The Map is Not the Territory

Everybody has a plan till they get smacked in the mouth.

- Iron Mike Tyson 

In the field of General Semantics, there is a concept called the "Map-Territory Relation." The founder of General Semantics, Alfred Korzybski, famously stated in 1931 that "the map is not the territory," meaning that the awareness of the thing and the symbols we use to perceive it (in this case, the map) are not the same as the actual thing itself (the territory). General Semantics is the idea that our beliefs are formed by our perceptions of the world and specifically the language we use to define it. So a symbol such as a map, while useful as a tool to understand the lay of the land, is not actually the land itself which is completely separate and unique in physical and experiential reality.

The Belgian surrealist René Magritte addressed a similar concept in his painting The Treachery of Images. The painting is of a wooden tobacco pipe, with the words "this is not a pipe" written underneath it in french. And of course, Magritte was correct. For it is not a pipe, but rather an image of a pipe. Yet many who would look at the painting may be forgiven if at first they wonder how the artist could be so mistaken. For clearly, we see a pipe.

In our study of combat we discuss entry techniques, feints and distractions, set up strikes, combinations, defense and striking open zones, control maneuvers, repositioning techniques, and finishing moves. We talk about how to engage our opponent from different ranges, and which techniques to employ during each phase of the combat situation. We discuss how to approach unique aspects of combat differently, if the opponent attacks from the obscure zone we turn and face with zone coverage, if the opponent has our back we go stomach to stomach, if the opponent attacks our weak line we adjust our angle. We talk about how to counter our opponent's techniques, and what possible counters he may use, and how to counter his counters.

Generally speaking, in case of a fire in your home you need to get close to the floor, alert everyone, check doors for heat before opening them, and escape. Generally speaking, in case of an automobile accident you need to check for injuries, remain calm, and alert the necessary emergency services. Generally speaking, in the case of a home invasion you need to escape the home and call for help. Generally speaking, when I am engaged at range, I strike with kicks and punches, use cover positions to bridge the gap, close with my opponent using grabs and continued off hand striking, move to a control position, takedown and finish. It's good to have a plan.

But the plan is not the fight. Moltke the Elder taught us that "no plan survives first contact with the enemy." Even a plan which takes in to account our opponent, his strengths and weaknesses, his tactics and strategy, and his possible counters and our counters to his counters, is immediately obsolete once battle is joined. The original plan doesn't exist anymore, because the parameters have changed. The opponent moves left instead of right. The lighting is inconsistent. It begins to rain. You are tired, or sick, or injured. The plan is not the fight. The map is not the territory. The painting is not the pipe. All the training and talking and study you've done in the dojo is in preparation, but training is not combat and your opponent is not your friend.

Everything is context specific. That is why the first consideration of combat is Environment. The targets you strike. The strikes you use. The range at which you engage. The way in which you engage. The intensity with which you engage. Is this a drunken reveler on New Year's Eve? Is this a desperate man fighting for a crust of bread? Is this a violent sociopath who will not stop assaulting you because you have yielded? Is your family in danger? Is there a chance to escape?

Everything is context specific. Do you grapple or strike? Do you follow your opponent to the ground with the takedown or remain standing to engage or escape from there? What do you know of your opponent? What are his strengths? What are his weaknesses? What are your strengths and weaknesses? The man who knows himself and his opponent will not be imperiled in a hundred battles. Are there multiple opponents? Are they armed?

What we do in the karate school is make plans. We explore and study and dissect and examine and question and theorize and test. We follow a progressive system of expansive combat training which builds each skill upon previous simpler skills and futilely attempts to answer all possible questions about a dynamic situation of infinite possibility. The systems are artificial, because they seek to codify something which resists codification. At best, we can only imagine possible combat scenarios and apply our knowledge to those possibilities. We are drawing maps of fighting so we know which way to go.

But a map is a useful tool. It tells you where to turn. It tells you what to expect ahead. It tells you where be dragons. You wouldn't leave home without a map. And when you get lost, the proper thing to do is pull the map back out and find out where you are, and how to get where you want to go. Maps make safe travel possible, because they allow the traveler to prepare for the challenge ahead. That is why we paint pictures of fights in the karate school and why we practice self defense techniques against a number of attacks in a number of possible formations. That is why we ask questions, and seek the truth of combat, and practice that truth on the body. That is why we do the pushups and hit the pads. That is why we return, year after year, and stand on the line and set our Neutral Bow. We are studying the map, so that if we get lost, we know where to go.

