Jeet
Kune Do?
by Mic Clark
Jeet Kune Do,
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, JKD, JKD Concepts, Hardcore JKD, Streetwise
JKD, Functional JKD, Jeet Kune Do Grappling - it’s confusing
isn’t it. There is so much out there today, so what exactly
is Jeet Kune Do? The main constant in all those various listed
versions of the art of Jeet Kune Do is the three words - JEET -
KUNE - DO. Cantonese for THE WAY OF THE INTERCEPTING FIST.
Jeet Kune Do is the name given by Bruce Lee to the philosophy, combative
martial arts training, health and fitness and lifestyle experiences
that went into his own personal development. Therefore we can accurately
describe Jeet Kune Do as the on going research into Bruce Lee’s
very personal way of life by Lee himself.
In giving it a name he immediately realised he’d made a mistake
in doing so, as JKD was all about researching your own experience’s
and freedom of expression, it was about not being tied or bound. Lee
himself once famously stated that “Jeet kune Do is just a name,
please don’t fuss over it”.
The art of JKD was constantly evolving from the roots of Lee’s
Wing Chun Gung Fu training in Hong Kong, changing and modifying after
moving to America, developed into Jun Fan Gung Fu, the study of western
boxing, training, sparring and sharing ideas with established and competent
martial artists like Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, Dan Lee, James
Lee and Tacky Kimura. all assisted Bruce Lee in his quest. After winning
a challenge fight that left him winded, conditioning became an important
part of what would soon be called Jeet Kune Do. Hours and hours of
personal research through reading books on the fighting arts and health
and fitness training saw the development reach another level. One day,
almost by accident, Bruce Lee coined the phrase Jeet Kune Do to Dan
Inosanto and a holy grail of martial arts was born. Teaching and training
with the top tournament fighters of the time, Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis,
Mike Stone and Bob Wall etc, saw Lee learn and adapt even further.
Teaching and researching what he knew and discovering new methods of
progression at the same time. The JKD of 1970 would be unrecognisable
from the Jun Fan Gung Fu of the early 1960s. It’s total fallacy
to say that Lee based JKD on the best of all martial arts. JKD was
based around Wing Chun, Boxing, Fencing and live all out sparring.
The development of JKD ended in 1973 with the tragic death of it’s
founder. No one can accurately speak on his behalf and as JKD was essentially
Lee’s own personal experience, that he willingly shared with
others, there is no way of knowing where JKD would have ended up. What
he left behind though was a template for others to work to, to use
as a guide and not a bible. Lee’s message throughout his development
was to research your own experience. Every individual is more important
than any established style or system. To call JKD a style would be
to insult it, to call JKD an art would not do it justice. My preference
is to refer to the teachings of Bruce Lee as a guide book, a pointer
towards the truth. JKD is more of a philosophy than it is a martial
art, it is a way of expressing the human body. We are fortunate that
Bruce Lee left behind many research notes and essays about JKD and
that many of his original students are still actively passing on the
valuable lessons learned from truly one of the greatest modern thinkers
of our time. After his passing the good work was carried on by Dan
Inosanto and Richard Bustillo. At first JKD was not taught to the masses,
as was Lee’s request, but due to the number of charlatans claiming
to be JKD instructors and teaching authentic JKD, Inosanto and Bustillo
decided to teach more openly and had a desire and a passion to share
the knowledge that Lee had given them. Richard Bustillo will openly
say that there would be no JKD as we know it today if it where not
for Guru Dan. There is sincerity in what Richard says but personally,
I think he’s being to humble. Both men have more than played
their part in keeping the art and philosophy of Jeet Kune Do alive.
Do they teach JKD as passed onto them by their Sifu? Well yes and no.
They have put their own personal research and development into JKD
and whilst this may not be the original teachings of Bruce Lee it is
certainly his philosophy. JKD Concepts was a way forward and clearly
shows two dedicated martial artists truly embracing the teachings of
Bruce Lee, because they have used his teachings as a guide and not
as a bible.
We take so much for granted, without Bruce Lee and his teachings martial
arts would not be where they are today. Mixed martial arts has surely
been conceived from the JKD mindset, but it would be wrong to call
it JKD, JKD influenced? Definitely.
Early JKD development saw the introduction of focus mitts, kicking
shields, all out sparring with protective clothing, training to music
etc. All commonalities in today’s martial arts classes, but frowned
upon during it’s introduction by the traditionalists.
So what is JKD? I don’t know, how do you explain something that
has total freedom, no set rules, no limitations. As I stated earlier,
I prefer to use JKD as my guide book, a template to assist me in my
personal development. It points me in a direction and allows me to
research my own personal experiences. I know for a fact that if it
were not for JKD and the Bruce Lee influence I would have no interest
whatsoever in personal development, be it mental or physical. I will
forever be in the debt of a man I never met as his teachings have been
truly life changing for me personally.
Jeet Kune Do - The Way of the Intercepting Fist.
AKA pre emptive striking, the best form of defence is attack etc.
“ If someone grabs you, punch him!”
- BRUCE LEE
Jeet Kune Do is a guide book and it’s possibly the most important
one you will ever use!
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