I rather like the attached image, from the latest go manga hit (sold out already, I'm told) Hoshizora no Karasu, of the fellow old codger telling little Waka: "This is MY territory - and this is mine, too". (Trembling, she asks who decides it's his.)
Not long after reading that I was going through some old papers and saw a note that relates to territory in Go Seigen's games, which I thought you might find useful.
In all (or a sample - can't remember) of his games the average territory per game was about 116 vacant points plus 12 dead stones plus 20 captures, making the average final territory per player around 74 points.
I'm sure these figures will be similar for most players, and they provide a useful yardstick. You can suggest your own uses, but obviously they tell us that if you have the usual maximum of five groups and you have allowed one of them to be bullied into living with just two points, you had better make your other groups work much harder than usual. More specifically, it follows that mo matter how much of a clever general you may think you are if you invade and live with just two points, the lieutenants in charge of your other platoons are not likely to be impressed.
On the topic of manga, you may wish to support the Nihon Ki-in's own new venture, Hibi Goseki. It's for the older types, perhaps (maybe even the old codgers who say "washi" as in Hoshizora), but it does give, as the title implies, a passably accurate, if idealised, idea of the life and range of characters in an everyday Japanese go club. It's a cheap reprint of the monthly episodes from Gekkan Go World, and it also has a short but nice essay by the creator, Kasa Taro, in which he says he made 3-kyu at 30, 1-dan at 32 and 6-dan at 35 - so there's hope for us all.
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