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Jeet Kune Do
From MartialWiki English
| Jeet Kune Do | |
| 截拳道 | |
| "Way of the Intercepting Fist" | |
| Also known as | Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do; JKD |
| Origin |  United States of America
|
| Founded by | Bruce Lee |
| Primary focus | interception, formlessness |
| Classification | Hybrid |
| Influenced by | Wing Chun & various others |
Known as the "formless form" for its profoundly eclectic and individualistic nature, Jeet Kune Do (Chinese: 截拳道, Jitkyùndou) is the combat philosophy developed by martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Jeet Kune Do is not a fighting system but a philosophy; a process; a means to an end. Instead of stacking martial art style upon martial art style, Jeet Kune Do encourages the user to adapt what is useful while discarding what is not.
Contents |
[edit] Concept
| “ | 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 contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary 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 feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says 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 reactionary 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 outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet 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. | ” |
[edit] Philosophy
[edit] Formlessness
| “ | Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water. Now, you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can either flow, or it can crash! Be like water, my friend. | ” |
Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial 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, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students reject 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 flexible. "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. 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 tactics.
[edit] Interception
| “ | To reach me, you must move to me. Your attack offers me an opportunity to intercept you. | ” |
Jeet Kune Do practitioners subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of "Intercepting". Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them. This provided an opportunity to "intercept" that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or "intercepted" and thus be used to one's advantage. The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. The concepts of Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were borrowed from European Fencing and Wing Chun's theory of simultaneous defending and attacking, and comprise the defensive portion of JKD. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee. These concepts also complement the other principle of interception.
[edit] Etymology
Jeet Kune Do translates to "Way of the Intercepting Fist". In China, it is sometimes referred to as Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, often shortened to simply Jun Fan. Jun Fan was Lee's Chinese given name, so the literal full name translation is "Bruce Lee's Way of the Intercepting Fist".
[edit] Technique
[edit] Key principles
[edit] Economy of motion
Jeet Kune Do students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat, JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.
[edit] Stop hits
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.
[edit] 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.
[edit] No high kicks
JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide 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 opportunity presents itself, even a target above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.
[edit] Four Ranges of Combat
- Kicking
- Punching
- Trapping
- Grappling
[edit] Five Ways of Attack
- Single Angular Attack (SAA) and its converse Single Direct Attack (SDA).
- Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA) and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack, which make use of trapping to limit the opponent's function with that appendage.
- Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA). Attacking one part of the opponent's body followed by attacking another part as a means of creating an opening.
- Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks, with volume of attack as a means of overcoming the opponent.
- Attack By Drawing (ABD). This is creating an opening with positioning as a means of counter attacking.
[edit] Three Properties of Jeet Kune Do
JKD 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.
[edit] Centerline
The centerline refers to an imaginary line running down the center of one's body. The theory is to exploit, control and dominate your opponent's centerline. All attacks, defenses and footwork are designed to preserve your own centerline and open your opponent's. Lee incorporated this theory into JKD from Wing Chun. This notion is closely related to maintaining control of the center squares in the strategic game chess.
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 opponent's.
- Control the centerline by occupying it.
[edit] History
JKD 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. 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 sculptor's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the "unessentials"; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat essentials, or JKD.
[edit] Genealogy
[edit] Variants
[edit] Original JKD branch(Jun Fan Gung Fu)
Various groups taught by Taky Kimura, James Lee, Jerry Poteet, and Ted Wong; these groups claim to teach what was believed to be only what was taught by Bruce Lee, and encourage the student to further develop his or her abilities through those teachings. The inherent training principles of this branch are shaped by the static concept of what was "originally taught", just as the training systems of "traditional" martial arts have been taught for centuries and become recognizable as "styles", except it is referred to as a philosophy of "style without style".
[edit] Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do
An American hybrid fighting system and a modified, signature version of Jeet Kune Do with direct, nonclassical, and straightforward movements based on a compilation of different systems, that is under the philosophy of individual self-expression that practices a greater emphasis on elusiveness and simplified trapping. With Wing Chun as the core of the system, Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do encourages the practitioner to further develop one's abilities through those(these) teachings, under the concept that it was never meant to be a static art, but rather an ongoing evolution and have incorporated a modification of different martial arts into its teachings such as Northern Seven-Star Praying Mantis, Southern Chu Gar Praying Mantis, Buk Sing Choy Lay Fut, Eagle Claw, Boxing, Savate, Muay Thai, Lethwei, Freestyle Wrestling, Catch Wrestling, Sambo, Fencing, Aikido, Judo, Small Circle Jujitsu, Wu-Style Tai Chi Chuan, Pigua, Xingyi, Jiang-Style Baguazhang, Pak Hok Pai, Bak Fu Pai, Wuzuquan, Bak Mei, Northern Shaolin, Hung Gar, Law Horn Kuen, Chin Na, Houquan, Zuiquan, Pananjakman, Pangamut, Buno, Kali Sikaran, Tan Tui, Tae Kwon Do, Systema, Kendo, Brazilian Jujitsu, Maphilindo Silat, Goju-Ryu Karate, Shotokan Karate, and Shoot Wrestling. The inherent training principles are based on the individual's personal preferences and physical attributes are shaped by the philosophy of "style without style", the entire Jeet Kune Do "system" can be described through a simple diagram, and can them be applied to a variety of contexts in a "universal" way. The practitioner can then adapt by developing from other fighting sytems and martial arts.
[edit] The JKD Concepts branch
Various groups taught by Dan Inosanto, Richard Bustillo, and 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, of which it is a different version of Jeet Kune Do that utilizes Jun Fan Gung Fu as the core of the system and has incorporated elements from many other martial arts into the mainfold of its teachings such as Muay Thai, Shoot Wrestling, Pangamut, Brazilian Jujitsu, Panantukan, Inosanto-Lacoste Blend Kali, Dog Brothers Martial Arts, Maphilindo Silat, Combat Jujitsu, Combat Karate, Kenpo Karate, & MMA.
[edit] Notable practitioners
- Bruce Lee - Originator of Jeet Kun Do.
- Chuck Norris - Trained under Bruce Lee, famous televison and movie star.
[edit] In fiction
- Marshall Law, Forest Law and Lee Chaolan from the Tekken series of video games
- The Bryant siblings in the Virtua Fighter series.
- Mokap and Lui Kang in the Mortal Kombat series.
[edit] Get involved
[edit] Links
- Jeet Kune Do on Wikipedia
- Australian Jeet Kune Do Association
[edit] References
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