Paducah Southeastern Kenpo JuJitsu Association

Professor Orr with our Retired Senior Chief Instructor Sandy Forrest. I 1st technically met Senior Chief Forrest my junior year of College while earning my 1st bachelors degree in Applied mathematics. I was in a Tai Chi class for a PE credit and we split the room for his class since the normal spot for them was taken due to a racquetball tournament. So here I am grasping the birds tail while he, another instructor (I happen to know since he was a cop on 3rd shift and i worked nights at Kroger and knew 1st hand how effective his training was seeing him in action a few times when people caused problems at walmart or The Log cabin etc.) And a Brown belt Student just going to town on each other for a solid 2 hours...
I know that the next fall semester is was taking that class. It came time to register and i don't see it(it wasn't an msu class, it was a club that trained on campus). I also somehow despite seeing Head Instructor. (Retired) White numerous times before that, managed to not see hom again that summer and fall( he had switched to days). I had given up hope and one day the elevators in faculty hall were full so I took the stairs to math class and low and behold I saw a flyer with some very familiar people on it advertising Kenpo on it. I snatched that thing and went to time that night they trained that i had no soccer games to referee. I showed up, made to watch 3 sessions total and joined. That 1st watch i said I have games scheduled the next three weeks but then I'll be back to watch my second class. Senior Chief Forrest was like ok whatever. Three weeks later I was back. Senior Chief was shocked and surprised I came back and he could never get rid of me no matter how hard we trained from then on. The next fall soccer season was my last as all that mattered was SE Kenpo. Training under Senior Chief Forrest was at times grueling as he demanded protection and toughness. But that training did something to me, even to this day i can push myself past limits you wouldn't think I could do by looking at me. One time in the Army there was a Sgt that hated the fact I enlisted and was an E4 since i enlisted with having a bachelors but didn't go Officer( the economy had crashed and it was a long process to commission so I enlisted, and honestly a better fit for me as I was Signal Corps and now work in IT). This Sgt resented that I never was a private, so he assigned me to be an M249 gunner on the day of our semi annual 12 mile Ruck march and said there were no slings(there was and he got in trouble by my Warrant after the March) I carried that heavier weapon 12 miles one armed as my dominate hand was in a hard hand brace and couldn't move or hold anything(that's another long story) Chief Milani and a few other ncos pleaded with me to switch, but I wasn't gonna let the 2 NCOs who colluded(Sgt Green in Armory being one of them) together to do that to me find a way to DQ me and have to do it again. It also came out that due to profile i shouldn't have been on that Ruck, but again certain people lied. In fact on that march every other M249 gunner fell out of the ruck and had to repeat, i was the only one, with no sling carrying it one armed. That Strength came from years of mental fortitude from Training under Senior Chief Forrest.

Three great men I admire. From left to right is Retired Assistant Professor Speth, Newly Promoted Professor Orr, and Retired Professor Brummer. I've known all three for around 20-21 years.

AP Speth i first met as a white belt at this Louisville Dojo at an Instructor/Student clinic Jan 2004 mostly with interactions with request for assistance in setting things up as white belts do. The next clinic that June as a white belt he figured my instructor hasn't run me off yet and drilled me in my 1st basic movement for hours. A harbinger of things to come. Every clinic as a belt belted student he would spend hours tweaking one little thing with me bringing my Kenpo game to new levels.

Professor Orr and I share a great friendship and special bond as fellow Black belts under Senior Chief Forrest. Professor Orr was his second, I was his 6th in Senior Chief Forest's 50 plus years of being an instructor. Professor Orr was promoted to the head of the association to carry us on forward.

Professor Brummer I met as a white belt when the Murray Club drove to Jackson Tennessee to train with the Jackson club on a mutual night we both trained. I was greatly impressed by the size of the dojo on this property and his hospitality. We would train and then share a meal. The Murray Club visited many times back in the day.

I loved my time in the Army but man did i miss my Kenpo family and loved coming back. I was sad I was away when Professor Myers retired and Professor Brummer was made head of the association.