User:ARG16/Counterpoint Tactical System

Counterpoint Tactical System, also known by the acronym CTS, is a weapon-based, integrated martial art, designed for the street with an emphasis on tactical counter offense. The name Counterpoint Tactical System is defined as: the comprehensive study of contrasting martial elements and the methodical development of combative skills. Although CTS is an eclectic martial art, the Counterpoint Tactical System’s strongest traditional influences can be found in the Filipino Martial Arts. Additionally, concepts of accelerated learning are built into the training process in order to quickly produce students with advanced combative skill sets. The purpose of CTS is to train and certify students and teachers who are well versed in every phase of civilian armed and unarmed combat. It is important to note that the CTS curriculum has a survival-based philosophy and is not intended to be practiced or used as a sport.

Contents •	The System •	2 Zach Whitson - Founder •	3 Origin And History •	4 Curriculum •	5 Organization •	6 Training Model •	7 Family Tree •	8 References •	9 External Links [edit] The system The Filipino martial art systems have a tendency to keep weapons, street survival, and reality at the forefront of training. For this reason, the integrated Counterpoint Tactical System maintains a large emphasis on Filipino martial concepts. A set of conceptual components are the foundation for the system’s training and curriculum structure. These components include but are not limited to: Tactical Counter Offense, The Reaction Pathway, Block Training, The Cacoy Training Model, Spontaneity Development, The 80/20 Rule, Internal Martial Arts, The Range Makes Change Rule, Rhetorical Tactics, The Number Three, The Use of Force Continuum and Accelerated Learning.

The CTS curriculum is largely influenced by the concept of “Tactical Counter Offense” or TCO. The philosophy of TCO uses attack and counter strategies to manipulate an opponent’s defensive posturing with offensive counter measures. Compared to the self-defense model where the student is taught to “react” to a situation, TCO maintains that the fighter is always faster with action than re-action. With the TCO concept tactics are built into a three level loop of attack, counter, and re-counter. Understanding a technique or tactical measure at these three levels allows the operator to work a step ahead of his opponent’s reactive defensive posturing.

The “Reaction Pathway” is a by product of TCO. For example, as an opponent uses his defensive posturing to deflect or block an attack, the TCO trained combatant manipulates these reactions with proactive counter measures. With tactics designed to illicit a limited number of predictable reactions, the TCO fighter can take short cuts and find open and undefended “pathways” to anatomical targets. Therefore, by using the advanced trapping tactics of TCO, the operator eliminates the unknowns of multiple defensive responses while increasing offensive opportunities.

The “Cacoy Training Model” focuses on a minimalist set of proven drills to develop advanced fighting skill sets. This simple set of drills must apply to the most basic and advanced sparring applications. Instead of teaching a myriad of counterproductive drills, the “Cacoy Training Model” uses only proven and effective natural motion in relationship to actual combat against trained and skilled opponents.

With the “Range Makes Change Rule” the curriculum is based on the changing limits of situational tactics, range, and weapon type. In many applications as the range changes so does the art. For example, in a single exchange, beginning from kicking range and ending on the ground, a defense from kenpo may be used to deflect the kick attack, a punching counter from panatukan may set up the eskrido trapping re-counter and then continuing to a clinch from western wrestling that combines with kenpo striking to set up a throw from silat and finally ending with options of stomping patterns of kenpo or a hook from catch wrestling as the finisher.

In general, at long range kicking techniques from Kenpo, Silat and Kung fu are used. However, in punching range Panatukan, Kenpo, and Wing Chun are used, and at trapping range trapping tactics are taken primarily from Eskrima, and Silat. At close range (while standing) locks, throws, and takedowns from Wrestling, Jujitsu, Dumog, and Silat are used, and on the ground techniques from Dumog, Scientific Wrestling, and Jujitsu are implemented. The range makes change rule is also evident when applied to weapon techniques. For example, in stick training Cacoy Doce Pares methods are used at close quarter while Pekiti Largo is used for long range tactics.

