The Terrible Origins of Ed Parker

There are a bunch of less than honorable stories in thethe English language department, spent his days writing
martial arts. There is one I heard about Kenpo Karatethe book and teaching Ed and some of his students
and Ed Parker is one of the worst I have ever heardhis art. Jimmy looked at a rough translation of the book
however. Perhaps, if anybody knows the truth orthat Ed was planning on submitting to a publisher, and
falsity of this tale, they could inform me.he couldn’t find his own name mentioned at all.
Ed Parker is credited with teaching many stars,Even though he was partners with Ed Parker, Jimmy
including Elvis, putting on the biggest tournament in thewas doing all the work, so he was surprised at this
world for years, the Internationals, being the founder offact.
modern Kenpo, and all manner of other deeds. He hasHe is supposed to have asked, why his name was not
had many students, and his abilities are well known. Inon the book. Ed Parker asked if they could take a
the beginning; however, when he first started teaching,drive, he had an errand to run, but he would explain on
he was only a brown belt.the way. Ed Parker drove Jimmy into Hollywood, but
Shotokan karate was the art he was teaching in thosedidn’t say anything about the book. Ed Parker let
early days, and this is illustrated in one of his earliestJimmy out of the car on Hollywood Boulevard and
books. Apparently he ran out of material to teach hisdrove away.
students, and his students wanted more, so heJimmy then stood on the street corner with only the
returned to Hawaii and asked his instructor to teachclothes on his back and a single quarter to his name.
him more. Unfortunately his instructor refused to do so.With that last twent-five cents he went to a pay
Ed Parker was teaching without permission and hisphone and called one of the students he had been
instructor took exception.teaching.  In broken English, terribly confused, he told
Ed Parker then ran into a fellow named Jimmy Wu,the student that he didn’t know where he was, but
who had mastered gung fu, but who couldn’tEd  Parker had driven off and left him.
speak but a smidgeon of English. Ed Parker tookHe had been writing and teaching, and creating a
Jimmy home and put him up  while Jimmy createdwhole system for Ed Parker, and he had been
the actual art of Kenpo. Ed Parker suddenly had allbetrayed by him. The question I have is, is there any
sorts of stuff to teach his students.truth in this story? If anybody has the true story on it, I
During this time, Ed Parker asked Jimmy to co-authorsure would like to know.
a book on Kenpo, and Jimmy, while still being lacking in