When I see a lack of power in certain techniques, it’s almost always due to a lack of understanding of this Principal. It’s also been referred to as Path of Motion, changing the name doesn’t change the principal.
Ed Parker created Kenpo to be a scientific martial science, not an “art”, but a way. One that could be tested, proved, and demonstrated. Science relies on Principals, Rules if you will, that need to be followed (like Gravity), and all you to predict outcomes (ie, if I drop this, it will fall). The Principals of Kenpo are designed in much the same way – and when followed, will yield predictable, reproduceable results.
Often people who practice ‘arts’ make up excuses when things don’t work, like “your chi isn’t aligned properly” or (and this is one I heard at a seminar by a “reputable” practitioner) “you must have had your toes curled, that changes the energy paths and blocks my knock out”. Meh. That’s not science, that’s voodoo. With a science, if you do it the same way every time, you get the same result; and if you don’t do it the right way, you won’t get the desired result. You can’t shift your chi and cause a firearm NOT to discharge…if you could, the Boxer Rebellion likely would have turned out quite differently.
Okay, enough rant. On to the real reason you’re here. Path of Action.
The easiest way I’ve heard to explain this Principal is UPPER CASE MOVEMENT vs lower case movement. A line of action is generally created when a weapon moves by itself, carrying little mass and generating little Force. A Path is generally created when the body moves with the weapon, adding it’s mass and generating significant Force. The easiest way to get this Principal is on the mat, but I’ll try to give it to you virtually.
Take, say, Thundering Hammer. A technique created, according to legend, when Ed Parker found someone stalking his (then) girlfriend. You step in and block – but what if you didn’t step? What if you just blocked? Would that stop a larger, stronger opponent’s strike? Nah. You have a little sissy Line of Action (notable only, I should mention, for comparison). So, you step, arm, hip, shoulder, body into the Block. BANG – Path of Action!
Now, you could pivot weakly from the hips and slap your forearm into his stomach, causing him to crush you with his follow-up left punch. OR. Or you could pivot your hips, and shuffle forward, moving your whole body into the Path of the strike, doubling the BG over, canceling his left.
At this point, you could turn again and hammerfist his kidney…”<yawn> oh, were you striking me?”. Or you could pivot your body and drop your weight (Marriage of Gravity anyone?), creating another Path of Action, and buckling your BG’s knees. You could follow this up with another hammer slap to the top of the spine, boring your BG into submission. But you’d much rather pivot again (Rotation), drop your weight, Anchor your elbow, and drive through him with a Hammerfist on a Path to the ground.
Okay, so I’m sure you get the idea now.
Your stances, footwork, timing (yeah, that’s what the “slapping” is for), all are there to help you generate a Path of Action. It’s like getting to take a tire iron into a fight, almost make things unfair. But if people are determined to practice inferior martial arts, or practice good martial arts poorly, that’s not our problem. Learn to move, learn to hit, practice, and study your Principals.
Joe Palanzo told me once “Follow Path of Action in your life, it will lead to Path of Success!”
Mr J