- Dr. Z
- May 28, 2024
- 10 min read
The jeet kune do conversations one sees on social media are reminiscent of the Los Angeles freeway system: They lead all over the place.
Everyone who posts has his or her own “true” interpretation of what constitutes JKD. Unfortunately, most of it is not based on mastery — or even solid comprehension — of the subject. Instead, it’s based on simple understanding and hearsay. Yet plenty of people out there think what they read is correct.
Among the dubious claims one comes across is this: “JKD is an amalgam of a number of different martial arts, and Bruce Lee picked whatever was useful, dis- carded what was not and called it his own style.” It’s time someone debunked this myth and then explained what JKD actually is.
FROM THE SOURCE
Initial guidance on the subject comes from an episode of the James Franciscus/Bruce Lee TV series Longstreet that was titled “The Way of the Intercept- ing Fist.” To anyone who knows the meaning of “jeet kune do,” it should come as no surprise that Lee saw the show as an opportunity to explain to American audiences what the name of his system signified. This happened way back in the early 1970s. As a 30-year-old American-born Chinese who previously had played Kato on the popular Green Hornet TV series, Lee had enough clout to influence writer Ster- ling Silliphant to create a screenplay about JKD. To that end, “The Way of the Intercepting Fist” shows Lee’s character giving a blind detective, played by Franciscus, a self-defense lesson.
A visitor shows up at the detective’s home and witnesses the exchange, then questions Lee: “Now, what is this thing you do?” Lee answers, then demonstrates a move while explaining the meaning of jeet kune do. Now, almost 50 years later, people are still confused about part of the explanation — specifically, what the word jeet means. If you still don’t know, watch the episode. Get it straight from the horse’s mouth, straight from the originator of JKD. And continue reading.
One of the myths that people propagate nowadays is that Lee studied many martial arts and adopted techniques that he thought were useful. They also claim that this approach was derived from his philosophy, which admonishes us to absorb what is useful and reject what is useless. Lee combined his techniques, they say, and thus became a martial artist who mixed many different styles.
This may have been part of his journey in the martial arts, but the most important part is missing. Why did Lee call his martial art “jeet kune do”? Why not “mixed kune do”?
During his formative years, Lee gained a solid understanding of wing chun kung fu, but he also stud- ied other Chinese martial arts, as well some Western systems. To him, the name and origin of an art didn’t matter as long as it could be used combatively. This was reminiscent of the old days on the rooftops of Hong Kong, where challenge matches involving different martial arts schools were settled with flying fists and feet. During these fights, the styles of the participants and the techniques they used didn’t mat- ter; what was important was that one person knocked out another.
Lee had many such encounters and, consequently, built a reputation as a tough fighter. To avoid trouble, it was eventually decided that he should return to Amer- ica. He settled in Seattle and started teaching. Within a few years, he’d renamed his style Jun Fan gung fu. Note that he created a new name rather than use wing chun, choy lay fut or any other established style’s name.
What is Jun Fan gung fu? The Jun Fan portion is Lee’s Chinese name, which means it’s his own way. The style is geared toward being effective in combat and includes all techniques that can be expressed by the human body. In a way, it’s the total expression of the human anatomy. It includes fighting techniques from numerous arts, not just 26 styles of kung fu. That said, wing chun was the predominant part of what he taught. Many of the techniques are mentioned in an early book Lee wrote titled Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense. Note that this text is not exclusively about wing chun; it’s a summary of select combative ways of the Chinese martial arts.
INTO THE CRUCIBLE
Jun Fan gung fu was put to the test when Bruce Lee faced off with Wong Jack Man. The popular version of the account holds that Lee won but that it took too much time, involved too much wasted motion and used too many ineffective techniques. Also, right afterward, Lee noted that he felt winded. All this prompted him to seek out ways to finish fights more quickly.
He trained diligently after that match with Wong, and in 1967 Lee unveiled jeet kune do. This was his solu- tion to the problem of needing to end an encounter as quickly as possible. In 1970 Lee started telling the world what JKD is, first through the TV series Longstreet and then through other outlets.