But never make the mistake of thinking you are fighting when you are really training. We can only simulate the ultimate life or death combat scenario. We do not actually experience it. Your training partner is not going to kill you and though you may be injured in the karate school from time to time, you are not being actively assaulted. You are engaging in a practice, sometimes intense, which is designed to represent the combat engagement. But should you find yourself in a real fight, you must be prepared to change your plans to reflect the fluid nature of existing conditions. Or you must be prepared to lose. Fallen Sword in the karate school is a very specific response to a very specific attack practiced in a very specific manner where you strike very specific targets and your opponent responds in a very specific way. It is play acting. It is not a fight. Neither is randori, or sparring, or rolling, or Tiger in the Cage, or spontaneous defense. Neither even is full combat. Not in the karate school. It is training. It is making plans.

You need to make plans. That's why you have come to the karate school. To take the next step on mastering a unique and powerful art. To follow in the footsteps of those who've come before you. To learn how to fight, and why, and to prepare yourself for a fight which we should all hope never actually takes place. Sun Tzu's Nine Terrains teach us to plan according to the situation, to move to positions of strength, avoid combat, use environment to our advantage, marshall resources, and only when on death ground, to fight. The plan is to position yourself in such a way as to not have to engage the enemy. We plan not to fight, but no plan survives first contact with the enemy. And so we plan how we will fight as well.

Plans are important. But a fight is a fight. Ceci n'est pas une pipe.

Drills -
Beginner: Practice your beginner self defense techniques. Realize that each one is a like a photograph of a moment in time. Have the opponent circle you, occasionally throwing the proscribed attack for each technique, and perform the technique as perfectly as possible, again and again. Practice this with one attack and one technique at a time.

Intermediates: Practice your sparring. Choose one technique, like Penetrating the Wall, and practice apply thing technique to every attack your opponent gives you. Jab, Cross, Kick, Punch, Grapple, Inside, Outside, Penetrating the Wall, again and again. Practice adjusting your opponent's position to make your technique apply and practice adjusting your technique to apply it to your opponent's position.

Advanced: Engage in Free Combat drills, with an eye to where techniques appear within the engagement. If the opponent attacks with a jab and you defend and counter with a kick, that is Fallen Sword. If the opponent attacks with a high grab and you counter with a trapping grapple, that is Entrapping Circles. If the opponent attacks with a low kick and your respond with a leg hold that is Defensive Cross. If the opponent attacks with a low body lock and you sprawl and turn the corner, that is Taming the Bull. Understand that the techniques occur naturally, without the need to "make" them happen, and that by recognizing where they appear you can see the signs on the map pointing you to your destination.

The Strongest Hand Technique

The other day someone asked me what the strongest hand technique in kenpo is. That got me thinking.

First of all, strongest is too general a term. Do we mean most effective? Heaviest? Hardest hitting? Biggest striking surface? Smallest? There's no way to answer this question in an objective way.

In kenpo we practice at least ten impact strikes with the closed fist alone. That doesn't include blocking, breaking, or gripping techniques. Plus another half dozen or so closed fist variations (knuckle strikes, half and thumbless fist), and well over a dozen open hand strikes (handswords, palms, claws, and finger strikes). All of which can be delivered from a number of different angles (forward, reverse, inward, outward, inverted), with a number of different methods (whipping, slicing, snapping, thrusting, hooking).

Even before you start moving up the arm with wrist strikes and forearm strikes and over a dozen different elbow strikes you have pinching and striking grabs and fishhooking and every kind of grappling maneuver.

And then there's bicep strikes and shoulder strikes and traps and hugs and  holds. And each with both hands and two hand techniques and lifting and pushing and pulling.

And there are dragdowns and throws and hand assist sweeps. And holding and bracing and tackles and reaps.

And all your techniques are dependent upon targets. A hook to the eye is different from a hook to the mouth or to the subclavian notch. They're also dependent upon intention. There's punching to break, or to push, move, blind, or lock.

