The Meaning of JEET KUNE DO
Jeet Kune
Do
In 2004, the Bruce Lee Foundation decided to use the name Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do (振藩截拳道) to refer to the martial arts system that Lee founded; " Lee Jun Fan" and also “Xiao Lung” was Lee's Chinese given name.
System and philosophy
Lee's
philosophy
Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Lee gave to
his combat system and philosophy. Originally, when Lee began researching
various fighting styles, he called it Jun Fan Gung Fu.
However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations
that all styles had, he instead described 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 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.”
— Bruce
Lee
JKD as it survives since then if one views it
"refined" as a product, not a process is what was left at the time of
Lee's death. It is the result of the lifelong martial arts development process
Lee went through. Lee stated that his concept does not add more and more things
on top of each other to form a system, but rather selects the best thereof. 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 used the sculptor's mentality of
beginning with a lump of clay and removing the material that constituted the
"unessentials"; the end result was what he considered to be the bare
combat essentials, 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 other stances except when circumstances warranted such actions. Although the On-Guard position is a formidable overall stance, it is by no means the only one. He acknowledged 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 made within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sparring" and that it was only in this environment that a practitioner could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.
Lee believed that real combat was alive and dynamic. Circumstances in a fight change from millisecond to millisecond. Thus, pre-arranged patterns and techniques are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. As an antidote to this line of thought, 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 instance was what Lee thought of the "not too alive way of the classical kung fu styles".
Principles
The following are principles that Lee
incorporated into Jeet Kune Do.Lee 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" martial artist.
JKD teaches that the best defense
is a strong offense, hence the principle of an "intercepting fist".
For someone to attack another hand-to-hand, the attacker must approach the
target. This provides an opportunity for the attacked person to
"intercept" the attacking movement. The principle of interception may
be applied to more than intercepting physical attacks; non-verbal cues (subtle movements that an opponent may be unaware of) may
also be perceived or "intercepted", and thus be used to one's
advantage.The "Five ways of attack", categories which help JKD practitioners organize their fighting repertoire, comprise the offensive teachings of JKD. The concepts of "Stop hits & stop kicks", and "Simultaneous parrying & punching", based on the concept of single fluid motions which attack while defending (in systems such as Épée fencing and Wing Chun), compose 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.
Straight lead
Lee felt that the straight lead
was the most integral part of Jeet Kune Do punching, as he stated, "The
leading straight punch is the backbone of all punching in Jeet Kune Do." The straight lead is not a power strike but a strike formulated
for speed. The straight lead should always be held loosely with a slight
motion, as this adds to its speed and makes it more difficult to see and block.
The strike is not only the fastest punch in JKD, but also the most accurate.
The speed is attributed to the fact that the fist is held out slightly making
it closer to the target and its accuracy is gained from the punch being thrown
straight forward from one's centerline. The straight lead should be held and
thrown loosely and easily, tightening only upon impact, adding to one's punch.
The straight lead punch can be thrown from multiple angles and levels.
Non-telegraphed punch
Lee felt explosive attacks with
no telegraphing signs of intention were best. He argued that the attacks should
catch the opponent off-guard, throwing them off their balance and leaving them
unable to defend against further attacks. "The concept behind this is that
when you initiate your punch without any forewarning, such as tensing your
shoulders or moving your foot or body, the opponent will not have enough time
to react," Lee wrote.The key is that one must keep one's body and arms
loose, weaving one's arms slightly and only becoming tense upon impact. Lee
wanted no wind-up movements or "get ready poses" to prelude any JKD
attacks. Lee explained that any twitches or slight movements before striking
should be avoided as they will give the opponent signs or hints as to what is
being planned and then they will be able to strike first while one is preparing
an attack. Consequently, non-telegraphed movement is an essential part of Jeet
Kune Do philosophy.
