Help a noob understand JKD Concepts

I have a few questions about this. I'm confused about this. What exactly are the JKD Concepts? I only know what I've read on forums but can anyone please define them to me. The reason I ask is because from what I've read and watched people keep saying "jkd is not an style it's a concept." I know my understanding of this is flawed. Can someone please help me understand. If it's not a style why dont they just write the concepts down in a book? It must be a style if people go to martial art schools to learn it.

What are the concepts.

Is the point of jkd to teach you to make your own fighting style?

Please help me understand.

Thanks for the help Zak Zak

 

Complicated question Dude! Truth is that JKD in itself is open to interpretation because the Founder died without giving a clear direction to go in. So you have people interpreting what Bruce Lee said in different ways.

That's all I feel safe saying, I'll let somebody with more experience answer the actual question. xD

 

Have you read any books on the topic? Specifically by Lee himself or Guro Dan Inosanto (the leading voice in what's typically referred to as "JKD Concepts")?

That would give you a better sense than we can, though we'll all undoubtedly have our opinions.

 

JKD = cross training = integration of kick, punch, lock, throw, ground work

 

JKD=JKD

:evil:

 

Yeah I LOL'd!!!

 

in my translation JKD is Bruces own discovery physically and phylosophy all in one.

 

JKD is your journey towards discovering your truth in combat and finally being able to express yourself honestly by doing that.

At least that's how I define it.

 

I ld add that there is a phylosophical side where you apply all you taken out from the combatitive form

 

I will give you a list of books that will guide you on your way:

o.k here we go first read the

1)Tao of Jeet kune do
2) Chinese gunge fu the art of self defence by Bruce Lee
3) Bruce Lees fighting method the complete edition
4) worrier within,
5) striking thoughts by shanon lee
5) GUro Dan inosantos Jeet kune do philosophy
5) absorb what is useful by Guro Dan Inosanto
6) Jeet kune do experience by Jerry Beasly
7) The ultimate guide to Jeet kune do (if you can get it)
8) Jeet Kune Do: A Core Structure Training Manual by Dave Carnell
9) The Essence of Jeet Kune Do by Dave Carnell
10) jeet kune do attributes, concepts and philosophies by paul vunak
Tao of gung fu by John little
11) the artist of life by john little
12) commentaries of the martial way John little
13) letters of the dragon
14) words of a master
15) The bruce Lee story by Linda lee

anything else you can read if you want. I have simplified for you. you will know what I mean when I say this after you have read these books in this order.

just like Bruce Lee has simplified the jun fan gung fu for us all to expand from. I have simplified for you so you can learn easily

 

buy the first one then spend the rest of the money on some lessons

 

yes that also go to anybody under Guro Dan Inosanto

 

I however feel that to truly understand a art you must read and do it!!

 

That's a list of books, that's it. It's not like you've provided some concise and eloquent answer to his question.

Why not attempt an answer of your own?

 

Slight sidetracking of the thread...

Reading this reminded me of Dr. Beasley - He taught at the university I went to. He had several martial arts classes there, and he had Joe Lewis come there once for a demonstration, which was pretty impressive.

He was my first exposure (back in 1989 or so) to a lot of things that are commonplace ideas today, and I guess it was pretty much JKD ideas he was teaching us. I think I remember him talking about the Gracies and BJJ back then, before they weren't really something the average MA folks knew about.

Even before University I had heard of him -as some of the folks at the (fake) kung fu school I went to back then really disliked him.

Anyways..sorry for the trip down memory lane, but I saw his name and had to comment.

 

o.k then I will do that!

In a nutshell so that everybody CAN understand. JKD is a concept, the concept is to 'absorb what is useful' but you only do this when you have mastered Jun fan gung fu or any other style that you wish to expand from. I still feel that the Jun fan method of gung fu is the best style to expand from because it teaches you universal principles such as timing, rythem, distance and the five ways of attack. understand that when you apply these principles to any art the art becomes more effective.Joe Lewis applied the five ways of attack in karate! He became an even better fighter after training with Lee. through resurch Bruce lee found that many classical martial art styles trained in a static, rigid, and robotic way. most martial art school during his time period would punch/kick the air and do forms. He new far to well that real gung fu is simple fluid and effective. He was the first marital artist that started to mix styles up, he made his own system of martial art which is the jun fan method of gung fu (also called original or authentic JKD ) saying this in jessie glovers book jessie glover mentions that the founders of judo and akido developed there own systems by blending different arts up, but told there students to keep to the method and not add anything, have yet to resurch.

on a more deeper level of understanding Bruce lee also came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as style. he became interested in the roots of combat. in one of his interviews Bruce Lee himself says if we all had two arms and two legs where did all these styles come from?. but enough of that! through my 8 years in traning in jun fan I feel it also gives all the basic movements that relate to all arts I could be wrong when I say this but I feel this is the case. however hanibal kindly showed me that you can expand from any basis.( showing me the Guro dan interview) so that was enlightening.

once you masterd a basis that you feel comfortable with you individual begins to explore other arts. one needs to master the whole art then absorb what is useful. Resurch your own experience, absorb what is useful reject what is useless, addd what is specifically your own. however saying this Bruce lee did not master all 26 elements when he made his own gung fu, so again it is up to the individual how deep he/she wants to go in order to absorb.

 

Not to jump too much into this thread, but I see this claim pop up from time to time, but didn't, say, kajukenbo start in 1947--when Lee was just a child? Thus, wouldn't this indicate that, while not particularly common perhaps, martial artists have been mixing styles and creating hybrid/mixed arts before Lee?

 

It's also worth mentioning that Bruce did not develop 5 ways of attack - he identified them as being common to disciplines in greater or lesser amounts

Pretty much every alive system has them, they just have different names (if they have them at all). JKD was Bruce finding a solution for a problem that should not have existed in the first place.

As for mixing, Farmer Burns was mixing wrestling and boxing in the early 1900's - Bruce's genius lay in the personalization. He was as much interested in personal development as he was in actually fighting; he was an early Dog Brother in that regard I suppose

 

parts of this are probably true but why does Guro Dan say that JKD was the first MMA then? I have heard him say that on the seminar. It is also known that BL wanted to be untouchable and be the best fighter on the planet. He absorbed the 5 ways of attack and footwork from fencing.