Jeet Kune Do (截拳道 (截拳道; ; also "Jeet Kun Do", "JKD," or "Jeet Kuen Do") is a hybrid martial a
ts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, n on classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system wo rks on the use of different 'tools' for different situations. These situations a re broken down into ranges (Kicking, Punching, Trapping and Grappling), with tec hniques flowing smoothly between them. It is referred to as a "style without sty le". Unlike more traditional martial arts, Jeet Kune Do is not fixed or patterne d, and is a philosophy with guiding thoughts. It was named for the concept of in terception, or attacking your opponent while he is about to attack. However, the name Jeet Kune Do was often said by Bruce Lee to be just a name. He himself oft en referred to it as "The art of expressing the human body" in his writings and in interviews. Through his studies Bruce came to believe that styles had become too rigid, and unrealistic. He called martial art competitions of the day "Dry l and swimming". He believed that combat was spontaneous, and that a martial artis t cannot predict it, only react to it, and that a good martial artist should "Be like water" and move fluidly without hesitation. In 2004, the Bruce Lee Foundation decided to use the name Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do (振藩截拳道 refer to the martial arts system that Lee founded. "Jun Fan" was Lee's Chinese g iven name Lee's philosophy Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat system and philosoph y. Originally, when Lee began researching various fighting styles, he gave his m artial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create anothe r style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead descri bed the process that he used to create it: I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contra ry, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Rem ember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselv es". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member o f. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery abo ut my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinar y part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feel ings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kun g Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who s ays Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionar y pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outsid e all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you J eet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back. — Bruce Lee[2] [edit] Modern Jeet Kune Do philosophy JKD as it survives today — if one wants to view it "refined" as a product, not a p rocess — is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of th e life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each ot her to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed fro m 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 used the sculptor's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at t he "unessentials"; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat e ssentials, or JKD. The dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. Lee minimized the use of othe r stances except when circumstances warranted such actions. Although the On-Guar d position is a good overall stance, it is by no means the only one. He acknowle dged that there were times when other positions should be utilized. Lee felt the dynamic property of JKD was what enabled its practitioners to adapt to the constant changes and fluctuations of live combat. He believed that these decisions should be done within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sp arring" and that it was only in this environment that a person could actually de em a technique worthy of adoption. Bruce Lee did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or "Kata", as m ost traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. He often compared d oing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land. Lee b elieved that real combat was alive and dynamic. Circumstances in a fight change from millisecond to millisecond, and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques a re not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. As an anecdote to thi s 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 ins tance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts. [edit] Principles The following are principles that Bruce Lee incorporated into his Jeet Kune Do.[ 3] He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident, and would lead to combat success if followed. Familiarity with each of the "Four ranges of combat", in particular, is thought to be instrumental in becoming a "total" mar tial artist. JKD teaches that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of an "intercepting fist". For a person to attack another hand-to-hand, the attacker must approach the target. This provides an opportunity for the attacked person t o "intercept" the attacking movement. The principle of interception may be appli ed to more than intercepting physical attacks. Non-verbal cues (subtle movements that an opponent may be unaware of) may be perceived or "intercepted", and thus be used to one's advantage. The "Five ways of attack", categories which help JKD practitioners organize thei r fighting repertoire, comprise the offensive teachings of JKD. The concepts of "Stop hits & stop kicks", and "Simultaneous parrying & punching", borrowed from épée fencing's and Wing Chun's concepts of single fluid motions which attack while d efending, comprise the defensive teachings of JKD. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee, to complement the principle of interception. [edit] 'Be like water' Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often us ed water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in mart ial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejo ining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardes t rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. L ee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students rej ect traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this lack of flexibility. JKD is
claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing, thus being extremely f lexible. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often qu oted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This is believed to expand one's knowledge of other fighting systems; to both add to one's arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such tacti cs. Bruce Lee once said: "Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. I f you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow, creep, drip or it can crash. Be water my friend."[4] [edit] Economy of motion Jeet Kune Do seeks to waste no time or movement, teaching that the simplest thin gs work best. Economy of motion is the principle by which JKD practitioners achi eve: Efficiency: An attack which reaches its target in the least amount of time, wit h maximum force. Directness: Doing what comes naturally in a disciplined way. Simplicity: Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation. This is meant to help a practitioner conserve both energy and time; two crucial components in a physical confrontation. Maximized force seeks to end the battle quickly due to the amount of damage inflicted upon the opponent. Rapidity aims t o reach the target before the opponent can react, which is half-beat faster timi ng, learned in Wing Chun and Western boxing.[5] Learned techniques are utilized in JKD to apply these principles to a variety of situations. [edit] Stop hits & stop kicks "When the distance is wide, the attacking opponent requires some sort of prepara tion. Therefore, attack him on his preparation of attack." "To reach me, you mus t move to me. Your attack offers me an opportunity to intercept you."This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. It is for this concept Jeet Kune Do is named. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy is a f eature of some traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as an essential compone nt of European épée fencing. Stop hits & kicks utilize the principle of economy of m otion by combining attack and defense into one movement thus minimizing the "tim e" element. [edit] Simultaneous parrying & punching When confronting an incoming attack, the attack is parried or deflected and a co unter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but mo re effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is practiced by some Chinese martial arts. Simultaneous parrying & punching utilizes the prin ciple of economy of motion by combining attack and defense into one movement thu s minimizing the "time" element and maximizing the "energy" element. Efficiency is gained by utilizing a parry rather than a block. By definition a "block" stop s an attack whereas a parry merely re-directs an attack. Redirection has two adv antages: It requires less energy to execute; it utilizes the opponents energy ag ainst them by creating an imbalance. Efficiency is gained in that the opponent h as less time to react to the nullification of their attack while having to worry about defending an incoming attack. [edit] Low kicks JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shi ns, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, p rovide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with
all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportun ity presents itself, even a target above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle. Maintaining low kicks utilizes the principle of economy of motion by reducing the distance a kick must travel thus minimizing the "time" element. [edit] The four ranges of combat Kicking Punching Trapping Grappling Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, t his range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee s tated that most but not all traditional martial arts systems specialize in train ing 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 Comba t are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges. As a historical not e, the ranges in JKD have evolved over time. Initially the ranges were categoriz ed as short or close, medium, and long range.[6] These terms proved ambiguous an d eventually evolved into their more descriptive forms although there may still be others who prefer the three categories. [edit] Five ways of attack Simple Angular Attack (SAA) / Simple Direct Attack (SDA). Is a simple motion (p unch or kick) which moves with no effort to conceal it, directly to the target o n the most economical route. It can be indirect, beginning on one line and endin g on another. Such as a punch that starts to the stomach (mid line) and ends on the chin (high line). SAA is an attack that is launched from an unanticipated an gle that is achieved by moving in such a way as to create an open line into whic h to strike.[7] Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks, with volume of attack as a means of overcoming the opponent.[8] Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA). Simulating an attack to one part of the oppo nent's body, followed by attacking another part, as a means of creating an openi ng. Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA) and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack , which make use of trapping/parrying to limit the opponent's function with that appendage. Attack By Drawing (ABD). The goal when using attack by draw is to "draw" the op ponent into a committed attack by baiting him into what looks like an exposed ta rget, then intercepting his motion. One can execute a motion that invites a coun ter, then counter attack them as he takes the bait.[7] [edit] Centerline
The Wing Chun centerline.
Punching from the Wing Chun centerline.
The centerline can be expressed as the height of a triangle.
