Question about JKD...

[Samurai Jack]

I read the Tao of Jeet Kune Do again, and noticed that Bruce Lee included nominal studies of many different martial arts in order to illustrate his theories concerning personal combat. I noticed aikido, greco-roman wrestling, boxing (lots and lots of boxing), wing chun, boxe francois savate, jujutsu, and judo.

I didn't see any kali, arnis, indonesian fighting arts, or BJJ (obviously). Now I know that Dan Inosanto was instrumental in applying JKD to his Pacific Rim martial arts (or maybe vice versa), but where did the other arts that Bruce borrowed from go? For example I see several pins from aikido discussed, as well as numerous judo throws. Yet I've never seen these techniques discussed in any JKD concepts schools.

Anyone know where they went, and maybe why they were discarded?

[yenhoi]

To begin with the Tao of JKD was not put together by Bruce Lee and published as a finished work. They are notes compiled, put in order, and stamped together like one body of work, and published by his wife after his death. You find the rest of Bruce Lee's notes published as several different texts by both John Little and Dan Inosanto. There is like a nine book red, black, and gold set by John Little, and then another set by Guru Dan, Ted Wong, and others that come in many different colors, I forgt the name of that series, its old and our of print, its called something like the Fundamentals of JKD or something.

At any rate, at some point in his notes you will find a list of '26 Fighting Elements of Jun Fan" and I dont remember kali, escrima, or panantukan being on the list. Dan Inosanto says in many interviews that he had barely exposed BL to the filipino stuff. In BL's Commentaries by John little or the JKD Conversations book (a book of interviews with BL's 1st gen students.) there is a quote from Dan Inosanto talking about how when he gave sticks to BL, he just picked them up and used them naturally like an escrimador. There is also the fight between BL and Dan Inosanto in the 2nd or 3rd level of the pagoda in Game Of Death, where BL uses a switch to defeat Dan Inosanto's filipino sticks, implying the Fencing element in JKD was superior.

Most JKD Concept schools are some kinda CSW/Kali/Muay Thai thing. The basic opinion is that they dont need to delve deeply into other arts, like aikido. Aikido being a specially hard example, concerning the massive amounts of lore, lingo, and culture layers you generally have to sort out at most aikido sources, specially in the US where it is almost impossible to find any sort of good, working aikido in anytown USA.

Bruce Lee specifically was concerned with improving his martial and on-screen skills. It doesnt seem to have been his desire to document the ups and downs of every art he came in contact with. Meaning he didnt neccessarily delve as deeply as he could on each and every subject. The core of Jun Fan-JKD is fencing, wing chun, and boxing. Those were the primary subjects BL explored to their greatest extent (in his time) - nowadays for us modern folk, the primary subjects are different but similar. For a person like me in Reno, NV, there is not an aikido instructor within a good drive that could throw someone to save his life, let alone demonstrate much useful in an American Minute that would convince me to spend valuable training time exploring his raw-art at the expense of honing the stuff I already know is good.

SBGi defends their use of (Thai) Boxing, Wrestling, and BJJ as whole arts like so: Why re-invent the wheel? Training these three arts, even individually, in a resistance-orientated environment will give you applicable skills in all ranges of combat, so what real reason is there to seek out aikido or savate? The goal is to actually learn how to put a wrist lock on someone, not document the many different ways found in the world to possibly apply a wrist lock.

So maybe that helps you out, in short, you should read more then the Tao of JKD to find the type of info you seem to be looking for.

:cool:

[Samurai Jack]

So maybe that helps you out, in short, you should read more then the Tao of JKD to find the type of info you seem to be looking for.

:cool:


Or ask someone who knows... thanks for the quick reply, yenhoi.

;)

[yenhoi]

Its also worth noting that the PROCESS of accumulation and discarding is not permanent, and is a individual thing. Its not as black and white as a two line quote from the Tao. As an individual, all of us are constantly accumulating, judging training methods by various personal-goal-based criteria, and then discarded after measurements are taken. We are also talking about training methods, not training techniques. Which should mean in a heartbeat that we are all kinda working on stuff we find to be important at the time, and not working on the stuff we dont find personally important. That doesnt mean the second category is entirelly tossed into the trash-can, they are just obviously not as important.

;)

[stainlesschi]

ive read the book several times and studied it and in my humble opinion u use what u know,what works and find your own way dont think jkd is a set system which is what its all about,get in and finish it quickly...which in my case would wing chun and street fighting,the straight blast,chain punching and front kick ...

[Flame Tiger]

I have read the book and have learned a little wu shu from before and afterwards I have noticed that any type of fighting is easier for me to win or get close to winning, but i'm so far out of my style I dont know what I do any more.

If the diamond of the arts meant for us to do wha t works for us and create our own style then why do we have JKD schools?

Also since the style was never finished what would someone have to do to contribute to the martial art?

who took the tourch after the lee family?

Whats the truth on how he passed away?

if he was murded what was the motive, what was the motive of brandons death ?

Did bruce have a secret life or something?

**** why ?

[Sifu uga]

If the diamond of the arts meant for us to do wha t works for us and create our own style then why do we have JKD schools?

Also since the style was never finished what would someone have to do to contribute to the martial art?


**** why ?

The idea is for each of us to find our own way and in theory our own JKD. People are attracted to the legacy of Bruce Lee and the mystique of JKD. This curiosity and love for Bruce is why JKD schools are in demand. On top of that it works. It might have been Bruce's way but many people have found it to work for them. To contribute to it just follow the ideas behind it. Follow your own instincts and develop your own personal martial way. This by no means would be JKD but it would be an honest expression of understanding and development of the arts.

[wingchun]

First of all in reality there are 2 types of JKD. First of all, as we all know Bruce Lee first started studying martial arts under Yip Man who tought him Wingchun. So he incorperated alot of his wingchun understanding into JKD, As far as the sliping, feinting, strikeing, ect. So even tho he did put focus on aspects of other martial arts the first type is what was invented by him and as in the "Tao Of Jeet Kune Do" his written notes and is based on Wing Chun. The 2nd type is what came after his death which is the interpretation by instructers who were not tought directly by him or the few who he gave permision to teach. It is based on not useing just one particuler styles but useing aspects of many but as stated it is not based directly on hes teachings. Also I may be wrong but I do not think BJJ had been intraduced at the time of bruce lee. however jujitsu was around and there is one page in his book that is labeled judo and jujitsu but i do not have my copy with me so i dont know the page number. Hope this helps.

Daniel "aka sehlong"