What's Everyone's Take On Tommy Carruthers?

Which raises the question of why you're not out there doing them?

Just to clarify, I've nothing at all against your beloved Tommy, I just felt your defense of him was doing more harm than good and had glaring logical inconsistencies.

 

Come to Edinburgh man, I'll buy you a drink!

 

Yet you are still online and still here...strange

 

I know. If I had better things to do I wouldn't be here, but I'm at work today.

 

it funny that you guys say this because Bruce lee himself stressed that sparing is important! so why does he not spar?

 

It is usuallt down to a definition of "sparring" - I don't think Tommy does the "3 minutes GO!" type, but I would be suprised if he does not pressure test in some way

This would qualify as sparring

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAxfXCl_tfQ"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAxfXCl_tfQ[/ame]

This would qualify as pressure testing

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Jqtw-7_G4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Jqtw-7_G4[/ame]

I tend to gravitate to the latter in my classes because it focuses on the attributes I need my students to acquire from a technical persepctive. The "round based" sparring is for discipline development in kali, boxing, muay thai or Ju Jutsu ranges (to pick the obvious examples).

 

In jun fan where I train we do both however we do the pressure testing in a drill with gloves. THe pressure testing I guess teaches you timing. Like BL said to Taky kimura in his letter Economy of form. 1) Synchronize with yourself 2) synchronize with opponent 3) apply it under stress. Something like that! MY sifu jumps right in to second step and does the jab catch drill at first, then we light spar it. so we play about with timing, rhythm and distance. You master the pattern then break the pattern! we also do it with focus mits again its the jab every once in a while the pad holder will yell out a combination (cross hook cross or other) usually after every 3rd or 4th jab. I see Mr vunak doing that but he's entry is the inside gutin followed by the chain punch in wing chun. Paul Vunak is one of my Favorited JKD instructors.

 

Vu is a phenomenal practitioner and is a great coach, but is also as mad as a sack of frogs and tends to "self-destruct" quite a lot

 

I have had a look at your website Jay you are a Don! I know marc mcfan as well another favorite JKD instructor of mine.

 

Really why? does he suffer from depression?

 

I'll PM you

 

dose anybody on this forum know how I can get in contact with tommy carrathers? I am heading up to Glasgow in June. would like to try out his classes one on one.

 

I'm going out on a limb here, but... http://www.tommycarruthers.com/

 

On a final note mate I will say this it may offend people in this forum but I will put is bluntly Tommy Carrathers is an instructor under Ted wong. now here comes the harsh bit, Ted wong was not a certified instructor under Bruce Lee . THere has only been three instructors under Bruce Lee, Taki kimura, Level 5 in Jun fun gung fu, james Lee, Level 3 in JKD and Jun fan gung fu, and Dan Inosanto Level 3 JKD, Level 3 jun fan gung fu and level 3 Chinese boxing. Ted wong started training in 1967 by this time Guro Dan inosanto was already a officially certified instructor under Lee. Now there has been a big misunderstanding about JKD. alot of people say there is original JKD and conceptul jkd. But this is incorrect I have come to realize through research that people call Jun fan gung fu original JKD. so no one is wrong, but JKD is A concept to absorb what is useful. Jun fan gung fu is the basis that you expand on. When you expand by resurching other arts then and only then can you call yourself a JKD practitioner. I am trying to unite the original and conceptual together so that the original practitioners can realize what is.

 

I don't think that anyone in the JKD community, whichever side of the political divide they fall on, has any misgivings about the late Ted Wong's qualifications to teach JKD.

 

If we all have two arms and two legs how can you stylize violence ? If you understood this deeply you would understand that JKD is only a name get rid of it you are already limiting yourself by saying a JKD practitioner is a JKD practitioner which Bruce Lee did not want. He believed that the individual is much more important than any style. Correction a martial artist is a martial artist. a gung fu man dose not seek identity, a gung fu man does not seek competition, a gung fu man simply is that is all.

 

what do you mean by misgivings?

 

Really?

Is there a specific manner in which to blend the components and study the philosophy so that it needs a JKD practitioner to guide you?


Edit: Just to be clear I'm not being argumentative for the sake of it . It's something I've taken an interest in of late.