An animation of mechanical linkage to the shoulders of our triangle illustrates the importance of guarding our centerline. The centerline is an imaginary line drawn vertically along the center of a stand ing human body; and refers to the space directly in front of that body. If we dr aw an isosceles triangle on the floor, for which our body forms the base, and ou r arms form the equal legs of the triangle, then h (height of the triangle) is t hat same centerline. The Wing Chun concept is to exploit, control and dominate a n opponent's centerline. All attacks, defenses, and footwork are designed to gua rd your own centerline while entering your opponent's centerline space. Lee inco rporated this theory into JKD from his sifu Yip Man's Wing Chun. The three guidelines for centerline are: The one who controls the centerline will control the fight. Protect and maintain your own centerline while you control and exploit your opp onent's. Control the centerline by occupying it. This notion is closely related to maintaining control of the center squares in t he strategic game chess. The concept is obviously present in Xiangqi (Chinese ch ess), where an "X" is drawn on the game board, in front of both players' general and advisors. [edit] Combat realism One of the premises that Bruce Lee incorporated in Jeet Kune Do was "combat real ism". He insisted that martial arts techniques should be incorporated based upon their effectiveness in real combat situations. This would differentiate JKD fro m other systems where there was an emphasis on "flowery technique" as Lee would put it. Lee claimed that flashy "flowery techniques" would arguably "look good" but were often not practical or prove ineffective in street survival and self-de fense situations. This premise would differentiate JKD from other "sport" orient ed martial arts systems that were geared towards "tournament" or "point systems" . Lee felt that these systems were "artificial" and fooled its practitioners int o a false sense of true martial skill. Lee felt that because these systems favor ed a "sports" approach they incorporated too many rule sets that would ultimatel y handicap a practitioner in self defense situations. He felt that this approach to martial arts became a "game of tag" which would lead to bad habits such as p ulling punches and other attacks; this would again lead to disastrous consequenc es in real world situations. Because of this perspective Lee utilized safety gea r from various other contact sports to allow him to spar with opponents "full ou t". This approach to training allowed practitioners to come as close as possible to real combat situations with a high degree of safety. Donn Draeger, world ren owned martial arts pioneer, was the first Westerner to bring widespread attentio n to the often cited “-do” versus “-jutsu” controversy. Historically the "do" or way art s were based on the "jutsu" or technique arts without what was deemed "dangerous techniques". The "do" arts such as Judo were thus seen as a "watered down" vers ion of their "jutsu" counterparts such as jujutsu, a combat-tested martial art, and thus considered a sport. Lee objected to these "sport" versions of martial a rts and instead emphasized combat realism. [edit] Absorbing what is useful This is the idea that a martial artist can only learn techniques in their proper context, through a holistic approach. Styles provide more than just techniques: They offer training methods, theories, and mental attitudes. Learning these fac
tors allows a student to experience a system in what Lee called its "totality". Only through learning a system completely will an artist be able to, "absorb wha t is useful," and discard the remainder. Real combat training situations allow t he student to learn what works, and what doesn't. The critical point of this pri nciple is that the choice of what to keep is based on personal experimentation w ith various opponents over time. It is not based on how a technique may look or feel, or how precisely the artist can mimic tradition. In the final analysis, if the technique is not beneficial in combat, it is discarded. Lee believed that o nly the individual could come to understand what worked; based on critical self analysis, and by, "honestly expressing oneself, without lying to oneself." [edit] Branches Although Bruce Lee officially closed his martial arts schools two years before h is death, he allowed his curriculum to be taught privately. Since his death, Jee t Kune Do is argued to have split into different groups. Allegedly they are: The Original (or Jun Fan) JKD branch, whose proponents include Taky Kimura, Yap Mat, James Lee, Jerry Poteet, and Ted Wong; these groups claim to teach what wa s believed to be only what was taught by Bruce Lee, and encourage the student to