"Be Like Water"
Lee emphasized that every
situation, in fighting or in everyday life, is varied. To obtain victory,
therefore, it is essential not to be rigid, but to be fluid and able to adapt
to any situation. He compared it to being like water: "Empty your mind, be
formless, shapeless, like water. If 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. That water can flow, or it can crash. Be water my
friend." Lee’s theory behind
this was that one must be able to function in any scenario one is thrown into
and should react accordingly. One should know when to speed up or slow down,
when to expand and when to contract, and when to remain flowing and when to
crash. It is the awareness that both life and fighting can be shapeless and
ever changing that allows one to be able to adapt to those changes
instantaneously and bring forth the appropriate solution. Lee did not believe
in "styles" and felt that every person and every situation is
different and not everyone fits into a mold; one must remain flexible in order
to obtain new knowledge and victory in both life and combat. One must never
become stagnant in the mind or method, always evolving and moving towards
improving oneself.
Economy of motion
Jeet Kune Do seeks to waste no
time or movement, teaching that the simplest things work best, as in Wing Chun.
Economy of motion is the principle by which JKD practitioners achieve:- Efficiency:
An attack which reaches its target in the least amount of time, with
maximum force.
- Directness:
Doing what comes naturally in a disciplined way.
- Simplicity:
Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.
Stop hits
"When the distance is wide,
the attacking opponent requires some sort of preparation. Therefore, attack him
on his preparation of attack." "To reach me, you must move to me.
Your attack offers me an opportunity to intercept you." This means
intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of one's own instead of simply
blocking it. 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 feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts as Wing Chun, as well as an essential component of European Épée
Fencing. Stop hits and kicks utilize the principle of economy of motion by
combining attack and defense into one movement, thus minimizing the
"time" element.
Simultaneous parrying and punching
When confronting an incoming
attack, the attack is parried or deflected, and a counterattack is delivered at
the same time. This is not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than
blocking and counterattacking in sequence. This is practiced by some Chinese
martial arts such as Wing Chun, and it is also known in Krav Maga as "bursting". Simultaneous parrying &
punching utilizes the principle of economy of motion by combining attack and
defense into one movement, thus minimizing the "time" element and
maximising the "energy" element. Efficiency is gained by utilizing a
parry rather than a block. By definition a "block" stops an attack,
whereas a parry merely re-directs it. Redirection has two advantages, first
that it requires less energy to execute and second that it utilizes the
opponent's energy against them by creating an imbalance. Efficiency is gained
in that the opponent has less time to react to an incoming attack, since they
are still nullifying the original attack.
Low kicks
JKD practitioners believe they
should direct their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and
midsection, as in Wing Chun. These
targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more
difficult to defend against. Maintaining low kicks utilizes the principle of
economy of motion by reducing the distance a kick must travel, thus minimizing
the "time" element. 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.
Four ranges of combat
- Kicking
- Punching
- Trapping
- Grappling
Five ways of attack
The original five ways of attack
are:
1.
Simple
Direct Attack (SDA)
2.
Attack
By Combination (ABC)
3.
Progressive
Indirect Attack (PIA)
4.
(Hand)
Immobilization Attack (HIA)
5.
Drawing
(ABD)
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 the triangle
illustrates the importance of guarding the centerline.
The centerline is an imaginary line drawn vertically along the center of a standing human body, and refers to the space directly in front of that body. If one draws an isosceles triangle on the floor, for which one's body forms the base, and one's arms form the equal legs of the triangle, then h (the height of the triangle) is the centerline. The Wing Chun concept is to exploit, control and dominate an opponent's centerline. All attacks, defenses, and footwork are designed to guard one's own centerline while entering the opponent's centerline space. Lee incorporated 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 opponent's.
- Control the centerline by occupying it.
Combat realism
One of the premises that Lee
incorporated in Jeet Kune Do was "combat realism". He insisted that
martial arts techniques should be incorporated based upon their effectiveness in
real combat situations. This would differentiate JKD from 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 would prove ineffective
in street survival and self-defense situations. This premise would
differentiate JKD from other "sport"-oriented martial arts systems
that were geared towards "tournament" or "point systems".
