JKD Politics - Will It Ever End?

Wai Jia: The Kung Fu Forum Mixed Martial Arts
1

Hello Everyone!

I am sure that most of you are well aware of the situation that has been going on for a long time! I am, of course, speaking of the “JKD Politics” situation! Now, with the recent addition of all of the grappling/NHB type stuff to many curriculums, it has gotten even more confused and heated! Now, rather than “us vs. them”, it has become “us vs. them and them”!

I think that most of you know my stand on this, especially those of you that train with me on a regular/semi-regular basis! I wish all of this nonsense would just come to a screeching halt, as I am fed up with all of it! There are different approaches to training in Bruce Lee’s art. Whether you call it Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do or Jeet Kune Do Concepts, the core principles are supposed to be the same!

Even though I am a die hard Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do practitioner, I still respect the right of others to pursue their own path in the world of martial arts. The problem comes in where someone tries to say that their way is the “only way” or the “right way” to train in JKD! Right for who? Maybe right for them but not for me! The key element for the individual is for them to find what they like, and pursue it with everything they’ve got! What they do and how they go about it is strictly up to them!

My main goal in the martial arts has always been to learn everything that I possibly can about the teaching, training and fighting methods of Sijo Bruce Lee! This is with the hopes of sharing my knowledge with others so that they may one day carry on as Instructors of this incredible art! If I want to stick to learning, researching and developing my knowledge and skills in Wing Chun Gung Fu, Jun Fan Gung Fu and pre '73 Jeet Kune Do, then that is my right! No one should have a problem with this, and no one should chastize me for it!

Many JKD concepts practitioners look at those of us who train in “original” JKD (for lack of a better term) as being stagnant and stuck in the past! This is simply not true! I am finding out more about Bruce Lee’s teachings all the time, and I am always learning and developing new ways to train my techniques and develop my attributes! I am always, researching, developing, learning and constantly growing in knowledge and skill! How can anyone say that this is stagnant or stuck in the past! I can easily spend the rest of my life further developing my knowledge and skills in what I am doing right now!

There are those who comment (most of the time in a negative way) about my lack of interest in grappling/groundfighting! Well, first of all, I know more about it than most people realize! Also, I have past injuries (lower back and left knee) that keep me from doing some things that others enjoy doing. However, I can still do my Jun Fan Gung Fu/Original Jeet Kune Do just fine without chance of further injury!

Others talk of my disinterest in weapons training. Well, that is also something that I am well versed in! I just don’t teach it to others, and I certainly don’t call it Jeet Kune Do! Many years ago when I trained in Northern Shaolin, I worked with the three sectional staff, the sword and the long staff. In Yoshukai karate I trained with the nunchaku, the samurai sword and the staff. Later on, I trained in Filipino Escrima, where I spent lots of time with single stick, double stick, knife, double knife and stick and knife. I was eventually awarded a Full Instructor degree in Filipino Escrima. When I was a bodyguard I spent long hours training with all kinds of firearms. This included handguns, shotguns, assault rifles, sub machine guns and sniper rifles. At one point I personally owned twenty-four firearms! So, as you can see from reading this, to assume that I know nothing of weapons and their use would be a very big mistake!

We are all following different paths in the martial arts, and it is certainly our right to do so! Even if someone sees everything totally different from you, when your paths cross, it should be a friendly crossing! We all have more to learn, and we can all learn from each other! If more people would realize and accept this, all of this controversy might come to an abrupt halt! Right now would be just fine with me! Life is too short to spend arguing, fussing and fighting with other martial artists that should be your brothers! Think about it! :wink:

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Probably not

which is sort of the ultimate shame because it seems clear that the one thing Bruce Lee would not have wanted is exactly this sort of thing.

There is just too much hostility on both sides. I have known a number of JKD concepts guys who feel that the evolution was necessary and that Jun Fan is too rigid (personally disagree). Which wouldn’t be too bad if they didn’t insist on then attacking the JFJKD camp. And the big problem is it’s not just the students but many of those in the upper echelons that are passing on this bias to their students.

And I’ve certainly known a number of JFJKD people who didn’t have turned their noses up at the JKDconcepts people who have chosen to evolve thir own practice. “As far as Inosanto fitting into JKD, well, I don’t think he does.”-Ron Prather. To say that Inosanto doesn’t fit into JKD is just disrespectful in my mind. And again it’s not just the students but many of the instructors passing it down from the top. Why you yourself commented that JKD concepts was not JKD to Ryu:
“To Ryu!
NO! What you are doing is NOT Jeet Kune Do, and you shouldn’t call it that! You MIGHT be doing what is referred to as “JKD concepts”! You can say whatever you like, but it IS NOT Jeet Kune Do!”-from one of your prior posts.

