Instructor: William Paki

(First Degree Black Belt N.K.K.S.D.)(October 2008) (Member L.T.K.K.A and N.Z.K.K.A)

Pepeha:

I am a local from Northland and was born and raised in Whangarei and from as far as I can remember I have had an interest in Martial Arts. I come from a very large family; descendants from Waikato who from stories passed down through my own whakapapa have been involved in a long list of servants in the Armed Forces. My father Kiri Paki was a world war veteran being a member of the 28th Maori Battalion and my brother and namesake William Paki Senior was a member of the well respected Royal New Zealand Special Air Services. I grew up following in their footsteps and joined the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment based in Burnham Military Camp in Christchurch in 1997.

Whilst serving in the Army I learn’t a form of self defence in ‘close quarter combat.’ This training was placed around disabling the enemy keeping with army speak in a life threatening situation. As with soldiers there was no less than 100% effort put in and it was strike or be struck and there was often blood spilt amongst those in combat. The Army taught me great respect with the highest of ethics and values combined with strong personal discipline. All the qualities I strive to keep in my role as a Kenpo Instructor. I enjoyed my time in the Army but in 2001 I joined the New Zealand Police and commenced training at the Royal New Zealand Police College where I began another self defense element conducting myself in defensive tactics.

This path of my career took me to a different mindset from my army days in that everything revolved around using least resistance to overcome a confrontational and assaultive offender whilst being able to stand the tests of lawfulness and scrutiny of both the public and by my employers internally. I think after being involved with my current profession I am in a position to comment from my operational experiences to our students actively training in Kenpo about reasonableness in self defence.

In 2002 I started training privately with Master Instructor Ron Mason a 5th Degree Black Belt from Kempo Bushido Ryu. I learn’t very quickly from training with such an enthusiastic teacher with more than two decades of knowledge in Martial Arts behind him that anyone of any age, body type could do Martial Arts and his enthusiasm definitely rubbed off. The words ‘Persistence’, ‘Committed’ and ‘Leader’ are traits that sum Mr. Mason up best. The personal achievements by Mr. Mason and his family have been outstanding to date. During my training with Mr. Mason not only did he establish my base in Martial Arts but he was able to share with me and train me in an area not too familiar with those who he regularly was involved with in the Robert Gemmell Martial Arts School based in Dargaville. Mr. Mason was able to share his knowledge in regard to his Jujitsu training with me passed onto him by his late Grandfather which I consider myself lucky to have been given this opportunity.

As I progressed through my training privately with Mr. Mason we often had discussions about the late Senior Grandmaster Edmund Parker and the American Kenpo system. Mr. Mason’s already had a vast knowledge in Martial Arts and it motivated me to find out more about American Kenpo.

Mr. Mason started his own self defense school based in Dargaville. I eagerly jumped onboard and I began my journey into American Kenpo. I was about to get a real taste of American Kenpo and quickly emptied my cup and readily took on the Edmund Parker system and as such have followed the syllabus of his senior student 10th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster Larry Tatum. It quickly became apparent to me how physical American Kenpo was and its practical commonsense approach to self defense. I found the dynamic circles in Mr. Parker’s system a pleasure to do. I have too many favourite techniques to name and I was very excited to have learn’t Mr. Parker’s signature kata ‘Long Form: Four’ and his oldest kata ‘The Two Man Form.

In 2007 I was approached by Mr. Mason to take a leadership role within his school and after spending many hours, and ongoing consecutive days of the week basically living at the Mason household, luckily with my family’s support I had the opportunity to test for my First Degree Black Belt in October 2008. I was actually told this date early on by Mr. Mason and as he puts it if you are told a date that’s it game on and start stepping up. After a grueling 22 months of intensive training 6 to 7 days a week I had been given the added pressure of testing not only in front of my instructor but also fellow friends of Mr. Mason’s long serving American Kenpoists current 6th Degree Black Belt Mr. Shane Rongonui and 5th Degree Black Belt Mr. Grant Morrison from Wellington.

I met Mr. Rongonui and Mr. Morrison through them having a similar background to Mr. Mason. Their New Zealand Kenpo Karate Association based in Wellington is a very successful and established Martial Arts School (N.Z.K.K.A). In October 2008 after 2 days of being put my paces literally and after complete exhaustion I was successfully awarded my First Degree Black Belt with Mr. Mason, Rongonui and Morrison signing my Black Belt Certificate along with providing me with a ceremonial kick to say thanks for coming and a passing comment that having reached this mountain there were several others waiting around the corner.

In 2007 Mr. Mason contacted Grandmaster Larry Tatum (L.T.K.K.A) and developed a working relationship where in 2008 our school became the second official charter member school in New Zealand. Mr. Mason and his wife Gail would later go on in 2009 and train directly with Grandmaster Tatum in America. Mr. Mason was put through his paces and attained his ‘Associate Professors’ 5th Degree Black Belt establishing our schools standing not just in New Zealand but globally.

Being involved in Kenpo has allowed me to meet so many people and interact in such a positive way in my role as an Instructor at our Kenpo School. I have been fortunate to associate with other instructors of integrity such as Mr Mason, Rongonui and Morrison. In 2008 I had the opportunity to train with Senior Professor Graham Lelliott of America. This opportunity was brought around only through Mr. Mason’s commitment to fully immerse our school in the heart and soul of Parker Kenpo with Mr. Lelliott having the designation of being classed as one of the late Senior Grandmaster Parker’s first generation Black Belts. I feel all our students enjoyed Mr. Lelliott’s classes he gave at both our Whangarei and Dargaville branches. It really was a pleasure to train with Mr. Lelliott and one I will put permanently into the memory banks.

In summary I feel Kenpo has brought around a new found confidence in me and now that my immediate family are directly involved in our school I see the confidence it installs in me I see in them on a regular basis whilst training. In March 2009 my wife Karen was recently awarded her orange belt in the system and my daughter Sharneece was successful in being awarded her Junior Blue Belt in October 2008. Being a family man myself Kenpo enables parents to participate with their children as a family where as main stream contact sports I was formerly involved in such as rugby, and rugby league do not always allow this to happen because of father time catching up with us. I have found that being involved in Mr. Mason’s school it has broadened my connections within the government sector that feature prominently throughout our school. I have made many new friendships amongst our school especially with the core group of senior students.

My short term goals include testing for my Second Degree Black Belt in October 2010 and to travel abroad to undergo training with Grandmaster Larry Tatum. My long term goals involve helping my very good friend and teacher Mr. Mason in an effort to assist him in the running of the school whilst continuing making our school a leading authority in teaching Parker Kenpo. Mr. Mason is big on attention to detail and staunch on our students staying true to how Grandmaster Tatum puts this amazing syllabus across.

Whakatauki: (Maori Proverb):