In Cantonese, the jeet in jeet kune do means “to intercept.” It doesn’t mean “to mix.” Because intercept is a verb, it refers to a specific action, which entails stopping something or someone from completing an act. In com- bat, it means stopping someone from attacking you.
Clearly, intercepting is a far cry from mixing. Lee didn’t want to mix martial arts or learn some “secret techniques” as a means to finishing a fight quickly. He wanted to do so by intercepting. He wanted to stop an opponent cold, to keep him from advancing while he launched his attack — hence, finishing the fight even before it started.
Although it may be difficult to finish a fight quickly by intercepting every single time, this is the preferred way. Nevertheless, JKD teaches that at times, one may need to resort to fighting toe-to-toe with an opponent.
Lee’s philosophy of absorbing what is useful and rejecting what is useless sounds practical, but it’s a fighting philosophy and not useful as a fighting method. The method of jeet kune do is not to mix but to intercept, or jeet. So if you want to understand Lee’s way of fighting — and I mean the tangible, not the philosophical, way — learn and then master the art of intercepting.
IN THE BACKYARD
Any discussion of the true nature of JKD would be incomplete without an explanation of its fighting method. The one that follows is based on my 40 years of experience in the art.
First, JKD originally was taught in a private or semi- private backyard setting. My own backyard in Monterey Park, California, served this purpose for a year. No advertising was done, and students as well as visitors were carefully selected. The instruction came from first- generation students.
These original-JKD classes emphasized the lead punch and side kick. Footwork was also an important part of the training. In fact, I’ve never seen footwork that’s as comprehensive as this, which enabled us to evade danger and then close quickly to unleash a side kick.
We spent time learning how to perceive an attack with our vision, as well as through stickiness and body sensation as taught in chi sao. We worked on modified trapping, with repetitions of hand techniques rather than forms. We used equipment such as the giant kicking shield, traditional wooden dummy and steel dummy. We learned to generate speed, timing and power with the lead punch effected from an extended position and from just 1 inch away from the target. We endeavored to recognize telegraphic movements and, regardless of style, intercept them with our lead hand and lead foot.
We were told to keep our techniques simple, effective and direct, as well as to chisel away nonessential body movements. This involved using linear body mechanics that would yield maximum power. If we had to deliver an attack that deviated from a straight path, we trained to travel the path that entailed the shortest distance and smallest deviation. We also employed broken rhythm, changing cadences and first timing.
In these original-JKD classes, the central theme was to learn to intercept swiftly and accurately with knock- out power.
FROM OTHER ARTS
The JKD-concepts curriculum consisted mainly of Jun Fan gung fu and Western boxing, which made use of deflecting, the four corners and counterattacks. We also practiced leg locks, takedowns and ground fight- ing. Leg checking and destruction techniques were covered, as well.
Muay Thai techniques were taught later by other instructors, but they weren’t part of the curriculum. Training emphasized full-contact sparring with protective equipment, including mouth guards, shin pads, finger gloves, hockey gloves, headgear, and knee and elbow protectors.
A typical sparring session was a grueling workout that included punching, kicking, trapping, grappling, ground sparring, and even two or more people against one defender. Bloody noses, broken teeth and kicked groins were not uncommon, even if they were unintentional. The sessions would typically end with condition- ing exercises such as punches to the stomach, shin kicks to the thighs, neck bridges and finger push-ups.
Some students, myself included, chose to compete in full-contact tournaments. Even if a student didn’t, the JKD-concepts class imparted self-confidence in the use of all techniques in a full-contact environment. The training taught us about different styles and techniques and offered excellent physical conditioning while facing a variety of opponents.
When this was coupled with what the original-JKD class offered — a unique way of fighting that focused on intercepting — we all saw incredible growth as martial artists. In an effort to pass along the lessons that helped me grow during this period, I present the following five rules for jeet kune do study.
RULE NO. 1: SWIM IN THE WATER.
In JKD, the goal is to cut to the chase and learn the basic elements of combat. Novices, however, should begin with the curriculum of Jun Fan gung fu, which was the starting point of Lee’s journey of self-discovery and the style he practiced before he founded JKD. For the most part, it involves punching, kicking, grabbing and throwing.
