apprentice,
do i disagree? hmm… not really, no. i think we might be experiencing one of the limitations of internet conversation. we may be thinking of very similar things in slightly different terms, so disagreeing when we actually agree.
i don’t know. but here goes:
first of all, i agree wholeheartedly with you that relaxed is better than not. no question. it’s the movement thing where we disagree.
people ‘bounce’ to maintain a dynamic state in their sparring. their movements overall are faster because they’re already in motion. like i said, objects at rest tend to stay at rest.
in all probability, there are people who move more than they should or need to in sparring. but i don’t think stillness is the answer. a low level of constant movement, i think, is. moving the head from side to side, up and down. shuffling the feet around slightly. that sort of thing.
think about this: you’re standing still. presumably from a stable base (a stance of some sort). to then close distance with your opponent, you’re going to have to initiate movement. perhaps rise up a little. there will be telltale signs as you begin to move. and a savvy opponent might see them and capitalize on them.
alternatively, you’re moving. not jumping like a deranged lunatic. but shuffling, bobbing, etc. like a boxer. your opponent is used to seeing you move. you’ve been doing it all along. but how long do you think it’ll take, when you make your offensive move, for your opponent to realize that you aren’t just shuffling anymore. you’re closing the distance.
my point is that constant motion is not the same as wasted motion. yes, it’s possible to exaggerate this idea to the point that you’re wasting a lot of energy. but there is a point to it. a valid and workable point.
am i a jkd practitioner? sort of. my teacher is from the inosanto lineage. he doesn’t use the term jkd very often, but essentially, that’s his background, yes.
as for you getting your ideas from the text, i’m sure you did. but the philosophy of jkd (as of many other things) is complex and sometimes contradictory. more to the point, it can support a lot of different viewpoints. for example, the tao of jeet kune do makes various references to a dynamic fighting stance, using bobbing, slipping, and shuffling.
anyway, ultimately i agree with you. energy shouldn’t be wasted. but there’s purposeful motion and purposeless. purposeful motion isn’t always obvious. indeed, it shouldn’t be. not to the opponent, in any event.
stuart b.
then i will know what works for ME, which is most importatn in my eyes
