Though you miss qouted me and misunderstood me i will try to stay on your point. You say the principles & concepts are the essence of Kenpo. That they should come first when defining the Art. The problem is P & C are not tangible. You can not see, hear,taste, or touch a principle or idea until it is translated into something the senses can respond to. Would you board a plane if u were told the pilot has never flown, but he's got an idea? No my friend, P&C only the air. But It is the floote that makes the music you enjoy. Secondly, its the technique that defines the P & C. Not the other way around. We call Kenpo a science. Does not science work by trial & error? Do you SGM just woke up and did some moves one time and Thundering Hammer was born? He had to express himself many times before he named it. That was and still is called technique. Techniques is the full Story, while P&C is only the table of context.
