Category Completion

[Carol]

Wanted to open up a discussion about the concepts behind Category Completion.

What is it?

What techniques exemplify it?

Why is it important?

[Dr. Dave in da house]

Wanted to open up a discussion about the concepts behind Category Completion.

What is it?

What techniques exemplify it?

Why is it important?

Too much like math. I'll defer to James, and others with a better functional grasp of it than I.

D.

[michaeledward]

One attribute of Category Completion is the duality of self defense.

We can defend against a right thrusting kick by blocking the leg on the inside (Intellectual Departure ) or we can defend against a right thrusting kick by blocking the leg on the outside (Deflecting Hammer).

We can counter an attack with an inward elbow strike from insidethe attacker (Thrusting Prongs) or we can counter an attack with an inward elbow strike from outside the attacker (Deflecting Hammer).

In each of these examples, Deflecting Hammer is a 'category completion' technique, but for different categories (downward block and inward elbow).

What other dualities exist in our self-defense world? Some of them are ...

• Below and Above
• Foot and Hand
• Inside and Outside
• Horizontal and Vertical
• Left and Right

Because there are many such dualities, (and recall that dualities are only one aspect of Category Completion), grasping all of the different ways techniques 'match up' can be overwhelming to newcomers.

Once the idea 'clicks', practitioners begin to see vast connections throughout the system. After all, we have just two legs, and two arms, and there are only so many ways in which they can be used. With more than 150 self-defense techniques, we have to repeating ideas all over the place.

Okay, that's more than enough from me (and my limited knowledge). I just want to re-iteratate, that "duality" is only one of the aspects of Category Completion - there are others.

[punisher73]

One attribute of Category Completion is the duality of self defense.

We can defend against a right thrusting kick by blocking the leg on the inside (Intellectual Departure ) or we can defend against a right thrusting kick by blocking the leg on the outside (Deflecting Hammer).

We can counter an attack with an inward elbow strike from insidethe attacker (Thrusting Prongs) or we can counter an attack with an inward elbow strike from outside the attacker (Deflecting Hammer).

In each of these examples, Deflecting Hammer is a 'category completion' technique, but for different categories (downward block and inward elbow).

What other dualities exist in our self-defense world? Some of them are ...

• Below and Above
• Foot and Hand
• Inside and Outside
• Horizontal and Vertical
• Left and Right

Because there are many such dualities, (and recall that dualities are only one aspect of Category Completion), grasping all of the different ways techniques 'match up' can be overwhelming to newcomers.

Once the idea 'clicks', practitioners begin to see vast connections throughout the system. After all, we have just two legs, and two arms, and there are only so many ways in which they can be used. With more than 150 self-defense techniques, we have to repeating ideas all over the place.

Okay, that's more than enough from me (and my limited knowledge). I just want to re-iteratate, that "duality" is only one of the aspects of Category Completion - there are others.

Thanks for the explanation. Most of the time I hear this term brought up, it is usually in the context of "X technique isn't viable it's just there for category completion". It always made me wonder what it's purpose was for other than aesthetics.

[michaeledward]

I think that I would be very careful when approaching any technique when someone uses 'category completion', and that explanation in the same thought.

The techniques that we have in American Kenpo have been assembled with many different thoughts in mind. Each technique contains, I believe, many different lessons. Students at different levels of learning can take new information from old techniques; when they know where to look.

I don't believe there is any technique in our system where 'category completion' is the only lesson presented within the technique. I would suggest when you find one of those techniques that someone claims is "just there for category completion", you ask yourself if there are any other lessons you can take away from the technique.

Another statement I hear pretty often, is 'you'll never run a complete technique, as prescribed, in the street'. But this does not stop us from practicing techniques as prescribed. If, and when, we find ourselves in an altercation, hopefully we will be able to draw on all of the lessons presented in our study of self-defense. Perhaps even those that are 'just there for category completion'.