In 1954, the Father of American Karate, Senior Grandmaster Edmund Kealoha Parker began teaching in the wrestling room at Brigham Young University in Utah. The above crest is very similar to the first crest used by SGM Parker and was in use until approximately 1964 when the International Karate Championships became a thing. This information has been confirmed by both Doctor Ron Chap'el and Grandmaster Larry Tatum.

One of SGM Parker's Black Belts, Ralph Castro began using the patch upon opening his first commercial school in San Francisco, CA in 1958. Ralph Castro had trained to the rank of Brown Belt in Hawai'i with William Kwai Sun Chow, before moving to the mainland when his stint with the US Coast Guard was completed. Professor Chow had instructed Ed Parker to promote Ralph Castro to Black Belt, so in that sense, Ralph Castro did not train directly with Ed Parker on the mainland. If he did so, it was briefly. He was in essence, promoted by Ed Parker. It is unknown when Ralph Castro stopped utilizing the above patch for one which bore his name.

When Ralph Castro opened his first commercial school in San Francisco, California in 1958, he also utilized the above crest (we believe) until the formation of the International Shaolin Kenpo Association in 1981. At this time, his school began wearing a patch with a similar fist and the words "Ralph Castro's Shaolin Kenpo" around the exterior of the patch.

Rick Warwick was one of the first fifteen individuals to reach the rank of Black Belt under Ralph Castro (1968), and after being promoted, he moved to Washington State and settled in the logging town of Aberdeen in 1969. He opened a small school in Aberdeen on the corner of Market and "H" Streets with the blessing of his instructor Ralph Castro. Rick and his wife Delores (Maria) promoted 8 individuals to Black Belt between 1969-1975.

Circumstances arose that allowed Maria Warwick to be the primary instructor of Aberdeen Kenpo Karate, and from 1977-1983, she promoted 17 deserving individuals to the rank of Black Belt. The first of these Black Belts was Mike Skinner Sr. who was one of two people who built the school Maria taught from. In 1983, Maria Warwick was forced to retire for medical reasons. The patch was used throughout this time period.

In 1984, Mike Skinner Sr began teaching this early version of Shaolin Kenpo on a very limited basis. This would continue until 1992, when with the blessing of Maria Warwick, Mike Skinner Sr. would open a reboot of Aberdeen Kenpo Karate utilizing both the business name and the patch he had trained under through the seventies and early eighties. He did so with the full blessing of Maria Warwick. The use of the patch continued unabated until 2001 when Aberdeen Kenpo Karate closed its doors. During their years of operation, the Skinner family had the crest trademarked before they truly understood the rich history behind it.

Statistically speaking, approximately 1 in 10,000 students who undertake Martial Arts makes it to their Black Belt. Even more rare are those who pass on what they know to others over an extended period. The original patch had white lettering as shown above.

Fast forward to 2024. Mike Skinner Jr. and Mark Skinner sought a way to formally recognize Kenpo practitioners who have gone above and beyond. 40+ years of training and at least peripherally active in Kenpo are required to receive one. There are only 100 patches that will ever be produced.

Each patch is accompanied with a Certificate of Recognition. No titles were used on the certificates, because at one time each bearer was just a wide-eyed kid walking into a Kenpo Karate school. Beneath the patch is a listing of those who have been sent one of these crests to recognize exceptional sacrifice to Kenpo Karate without regard to affiliation or organization. Simply put: Longevity, Activity, Sacrifice.  From the bottom of our hearts - THANK YOU!