Frequently asked questions

Is Kenpo effective for self defense?

Short answer: Yes. 

Better answer: Yes, if you study its principles rather than just learning its choreography. Like any other martial art or self-defense system, Kenpo is only as good as you train it. Understanding how to fight well, how to defense yourself, and how to apply specific techniques or concepts in live combat exchanges requires "pressure testing" your techniques: meaning you need to challenge your Kenpo and yourself by using it against resisting, non-compliant partners who are trying to hit you back. At WTKK, we try to balance the teaching of Kenpo techniques, forms, and sets with application of those skills in regular sparring and drills. In short, effective kenpo is effective; ineffective kenpo is not.

WHAT DO YOU TEACH AT YOUR SCHOOL?

At White Tiger Kenpo Karate, we teach "Kenpo Karate"--what we call our American Kenpo, which blends Ed Parker's teachings and curriculum with other styles of karate and traditional martial arts. We offer regular classes on 

• Kenpo at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level; 

• Chiryoku Rikiji karate, a form of karate focusing on sparring that was developed here in the Northern Utah area; 

• Tae Kwon Do forms, primarily the Kuk-Mu forms of Chung Do Kwan and many of the kicking techniques of Korean martial arts;

• Sparring classes at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced level;

• Community classes, including self-defense and women's self-defense courses;

• Seminars on advanced topics in kenpo and martial arts;

• and weapons training--primarily escrima sticks, Kenpo and traditional staff (bo), knives, nunchaku, and the bamboo or steel hand fan.

For specific information on our style and Kenpo lineage, visit our About Us page. 

I'm interested in checking out your classes. What next?

We encourage everyone interesting in training with us to come in for a free class! We are martial artists, not salespeople: you are welcome to stop in and check out our classes without any additional commitments or expectations. If you like what you see and experience, we'd love to train with you!

what is tuition like?

We offer competitive membership-style tuition: For a monthly rate, you are invited to attend as many classes each week as you are interested in. We encourage you to attend class twice per week, but we won't charge you extra for coming in on additional days, and we have many students who train 4+ days per week! Contact us for specific pricing options, and check out our schedule to see what we are currently offering. 

If tuition or finances are a concern, talk with us; we'd love to work something out. 

DO STUDENTS SIGN CONTRACTS AT YOUR SCHOOL?

Absolutely not. Tuition is paid monthly, on a month-to-month basis with no additional commitments. We'd rather you continue to train with us for the quality training we offer--not because you're contractually obligated.

WHAT IS YOUR BELT SYSTEM LIKE?

Our belt system aligns closely with standard American Kenpo ranking systems. There are 10 different-colored belts a student earns in order to become a black belt:

• WHITE BELT 

• YELLOW BELT

• ORANGE BELT

• PURPLE BELT

• BLUE BELT

• GREEN BELT

• 3RD-CLASS BROWN BELT (which we indicate with a half-green, half-brown belt sarcastically termed the "Andy's mint belt")

• 2ND-CLASS BROWN BELT (which we indicate with a fully brown belt)

• 1ST-CLASS BROWN BELT (which we indicate with a half-brown, half-black belt)

• 1ST-DEGREE BLACK BELT (a black belt, or "shodan" rank, with a single red tab on each end)

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EARN A BLACK BELT?

That depends entirely on the student, their skills, and how often they choose to train and practice. A rough estimate would be for the typical student to study somewhere between 5-8 years to earn their black belt. Some people with previous training or athletic experience may be able to progress more quickly through the curriculum. 

Having said that, note that we do not encourage students to fixate on their belt color or rank. Rather, focus on developing good, solid martial arts. In our experience, students who fixate on rank and belt color are rarely as good as those who focus on pressure testing their techniques, developing their form, and competing at their current level in tournaments. If you are looking for a quick black belt, we may not be the school for you.

DO YOU DO "JUNIOR BELTS" FOR YOUTH PARTICIPANTS?

Students under age 16 can expect to earn "junior belts," which at our school are standard kenpo karate belts but with a single white tab on each end. At age 16, the student is encouraged to test to have their white tab removed, after which they will transition into the full curriculum and adult ranking. The white tab and "junior" designation on youth belt certificates are solely for safety purposes. 

If a child earns a junior black belt and is not yet 16, they are welcome and encouraged to begin testing for adult ranks. If a student has the demonstrable skill and knowledge of martial arts principles and techniques, we will not withhold rank from them just because of their age. But in order for a child to earn shodan (first-degree black belt) rank, they must complete the junior curriculum first. 

HOW OLD SHOULD MY CHILD BE TO START CLASSES?

We take students ages 5 and older. Check our schedule for classes offered to kids aged 5-8. 

IF i train with your school, am i allowed to cross train elsewhere? 

We're traditional, but we're not THAT traditional. You are welcomed and encouraged to cross train at other schools or in other styles or systems. At White Tiger Kenpo Karate, we believe in the value of interdisciplinary study: most of our instructors have extensive training in multiple styles or arts, and we welcome collaboration and new ideas.

I HAVE a belt in another martial art. should I wear a white belt to your class?

Please don't. While we understand the reasons many Kenpo or karate schools would make you put a white belt back on, we feel strongly that such practices close off potential knowledge and discourage students skilled in other martial arts from sharing their ideas. Feel free to wear whatever belt you have from your current martial art. We also encourage you to wear your current martial art uniform. We only ask that you refrain from sharing your own ideas or interpretations of self-defense or martial arts techniques when an instructor is teaching a class. Our students are learning kenpo, and we want to reduce confusion in the classroom. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to share your knowledge and ideas, just under direction of one of our class instructors. 

I HAVE a belt in another martial art. What happens when i am ready to test for yellow belt in kenpo?

If you have a belt in another martial art, you can expect two things to happen when you are ready to test for your first kenpo belt. First, we will encourage you to switch your current martial arts uniform out for a black kenpo gi with our school patches. Second, we will provide you with a new belt IN THE COLOR YOU CURRENTLY WEAR. That belt will have a yellow tab on the end, signifying your yellow-belt rank in kenpo. The tab will change color with each Kenpo belt you earn until your rank in Kenpo surpasses the rank in in your other martial art, when you will be given a full kenpo belt. We do this to acknowledge your hard-earned rank in your other martial art while avoiding confusion in the dojo.