, forms and kicks required for each belt. There were always 30 techniques, at least two forms and ten kicks in each belt. The sheets stayed at the school, so note taking was the only way that you could ensure that you would remember the names. After about two years, they actually started giving out copies to the students. So, when I hear kenpoists today complaining how hard it is for them to remember the technique names, I have little sympathy for them. If you are motivated to become skilled, you will study hard.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Tracy Kenpo Studios were recruiting for studio owners, it was not required that they black belts in Kenpo. Instructors were chosen from talented blue belts and above. In fact, in a private lesson that I had with Huk Planas, he told me that he was first a blue belt in the Tracy System before he had begun to study under Ed Parker. Huk had even attended a recruitment meeting with Al Tracy to learn about operating a Tracy’s Studio. The studio owners of the Louisville locations were black belts in a little known Korean style called Kang Duk Won, where they studied in San Jose under a man named Bob Babich. When Tracy’s recruited instructors who wished to run a full-time franchise school, Gary Avery, Jim Stewart and Roger Greene lived in San Jose, where the Tracy’s main powerhouse began. Gary and Jim were very talented in martial arts and produced a new powerhouse for Tracy’s Kenpo in Louisville, KY. In fact, if you were to ask Al Tracy which of his 278 franchise locations were his best, he would put Louisville, KY in his top 5. Our school dominated open martial tournaments and produced regional champions, including Paul Bryant, who should have easily become a national champion had the studios been able to promote him through the national tournament circuits.

Normally, I would attend classes each night. When the weather was good I would ride my bicycle to the school and remain until the studio was closed. In the summer, I would arrive in the morning when the instructors did, and go home for lunch and dinner. It was during the down times that I would get ‘extra lessons’ with different instructors when they wanted to do bag work, sparring, etc. Because I was there constantly, and I have a photographic memory, I would eventually be able to recite lessons to other students. Gary was quick to pick up on my memory ability (his pet name for me was ‘computer-brain’); so he would often use me as an assistant to fall back on in case he had to answer the phone, or run an errand. Because I could teach word-for-word what he would say, he had confidence that his students would not be disappointed. Also, as a result of being a gym rat, I got into great physical shape, and my technical ability became highly tuned.

Between 1974 and 1976 I had different instructors, who would impart the best of what they had. Roger Lee taught with clarity and showed how to develop good basics, form, and power. Tony Green taught specialized classes in Judo, to which eventually I was promoted to shodan. Hank Childers introduced me to sparring. Hank had an uncanny ability to slip punches and kicks. He could literally fight with his hands behind his back, and yet not get hit. Hank became a stunt double in many Hollywood films and double for Chuck Norris. Hank even looked like Chuck Norris.

Tracy Schiller became my mental image of perfect form. Tracy became my Purple Belt and 3rd Degree Brown Belt instructor, and life-long mentor. I often utilized visualization techniques to perfect my form when I was not physically training. Tracy Schiller’s technique was so perfect, I would visualize how he would do the technique, and then I would try to outdo it. Tracy was not a big man. He was about 5’7” – 135 lbs; but all of the others instructors gave him great respect for the power and speed that he could generate. His canted sidekick was so powerful; he would rip a bag in half after a few kicks. Eventually, Jim Stewart had a leather bag custom-made to prevent him from breaking it. He never split the leather bag, but he did pop some of the seams. What was his secret? The answer to this should give you a good idea how training in the 1970s was in general. Each day Tracy would come in and I would witness him do his ‘200s’. He would do 200 push-ups, 200 leg lefts, 200 sit-ups (inclined), and then 200 of each of his basic kicks (front, side, back, heel hook, and wheel kicks) on the bag with each foot. Then he would teach or train. Everyone loved Tracy. He looked like a double for the master illusionist, Doug Henning, and his personality was magic. I still know Tracy Schiller well, and everyone still speaks highly of his integrity, humor, and sincerity. I was really disappointed in 1977 when he left teaching Kenpo to become a police officer. But, eventually I would end up on the same police force, teaching the police defensive tactics with him, and serving under his command.

By 1976 I had become a 3rd degree brown belt. There was no more belt material known to teach me. Gary Avery went back to Seattle and learned 2nd brown material from Al Tracy. I also learned this material very quickly and was promoted to 2nd brown in 1977. Gary handed me three printed manuals with no covers indicating which belts they were from. But they contained descriptions of new self-defense techniques, and I was eager to learn. He said that they were descriptions of self-defense techniques from Al Tracy’s 3”x5” index cards. Since copy machines were expensive ($.25 a copy), I learned to type on a typewriter while I copied these manuals by hand. Gary could not make sense of them. They had notations like CW, CCW, 12:00, 4:30, S1, S2, etc. While I was re-typing them, I began to understand the code. It was at this time that my younger brother, Eric, would be introduced to Kenpo. I would use him as a practice dummy to learn how to apply the new technique movements. So at seven years old, Eric began to learn the basics of what would become a life-long pursuit of martial arts perfection.

For the next year I taught these techniques to Gary, so that I could be tested. He planned a trip to spend the summer with Al Tracy to fine-ture these techniques. I couldn’t go on a trip like that as a 16 year old; but, when Gary returned, he had been promoted to Sandan (3rd black). I was promoted to 1st degree brown belt. The material that I had figured out from the cryptic descriptions was for 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree black belts. Back then; you had to be 18 years old to become a black belt. I had to keep training for the next two years before I could be promoted to shodan.

Over the next two years, Gary would have another instructor, Ken Foster, to travel from one of Jim Stewart’s Indianapolis schools to teach me the advanced Kenpo forms. He taught Long 3, Long 4, Finger Set, Kicking Set, Little Tiger, Tam Tui and Chong Won (a white crane set). During this time Gary would also teach me some of the secrets of karate breaking techniques and internal aspects; such as chi projection, and mind control techniques. (These secrets will be taught in the Elite-Fighters Seminar Series #4).

In June 1979, I was promoted to shodan, the first to be promoted by actually learning the material in the Louisville Tracy’s powerhouse. It was debated if they should promote a female, however, in the same month; Ruth Wise was the first female Tracy’s shodan that was promoted.

The summer of 1979 also was the time that the Tracy’s Studios of Louisville would close the doors due to economic downfalls.

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