The Pareto principle (also known as the 80–20 rule, the law of the vital few, and the principle of factor sparsity) states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In the design and development of this system the most effective and efficient techniques and tactics are used as core curriculum. Since CTS is an integrated system, distinct selections were made to eliminate any material that did not fit into that 20% of the most useable and effective techniques and tactics. With the 80-20 rule much of the curriculum from the various parent systems could not be included. Therefore, a great deal of consideration went into determining what was excluded from the system and what was included. Any technique that doesn’t have a proven and repeatable probability of working against a trained and resisting fighter was not included. Adhering to this concept the techniques of the system are continually tested and evaluated for effectiveness. The idea being that in real life, when threatened with violence, you must be ready to use only those methods that have a high probability of success. “The Number Three’ is a reoccurring theme in the Counterpoint Tactical System. The list of three’s is a very long one, but some of the most basic examples are as follows: The number twelve in the set of twelve attacks is a multiple of three and is the basis of the overall structure of the system. Three represents the three stages of training i.e., beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Three imposes the concept of multiple opponents with tactical considerations leaning to the probability of three or more opponents. Three shows that training must include the three ranges of close, medium, and long. Three includes the necessity to train for the three basic weapons of stick, gun, and knife. There are three basic categories of empty hand disciplines with those being kicking, striking, and grappling. The system training always includes the three levels of any technique, and they are attack, counter, and re-counter. The list is very long but in short can be condensed to convey the general idea that the system must prepare students for multiple opponents, weapons, ranges, and skill sets.

It is also important to note that CTS incorporates terminology, categorical constructs, and ranking system structure from Ed Parker’s Kenpo Karate.

[edit] Zach Whitson - Founder Zach Whitson began his formal martial arts training in Ishin Ryu Karate with Mr. Pete Peterson in 1975 at the YMCA in Erwin, Tennessee. After graduating high school and while pursuing a career as a commercial deep sea diver, Zach Whitson traveled extensively through the nineteen seventies, eighties and early nineties. During this time period he cross trained in several systems including Tae Kwon Do, Sib Pal Gee Korean Kung Fu, Tracy Kenpo, Wing Chun, Sil Lum Bok Pai, Hung Gar Kung Fu, Yang Style Tai Chi, PKA Style Kick Boxing, Combined Wing Chun, Serada Eskrima, Ed Parker Kenpo, Pekiti Tirsia Kali, and Brazilian Jujitsu.

In 1980, while living in New Orleans, Louisiana Zach began training in Kenpo and was promoted to 1st degree black belt in 1984. Zach received all of his subsequent rank in Kenpo from Richard Planas over the course of a 20 year period. In 2005 Mr. Planas promoted Zach to the rank of Senior Professor (seventh degree black belt).

Zach began Pekiti Tirsia Kali in 1990 with Guro Omar Hakim in New Orleans, Louisiana and upon moving to Tennessee in 1993 began training with Tuhon William “Bill” McGrath the president of Pekiti Tirsia International. In 2004, McGrath tested and promoted Zach to the rank of Mataas na Guro (master instructor) giving Zach the right and privilege to test and promote students throughout the complete PTI curriculum up to and including the rank of Mataas na Guro.

Zach began training in Doce Pares Eskrima in 2003 with legendary Supreme Grand Master Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete. Zach traveled with S.G.M. Cacoy in the United States conducting seminars in the Doce Pares system. After many visits to Cacoy Doce Pares World Headquarters in Cebu City, Philippines Zach was promoted to the rank of seventh grade black belt (master) by his teacher S.G.M. Cacoy.

In 2005 Zach began training in Penjak Silat Serbatik with Maha Guru Jerry McCleary.

Today Zach travels extensively, conducting seminars, training and testing in Cacoy Doce Pares Eskrima and the Counterpoint Tactical System.

[edit] Origin and history After nearly 20 years of martial arts training, in 1993 Zach Whitson began to explore and integrate martial art systems and training models that later culminated in the founding and continued development of the Counterpoint Tactical System.

While actively teaching different systems to two completely separate groups of students, Zach found that from one system to another techniques were sometimes very similar. However, given the differences in the training process or “training model” students could achieve lesser or greater levels of skill set mastery. Over an equal period of time with differing training models one group of students while developing good basics may not have achieved the same levels of comprehension and spontaneity as the other group. It became apparent that all training models were not equal, and skill was directly proportionate to the type of training model practiced.