Of course force equals mass times acceleration. So heavy is good, but mathematically faster is better. A hammerfist can maim, but so can a ridgehand. I heard a story once about Master Parker knocking out someone at a sparring tournament with a single backknuckle strike.

And we mustn't forget that every offensive technique is a defensive technique and vice versa, so don't forget your parries and pull down checks, slaps, cranes, and presses.

No hand technique can ever be executed without proper stances and transitions however. You can't separate the arms from the body as a whole and still be effective. Even when you're grappling or on your knees body alignment is key. Punching is as much about the feet as the hands. Always strike with the whole body.

But practice striking with only your isolated limbs just in case.

And don't underestimate the value of your hands in kicking either. Your hands can provide balance by grabbing an opponent or by swinging to counter your shifting body weight. You can even grab the opponent to pull him into a kick. Bringing the target to the weapon is one of the ten ways to add power.

Lastly, there's a whole shadow side of hand work that you can't overlook in your studies. Sometimes the most effective technique is the one that never lands. Feints, fakes. Misdirection. Your hands can create mind clutter when striking or set up grappling techniques by making your opponent defend one direction then suddenly changing technique to use his force against him.

The question is hard to answer with punch or palm strike. Even if it were that simple, no two warriors have the same proficiency with any two techniques. Besides that, each technique is unique based on how it's used in combination. A step thru vertical punch after a kick is a different technique from a lead hand vertical jab followed by an inward reverse handsword.

There is simply no objective standard by which to judge this question. Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, and Gene Lebell were all great fighters, and all used hand techniques. But they didn't have a consensus on the strongest hand technique. And saying that this technique is better than that for breaking doesn't even begin to address the issue.

The purpose of the Way is to master the self. We do that through the study of combat. It involves a lot more than punch and kick, like learning about human anatomy and how to corrupt its structure. And, at least generally, how to use weapons to do so as well.

A preference for one technique over another is just a stylistic bias. It should never be used as a measure of supreme efficacy. Some learn throws, some kicks, some punches. Western Boxing might prefer the reverse punch and a Muay Thai fighter might say the inward elbow strike is best, but in a street fight a grab to your opponent's testicles might be the best option.

What matters is learning how to use the body as a weapon. Philosophies, strategies, tactics, these are just finite codifications of the Way.

The body. The mind. The spirit. Those are the weapons. When you can make the three into one, then you are the weapon. And your hands and feet are just where that weapon makes contact with your opponent.

In the end, I only know one good answer to "What's the strongest hand technique?"

The one you Master. The one you train. The one you use when battle is joined. In kenpo, we are driven by efficacy. The ultimate standard of success is victory. Victory in battle. Victory over the self.

Master the hand techniques in kenpo. In that practice, you will master the Invisible Enemies. Then you will find the true strength of the Law of the Fist and the Empty Hand.

Drills:
Beginner - Practice your hand techniques against the heavy bag. Remember the order of instruction, Form, Accuracy, Speed, and Power. Practice each technique ten times, on each side.

Intermediate: Practice using your stances to enhance the power of your strikes. Practice engaging with Ground Leverage, and Back Up Mass, and Rotational Energy. Practice striking with every hand technique, from every stance, until you can execute a devastating blow from any position.

Advanced: Practice using combinations of hand techniques in sparring. Practice alternating open and closed hand strikes when attacking your opponent. Practice flowing seamlessly from defense to offense, delivering powerful blocking techniques followed by explosive hand strikes. Drive your opponent back with your hand techniques, and force him to submit to your strikes.

The Importance of Stance and Posture

In karate, everything comes from your stance. Your power, your mobility, your strikes and grapples and defenses, it all begins with your stance.

In kenpo, we teach the Five Prerequisites of Proper Performance.

• Continuity
• Angles
• Balance
• Liveliness
• Posture

Two of those prerequisites, Balance and Posture, relate specifically to stance and the way it affects your effectiveness in combat. Nakayama Masatoshi, the renowned karate Master, disciple of Master Funakoshi, and contemporary of respected martial arts historian Donn Draeger discusses the importance of Stance and Posture in his 1986 instructional text, Dynamic Karate.

Page 23

"IMPORTANCE OF CORRECT FORM

If the body lacks balance and stability, offensive and defensive techniques will be ineffective. The ability to defend against an attack under any circumstances depends largely upon the maintenance of correct form.

