Greg Mattson, Judan (6/29/2013) and Rebecca Mornar, Judan (8/8/2015), both awarded by GGM Al Tracy in front of hundreds of fellow Tracy kenpoists respectively, are certified to teach the Al Tracy System of Kenpo Karate and have been teaching and training for decades under his tutelage and approval. GGM Tracy was the known to be the founder of the world’s largest system of Kenpo Karate as well as being a renowned Kenpo historian and business scholar. He was one of a kind.
We are not into the martial arts for monetary gain. We feel we have the responsibility to continue the curriculum according to GGM Al Tracy. Through the years, we worked closely with Mr. Tracy and became like family and shared many exciting ideas and information for the system which has much to offer. We and others were fortunate and appreciated to have been a big part of the expanded curriculum that had been added to for a good twenty years. We were trusted with his ideas of expanding the curriculum to continue added learning for upper belts.
Teaching and training with a standardized and defined curriculum such as his, makes it easier to pass on to students. The organization that GGM Tracy wished to pass on, reflects back to the early 1980’s when he reorganized the curriculum, placing techniques into the proper belt material, so that students would understand the application of techniques utilized in katas, before they learned the kata itself. The techniques were not changed, just put into a different, practical order.
We have and will continue to teach all of the techniques that were taught to us by GGM Tracy. Mr. Tracy always said, “You can always add, but don’t take away.” Same for katas. There is additional new material that he wished to add to the curriculum for the upper black belts when it was deemed appropriate along with the extra katas that were taught at different levels of study. We were seeing the growth of the system with all of the black belts continuing their training for decades. GGM Tracy’s thoughts were to add more challenging material for upper belts to aid in channeling his hard work around a practical, marketable system of Kenpo. He was hoping his legacy would be many more black belts of quality, advancing and continuing his inspiration of learning.
GGM Al Tracy had a vision for his System. He passed on his wishes to us, in June of 2017, at one of our previous studios, sadly just months before he passed away, which was to combine his Tracy Curriculum, Kosho, and the Healing Arts into a complete circle. (See our tabs for info). From 1957/early 1960’s, to the year he passed, he was intent on documenting his System at first in notes with his brothers, then later in DVD’S and manuals. Many students thought of their manuals as their bible, to use for dedicated study and training as they dutifully brought them to the studios and took them back home for more study/reference. The last DVD that GGM Al Tracy ever produced was K-22 + 5/Plus (different from the original K-22), where he indicated that this was the standard he wanted for the next 20 years.
GGM Tracy dedicated most of his adult life to Kenpo, because of his love for the art. In many meetings and meals we shared with him, he expressed his concern for the time when he was not here to dictate and lead the way for what is expected. He hoped we would continue his wishes, which we promised him we would do. So that is part of our contribution to the art we have come to love as well.
We, along with our core of black belts, included in our family tree, (see tab on Our Family Tree), will continue to teach the techniques and katas as he taught to us to pass on for the many martial artists who are interested in dedicated study and wish to be a part of advancing the Curriculum as he had indicated. Although, there are competing thoughts about advancing the System/Curriculum, we are following our hearts and continuing what was indicated to us.
We realize there are many out there who have been connected to and inspired by GGM Al Tracy throughout many years, each having their own rich and memorable experiences. Feel free to call anytime, and thanks for taking the time to visit our website, and hope you enjoy the information.
Peace to all!
Greg Mattson and Rebecca Mornar, LMT
708-935-1840 708-935-6999