further develop his or her self and abilities through those teachings. The inhe rent training principles of this branch are shaped by the concepts of what was " originally taught", by Bruce Lee, which does include such concepts as absorbing what is useful and discarding what is not. These theories are merely viewed in d ifferent contexts by the two branches. The JKD Concepts branch, whose proponents include Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustill o, Larry Hartsell; these groups strive to continue the philosophy of individual self-expression through re-interpretation of combat systems through the lens of Jeet Kune Do, under the concept that it was never meant to be a static art but r ather an ongoing evolution, and have incorporated elements from many other marti al arts into the main fold of its teachings (most notably, grappling and Kali / Escrima material) based on the individual's personal preferences and physical at tributes. The entire JKD "system" can be described through a simple diagram, and the concepts can then be applied to a variety of contexts in a "universal" way. [8] It should be noted that as far as is known, Bruce Lee himself authorized only th ree people to teach Jeet Kune Do: Daniel Inosanto, Taky Kimura, and James Yimm L ee (no relation to Bruce.) James Yimm Lee died of cancer while Bruce was still a live. This leaves only Inosanto and Kimura as persons authorized by Lee, himself to teach Jeet Kune Do. Sijo James DeMile from the Seattle era of Bruce's teachi ng calls his system "Wing Chun Do." In his "Jeet Kuen" classes at the Academy,Inosanto teaches Lee's art the way Lee taught him. Although jiujitsu, muay thai, kali, silat, and several other arts a re taught at the Inosanto Academy, Inosanto does not mix these techniques in the Jeet Kune Do classes. There are essentially two "types" or viewpoints of Jeet Kune Do: 1.JKD framework This type of JKD provides the guiding principles. Bruce Lee exp erimented with many styles and techniques to reach these conclusions. To Lee the se principles were truisms. The JKD framework is not bound or confined by any st yles or systems. This type of JKD is a process. 2.JKD Personal Systems This type of JKD utilizes the JKD framework along with a ny techniques from any other style or system to construct a "personal system". T his approach utilizes a "building blocks" manner in which to construct a persona lized system that is especially tailored to an individual. Lee believed that onl y an individual could determine for themselves what the usefulness of any techni que should be. This type of JKD is thus a product. Lee believed that this freedom of adoption was a distinguishing property from tr
aditional martial arts. There are many who confuse the JKD Framework with a JKD Personal System (IE. Bru ce Lee's personal JKD) thinking them to be one and the same. The system that Bru ce Lee personally expressed was his own personal JKD; tailored for himself. Befo re he could do this, however, he needed to first develop the "JKD Framework" pro cess. Many of the systems that Lee studied were not to develop his "Personal JKD " but rather was used to gather the "principles" for incorporation in the JKD Fr amework approach. The uniqueness of JKD to Lee is that it was a "process" not a "product" and thus not a "style" but a system, concept, or approach. Traditional martial arts styles are essentially a product that is given to a student with l ittle provision for change. These traditional styles are usually fixed and not t ailored for individuals. Lee said there were inherent problems with this approac h and established a "process" based system rather than a fixed style which a stu dent could then utilize to make a "tailored" or "personal" product of their own. To use an analogy; traditional martial arts give students fish to eat (a produc t). Lee believed that a martial art should just teach the student to fish (a pro cess) and gain the food directly. The two branches of JKD differ in what should be incorporated or offered within the "JKD Framework". The Original (or Jun Fan) JKD branch believes that the orig inal principles before Bruce Lee died are all that is needed for the constructio n of personalized systems. The JKD Concepts branch believe that there are furthe r principles that can be added to construct personalized systems. The value of e ach Branch can be determined by individual practitioners based on whatever merit s they deem important. Original JKD is further divided into two points of view. OJKD and JFJKD both hol d Wing Chun, Western boxing and fencing as the cornerstones on Bruce's JKD. OJKD follows all Bruce's training from early Jun Fan Gung Fu (Seattle period) a nd focuses on trapping with Wing Chun influence. This is his teachings before it was Jeet Kune Do, but still his kung fu interpretations. Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do is a signature version of JKD as Bruce taught privately to Ted Wong. This is a later time period and practices a greater emphasis on elusi veness and simplified trapping unique to Bruce's later approach to combat. The f ocus is with Wing Chun, Western Boxing, and Fencing. [edit] In popular culture Kato (Bruce Lee) from The Green Hornet is the first fighter who used Jeet Kune Do. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a student of Lee used JKD against Lee in Game of Death. Lee chose Jabbar for this role to emphasize their difference in body size and displ aying two fighters who had transcended "style".[9] Tommy Oliver' (Jason David Frank) from Power Rangers. Actor Jason David Frank s tudied Jeet Kune Do in real life, bringing the techniques to the character. Shang-Chi from Marvel Comics. Sublime (Wildstorm) from Wildstorm Comics. A member of the DV8 team and a Jeet Kune Do practitioner. She is also a master of the three sectional staff. Seta Noriyasu, Naru Narusegawa, and Serah McDougal from Love Hina with the firs t teaching it to the others. Snake Eyes (G.I. Joe) from G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Sera Masumi from Detective Conan/Case Closed. She is a high school detective wh o is an expert in Jeet Kune Do. Fei Long from Street Fighter. Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Mokap, and Blaze from Mortal Kombat. Jacky Bryant and Sarah Bryant from Virtua Fighter. Knuckles The Echidna from Sonic The Hedgehog. Marshall Law from Tekken. [edit] References
1.^ Bruce Lee: Dynamic Becoming, p.23 2.^ Lee, Bruce (September 1971), "Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate", Bla ck Belt Magazine (Rainbow Publications, Inc.) 9 (9): 24. 3.^ Hochheim, W. Hoch (January 1995), "The Maze of Jeet Kune Do", Black Belt Ma gazine (Rainbow Publications, Inc.) 33 (1): P. 110. 4.^ http://www.eyeballsout.com/quotes/brucelee.html 5.^ Chu, Robert. "The Wing Chun Mind: Learn to Think Like a True Fighter", Insi de Kung-Fu, September, 1991. Republished, hawkinscheung.com, October, 2001. 6.^ Lee, Linda (1975), The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Ohara Publications Inc., pp. P. ?, ISBN 0-89750-048-2 7.^ a b http://www.jkd-la.com/principles.html 8.^ a b Inosanto, Dan (1980), Jeet Kune Do: The Art & Philosophy of Bruce Lee, Know Now Publishing Co.,, pp. P. 104–106, ISBN 0-938676-00-8 9.^ Bowman, Paul (2010). Theorizing Bruce Lee: film-fantasy-fighting-philosophy Volume 5 of Contemporary cinema. Rodopi. p. 156. ISBN 9789042027770. [edit] Bibliography Assli, Salem, Jeet Kune Do 'Toutes les techniques de Bruce Lee' Publisher = Edi tions Chiron/year 2002 / location= ISBN:2-7027-0693-2 Balicki, Ron; Steve Gold (2001), Jeet Kune Do: The Principles of a Complete Fig hter, HNL Publishing, ISBN 0953176630 Basaran, Fehm (1995), Jeet Kune Do Fighting, Taipei ,Taiwan Beasley, Jerry (2001), The Jeet Kune Do Experience: Understanding Bruce Lee's U ltimate Martial Art, Paladin Press, ISBN 978-1581601312 Bishop, James (2004), Bruce Lee: Dynamic Becoming, Dallas: Promethean Press, IS BN 0-9734054-0-6 Cheng, David (2004), Jeet Kune Do Basics, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 0-8048-3542-X Davis, Lamar (2001), Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do: Scientific Streetfighting, HNL Publi shing, ISBN 978-0953176618 Hochheim, W. Hoch (January 1995), "The Maze of Jeet Kune Do", Black Belt Magazi ne (Rainbow Publications, Inc.) vol. 33 (issue 1) Kent, Tackett, Chris, Tim (1989), Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do: The Textbook, Action Pu rsuit Group, ISBN 0865681317 Lee, Bruce (1975), Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Ohara Publications, ISBN 9780897500487 Lee, Bruce (1978), Bruce Lee's Fighting Method, Ohara Publications, Inc., ISBN 0-89750-062-8 Little, John (1996), The Warrior Within: The Philosophies of Bruce Lee to Bette r Understand the World Around You and Achieve a Rewarding Life, McGraw-Hill, ISB N 0809231948 Little, John (1997), Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 0804831327 Little, John (2001), Bruce Lee: Artist of Life, Tuttle Publishing, ISBN 0804832 633 Little, John (2002), Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living, Tu ttle Publishing, ISBN 0804834717 Seaman, Kevin (1999), Jun Fan Gung Fu Seeking The Path Of Jeet Kune Do, S.l.: H ealth 'N' Life, ISBN 0-9531766-2-2 Thomas, Bruce (1994), Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit, Berkeley, California: Frog, L td., ISBN 1883319250 Yılmaz, Yüksel (2000), Dövüş Sanatlarının Temel İlkeleri, İstanbul, Turkey: Beyaz Yayınla -8261-87-8 Yılmaz, Yüksel (2008), Jeet Kune Do'nun Felsefesi, İstanbul, Turkey: Yalın Yayıncılık, IS 789944313674
