Shortest Distance

The shortest distance between two points is a straight line but when you are planning a road over hilly terrain, is making a straight line worth it? Do you really want to dig a tunnel, level a mountain or build a bridge just so you can keep the road straight? Does it make more sense to follow the contour of the land and have a windy road?

What about bringing up a difficult topic with a friend? Is it easier to get right to the point or is it better to take a circuitous path and gently broach the subject?

Finally, what about throwing a punch? Will it work to punch straight through someone’s guard or is it wiser to curve around to get to your target?

These are all things to consider when you are thinking about the fighting principle of straight line versus curved line. Like all the fighting principles, it is not designed to answer questions but rather to raise questions so that you have more things to play with in your training. Play with straight lines and curves. Find out where and when they work for you.