experience
A thought: because of formalized styles of yesteryear:
• Simple things don’t work. However, from some formalized schools, like Shotokan, tae kwon do, Thai boxing, Western boxing, how can I draw their “essence” and make them work for me (attitude, economy, good form, speed, power, etc.)?
List some of these “essences” of other schools:
Shotokan
ESSENCE a. Direct route b. Master in basics c. Spirit
DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________
Tae kwon do
ESSENCE a. Flexibility b. (Your comments) ___________
DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________
Thai boxing
ESSENCE (Your comments) ___________
DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________
Boxing
ESSENCE (Your comments) ___________
DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________
Make Notes On
1. Gung fu 2. Fencing 3. Aikido 4. Kendo 5. Karate 6. Thai boxing 7. Savate
Part 2
JEET KUNE DO—THE FUNDAMENTALS
JEET KUNE DO—ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
On the origin of jeet kune do
In case you have missed the recent news, Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do—of which he is the founder—has been elected and accepted into the “Black Belt Hall of Fame” in America. This marks the first time a recently developed form of martial art is nationally accepted. No, jeet kune do is not thousands, or even hundreds of years old. It was started around 1965 by a dedicated and intensified man called Bruce Lee. And his martial art is something that no serious martial artist can ignore.
I’ve been teaching my brothers and some friends gung fu at my house. They are very enthused over the whole deal. I, too, am working on my transformation of simplicity to yet another, more free-flowing movement of no limit as limitation.
I’m having a gung fu system drawn up—this system is a combination of chiefly Wing Chun, fencing, and boxing. As for gung fu training, I’ll have them written down when it is finished. Boy it will be it!
What is jeet kune do (JKD)? Chinese martial art, definitely! It is a kind of Chinese martial art that does away with the distinction of branches, an art that rejects formality, and an art that is liberated from the tradition.
Before I explain what JKD is, we have to know what “traditional martial art form” is first. All ancient, traditional martial art has a legendary tradition. People may say that one kind of martial arts was passed on to a monk from a deity through a dream. Or, when its founder saw two animals fighting, he imitated their actions, and consequently, created a kind of martial art. So the people after him imitated that kind of action and form, and did not care whether it fits their needs and environment or not.
Use your brain to overcome your enemy
The two most important aspects of martial arts are “the essence” and “the practical usage.” Essence refers to the foundation. It is only on a sound basis that practical usage of gung fu can be realized. Swiftness, strength, and persistence are the keywords to martial arts.
Jeet kune do rejects all restrictions imposed by forms and formality and emphasizes the clever use of the mind and body to defend and attack.
It is ridiculous to attempt to pin down so-and-so’s type of gung fu as “Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do.” I call it jeet kune do just because I want to emphasize the notion of deciding at the right moment in order to stop the enemy at the gate.
If people are determined to call my actions “do” [the Way], this action can be called jeet kune do: In Fist of Fury [The Chinese Connection in North America] I had a fight with Robert Baker. In the film, he once locked my neck with his legs so that I became unable to move. The only movable part of my body was my mouth, so I gave him a bite! I am not joking. Really there is no rigid form in jeet kune do. All that there is is this understanding: If the enemy is cool, stay cooler than him; if the enemy moves, move faster than him; be concerned with the ends, not the means; master your own manipulation of force, don’t be restricted by your form.
Very often when people talk about JKD, they are very much concerned about its title. Actually, the title is not important. It’s only a symbol for the kind of martial art we study. It’s just like the X, Y, and Z in algebra. The emphasis should not be put on its title, but on its effect, because that is a good mirror in which to reflect the power of JKD.
It is not simply mixing arts
• X is jeet kune do.
• Y is the style you will represent.
• To represent and teach Y one should drill its members according to the preaching of Y.
• This is the same with anyone who is qualified and has been approved to represent X.
• To justify by interfusing X and Y is basically the denying of Y—but still calling it Y.
• A man, as you put it, is one who is noble to stick to the road he has chosen.
• A garden of roses will yield roses, and a garden of violets will yield violets.
The Jun Fan method (structure)
Totality (circle without circumference)
1. Sticking to the nucleus
2. Liberation from the nucleus
3. Returning to original freedom
Jeet kune do and Thai boxing
Sure, it’s a little like Thai boxing, except that if you had a gung fu fight, there’d never be any “round three.” Somebody would be lying on the floor.
Martial art should not be passed out indiscriminately. So far I have only three assistants teaching for me when I cannot personally be