Stance in karate is mainly concerned with the position of the lower part of the body. Powerful, fast, accurate, and smoothly executed techniques can be performed only from a strong and stable base. The upper body must be firmly settled on this strong base, and the back kept straight, or perpendicular to the ground. Although an effective attack is impossible without a strong stance, it is only necessary to assume this position just before delivering an attack. If the student concentrates too much on remaining in a firm and stable position, he will lose mobility.

REQUIREMENTS OF A GOOD STANCE

In addition to the above, the following points are closely related to the development of a good stance. The student must:

A. Be well balanced when applying offensive or defensive techniques;

B. Rotate his hips smoothly when executing techniques;

C. Apply his techniques with the greatest possible speed; and

D. Insure that his muscles used in attack or defense work together harmoniously.

Therefore, the first consideration is the establishment of a strong and stable base. From this base all parts of the body must work together harmoniously as a single unit. In other words, the feet, legs, trunk, arms, and hands must be well controlled individually, but at the same time work together as a unit.

It is important also that the muscles necessary to perform a particular technique respond fully, and that those not used be kept relaxed. If your stance is incorrect, the harmonious interaction of your muscles will be absent and your techniques less effective. Poor form brings unnecessary muscles into play, muscles which often hamper speedy and powerful movements. Strong, fast techniques depend for their execution upon a firm base. Further, the delicate control necessary in karate is only possible with a stable and correct stance.

Most karate students have only an incomplete knowledge of stance. Many are unfamiliar with the varieties possible. Even in the case of a particular stance, there is a real difference in its form at various times. For example, the form of a particular stance is different in the ready position from its form at the time a technique is applied. The form of the stance immediately after the technique has been applied again different from the preceding two. There is a delicate change at each stage, although the form looks almost the same.

The concept of one definite stance for a particular occasion is foreign to karate. The stance chosen varies according to the circumstances. however, it must be natural and it must allow one to move freely in all directions and to assume any position.

A few concrete examples can help illustrate the above points. In zenkutsu-dachi (front stance), there is an important difference between the stance as a preparation for applying a technique and the same stance at the moment of application. In the former instance the knee of the front leg must be bent and the muscles in the thighs and calves of both legs relaxed to permit flexible and quick movement. However, the instant a technique is applied, the muscles of the legs must tense to strengthen the hold of the feet on the ground and to give power to the movement.

Furthermore, in either the front stance or neko-ashi-dachi (cat stance), the position taken must not be so low that the muscles become tense, inflexible, or stiff. If this occurs it will be impossible to move quickly when necessary.

It is detrimental to the development of beginners if, instead of concentrating on basic training, they attempt to imitate the stance used by advanced students. The advanced may stand very lightly with their hips in a relatively high position. however, they can change this stance in an instant to a very strong and firm on with the hips low. It is difficult for beginners to duplicate this change, for the obvious reason that advanced students have spent a much longer time practicing. If beginners stand like the advanced, they will lose their balance at the moment of focusing the technique. Remember that in addition to stability while in a ready, or defensive, position, the stance must provide enough strength and firmness to withstand the shock caused by the application of techniques.

Stance changes according to the direction of our movement and the kind of techniques applied. The exhaustive studies of our predecessors have resulted in a number of stances which form the basis of present-day karate.

Each stance was designed for a particular purpose. Therefore, progress in learning will be slow if beginners do not adhere strictly to the form of each stance. Do not permit the form of a particular stance to deteriorate so that it is difficult to tell it from another. Pay strict attention to the requirements of each stance.

Certain training methods are useful in learning a stance. For example, it is helpful to keep the same stance under tension for a long time. Another method is to alternately tense and relax the muscles for short intervals while holding the stance. This latter method also helps to develop the coordination and to cultivate the feeling necessary for correctly focusing a technique. 

When learning a stance it is helpful to practice the offensive and defensive techniques which are the best delivered from it."

Practice your stances. Too often, we focus on blocks and kicks and punches and self defense techniques and combinations and forget to practice our stances. Practice them in place. Practice them in motion. Practice them on uneven terrain.

Practice your stances. Work on Balance and Posture. Practice practice practice. Stance is everything. Stance comes first. Mastering your stances is the beginning of mastering karate.