Ed Parker's Family Tree

Last Revised 1982

The Ed Parker American Kenpo Family Tree is not the first in the Kenpo Black Belt lineage, but it is the first lineage that is readily available. In the future, the tree will be pruned and become a branch of the much larger family tree. The Parker Black Belts are derived from Ed Parker's 1982 & Infinite Insights into Kenpo, 1 Mental Stimulation, & The list was already outdated when published, and some names are misspelled.

Aaron, Steve Adams, Brian Allen, Mike Arnell, Terry Autry, Jack
Beckinger, Richard Beeder, Charles Sr. Bleeker, Tom Booze, Ed Brewster, Fred
Cardinas, Dave Carthew, Richard Castaneda, Rudy Castellanos, Ralph Castro, Ralph
Chapel, Ron Cholewinski, Stan Cineceros, David Clapp, Judy Clapp, Jim
Clary, Harvey Collier, Wayne Conatser, Dennis Connor, Tom Conti, Phil
Conti, Lincoln Conway, John Sr. Conway, John Jr. Cook, Robert Coots, Lonny
Cornejo, Albert Crenshaw, Miles Dalton, Paul Demeke, Jim Dimmick, Joe
Downs, George Dunne, Tom Eisele, Bob Elkins, Larry English, Jeff
Estrada, Sam Farr, Jack Feinman, Russ Flores, Refugio Flores, Jesus
Flores, Rick Fox, Steve Furuya, Jim "Yosh" Garriga, Tom Gemmell, Robert
Gioia, Robert Golden, Steve Gonzales, Dave Gow, Tom Grunwald, Jim
Hancock, Skip Harris, Melvin Hartsell, Larry Hebler, David Herring, Steve
Hibben, Gil Holleman, Vern Howard, Tom Hutchings, Harry Ibrao, James
Inosanto, Danny Inouye, Arnie Kelly, Tom Krivonak, Chris La Tourrette, John
La Bounty, Steve Laxon, Dan Leichtman, Jerry Liles, Robert Loring, Scott
MacDonald, Roy Margeson, Randy Mau, Leonard McCoy, Craig McLeod, Doug
McSweeney, John Meadows, Roger Meyers, Jerry Mitchell, Robert Mitchell, Jim
Montanez, Jorge Montgomery, Rich Mulrine, Frank Nall, Calvin Nehdar, Ray
Nishita, Roy Oiler, Jack Palanzo, Joe Pattiz, Norm Peacock, Sterling
Pegelow, George Perry, Robert Petit, Arturo Pick, Mike Planas, Richard "Huk"
Powell, Dave Presley, Elvis Psik, Paul Reyes, Manny Riskas, Tom
Rodarte, Dan Roper, Richard Sandavol, Sandy Sanders, Steve Sartor, Tony
Schulte, Rainer See, Keith Sepulveda, John Snelson, Steve Solis, Louie
Steckling, Deon Steet, Herb Stelle, Richard Stelle, Willie Stille, Fred
Strain, Brian Streeter, Randy Sullivan, Chuck Tabian, Ed Tanaka, Diane
Tang, Ming Tatum, Larry Tillery, Ray Tracy, Al Tracy, Jim
Trejo, Frank Trevino, Jim Tuiolosega, Tino Velez, Gilbert Waite, George
Walker, Steve Walker, Dale Wedlake, Lee Jr. Weidell, Craig Wenke, Ed
White, Jack White, Roscoe White, Robert Will, Jay T. Wilstein, Ron

AS OF 1982, MASTER ED PARKER HAD AWARDED 145 BLACK BELTS

The first Black Belt was James Ibrao, promoted to Shodan in 1957. Ed Parker had taught at BYU before 1956, but the highest rank he awarded there was brown belt. Two of these brown belts, Charles Beeder, Jr. and Mills (Miles) Crenshaw were promoted to Shodan in 1963 just prior to the formation of the International Kenpo Karate Association. Beeder has since dropped from the martial arts scene and has not been heard of in 20 years. He is presumed dead. Mills Crenshaw founded the IKKA in 1964 and headed that organization with Ed Parker for nearly a decade before dropping from the martial arts.

Ed Parker promoted 7 Shodans and one 1st Degree Black Belt between 1956 and early 1963, they are in the order in which they were promoted:

(1) James Ibrao - 1st, promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan (1957) after opening his first studio in Pasadena. James Ibrao is the most senior and highest ranked black belt in kenpo.
(2) Rich Montgomery promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan (1959)
(3) Ralph Castro
(4) Rick Flores
(5) Al Tracy promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan 1/2/1962. Certificate dated 1/7/62.
(6) Jim Tracy promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan 1/2/1962. Certificate dated 1/7/62.
(7) Chuck Sullivan  was promoted by Ed Parker to Black Belt in early September 1962.
(8) John McSweeney,  promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan, September 28, 1962. He was the first to receive a Shodan certificate in the IKKA in 1962.
(9) Dave Hebler, promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan, October 1962.
(10) Sterling Peacock promoted by Ed Parker to Shodan in 1963.

The exact order of Shodan promotions after Sterling Peacock, up to 1965, is unknown, but the Shodan are believed to be as follows:

Joe Hyams
Dan Inosanto
Jim Grunwall
Joe Dimmick
Brian Adams
Tom Gow
Jerry Meyers
Leonard Mau
Steve Golden
Phil Conti
Tom Bleecker
Dave Butts
Robert White
George Waite
Larry Hartsell
Robert Cook
Mike Pick 
Albert Conejo