Agreed. Always present in every technique all the time. ItĀs only a matter of degrees from ĀContact to Control.Ā
Control Manipulation is Adhering. This was a short answer, and probably in retrospect incomplete on my part, since Adhering cannot be separated from Listening, Neutralizing, Yielding, and Expanding.
Your ĀTaijiĀ is showing, but that is not a bad thing.
Regardless, my point was that Control Manipulation is the method by which one would respond to an attack resulting in the attacker being lead into a position of disadvantage, while obtaining the position of advantage for yourself.
Yes that is true, but think of it as part of a whole instead of an entity to itself.
This is done by using Borrowed Force and recognizing Angles of Incidence to dodge the attack, yet remain "attached" to the attacker in order to respond. This places offense within the defense, and defense within the offense.
ItĀs showing again.
Ed Parker is quoted as saying "Freeing yourself from an opponent allows him freedom to hit." The response of Control Manipulation would typically by Contact Manipulation Techniques or Chin Na from a superior position.
Well in purely American kenpo terms it would be expressed differently but have the same results.
Now I'll wait for my grade...
Come on Pete. If you need a grade IĀll accommodate. Looks like an ĀAĀ to me, but donĀt tell Dark Lord, heĀs confused enough already.
But letĀs talk about the four distances and how they relate to each other and exactly where ĀControl ManipulationĀ resides. I was taught there are subcategories to all four of the ranges, with each range as you progressively get closer to you attacker, encompassing additional concepts and principles, and including the previous ones. Thus the fourth range encompasses all of the others ranges principles of combat, as well as those exclusive to the fourth range itself.
This somewhat counters the Ādifferent stages of actionĀ perspective. Although ĀrangeĀ can dictate the availability of various fighting tools, they do not dictate or restrict beyond simple physical range limitations normally associated with human physical interaction.
One of those exclusive concepts is ĀControl ManipulationĀ that is, from a commercial kenpo perspective, a subcategory of ĀContact Manipulation.Ā Because most of this information is not included in commercial kenpo, the subcategories become significantly important to the higher levels of the science of execution. When the higher-level curriculum is studied however, the subcategories actually exchange places with the more superficial simplistic range explanations.
As an example, the first range is simply called Āout of reach.Ā The subcategory is ĀPsychology of Confrontation Theory.Ā As you can see, the subcategory is where the real knowledge and comprehensive understanding lies. Therefore if you study one level, Āout of reachĀ is how itĀs defined. On higher levels, ĀPsychology of Confrontation TheoryĀ must be learned. This holds true for every range. The simplistic versus the in-depth. Ed Parker Sr. only published the ĀsimplisticĀ versions of his range theory because his popular interpretation of kenpo did not contain significant depth to warrant additional information he was not generally teaching or supporting in commercial schools.
Take ĀControl ManipulationĀ as another subcategory example on the other extreme at distance four, which, simplistically is defined as ĀContact Manipulation.Ā This is a category of ĀgrapplingĀ yet popular kenpo does not address grappling or control manipulation in its codified curriculum in any form. In reality, the only concept it addresses in any range is Ācontact manipulationĀ and it only hints at Control Manipulation through techniques where victims are seized, grabbed, hugged, choked, and tackled with no clear instruction as to how to deal physically with these type attacks.
Because of the lack of information, most teachers of that information have addressed these attacks as ĀattemptsĀ rather than actual completed assaults as they should be. Lacking the knowledge to address extrication from a significant lock means you must move before you are seized. They have no choice absent additional information.
Thus you see the origin of the term I coined, ĀSubLevel Four Kenpo.Ā A level of Kenpo that embraces all the concepts of all the sub-level ranges but draws its name from the fourth range because it is conceptually all inclusive.
Thus you also see why ĀControl ManipulationĀ although defined by Ed Parker Sr., is not included in the simplistic version of his range theory. But by defining it he hinted at its existence, while not including the ĀhowĀ of any of its execution in the curriculum most learned. Nowhere is a wrist-lock, throw, pin, offensively or defensively or any control concept addressed in any of his writing.
In the Infinite Insight series physical categorical breakdown, all of the tenants of ĀSub-Level FourĀ are addressed in the category simplistically labeled, ĀOther.Ā
Great discussion guys, and although I hope it isnĀt over, I thank everyone (well almost everyone

) for such intelligent and well thought out exchanges. I hope everyone came away with information they may not have had before. I know I always learn something. IsnĀt this what these forums are supposed to be about? So letĀs keep going, because I know there are some not posting (hiding in plain sight:supcool: ) but soaking up every word we say for "playback" at another time.