- Tim Tackett
- Apr 29
- 6 min read
The first time I saw the jeet kune do leg obstruction in action was in Dan Inosanto's backyard. Bruce Lee had recently left to make movies in Hong Kong, and Inosanto decided to build a private workout area at his home. I felt privileged to have been asked to join his training group when it was done.
Near the end of my first class, Inosanto told everyone to prepare for sparring. I was matched with an experienced JKD practitioner named Bob Bremer. We squared off, and after a quick exchange, Bremer nailed me with a leg obstruction.
I immediately learned the hard way that when the technique is used properly, the opponent is rendered unable to kick or punch. Furthermore, the opponent can't move forward or backward because as soon as the JKD stylist drives a foot into his shin, the opponent's lead leg is immobilized — or buckled.
When the technique was used on me in Inosanto's backyard, I was helpless. At the time, it made me feel terrible because even though I was a kung fu teacher and a karate black belt, I was unable to overcome it.
Now, I look back on my inability to overcome it as a sure sign of the leg obstruction's effectiveness as an offensive and defensive weapon.
Training Time
That day, I became a believer in the JKD leg obstruction.
Since then, I've seen plenty of Lee's students use the side kick to effect a similar counterattack — called the stop-kick — while avoiding their opponent's technique. However, the only person I ever saw use the leg obstruction as shown here was Bremer.
He's the martial artist who taught it to me. Had he not passed away in 2012, I'd probably still be practicing it under his tutelage.
While the stop-kick and the leg obstruction can serve basically the same purpose, my students and I have found that the leg obstruction permits a faster follow-up. See the photos for an example of how it can be used offensively in conjunction with other techniques.
How the leg obstruction fits into the JKD puzzle is worth mentioning because it can help you determine when and where to use it. Most martial artists who've trained in jeet kune do know that Lee divided the system's attacks into five categories: single direct attack, attack by combination, progressive indirect attack, hand-immobilization attack (trapping), and attack by drawing.
What people often overlook is that some of those attacks are meant to be used against certain types of opponents. Take the single direct attack, for example. To make it work on its own against a worthy adversary, you must be faster than he is or you must catch him off-balance.
A better way to use a single direct attack is as a counter. That often means hitting your opponent with a stop-kick or leg obstruction while he's in the middle of his forward movement. If your opponent is as fast or faster than you, this will work only from the fighting measure.
The fighting measure, as you may know, is the distance between you and your opponent when you're just out of each other's reach. In other words, if he wants to kick you, he must take a step forward. It's because of that distance and the time it takes him to traverse it that you're able to detect the incoming attack and counter it.
(For more information about the fighting measure, the footwork needed to maintain it and drills that will help you master it, see Page 153 of my book Chinatown Jeet Kune Do: Essential Elements of Bruce Lee’s Martial Art.)
After you land a single direct attack in the form of a stop-kick or leg obstruction, you can turn to JKD's other methods to finish your opponent.
While trapping can be used for both offense and defense, it's mostly used against an opponent who blocks or parries one of your techniques. Attack by drawing works by deliberately leaving an opening for your opponent to exploit — you “draw” his attack and then take advantage of the opening he gives you.
Such is the theory behind the stop-kick and leg obstruction: They work because it's impossible for anyone to effect an attack and not leave an opening.
Strategic Fighting
Next comes the final strategy, which is the progressive indirect attack. It's designed to work against someone who blocks an attack or uses distance as a primary means of defense. The word “progressive” in this context means moving your offensive weapon closer to the target.
This is done by feinting, which enables you to progress toward the target. To better understand how this functions, you should know the difference between a feint and a fake.
A fake is an indirect attack intended to open a line by making your opponent react to a false attack. A feint is also an indirect attack intended to make the opponent react, but it doesn't withdraw. Instead, it progresses along the now-open line.
The main problem with any fake or feint is that it shouldn’t work against a JKD stylist or any other skilled counterfighter. While almost any technique or tactic will work against an opponent who isn’t very good, the real test is whether it will succeed against a person with training and experience.
If your opponent is savvy enough to spot your fake or feint, he might know that it can be intercepted with a stop-kick or a stop-hit. The question then becomes, what will work against an opponent who possesses such knowledge? Enter the defensive leg obstruction.
It entails moving from the fighting measure as quickly as possible, with little to no preparation, to create a barrier (the actual obstruction) between you and your opponent. If you can bridge the gap fast enough, he won’t be able to catch you with a stop-kick or stop-hit.
If you work on stop-striking enough, you'll quickly learn that if you can keep your opponent just out of reach, it’s easy to intercept him with a leg obstruction anytime he takes a step forward to bridge the gap. JKD students practice this skill by putting on boxing gloves and shinguards and trying to nullify movement whenever the other person is about to attempt a stop-kick or stop-hit.
Often, the best response to the opponent’s counter is the leg obstruction. Learning it is essential if you want to avoid being intercepted while you're executing your attack.
Leg Obstruction in Action: Questions and Answers
Jim Sewell started jeet kune do the second year the Chinatown JKD school was operating and wound up staying for 14 months. Like Tim Tackett, Sewell was heavily influenced by Bob Bremer.
You’ve said Bob Bremer is the person who got you interested in JKD. How did the two of you meet?
Bob and I met a long time before we started JKD. He was actually with Ed Parker at that time. I went there and checked that out with him, but it wasn’t for me. I dropped out but still saw Bob regularly — we fished together a lot. Later, I heard Bob talking about JKD, so I went down to the school twice. The second time I signed up.
How was the JKD school different from the kenpo school?
Ed Parker’s students were guys who liked to rush in and start throwing fists. That didn’t fit me. After working out with Bob a little bit, JKD seemed like the right thing for me. We moved a lot, built our balance and developed fast hands. We usually started off exercising — doing push-ups and sometimes running around the block a couple of times. It was very physical.
Did you do much sparring?
Yes, we did a lot. We had these bamboo vests that we wore. They’d split the bamboo and mount the pieces in pockets on the vest. They worked better than what we have today. They allowed us to go at it full contact, and we did.
When you were about 65, you got a chance to put your JKD skills to use when you were attacked at a gas station. What happened?
I was in line to get gas. I filled the tank on one side of my truck, then pulled out and backed in so I could fill the tank on the other side. A guy pulled out of line and came squealing around. He said, “What the hell are you doing?” I said, “Filling my tank.” Then he drove away.
When I finished pumping the gas, I hung up the handle. He punched me in the face when my back was turned. When I turned to look at who hit me, I saw a young, muscular guy who jumped into a karate fighting stance. He started to kick me with a rear-leg straight kick. Without planning anything, I countered his kick with a leg obstruction to the knee by sliding up, then followed up with a punch to his face. He went down.
I remember thinking he was going to get up, so I went over, grabbed his arm, put it over my knee and gave it a crank. His wife came to get him, and he was crying as they walked to their car.
Since bystanders just saw an old guy get the better of a young punk, some started to clap. A man came up and handed me my glasses. He said, “Good job.” I guess I had practiced the leg obstruction so many times in the 1960s that I just seemed to do it without thinking about it.
Photography by Peter Lueders
