The Style and Principles

Jeet Kune Do advocates may utilize techniques from any martial art; the trapping and short-range punches of Wing Chun, the kicks of northern Chinese styles as well as Savate, the footwork found in Western fencing and the techniques of Western boxing, to list but a few. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. 

The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee's philosophy of "casting off what is useless". He also used the sculptors's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the "Unessentials". The end result being what he considered to be the bare combat essentials or "JKD".

Jeet Kune Do as it survives today - if one wants to view it "refined" as a product, not a process - is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. JKD in its later phases was heavily influenced by Western boxing and fencing (whereas the backbone concepts such as centerline, four gates, vertical punching, straight blast, "entering", and forward pressure come from Wing Chun). The result was that Lee stopped using some of the Wing Chun stances he had learned in favor of what he claimed were more fluid, flexible Western fencing and boxing stances. T

he claim is that allowed him to "flow", not to be stuck in stances, a positioning that Lee believed was a feature of some of traditional Wing Chun that he dismissed as the "classic mess." For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing boxing "entries" that do not require "bridges" from Wing Chun.

Dan Inosanto, who was to be Bruce Lee's student in Jeet Kune Do, once said that originally, Bruce Lee wanted to create the "ultimate fighting form", but later in the development of Jeet Kune Do, he wanted to use the art for personal development as well, not just to become a better fighter.

Jeet Kune Do not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also has to change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, Jeet Kune Do advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. 

For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, therefore he almost always used the right hand stance of Western Fencing. He labeled this stance the "On Guard" position. Lee incorporated this stance into his JKD as he felt it provided the best overall mobility. Lee felt that the dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. 

Lee discarded both the left hand and center stance, whereas most traditional martial arts train their practitioners to be ambidexterous. Lee believed that these decisions should be done within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sparring". He believed that it was only in this environment that a person could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.

Bruce Lee emphasized what he believed to be the combat effectiveness of Jeet Kune Do, and did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or "Kata", as most traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. While practicing Western wrestling, Lee was once pinned by a more skillful opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, "Well, I'd bite you, of course". 

One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend oneself, irrespective of where the techniques used come from. Lee's goal in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern spate of hybrid martial arts.

Jeet Kune Do practitioners claim that it is not a fighting style so much as a fighting philosophy. What Jeet Kune Do practitioners describe as the weakness of traditional martial arts is their rote memorization of techniques (Lee compared doing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land). They claim that these memorized movements will not be of any help in an actual combat situations. 

Lee believed that "Real" combat was "alive" and "dynamic". Circumstances in a fight change from milli-second to milli-second and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques being static are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. Adherents believe that Jeet Kune Do does not make one a good fighter, just a better fighter. As an anecdote to this thinking Lee once wrote an epitaph which read: 'In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.' The "classical mess" in this instance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts.

Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagree with his opinions on these issues, especially seeing what Lee described as their lack of strategic flexibility due to "rote" teaching methods to be a misunderstanding on Lee's part. Most, if not all, traditional martial arts teachers say "fluid" strategy is a feature of martial training that is indeed addressed in the curricula of most traditional styles at advanced levels, when the students are ready. 

The schools Lee criticized tend to see their initial conservatism as a safety feature; a legacy of practical experience passed down from generation to generation, said to ensure that their students are thoroughly prepared for advanced martial arts training, skipping nothing and developing intangibles such as good character, patience and discipline. 

The hierarchy of the traditional schools is said by this reasoning to provide a level playing field for all students by instilling respect and care for one's seniors, peers and juniors, so that everyone, not just the physically gifted, has an opportunity to benefit from the training provided in a martial art school.

The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of mixed martial arts in modern times -- Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the "father of mixed martial arts". Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of Mixed Martial Arts. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD "Combat Ranges". A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range to thus be effective in all of them; just as in Mixed Martial Arts.

Jeet Kune Do Principles

The following are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The "4 Combat Ranges" in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a "total" martial artist. This is also the principle most related to mixed martial arts. The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire.

. Be like water

JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim.

JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible.

II. Economy of motion

JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.

A. Stop hits & stop kicks

This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts.

B. Simultaneous parrying & punching

When confronting an incoming attack; the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.

C. No high kicks

JKD practitioners believe they should restrict their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot and provide more stability.

D. Non telegraphic

A punch should be felt before seen

III. Learn the 3 ranges of combat

• short
• medium
• long

Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges. Bruce Lee's theories have been especially influential and substantiated in the field of mixed martial arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges.

IV. Five Ways Of Attack

A. Single Angular Attack and its converse Single Direct Attack.

B. Hand Immobilization Attack and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack, which make use of “trapping” to limit the opponent to function with that appendage.

C. Progressive Indirect Attack. Attacking one part of the opponent's body followed by attacking another part as a means of creating an opening.

D. Attack By Combinations. This is using multiple rapid attacks as a means of using volume of attack to overcoming the opponent.

E. Attack By Drawing. This is creating an opening with positioning as a means of counter attacking.

V. Three Parts of JKD

Jeet Kune Do practitioners believe that techniques should contain the following properties:

• Efficiency - An attack that reaches its mark
• Directness - Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.
• Simplicity - Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors, This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Jeet Kune Do".  

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