Martial Arts

Patrick holds a fifth-degree black belt in an offshoot of American Kenpo. This version of Kenpo, brought to the United States by Ed Parker, traces its roots back to Japan and China. While emphasis is placed on different aspects at different schools, the general approach is a mixture of hard and soft movements. Low-level defenses are primarily strikes, blocks, and kicks, while upper-level defenses include parries, traps, breaks, and takedowns.

At Livermore Kenpo Karate, students preparing for their first-degree black belt must learn a new weapon on their own, using outside training, manuals, videotapes, or trial-and-error to master any weapon they choose. At belts thereafter, students learn additional weapons of their own choosing, in addition to the array of sticks, staves, knives, and spears taught as part of the standard curriculum. Patrick has made katas with the kusari-kama, a pair of Wushu hook swords, a nine-section steel whip, and most recently, a gi top. Learning weapons helps students become more comfortable not only with traditional martial arts weapons, but with any item they may find nearby in a real-life situation..