In an effort to build more spontaneous movement in his Kenpo students, Zach Whitson developed what he called Kenpo Counterpoint, integrating the drill and attribute based training model of Filipino Martial Arts with the ideal phase technique training of Ed Parker’s American Kenpo. During the 1990’s and up until 2004 Whitson taught three separate systems including American Kenpo, Pekiti Tirsia Kali and his own hybrid subsystem called Kenpo Counterpoint.

In 2003, Zach Whitson met and began training with world renowned Doce Pares Esrkima/Eskrido Senior Grand Master Ciriaco Cacoy Cañete of Cebu City, Philippines. Over the years Zach began to apply G.M. Cacoy’s training model to every technique that he taught. G.M. Cacoy’s training model was simple but extremely effective. From his training with G.M. Cacoy, Whitson realized that it was best to only use and develop skills for actual combat whether in the context of self-defense, sparring, or fighting. The method is this: techniques regardless of how simple or sophisticated must work well in sparring against trained, resisting combatants. Additionally, drill sequences should be a direct pathway to sparring and fighting, so the leap from drills to actual application becomes just a very small step. Techniques that worked well in drill’s but weren’t effective in sparring were abandoned. Techniques used to only teach a basic principle while lacking application integrity were also omitted. Consequently, the techniques and drills that remain are used to teach tactics and develop both basic and advanced combat skills. Having developed the fundamentals with basic drills students must spend a good percentage of practice sparring and countering trained combatants.

Understanding the importance of the training model, Whitson realized that there were specific skills that he wanted his students to develop and techniques would have to both develop the skill and fit the training model. As a result, G.M.Cacoy’s training model became the adopted method of developing combat survival skills in the Counterpoint Tactical System. By 2006 Zach Whitson had a full curriculum outlined and implemented with students actively training and testing through the CTS belt ranks.

In April 2007, after approximately seven years of training, Joshua Ryer completed testing to become the first student in the system to achieve the rank of first degree black belt. On December 8, 2007 in a gathering conducted by the Whipping Willow Association in Los Angles California, a diverse group of senior martial artists presented a notarized declaration recognizing Zach Whitson as the founder of a new and complete martial art called the Counterpoint Tactical System. The declaration was signed by Sijo Antwione Alferos president of the Whipping Willow Association, Sibok Thomas Georgian, Sifu Sandy Amason, Great Grand Master Ming Lum, Sijo Steve Muhammad, Master Bob Liles, Grand Master Carl Totton, Grand Master Douglas L. Wong, Maha Guru Cliff Stuart, Master Bob White and Grand Master Bill Owens.

Currently, Zach Whitson continues to propagate the Counterpoint Tactical System with students throughout the United States. As of this writing there are multiple black belt students practicing and teaching the system with a growing number of active schools.

[edit] Curriculum The system tactics were designed around the number three and the curriculum also uses a theme of three’s. There are three primary colors (blue, green, and red) that make the spectrum of color. So blue, green, and red are used to represent the adult color belt rank requirements. The color belt curriculum is the beginner level, three levels of brown belt curriculum presents intermediate level skill sets, and the black belt level is considered to be advanced level training and curriculum. There are ten black belt ranks represented by three levels of training that include instructor, professor, and master level requirements. One of the primary facets of the CTS curriculum is the concept of “Block Training.” Each belt level contains three individual blocks or elements as physical constituents. “Blocks” are incremental requirements for a given discipline, tactic, or skill. For example, knife training being considered a specialized skill with specifically inherent tactical considerations starts at green belt but continues well into the black belt ranks. This may not seem like anything different or extraordinary until you see that there exists a block to block relationship across disciplines throughout the curriculum.

Knife training, for example, has a direct relationship to various blocks of stick training. Between the respective disciplines exists the likeness and contrast of patterns with the modifications of targeting, range, mechanics, footwork, and defensive tactics. These relationships continue to be evident with other weapon disciplines and empty hand training such as striking, stand up grappling, and ground fighting.