Lee felt that these systems were "artificial" and fooled their
practitioners into a false sense of true martial skill. Lee felt that because
these systems favored a "sports" approach they incorporated too many
rule sets that would ultimately 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 pulling punches and other attacks; this
would again lead to disastrous consequences in real world situations.Another aspect of realistic martial arts training fundamental to JKD is what Lee referred to as "aliveness". This is the concept of training techniques with an unwilling assistant who offers resistance. Lee made a reference to this concept in his famous quote "Boards don't hit back!" Because of this perspective of realism and aliveness, Lee utilized safety gear from various other contact sports to allow him to spar with opponents "full out". This approach to training allowed practitioners to come as close as possible to real combat situations with a high degree of safety.
Branches
- The Original (or Jun Fan) JKD branch, whose proponents include Taky
Kimura, James
Yimm Lee, Jerry
Poteet, Bob Bremer, and Ted Wong;
these groups teach what was developed and taught by Lee, and encourage the
student to further develop his or her self and abilities through those
teachings. The inherent training principles of this branch are shaped by
the concepts of what was "originally taught", by Lee, which does
include concepts that are often misused and misunderstood. Some argue
these theories are merely viewed in different contexts by the two
branches.
- The JKD
Concepts branch, whose
proponents include 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, under the concept that it was never meant to be a
static art but rather an ongoing evolution, and have incorporated elements
from many other martial arts into the main fold of its teachings (most
notably, grappling and Kali/Escrima material) based on the
individual's personal preferences and physical attributes. The entire
"system" can be described through a simple diagram, and the
concepts can then be applied to a variety of contexts in a
"universal" way.
Two other people were certified to teach by Lee as well. Taky Kimura and James Yimm Lee were certified to teach Jun Fan Gung Fu (the precursor to JKD), but not Jeet Kune Do itself.
There are essentially two "types" or viewpoints of Jeet Kune Do:
1.
JKD framework This type of JKD provides the guiding principles. Lee
experimented with many styles and techniques to reach these conclusions. To Lee
these principles were truisms. The JKD framework is not bound or confined by
any styles or systems. This type of JKD is a process.
2.
JKD Personal
Systems This type of JKD
utilizes the JKD framework along with any techniques from any other style or
system to construct a "personal system". This approach utilizes a
"building blocks" manner in which to construct a personalized system
that is especially tailored to an individual. Lee believed that only an
individual could determine for oneself what the usefulness of any technique
should be. This type of JKD is thus a product, but left to personal
interpretation and therefore drifts further from what Lee actually developed
and employed.
Lee believed that this freedom of adoption
was a distinguishing property from traditional martial arts.There are many who confuse the JKD Framework with a JKD Personal System (i.e. Lee's personal JKD) thinking them to be one and the same. The system that Lee personally expressed was his own personal JKD; that is, tailored for himself. Before he could do this, however, he needed to first develop the "JKD Framework" process. Many of the systems that Lee studied were not to develop his "Personal JKD" but rather to gather the "principles" for incorporation in the JKD Framework 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 little provision for change. These traditional styles are usually fixed and not tailored for individuals. Lee said there were inherent problems with this approach and established a "process" based system rather than a fixed style which a student 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 product), but Lee believed that a martial art should just teach the student to fish (a process) 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 original principles before Lee died are all that is needed for the construction of personalized systems. The JKD Concepts branch believe that there are further principles that can be added to construct personalized systems. The value of each Branch can be determined by individual practitioners based on whatever merits they deem important.
Original JKD is further divided into two points of view, which both hold Wing Chun, Western boxing, and Fencing as the cornerstones of Lee's JKD.
- OJKD follows
all Lee's training from early Jun Fan Gung Fu (Seattle period) and focuses
on trapping with Wing Chun influence. This is his teachings before they
were Jeet Kune Do, but still his kung fu interpretations.
- Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do is a signature version of JKD as Lee taught
privately to Ted Wong. This is a later time period and practices a greater
emphasis on elusiveness and simplified trapping unique to Lee's later
approach to combat. The focus is with Wing
Chun, Western Boxing,
and Épée Fencing.
In popular culture
- Kato (Bruce
Lee) from The Green Hornet was the first fighter to use Jeet
Kune Do.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from Game of
Death.
- Tommy
Oliver (Jason David Frank) from Power
Rangers. Actor Jason David Frank studied Jeet Kune Do in
real life, bringing the techniques to the character.
