Today a very interesting article caught my eyes. I want to share it with you. Please feel free to share your opinion about it, or if you agree or disagree with it! WHAT JKD IS NOT It is quite unfortunate that the bright shining star of Sigung Bruce Lee’s influence and charisma was made into a money-making industry when he passed away. It is not uncommon to see the name “Bruce Lee” added into any, and just any, fighting art just for it to attract students. Hence, today, we have so many “McDojos” sprouting around teaching their own version of so-called “JKD”. Wing Chun for instance, gained popularity because of Bruce Lee. Ip Man was only known to the world because he was Bruce’s former kung-fu master. Wing Chun was a relatively unknown southern art in Hong Kong, until Lee made it known in the U.S.. But Bruce ultimately left Wing Chun as proven by his telephone conversations and letters to his closest students. His new art, Jeet Kune Do, is NOT modified Wing Chun, and not even Jun Fan Gung-Fu, which was earlier own take on classical Chinese art- JKD is boxing and fencing alone, JKD is Western in origin. Even until now, Wing Chun continues to market their art as Bruce Lee’s “mother art”, which really is a shame, because the final evolution of JKD, bears no resemblance to Wing Chun at all. To those who are exploring to learn JKD, (Ted Wong JKD, being the “purest” form), these are some guidelines to look out for when choosing a JKD School: 1. JKD is NOT a combination of 20+ different fighting arts! – Whoever spread this lie is just absurd. Bruce Lee DID learn different arts (Filipino, Thai, Northern/Southern Kung-Fu, Karate, TKD, Judo, Savate, Silat, British Boxing, etc.) but he only did so, just for him to know HOW TO DEFEAT a fighter using such art. He DID NOT incorporate any to his JKD. 2. JKD Concepts is in itself a different type of fighting art. It is more like a mixed buffet of different fighting arts, sure some moves might be effective and looks good in camera, but again, it is not JKD as Bruce Lee himself taught. JKD Concepts was developed years after Bruce’s death. Know the difference between original JKD and JKD Concepts. Watch YouTube videos and compare Dan Inosanto to Ted Wong, then you decide. 3. JKD discourages trapping. If a JKD instructor is hell-bent on “trapping” movements, you better think twice. JKD is all about evasion using footwork, trapping is more like an “insurance” in our JKD and not our first line of defense. 4. Genuine JKD instructors teach angles, physics, and how to cheat inertia and gravity. If your instructor doesn’t care about weight-transfer and doesn’t know the difference between linear force (momentum) and circular force, then you might start looking for a new school. 5. Footwork and stance. Footwork is an essential part of JKD. If an instructor prefers to teach you how to deliver strikes without teaching you footwork, then you better leave. Footwork is what makes REAL JKD different from all fighting arts. 6. Simplicity. If a JKD instructor has too much drills consisting of learning too many techniques, then what you might be learning is not JKD. JKD is basically a mastery of 5 punches and 3 kicks. It is through footwork and angles that lets you create a masterful fight sequence. 7. Ted Wong lineage JKD instructors are not keyboard warriors who lurk forums trying to discredit another instructor, if what you think we are teaching is ineffective, then feel free to issue us a challenge, we prefer to prove our point in an actual fight or friendly sparring session, and not through internet trolling. =)
Posted on: Tue, 22 Apr 2014 15:01:53 +0000
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