KeyBindings Empty Key?

Mmk... everything works... except my program only repaints when a key is pressed, My solution to this problem was to simply make an action that runs when nothing is typed. My question. How? I tried putting a null into the pressed key section. I tried making it continue off key release... that helped.. for one aditional frame. I need the paint to ALWAYS be painted, but to be painted differently if and only if, one of my keys are pressed. I Just need to know how to make this "Blank" key... Any help? heres my code...

Code:

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// <applet code="KeyFire" width="400" height="400"></applet>
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.awt.font.*;
import java.awt.geom.*;
import javax.swing.*;


public class Gunmaster2 extends JApplet {
    KeyFirePanel keyFirePanel;

    public void init() {
        keyFirePanel = new KeyFirePanel();
        keyFirePanel.setFocusable(true);
        add(keyFirePanel);
        bindKeys();
    }

    private void bindKeys() {
        JRootPane rp = getRootPane();
        int c = JComponent.WHEN_IN_FOCUSED_WINDOW;
        InputMap inputMap = rp.getInputMap(c);
        ActionMap actionMap = rp.getActionMap();
        inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("UP"), "UP");
        actionMap.put("UP", upAction);
        inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("DOWN"), "DOWN");
        actionMap.put("DOWN", downAction);
        inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke("RIGHT"), "RIGHT");
        actionMap.put("RIGHT", rightAction);
        inputMap.put(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(""), "released");
        actionMap.put("released", releasedAction);
       
    }

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        JApplet applet = new Gunmaster();
        JFrame f = new JFrame();
        f.setDefaultCloseOperation(JFrame.EXIT_ON_CLOSE);
        f.add(applet);
        f.setSize(400,400);
        f.setLocation(200,200);
        applet.init();
        f.setVisible(true);
    }

    private AbstractAction upAction = new AbstractAction() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            keyFirePanel.rotateRect(1);                //-1 is needed to go up
        }
    };

    private AbstractAction downAction = new AbstractAction() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            keyFirePanel.rotateRect(-1);                        // + 1 is needed to go down
        }
    };

    private AbstractAction rightAction = new AbstractAction() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            keyFirePanel.fire();
        }
    };
   
    private AbstractAction releasedAction = new AbstractAction() {
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
            keyFirePanel.draw();
        }
    };
}

class KeyFirePanel extends JPanel {
    int angle = 0;
    int anglefire = 0;
    int inc = 5;
    int stickx = 50;
    int sticky =50;
    int bulx = 0;
    int count2 = 1;
    int count = 0;
    boolean firing = false;


    protected void paintComponent(Graphics g) {
        super.paintComponent(g);
        Graphics2D g2 = (Graphics2D)g;
        double theta = Math.toRadians(angle);
        Rectangle clear = new Rectangle(0,0,500,500);
        Gunman stickbob = new Gunman(stickx,sticky,theta);
        g2.setColor(Color.WHITE);
        g2.fill(clear);
        stickbob.draw(g2);
        g2.setColor(Color.BLACK);
        if(firing)
        {
                count2 = 2;
                if(count == 0)
                {
                anglefire = angle;
                }
        }

        if(count2 == 2 && count <= 10)
        {
                bulx= bulx + 10;
                bullet2 projectile1 = new bullet2(stickx+16 + bulx,sticky+14);
                g2.rotate(Math.toRadians(-anglefire),stickx+4,sticky+16);
                projectile1.shoot(g2);
                g2.rotate(Math.toRadians(anglefire),stickx+4,sticky+16);
                count++;
                if(count == 10)
                {
                        anglefire = 0;
                        bulx = 0;
                        count = 0;
                        count2 =1;
                        firing = false;
                }
        }
    }

    public void rotateRect(int direction) {                //rotates arm up or own
        angle += direction*inc;
        repaint();
    }

    public void fire() {                        //fires the bullet
        firing = true;
        repaint();
    }
    public void draw() {                        //draws
        repaint();
    }
}

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What is a Blank key? Is that the Space bar?
If that is what you want, read the API doc for the InputMap put method. It takes a KeyStroke. There are ways to make KeyStrokes other than the one you've used. For Space bar, it would probably use VK_SPACE