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Jeet Kune Do is the philosophy of
martial arts that was founded by Bruce Lee. Yes,
that Bruce Lee.
He had been trained by Yip Man in the Kung Fu style of Wing Chun
while living in Hong Kong, but developed his own style which
combined Wing Chun with Western boxing and fencing techniques,
which he called "Jun Fan Gung Fu." This style is still the
foundation of any good JKD curriculum- anyone who doesn't
practice this doesn't do JKD.
Although Jun Fan Gung Fu was a
good system, it had some weaknesses. It was while seeking to
improve it that he came up with the Jeet Kune Do philosophy,
which literally means, "Way of the Intercepting Fist." This
essentially means that whatever is most useful and most
efficient to defeat an opponent should be used. This would seem
to be common sense, but the upshot of this is that the JKD
philosophy seeks techniques from all styles, in order to better
the individual. This is also why Bruce Lee referred to JKD as
"using no way as way," and why JKD is really better understood
as a martial arts philosophy rather than any particular style.
The openness of JKD has resulted in a strong influence from
many different martial arts styles, including Muay Thai
kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Filipino Kali/Escrima, French
Savate, Shoot Wrestling, Judo, Indonesian Silat, and Kendo. No
one particular style is emphasized in JKD- each student is
encouraged to, As Bruce Lee said, "absorb what is useful;
discard what is useless." This wide range of techniques allows
for the optimization of one of the basic principles of JKD- that
one should be proficient in combat at long, medium, and short
range, and that this proficiency should allow one to inflict the
most damage to an opponent at any point of combat, simply by
employing the most efficient style for that range.
Currently, there are two variations of JKD being taught. Just
before Bruce Lee died, he was upset that his "way of no way" was
being taught and interpreted by others as a new style, not just
a philosophy. He ordered all of his students to shut down their
schools, so that he could reassess how JKD could be taught.
Unfortunately, before this was completed, he died. Eventually,
one of his star students, Dan
Inosanto, began teaching again, and continued to research
new martial arts techniques for study and inclusion. This, he
felt, was the proper way to carry on Bruce's mission to refine
the philosophy of JKD. This variation is unofficially known as "JKD
Concepts," in that it emphasizes the concept of JKD as a
growing, changing entity. The other variation is directed by the
Bruce Lee
Foundation, and it teaches only the version of JKD that
existed when Bruce Lee died- it does not allow for nor seek
change.
I was introduced to Jeet Kune Do by a
good friend of mine, who had discovered a reputable school
in Cincinnati. The sifu (instructor) is Charles Reed, and he had
been taught by Dan Inosanto. I didn't have much martial art
training at the time- I had taken about a year's worth of Tae
Kwon Do as a little kid, but I found it really boring. But my
friend assured me that it wouldn't be boring in the slightest,
and I was keen to find a way to get more active. I'm in no way a
martial arts expert- to this day I practice it primarily as a
way to stay active, and since I always love learning new things,
the instructional context makes it a lot more interesting than
just spending a couple hours each week on a treadmill. Besides,
it's good practical self-defense training, and although I
probably won't ever have the chance to use it, it doesn't hurt
to know how to throw a punch.
I spent about six months at the
Reed Academy, learning
the basics of Jun Fan Gung Fu and picking up an appreciation for
the Filipino art of Kali, which is sometimes known as Escrima.
Since Dan Inosanto (a Filipino-American) has promoted Kali in
this country, any student of his is going to spend a lot of time
learning that art, and Sifu Reed was no exception. I also
learned some Muay Thai, some Jiu-Jitsu, and a little bit of
Silat, but Kali was my favorite. I don't know why- something
about swinging a stick around is just very satisfying for some
reason. The entire staff of the Reed Academy was very welcoming
and patient with me, and whatever I learned there is due mostly
to the excellence of the instructors. Sifu Reed is particularly
soft-spoken and modest, which I've found is a typical trait of
the most accomplished students of martial arts, although it's a
little strange to feel so at ease around a man who could
probably break my neck without breaking a sweat.
After moving to Texas, I was without a JKD school for some
time, until that same friend helped me find an excellent school
in the area. Sifu Raymond Crow was also a student of Dan
Inosanto's (the only Texan at his original school in Torrence,
California), as well as Larry
Hartsell, another of Bruce Lee's students who went on to
develop JKD Grappling. At
Crow's Martial Arts
Academy, I am continuing to study Jun Fan Gung Fu and Kali,
but I have also discovered the Indonesian martial art of Pentjak
Silat Serak, or just "Serak." This is a very violent, close
range style of combat that isn't taught by very many schools in
this country, although Sifu Crow is certified by Victor "Pak
Vic" DeThours, who teaches at the
VDT Academy and has pioneered the further technique of
Soempat, which uses a slightly curved stick for greater torque
and power in combat. I'm still very inexperienced at all the
styles I study, but I enjoy and look forward to them every week. |
Jun Fan/JKD
Kali/Escrima
Pentjak Silat Serak
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