Once you have the know-how, you can begin to imple- ment what you’ve learned in sparring. As Lee used to say, if you want to swim, get in the water. Sparring is an essential component of any basic JKD curriculum. Of course, you should wear protective gear and take safety precautions. Aim to improve combat skills but also to minimize injuries.
RULE NO. 2: BEAT THEM TO THE PUNCH.
The shortest distance from point A to point B is a straight line. That’s why JKD teaches you to attack by going straight to the target. Although this strategy might not be totally effective all the time, you still must strive to be simple and direct, launching your technique the first instance an opportunity pres- ents itself.
For beginners, learning to apply jeet should be the central theme. One of the most important ways of mastering this is to rely on reflexive action. If you practice a reaction in a certain way, that way will become your natural response whenever a challenge comes. Say you spend years practicing blocking. All of a sudden, you try to learn to intercept instead of block. Your nervous system still will try to block because that response is ingrained.
The result: You will not react with an interception; you will react with a block. And that’s an ineffective way to do JKD. It’s much better to learn to intercept from day one.
RULE NO. 3: REMEMBER THAT THE PHILOSOPHY IS NOT THE METHODOLOGY.
Yes, the basics of Taoism will help you comprehend the philosophy of JKD, and that’s an essential part of the curriculum. However, don’t make the mistake of trying to use the philosophy as a methodology.
The phrases “Use no way as way” and “Having no limitation as limitation” don’t really mean you should absorb useful techniques and discard use- less techniques. The philosophy of JKD implores people in general to seek their own path, but that causes confusion because it doesn’t mean that everyone on a JKD journey must create a unique path. While that may be spiritually enlightening, it makes it easy to neglect the true application of JKD, which is to intercept.
RULE NO. 4: KNOW THAT JKD TERMINOLOGY MAKES THE ART TANGIBLE.
It goes without saying that you should strive to keep your techniques fast, accurate and powerful yet simple, direct and effective. Clearly, JKD is a tangible entity that has its own terminology for communicating such details about its training methods, tools and techniques. Some of that terminology is derived from wing chun, boxing and fencing. However, none of it comes from the karate or muay Thai lexicons.
There is a tangible JKD lead straight punch and not a specific, effective straight punch that’s different for each practitioner. There is a tangible JKD lead side kick that’s not an amalgam of freestyle kicks.
Equally important are other JKD terms such as the stop-hit, stop-kick, on-guard position, elliptical path, pendulum step, fighting measure, lead side weapon, broken rhythm, reverse mechanics, non-telegraphic movement and five ways of attack. Understanding them is crucial to understanding the art. Once you grasp the terms, you can start to apply the techniques and principles.
In short, make certain that you’re guided solidly by JKD as you seek to improve your fighting skills and that you’re not guided by profound-yet-unrelated Chinese philosophies.
RULE NO. 5: MASTER THE ART AND THEN GO BEYOND.
Through the cultivation of your interception skills, you will excel in it and see how it represents the ulti- mate way of fighting. When you’ve mastered the art of intercepting, you might even come up with a more advanced form of fighting. Although the world has yet to see any martial artist who even approaches the level of Bruce Lee, it is possible that a person can go beyond using his methods.
It’s unfortunate that many present-day interpretations of JKD merely lead to different approaches to Lee’s system based on the person’s experience. So how can the novice know if a technique or method is effective for him? You need to start with the basics and the informa- tion presented here. Remember to focus on the jeet, the intercepting, because that’s the path to mastery of jeet kune do.
Dr. Z has taught JKD for 30 years. He attended UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in the 1990s and has produced 13 feature films. His 11th feature, titled The Stop Hit II: The Art of Invincibility, will be released in April 2020. Born and raised in China, Dr. Z started his martial arts training at age 5 under the guidance of his grandfather. He grew up practicing tai chi chuan, wing chun, choy lay fut, Northern Shaolin boxing and Western boxing. After coming to America, Dr. Z learned JKD from Dan Inosanto and Ted Wong and was a classmate of Brandon Lee. He fought full-contact bouts out of Benny Urquidez’s The Jet Center.
This article originally appeared in a 2020 edition of Black Belt Magazine.
