Skip Hancock

History Of Skip Hancock

Skip Hancock is a student of Ed Parker.

Skip Hancock has developed the universal Martial Arts system.

Skip does not believe in saying that he “created” something. To “create” is to make something from nothing. Only God can do that. Each idea, book, guide etc.... is the result of the living, training and consolidating gains from each experience: from the upbringing of his parents, interaction with friends and family, to early study of the Martial Arts, fantastic time with Mr. Parker, Skip's students, other Martial Artists, and a life of incredible experiences.

He is the author of the KENPOSCOPE – the model for studying the system.

He is the author of the Cycle of Considerations – the formula for putting all of your knowledge into action.

He is the author of Mastering Kenpo, The Path to Excellence.

He is the author of Aware.

He is the author of Kenpo Sets #1, The Appendices to Motion.

He is the author of Kenpo Sets #2, The Appendices of Motion.

He is the author of Kenpo Sets #3, The Appendices to Motion.

He is the author of The Manual of Forms.

He is the author of more than 50 Martial Arts videos and audio CDs.

He established December 15th as World Martial Arts Training Day.

He started The Gathering – 2015 will be the 25th annual event.

He was the first professional teacher in America to teach the Martial Arts to children.

He wrote the Manuals with Mr. Parker and the IKKA in the 1980’s.

He wrote the Introductions.

He developed the prerequisites for each belt level.

He wrote the descriptions for the Techniques, Forms, Sets...

He worked with Mr. Parker to develop the Theme of each Technique.

He personally asked and recorded Mr. Parker about why each

Techniques was given its name.

He created the lists of Principles for each move of each Technique.

He worked with Mr. Parker to replace the “extensions” of the

Techniques with “Formulations”.

He helped Mr. Parker write Volumes 4 and 5 of Infinite Insights into Kenpo.

He helped Mr. Parker write Zen of Kenpo.

He is the author of the Kenpo 2000 Guides (Yellow Belt – 5th Degree Black Belt).

He is the creator of the International Instructors Program – a program that guides young people through a 25 year process of learning to teach the Martial Arts.

He developed the idea of learning and training the Art with Verbs only – with no nouns, because only Action is Action.

He and his demo group, The Flames, highlighted the Finals of the 1986 Internationals in Long Beach, California.

He and his demo group, The Flames, were the only Martial Artists asked to perform at The Tribute to Mr. Parker.

He was asked by the Parker family to speak at Mr. Parker's funeral in behalf of all the Martial Artists in the world.

He defined the Principles of Motion and Principles of Self-Defense.

He worked with his student, Shawn Gants and Mr. Parker to develop the Analytical Study of Motion.

He worked with his student, Tyler Hawk, to develop the idea that there are 9 planes in the Universal Pattern.

He worked with his students, Rulon Day, Scott Marker, and Joe Jones to develop 9 Takedowns that we use today.

He worked with his students, Rulon Day, Scott Marker, and Joe Jones to develop the Self-Defense Techniques that we presently use on the ground in fulfillment of Mr. Parker's request in 1988.

He worked with his student, Tony George, to define “Dead Space”.

He worked with his student, Tony George, to develop the “perspectives” of the Universal Pattern.

He introduced Dominance Factors to the Martial Arts world.

He introduced “Decision Trees” to the Martial Arts world.

He developed the Master Key Methods of Execution Set.

He developed Kick Set A, B and C.

He developed Maneuver Set A and B.

He developed the Be Neutral Set.

He introduced the idea to the Martial Arts that the:

Attitude of a Club is Offensive.
Attitude of a Blade is Aggressive.
Attitude of a Gun is Destructive.
He developed 10 Levels of Muscle Response exercises for all parts of the body.

He developed the correct application of Shortening the Circle.

He developed the idea for Martial Artists that they we should operate on Larger Generalized Principles in order to master every specific situation.

He developed the stages of teaching students how to fall, roll and dive.

He developed – Sticky Groups.

He developed with his student, Shawn Gants, the Ten Commandments of Training.

He helped Mr. Parker refine his idea of the Web of Knowledge.

He developed and organized the Principles for the Methods of Execution.

He was given the task by Mr. Parker to list all of the Principles of Self-Defense for each move of each Technique; one that he did and brought the science of Kenpo to a new level.

He developed the “Pyramid of Skills”.

