Jenni Mills of the British Kenpo Karate Union. We are very excited to share her journey below.
I began my Kenpo journey in February 1981 in the City of Exeter, UK, when my boyfriend Kevin, (who I subsequently married) saw an advert in our local Newspaper for American Kenpo Karate Classes. Kevin had always wanted to try Martial Arts (we were both avid Bruce Lee fans), and so, me being me, said “let’s do it!” and the rest, as they say, is history, which I shall try and remember as its been some time!
My original instructor in 1981 was the late GM Bob Rose, who at that time ran and was the Head and Founder of the British Kenpo Karate Union “BKKU”.
He was a very talented, disciplined Martial Artist and training was hard. He remained my instructor until he left the organisation in 2007 when my husband, Kevin Mills, took over this role and became my Instructor and remains so to this day.
Training was hard back in the ‘80s, there were so many people training in Kenpo, the majority of them males, which did not faze me at all as it certainly tests your ability, and has continued to be the case over the past 40 years of training J
Not long after I started my training, I entered my first National Kenpo Competition “The Nationals”, as a white belt in Plymouth in the South West of England. I had a natural tendency to fight when I was hit and a bit of a fiery temperament and although my knowledge of Kenpo and basics were limited at this time, much to mine and everyone else’s surprise, I managed to win the ladies freestyle event, beating a green belt in the finals using just the strong basics I knew and pure mental attitude.
Female entrants were very few and far between at that time as it was still a very much male dominated environment. I continued to be successful in entering “The Nationals” over the next few years until I eventually stopped competing.
My daughter was born in 1985 and I opened my first club in a small Village outside of Exeter in 1987, the same year my husband took his 1st Degree Black Belt under his Instructor GM Bob Rose. My son came along in 1989 and I then took several years break from teaching and training to concentrate on raising my young family, but I was always involved with the BKKU as my husband continued his training.
I finally returned to training and after working hard to revisit the syllabi up to my then current grade of 1st Kyu Brown Belt, I started working towards my Black Belt a “Shodan Ho” grade that had been brought in during my absence) and after achieving this, I then went on over the following two years to train solidly towards my 1st Degree Black belt, which I finally achieved in 2000. That grade had been a very long time coming for me and it was a very poignant and emotional day.
The same year as gaining my 1st Degree Black Belt, I travelled for the first time to the USA with two of my Kenpo girlfriends; this was our first Kenpo girls’ trip J
We flew into Los Angeles and stayed in Pasadena and trained in GM Larry Tatum’s Green Street studio. As well as training class during the daytimes, I remember a very fast and energetic technique line up in the Wednesday Night Senior Class, everyone was shouting, clapping and hitting each other, it was an incredible buzz and a very different atmosphere to our UK training which was hard but without the sound effects! The line up was awesome and I got to showcase my newly acquired 1st Degree skills
At the same time I was in Pasadena, my husband, Associate Master Kevin Mills, was in Jersey at the IKKA International Championships where he met Mrs Parker and Ed Parker Jr. Unbeknown to me Kevin had told Ed that I was at that very same time in Pasadena, his hometown, and upon his return he contacted the hotel and left an answer phone message on my hotel room phone. You can imagine my utter disbelief at picking up the answer machine to hear Ed Parker Jr. on the voicemail!
Needless to say we hooked up and Ed took my girlfriends and myself to the Parker family home where we were introduced to Mrs Parker. After spending a lovely couple of hours there, we jumped in her car and she took us to the Parker Studio. Precious memories, never to be forgotten, and although we seldom get to see him these days, Ed has remained a very dear friend to us both over the years, has attended our Summer Camp on numerous occasions and spent many happy hours of quality time with us at our family home.
Sadly, I never had an opportunity to meet the founder of our Art, the late SGM Ed Parker, although my husband did when he visited the UK and did a Seminar in our hometown of Exeter during the mid 80’s.
Over the years I have attended, officiated and taken Seminars at several IKKA Championships including Madrid 2002, Boston 2003, Holland, 2012, Jersey 2016, and Ireland. I’ve attended numerous training events and weekends such as Sean Kelly’s awesome Florida Kenpo Camp in 2009, where I was introduced to GM Mike Pick, and where it was an honour to meet Bill “Superfoot” Wallace, the late great Joe Lewis and the legendary Ranger, Gary O’Neal.
I attended LTKKA Camps in Las Vegas in 2005 and 2007 (combining those trips with training in SL4 Kenpo in downtown LA at Dr Ron Chapel’s studio) as well as the LTKKA International Kenpo Championships in Ireland in 2010, to name but a few. So many years, so many events to remember!
I spent a couple of years training in AMOK with Tom Sotis both in Madrid (2002) and then here in the UK and later spent some time with the awesome Kelee Arrowsmith from South Africa when she was a Guest Instructor at our 2014 Summer Camp here in the UK. Blade work has always peaked my interest and has become a passion and specialist area of mine that continues to this day.
I am truly grateful to have met and trained with so many wonderful people and Instructors in both Kenpo and Combatives, some of who have remained firm friends.
I organised and ran the BKKU’s International Summer Camp here in the UK for nearly 20 years and brought many renowned Kenpo and Combative Instructors in from around the world to teach. It was the most looked forward to event on the Calendar and built up a reputation as being “the” Camp to attend here in the UK and attracted students worldwide but, like all good things, it eventually ran it’s course and came to a close. Will I every start up another one…….. never say never
Today I run the BKKU, alongside my husband, Associate Master Kevin Mills, and head up the junior arm of our organisation, The Success4Life Junior Black Belt School.
I devote my time to running two clubs and teaching classes to adults and juniors and keeping my own training on course and current in between.
Grades have never been one of my personal driving forces and over the years I have to admit, I have actively resisted grading, being far too busy giving back to the Art by teaching and progressing others. I currently wear a 4th Degree, which I achieved in 2010. Having said that, it is probably time for me to take that 5th at some point in the not too distant future.
Both of my (now grown) children, also trained the art of Kenpo during their early years and came with us when we travelled, competing successfully in competitions, which I firmly believe helped them with their confidence and life skills.
Kenpo has been a part of my life for so long now, it’s just what I do and I can’t imagine a life without Kenpo in it!
Today, I have 3 grandchildren, who all train Kenpo under the junior training arm of the BKKU, The Success4Life Junior Black Belt School, with another grandchild on the way whose Gi is waiting J. The children are the future of the art and it is my privilege to pass on my knowledge and experience to them.
Finally thank you very much for this opportunity to be part of the Kenpo woman’s symposium, I am truly honoured.