KKAA and the pathc ....
The KKAA was founded in 1956 with Ed Parker and the Ed Parker's Kenpo Karate Studios as the only member. The KKAA emblem was a depiction of the "overhead club" technique, and this was used on all KKAA belt certificates until 1961, and on all Kyu rank certificates below brown belt form 1960 until January, 1964. The original KKAA emblem was used on the sign over Ed Parker's original 1840 Walnut Street studio, his letterhead, business cards, as stated, belt certificates. Only schools were members of the Kenpo Karate Association of America, which in turn authorized their instructors to award KKAA belt grades (kyu) and rank (dan). Ralph Castor's Daily City (San Francisco) school joined the KKAA in 1958, and Tracy's Kenpo Karate Studios joined in 1962. The following year (1963) the Tracy brothers opened a second school in Sacramento, and Ed Parker began calling his organization "Kenpo Karate Studios in America." At the same time, John McSweeney, who opened a school in Ireland in early 1963, called his school, "Karate School of Ireland," was the last to have a KKAA school. These were the only members of the KKAA, and while Ed Parker had a promotion committee at his school, the head instructor of each KKAA school appointed "Authorized Members" to award belts and sign KKAA certificates. Students in the KKAA schools wore the Kenpo Karate Fist Club Patch.