He was the Martial Artists who took Mr. Parker's idea that we should use Master Keys and defined them and put them into everyday application.

He took Mr. Parker's basic idea of Family Related Moves and expanded it into an incredibly useful tool, complimented by his Family Related Moves Chart.

He defined the functions of Martial Arts formalities:

Attitude
Respect
Safety
Sayings of Skip Hancock - While Mr. Parker was alive

For every concept, theory, move or definition there is an opposite and a reverse.

The color of your belt represents nothing more than your ability to listen.

Sayings of Skip Hancock - After the death of Mr. Parker

Be kind, but always have a back-up.

Only Simplicity works under pressure.

Every time you move you will either heal or hurt your body.

Train Hard! Train Regularly! Train Intelligently! And Make No Excuses!

The Ground must be your friend, not your enemy.

Fear is your friend. It is a Warning Signal.

You have an honest right to stop someone from hurting you.

Intention guides Attention.

Only Action is Action.

The Dominant Eye will lead and the rest will follow.

The Dominant Ear listens and the other hears.

The Dominant Leg will always be your Gauging Leg.

The Dominant Arm dominates. The Non-Dominant Arm is your Helper.

One piece of Logic will replace a thousand Basics.

Mastery is a process. It is the process of renewal.

Intention not – In tension.

The real test of how we experience Kenpo is when we are alone.

One Lesson at a time.

The unknown must become known.

I'll be there in a Jiffy.

Techniques are experiences that were given a name.

Safety is acceptable risk.

Discipline yourself so others will not have to discipline you.

There are two types of Discipline: Self-Discipline and Stick Discipline.

How do you spell “pain” - S K I P.

Discipline your body to discipline your mind.

Maturity = Self-discipline x Repetition.

Awareness supersedes will-power.

There are always two opponents in a fight – the one that you are fighting and the unknown.

You must be the first to control Attitude.

You must be the first to control Environment.

You must be the first to control the Dimensional Stages of Action.

You must be the first to control Positions.

Definitions developed by Skip Hancock while Mr Parker was alive

He worked with Mr. Parker to develop the idea and definition of the Dimensional Stages of Action.

He worked with Mr. Parker to define “Movement”. Movement is when an object, and/or its counterpart, and/or its extension travels from one place to another.

He worked with his student, Shawn Gants, and Mr. Parker to expand Mr. Parker's original Equation Formula to include: Adjust and Regulate (non-contact ways to Formulate).

He developed what the Forms teach for: Short Form #3, Long Form #3, Long Form #4, Long Form #5, Long Form #6, and Long Form #7.

He developed with Mr. Parker the analogy of” Dictionaries, Encyclopedias and Appendices.

He worked with Mr. Parker to develop the Three Phase Concept.

He discussed with Mr. Parker and then wrote for Mr. Parker,

“What it means to be an Ed Parker Black Belt.”

After Mr Parker died

Attitude is the arrangement of your body or your opponent's body. It is a mental position or feeling as regards to your Environment, situation, predicament, or your opponent.

Fear is a Warning Signal.

Anxiety is when you believe that you do not have the Skills to cope with a challenge.

Confidence is when someone believes that you have the Skills to cope with a challenge.

Self-Confidence is when you believe that you have the Skills to cope with a challenge.

Hubris is when you have an unwarranted belief that you have the Skills to cope with a challenge.

Worry is your effort to avoid the challenge or to avoid developing the Skill(s) or to avoid developing the Skill(s).

Panic is extreme Anxiety. You are so anxious that you reduce your ability to act or at the extreme you are unable to act.

A Strategy is your master plan to overcome your opponent.

A Tactic is a method you will use to fulfill your Strategy.

Skills are the abilities you will need to make your Tactics work.

Fitness is the qualities that will enhance or limit the performance of your Skills.

There are 3 Skills that you develop:

Basics
Principles of Motion
Principles of Self-Defense
He developed with his student, Shawn Gants, the idea that to Be Neutral is to take care of your concerns by having the proper depth, height and width of your foundation to your opponent.

Master Keys are the most fundamental ideas and movements that unlock all doors to proficiency through Simplicity.

There are 5 Master Keys to Basics: Hammer, Whip, Thrust, Launch and Be Neutral.

There are 3 Master Key Methods of Execution: Hammer, Whip and Thrust.

A Point of Reference is where you place your Weapons so that you will always know when it is time to Hammer, Whip or Thrust.

