Jeet Kune Do: Not intended to be a first art?

[curious]

A friend of mine once told me that he once read somewhere that Jeet Kune Do was never intended to be an art to start off with, it was meant to improve upon another art. If a Jeet Kune Do guy with two years of experience were to go up against, say, a kenpo guy with one year of experience, nine times out of ten, the kenpo guy would win. Any thoughts on this?

[GinSueDog]

Curious,
Hmmm...doubtful but it all depends on a number of different factors. I know a friend that teaches Kenpo and I could beat him almost everytime with boxing techniques alone. It doesn't really mean my way of fighting is better but it could mean my training is better or I am just a better fighter, or that boxing is better, you get my point I hope. For the most part when you learn Jun Fan JKD it is going to be what Bruce Lee orginally taught and found to be effective with few add ons or changes since. If you learn JKD Concepts then it is going to be different from instructor to instructor according to what they have found to be true and effective. Jeet Kune Do is first a way of developing oneself to be the most effective fighter you can be. It is not fixed on one system or style, but is open to whatever is effective. When you learn from a "JKD" school you are learning a shortcut of what the instructor has found to be effective for himself. You could goto two different "JKD" schools and learn from two different instructors and have your "JKD" look completely different but be the same if that makes sense. If your friend is studing Kenpo and says he is appling JKD with it that is fine, but how does he know if he is setting Kenpo as a limitation to his development, he doesn't? In essense to sum up JKD in one word I would say it is crosstraining, taking what is most effective and applying it. I hope that makes sense.-ED

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"The grappling arts imply most fights end up on the ground...take them there. The striking arts imply all fights start standing up...keep them there. The mixed martial arts imply any fight can go anywhere...be ready and able to go everywhere."-a mix martial artist

[This message has been edited by GinSueDog (edited 07-20-2000).]

[Chameleon]

I think nine times out of ten the tougher guy would win....It is more about the individual than the art.

A really tough bar brawler with no martial arts experience would beat the average 1 year kenpo guy, or 2 year JKD guy 9 times out of 10, IMO.

As far as which art will make you a better fighter faster, I think it has more to do with individual instructors and how hard they inspire you to train.

[DragonzRage]

curious,

That is a tough question because it really depends on what the JKD guy's training is. If you are talking about someone who does Jun Fan (the actual system that Bruce Lee developed) I do not feel that he is at any disadvantage. Jun Fan is a great system. Judging from the generally poor quality of kenpo nowadays, I'd go as far as to say that the Jun Fan guy will usually be at the advantage.

If you are talking about someone who doesn't necessarily study Jun Fan, but practicing under the JKD Concept then it really depends on what his training consists of. Under JKD Concepts the training will vary greatly depending on the instructor and individual tastes. A JKDC guy can practically be anything. In fact, he might even be a kenpo guy! So it really is hard to say.

~Max

[DragonzRage]

BTW, I think that the idea of JKD being only good for martial artists with prior experience and skill is a big misconception. The thing is that many JKD Concepts people started out as already experienced martial artists. Usually experienced martial artists are able to appreciate the great value in the JKD philosophy of training more so then those people who don't know anything about MA. That's why so many JKD guys come from other MA backgrounds. But any beginner can jump into the realistic approach of JKD and benefit just as much. Take a guy who doesn't know anything and train him in a realistic, well rounded approach (which is what JKDC usually is) and then put him up against a guy trained purely in some classical style and I'd say the JKDC guy will dominate most of the time.

~Max

[Tyger]

I may be wrong, but this is my understanding based on what I've read:

Jun Fan is Bruce Lee's martial art. It was never completed or perfected, but it was his attempt at honing away what was extranious and leaving behind only what was effective and practical. In this way, it is a valid (if incomplete) martial art no better or worse than most others.

JKD, however, is a philosophy. Lee never intended it to be a martial art in and of itself, but rather a way of THINKING about martial arts. Anybody who has a good grounding in a martial art can adopt a JKD way of thinking and thus change their approach.

That's how I understand it anyway. The reason people SAY they study JKD is because people with MA experience adopted the JKD name to their unique style to honnor Lee or to capitolize on his fame.


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If you want to be great, you have to stop wanting and simply be.