- Brandon Lee was a student of Jeet Kune Do and
used it in his fight scenes in his films.
- Alex
Caceres of the UFC
- Ben Saunders of Bellator
MMA
- In The Forbidden Kingdom, the lead
character refers to Bruce Lee and "the way of the intercepting
fist". The film's screenwriter, John
Fusco, is a student of Jeet Kune Do.
- In Cowboy
Bebop, Spike
Spiegel fights
using Jeet Kune Do and repeats Bruce Lee's "Be Like Water"
quote.
- In the fighting video-game series Tekken,
the characters Lee Chaolan, Marshall Law (Tekken), and Forest Law all use Jeet Kune Do.
The characters Marshall and Forrest Law themselves are homages to Bruce
and Brandon Lee, respectively.
- In the fighting video-game series Virtua
Fighter the
character Jacky Bryant uses
Jeet Kune Do.
- In the fighting video game series Dead or Alive the character Jann Lee also uses Jeet Kune Do.
- In the fighting video game series Street
Fighter, the character Fei
Long uses a fictional system called Hitenryu derived from JKD. It
incorporates many elements from Jeet Kune Do as the character is also an
homage to Bruce Lee.
- In Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance, Johnny
Cage uses Jeet
Kune Do as his secondary style. Liu Kang then uses it as his primary style
(renamed "Jun Fan", after Bruce Lee's Chinese given name), inMortal Kombat: Deception and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.
Kang's fighting style in the Mortal Kombat reboot retains some moves from
JKD as well.
- In the popular manga, Detective
Conan, Sera Masumi is mentioned to have learnt Jeet Kune
Do.
References
1.
Bruce Lee:
Dynamic Becoming, p.23
2.
http://www.brucelee.com/about
3.
Lee, Bruce (September 1971), "Liberate Yourself
From Classical Karate", Black Belt Magazine (Rainbow Publications, Inc.) 9 (9): 24.
4.
http://www.lettersofnote.com/2011/04/in-memory-of-once-fluid-man.html
5.
Hochheim, W. Hoch (January 1995), "The Maze of Jeet Kune Do", Black Belt Magazine (Rainbow Publications, Inc.) 33 (1): P. 110.
6.
Lee, Bruce (2011). Tao of Jeet Kune Do. Valencia: Black Belt.
7.
Lee, Bruce (2008). Bruce lee's fighting Method. Valencia: Black belt.
8.
Lee, Bruce (2008). Bruce Lee's Fighting Method. Valencia: black Belt.
9.
Lee, Bruce (2011). Toa of Jeet Kune Do. Valencia: Black Belt.
10. Lee, Bruce (1966). Pierre Barton Show. Hong Kong: Pierre Barton.
11. Little, John (1973). Bruce Lee: In His Own Words (DVD). Warner Brothers.
12. Chu, Robert. "The Wing Chun Mind: Learn to
Think Like a True Fighter", Inside Kung-Fu, September 1991.
Republished, hawkinscheung.com, October 2001.
13. Cheng, David (15 July 2004). Jeet Kune Do
Basics. Tuttle Publishing. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-8048-3542-8.
14. http://www.admakarate.com/styles/1/Jeet_Kune_Do_Concepts.php
15. Lee, Linda (1975), The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Ohara Publications Inc.,
pp. P. ?, ISBN 0-89750-048-2
16. Argyridis, Panayiotis (12 October
2010). The
Principles Theories and Practice of Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do Vol.1.
Xlibris Corporation. pp. 120–122. ISBN 978-1-4535-0635-6.
17. David; Lumsden, Kevin (23 June
2010). The Iron
Dragon: Richard Bustillo. Xlibris Corporation. p. 193.ISBN 978-1-4535-1025-4.
18. http://absolutedefense.net/html/bruce_lee_quotes.html
19. Borine, Norman (2008). King Dragon —
The World of Bruce Lee. Fideli Publishing Inc. p. 74. ISBN 978-1-60414-029-3.
20. Jeffrey, Douglas (1993).
"The Tragic death of Brandon Lee". Black Belt 31 (7): 29–30.
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