Paul Mills Kenpo Legacy Guidelines
The Mills Family is deeply grateful to the instructors and students who continue to study, teach, and preserve his system of Kenpo. These official guidelines exist to ensure his legacy is honored with accuracy, integrity, and unity.
Our goal is not to recreate what once was, but to protect what Grandmaster Paul Mills created and ensure that it lives on with clarity, unity, and respect.
Purpose
The purpose of the Paul Mills Kenpo Legacy Guidelines is to:
- Support instructors who continue to teach Grandmaster Mills’ material.
- Provide clear and respectful standards for how his name, logos, and systems are represented.
- Prevent confusion regarding the retired status of the AKKI organization.
These Guidelines are not intended to govern, but to preserve, ensuring Grandmaster Paul Mills’ teachings are represented faithfully across generations.
The Mills Family’s role is one of stewardship, not governance. The AKKI organization remains formally and legally retired, and all efforts under the Paul Mills Kenpo Legacy Guidelines exist solely to preserve and honor his teachings.
Use of AKKI Logos, Patches, and Branding
The AKKI name, crest, and associated logos are legacy marks associated with Grandmaster Paul Mills and managed by the Mills Family. The Family reserves all rights related to their continued respectful use and representation.
Instructors and schools are welcome to use these marks for legacy purposes under the following conditions:
1. Context of Honor
Logos or name must appear with one of the following approved phrases:
- “In Honor of Grandmaster Paul Mills”
- “Paul Mills Kenpo Legacy”
- “AKKI Legacy Seminar”
2. Clarity of Status
- The AKKI name or imagery may not be used in a way that suggests the association is currently active, accepting memberships, or certifying ranks.
- Use of the AKKI crest should be symbolic of lineage, not organizational affiliation.
- The AKKI rocker should not be worn and should be removed from uniforms going forward.
3. Review and Consistency
- Public materials, with the use of Mills Family IP (such as seminar flyers, websites, merchandise, or media) should be submitted to legacy@akki.com for a brief review for respectful and accurate representation.
- All submissions will be reviewed within 30 days.
4. No Commercial Misrepresentation
- The AKKI name or logo may not be used to market new or current memberships, sell or promote rank certifications, or collect fees under the AKKI name.
- Commercial events using AKKI branding must clarify they are independent and unaffiliated with the former organization and be approved by the legacy@akki.com review committee.
The use of these marks should always reflect tribute, not authority.
Commercial Misuse & Penalties
Use of AKKI marks, names, or imagery to promote memberships, sell/promote ranks, or collect money is strictly prohibited.
Violations may result in a cease-and-desist order, public disassociation, or other appropriate action to protect the integrity of Grandmaster Mills’ work and legacy marks. The Mills Family reserves the right to seek financial damages of up to $5,000 per incident for willful misuse or misrepresentation of AKKI names, logos, or materials.
By wearing/promoting the AKKI marks, names, imagery you acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions. Ignorance is not an excuse; all instructors are expected to comply in good faith.
How to Reference the System
When describing your training, website, or events, please use one of the following designations:
Why This Terminology Matters
- Using the phrase Paul Mills Kenpo places the focus where it belongs; on the teachings, refinement, and lifetime of work developed by Grandmaster Mills himself.
- This honors the art and its origin, rather than suggesting the continuation of the former AKKI organization.
- It also reflects the reality that those who continue to train and teach are carrying forward a legacy, not participating in an active association.
Advisory Consultation
To preserve the intent of Grandmaster Mills’ teachings and maintain unity within the Kenpo community, the Mills Family may consult with select senior instructors who trained directly under Grandmaster Paul Mills. These individuals may provide informal feedback and guidance but hold no authority to issue rank, membership, or certifications.
The Mills Family retains final authority over all uses of the AKKI name, logos, and associated materials.
Rank Clarification
Instructors may promote within their own schools and systems; however, no one may claim new rank, membership, or certification under AKKI or Grandmaster Paul Mills.
Approval Process for Legacy Use
Instructors who wish to reference the AKKI name, crest, or other legacy materials for public events, websites, or merchandise are required to request a review before publication.
To ensure clarity and consistency:
- All materials submitted will receive a response within 30 days of receipt.
- Materials should be sent to legacy@akki.com, where designated senior black belts and the Mills Family will provide feedback.
This process is not a certification or endorsement; it is a safeguard to ensure that Grandmaster Mills’ name, logos, and teachings are represented accurately and in the spirit he intended.
Frequently Asked Questions
The term “AKKI Instructor” should now be replaced with “Student of Paul Mills.” This clarifies lineage while recognizing that the AKKI organization has been formally retired.
Yes. The AKKI patch may be worn to signify lineage under Paul Mills but not to imply active affiliation or membership. Patches with AKKI rockers are to be removed. (See Use of AKKI Logos, Patches, and Branding.)
Yes, but only when referencing legacy. All public-facing materials must use one of the approved naming phrases listed under Context of Honor.
You may continue using your school’s name, but should describe your lineage respectfully. For example, (See Use of AKKI Logos, Patches, and Branding.)
- “Teaching the Kenpo system of Paul Mills (Retired AKKI)”
- “In honor of the AKKI lineage developed by Paul Mills.”
Yes, but only within your own school or system. No one may claim new rank, membership, or certification under AKKI or Grandmaster Paul Mills.
Public materials (flyers, websites, merchandise, or other media) should be submitted to legacy@akki.com for a brief review for respectful and accurate representation. All submissions will receive a response within 30 days.
Misuse of AKKI names or logos may result in a cease-and-desist notice, public disassociation, or other appropriate action to protect the integrity of Paul Mills’ legacy. The Mills Family reserves the right to seek financial damages of up to $5,000 per incident for willful misuse or misrepresentation.
Community Support
Our intent is to help the Kenpo community stay connected, not divided. The Mills Family welcomes collaboration, event invitations, and respectful requests for guidance or clarification.
If you’re hosting an event inspired by Grandmaster Paul Mills teachings, we encourage you to share it. We’d love to see how his art continues to grow and evolve in the hands of his students.
Closing Note
Our goal is not to rebuild what once existed, but to protect what was created; the art, the voice, and the precision.
Grandmaster Mills built a community rooted in loyalty, precision, and respect. These guidelines are an extension of that spirit, to preserve the clarity and strength of what he built, while allowing it to live on in the hands and hearts of his students.