Block training also takes much of the mystery out of training. The blocks are organized so that students learn and master a set of interrelated parts understanding how they are attached or chained together, how they counter each other, and how they may be used in contrast to other blocks of training. Again using CTS knife training for the example, as a whole the CTS knife curriculum contains a substantial amount of tactics and training with six directly interrelated blocks. With curriculum assembled into interrelated blocks students master essential elements before beginning more difficult parts of advanced fighting tactics.

The curriculum was designed with simplicity in mind and skill development as its paramount goal. A crucial design element of the CTS curriculum is the removal of memorization as a learning method and, instead, placing the focus on students understanding and knowing the mental and physical constituents of skill development.

In the tradition of FMA having the single stick at the beginning of training, CTS also presents the single stick block to students at the first (Blue Belt) rank requirement. The block “Single Stick Twelve Attacks” teaches a pattern repeated throughout the system. The form teaches three basic components they are: Geometry, Targeting, and Power Mechanics. The first half of the form establishes geometric patterns and targeting, while the second half develops variations of the three basic components with specialized moves and methods. Although the set of twelve attacks references twelve movements, an individual move may represent a larger set. For example, the single specialized move called watik actually represents a set of nine strikes based on geometry, targeting, and power mechanics.

The pattern is replicated and used repeatedly throughout the system. Having learned the single set of twelve the student will know the sequence of basics for forward and reverse grip knife, double stick, espada y daga, walking stick, staff, spear, and karambit. This takes the burden of memorization from the student and allows him to focus on application of the instrument being used.

The repeated pattern is a tool to teach and learn the elements and various methods involved, not a practice routine. Having learned the elements of the form your practice is to constantly break the sequence and change the pattern in order to develop flow and spontaneity. With this license of creativity the individual student is encouraged to take ownership of the system and his or her own personal skill development.

Currently CTS has integrated block training for twelve disciplines.

•	Single Stick 9 Blocks including Disarms, Pekiti Largo Sparring Tactics, Lihok Ni Cacoy Eskrima/Eskrido, Cane Staff Spear 3 Blocks •	Double Stick 2 Blocks •	Empty Hands vs. Weapons 4 Blocks •	Stand Up Grappling 3 Blocks. •	Ground Fighting 3 Blocks. •	Panatukan 3 Blocks. •	 Kenpo Counterpoint 3 Blocks •	Knife: Knife vs. Knife 4 Blocks, Double Knife vs. Double Knife 1 Block •	Karambit 1 Block •	Espada y Daga 3 Blocks •	Sword 1 Block •	Internal Martial Arts 3 Blocks [edit] Organizations On September 11, 2010 at the annual Instructors Candidate Training Camp located on Iron Mountain in Butler, Tennessee the organization “Counterpoint Tactical International” was presented and offered to active students. The presentation included the organization’s mission statement, bylaws, and organizational benefits. Charter members of “CTI” include Josh Ryer, Alex Ruck, Richard Meagher, Bill Graves, Pat Salantri, Brian Brown, Alexander McGuinness, Kevin Lee Wagner, Ryan Rodgers, Byron Fruit, Bryan Vinik, Shawn Dickson, Sherri Williams, Jessica Levine, Joel Daugherty, David Curet, Preston O. Macready, Jason Swiech, Rauhit Ashar, Alexander Conrad, Evan Ringle, Michael Miller, Preston Fichter Salinari, Kevin Kilroe, Eric Primm, Linda Fulton, Theron Sturgess, Russ Haas, Mindy Haas, Brian D. Hunter, David King, Jenna Pattison, Nichole Riili, Josephine A. Donis, CR Munhall and John Bahr. Mission Statement: Counterpoint Tactical International is the governing body of the Counterpoint Tactical System. Our mission is to provide consistent and systematic martial arts training, testing, certification, and recognition for all association schools, clubs, instructors, and student members. Central to our goal is personalized service to help all members reach their short and long term goals of martial arts mastery.

[edit] Family Tree

First Generation Black Belt Instructors

Second Generation Black Belt Instructors

[edit] References 1.	2.	3.	[edit] External links •	http://www.tacticalmartialarts.com/ •	http://www.facebook.com/ZachWhitson?ref=tn_tnmn#!/counterpointtacticalsystem