It’s kind of amazing. When I first became interested in JKD from the Tao of JKD and a few other sources, I developed this ideal image of a classroom with individualized training and devoid of the BS I had become accustomed to in other MA. And my first couple of experiences were great as well. People trading ideas. Solid coaching. It really pushed my desire to do more and more training. Then I met someone who made it clear right up front that he was from the Vunak camp. It was an unpleasant experience but not too bad. I passd it off as this one student esp. after I met a couple other Vunak students I really liked. Then I met a few more egos. Then I had someone tell me JKDUnlimited wasn’t really JKD. Then I had someone tell me JKDUnlimited wouldn’t work in the streets.(Although I found out he had never once trained with someone in that camp.) WTF!?! Where was this dreamworld I had envisioned? The I started surfing the internet. Big mistake!! I still love JKD and if I ever find a school really close that I enjoy it’ll always be my first choice. But I returned to my roots as my primary training because while others have spoken badly of us, my instructors’ attitudes toward the other MA camps has always been great. Students have always been encouraged to follow their own paths. In other words, it has remained what I always loved best about MA.
It saddens me sometimes. We’ll never be huge. Not everyone will have heard of my lineage. But for the few that come and train with us, it’s like a home. A family. New siblings are always a joy as are marriages and new students from other families. And even if they don’t join our family, our neighbors are always welcome. And sometimes I think that that’s the price JKD paid for its growth. The political infighting set in. I think TKD paid the price of the McDojos ruining its rep. There’s a lot of good TKD out there and there’s alot of really openminded JKD people but there’s a lot that aren’t.

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Well said from both of you!!!

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it probably won’t end

I agree with myosimka,

It shouldn’t matter what form of a certain MA you take. If it has the same inspiration/roots (ie - Bruce Lee), a style should be called whatever it chooses. Only the creator of the style should be able to have a say in what’s apart of his/her creation and what’s not.

The problem is, I don’t think any of this bickering will ever end. Part of it is pride. Many people taking MA like to think that the style he/she is currently studying is the BEST. No one wants to think that all the time, money, etc spent on the style is the worst. And because of the insecurities, that person will put down other styles.

Another part of it is, MA is a business. If you’re an owner of a school, obviously you think that what you teach is very good, if not the best. And you’re in business to make money and support yourself. The problem about negativity and saying that you’re the only style that’s right/true stems from the greed of wanting to make money and the pride that comes from passing down what you know (which has to be the best, right?).

In any case, while bickering may never end, I sincerely hope that people will realize that the important thing about MA is that if it works for you, then no one can ever tell you that it’s wrong.

Take care,
Enree.

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Agreed!

The style or way has some importance. However, the majority of anyone being good, has to do with that individual. It is the individual that makes it work not the art. Not everyone can make it work. Some have taken the arts for many years and yet could not defend themself in a street confrontation. Many take the arts just to explore and perfect katas. Which is fine for them. We all have our own needs and wants. We are all brothers in the arts no matter what syle one may take. We should be one happy family, of course, with diffrences, just like any other family. Let us all stop the bickering and continue to grow with eachother. Ones path may not be the same as another, does it really matter?

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expanding on that a little…

I agree and I don’t think it’s a big step further to assume that… if MA-X isn’t working for Student A, but MA-Y IS… then the further that StudentA gets into MA-Y the more he/she will think that MA-Y is the best art. It’s all because it works for that student. I believe that’s another reason why there’s so much bickering in relation to the pride of the individual and pride of the school.

People should try to understand that (like Sensei Kunz stated previously) everyone has different needs. And if one MA works for you it shouldn’t have to work for everyone else. It’s fine to express one’s own opinions, but don’t knock everyone else’s style because it doesn’t fit your own needs.

hmm… sorry if I’m retreading through the mud, beating a dead horse, mashing mashed potatoes, etc - you know what i mean :wink:

Take care,
Enree.

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Politics

It just seems to be Getting worse.

Very Sad.

Damian

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“Truth is an arrow with two points”

“Once we were all stars”

Robert Anton Wilson

Word!