To Block is to defend in one of four ways: Strike, Parry, Position or Pin.

There are three types of Weapons: Natural Weapons, Man-Made Weapons and Environmental Weapons.

Maneuver is to move your base and/or your body in order to attack or defend.

The Essence Verbs of Maneuvering from which all other ways of maneuvering are Compound Verbs are:

Launch is to thrust your body into action.

Step is to slide a part of your base away from your body.

Drag is to slide a part of your base toward your body.

Pivot is turn to your body and/or parts of your body, using a base as an axis point.

Drop is to lower your Center of Gravity

Rise is to raise your Center of Gravity

Fall is to drop or descend to a surface to avoid or create injury, and or establish an exceptional positioning in order to attack or to defend.

Logic is your ability to determine what is useful, unuseful and useless.

Guard is to position your arms, legs, body and mind in anticipation of an attack.

Anchor is to center your elbows, knees and buttocks.

Margin for Error is to Hammer, Whip, Thrust, Maneuver, and Be Neutral in such a way as to allow for the possibility of a mistake.

The Decision Tree for Margin for Error is:

The Dominant Eye leads and the rest will follow.

The Dominant Leg is always your Gauging Leg.

Control Distance / Anchor your Buttocks.

Targets: Minimize / Get Out of the Line of Attack / Neutralize.

Base: Mobilize, Solidify, or Stabilize.

Anchor your Elbows.

The Dominant Arm Dominates.

The Non-Dominant Arm is your Helper.

He developed the 3 Keys to Successful Training:

Attitude
Regularity
Specifics
He developed the idea of, “Do not be led into undesirable predicaments”.

Check is to block positionally or by pinning.

Cover is to reposition your body in order to:

Control Distance
Get Out of the Line of Attack
Turn and Face a new Direction.
All Basics are created from the fundamental Logic of Form to Function.

Master Keys to the Martial Arts: (and the definitions of these)

The Master Key to Attitude is the Physiological State of Engagement

The 5 Master Key Basics

The Master Key to Logic is the 3 Points of View

The Master Key to Spiritual Fitness is Courage

The Master Key to Emotional Fitness is the ability to Represent in

order to empower yourself.

The Master Key to Mental Fitness is Concentration.

The Master Keys to Physical Fitness are:

Organic Functioning

Muscle Response

Physique

Overall Speed

The 7 types of Physical Speed

He developed the training methods for turning a Disadvantage into and Advantage.

He developed the Stages of Refinement for each Self-Defense Technique.

He created the Self-Defense Technique, Obscure Mace.

He developed “First Form” with his students, Frank Pollara, Art Copple, Stephen Joers, Ingrid Van Munster and Danny Knight.

He developed the idea that you should:

Defend against a Club when your opponent is not clubbing.

Defend against a Blade when your opponent is not knifing.

Defend against a Gun when your opponent is not shooting.

He developed the idea of the “Wedge-Effect”.

He developed the idea of the “Parabolic Effect”.

He developed the idea of “Striking Energy” vs “Pushing Energy”.

He converted Mr. Parker's Freestyle Techniques into Larger Generalized Principles.

He defined each of the Principles of Motion..................................

He developed the idea of tailoring your Art according to your Dominance Factors.

He developed the idea of learning how to Manipulate through Larger Generalized Principles: (vs naming Basics)

Lock the Arm Long
Lock the Arm Short
Lock the Head
Lock the Leg
Lock the Wrist
Lock the Fingers
Sweep
Takedown
Buckle
Choke
He developed the training idea of using the Forms and Sets to refine your Principles of Motion.

He defined Mastery as the process of renewal.

Self-Discipline is paying attention to yourself. You are the teacher. You are the coach. You are the trainer. And you are the disciplinarian.

For the Martial Arts he defined: Concept, Principle and Theory.

He renewed Long Form #7 to match the Attitude of a Club.

He developed what The Forms teach for: Long Form #7.

He created a systematic method to develop styles for individual students.

He defined Body Mechanics.

He defined Mechanic of Movement.

He defined Engineer of Movement.

He wrote the following articles:

The Sixteen Year Old Black Belt

Kenpo and Tournaments

Cultural Hindrances to Self-defense

Instinct vs. Intuition

Effects of Hand Dominance on the Martial Arts

Realistic vs. Practical

Where Do You Look?

Anxiety vs. Fear