Hello Kung Fu Magazine readers,
Mr name is Jerry Beasley. Since I am no longer active in JKD circles I wanted to take a few minutes and provide some information. I started learning about JKD like many of you from books and magazine articles. In 1982 I trained at a seminar in Charlotte, NC with Larry Hartsell and Dan Inosanto. I was hired by a book editor to write a book on JKD. At the time I was a 5th dan in karate/kickboxing. and I was very impressed with the JKD/Kali system being taught. For the next few years I traveled around the country training at Dan Inosanto seminars. I received certificates for training but I had no interest in an "apprentice" certificate since I was already a 5th dan.
My book "The Jeet Kune Do Experience" came out in 1988 and was endorsed by Dan Inosanto.
In 1981 I had begun training with Joe Lewis who was also a student under Bruce Lee. Mr. Lewis gave me a letter certifying me to teach the JKD kickboxing he had learned from Bruce Lee but I never opened a JKD club or taught an art or style and called it JKD. Just wasn't interested. Besides I had earned the 8th dan in Karate/kickboxing(1995) from Mr.Lewis and have taught that approach to combat ( www.aikia.net).
My interest in JKD was as a writer and Promoter. I was hired by Karate International magazine in 1988 to write the JKD column for that magazine. I introduced Dan Inosanto, Larry Hartsell, Tim Tacket, Paul Vunak, Lamar Davis, Gary Dill, Jerry Poteet, Ted Wong and many more to my readers. I received many, many leters requesting information not on the JKD Concept but on the JKD taught by Bruce Lee as a fighting art. I coined the term "Original JKD" to identify a difference in JKDC and OJKD in 1989.
Because of the interest in OJKD I promoted the first ever Original JKD camp in 1993. Paula Inosanto was unfortunately so upset that I was promoting OJKD...they must have thought it was an insult because, she wrote a letter calling me a JKD fake. Writers/promoters can't be fakes if they are successful. The camp was very successful with over 100 participants in spite of her attempt to stop people from attending or validating my articles.
Because of the popularity of the OJKD camp many OJKD instructors received attention and the unfortunate OJKD versus JKDC feud was begun. Sorry about that folks. The OJKD movement became so strong that Mrs. Bruce Lee began to organize the Bruce Lee Foundation ( formerly Nucleus) in the late 1990's.
Now there appears to forever be a divide in JKD.
My message is that all JKD is one. Dan Inosanto is the master of the JKD Concept. He is extremely talented. When Bruce Lee died in 1973 Bruce's other students turned to Dan for leadership. Dan has continued to advance, promote and evolve JKD...just as his instructor told him to do.
Still, there is room for other teachers of the JKD that was taught to them by Bruce Lee. There is absouletly no reason to insult Dan Inosanto for evolving the system. And, it makes absouletly no sense to insult those who prefer to learn about the JKD just as it was taught in the 1960's. In no way can the OJKD instructors and participants compete with the long established, powerful and wealthy JKD Concepts organization. To attack OJKD advocates for their interest is without merit.
I have had first hand experience as the target of written attacks and gossip for my support of OJKD. I am neither OJKD nor JKDC. I write about and support both sides. I encourage others to stop the debate and be proud of the path they choose to experience Jeet Kune Do. When you say something bad about someone else it is because you fear them. Seek to experience liberation from fear through your study of JKD. If you pursue JKD, in any form you are brothers.
Jerry Beasley, Ed.D.
Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame
Instructor of the Year 2000
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