Why JKD?

Discussion in 'Jeet Kune Do' started by pmosiun, Jul 19, 2008.

  1. pmosiun

    pmosiun Valued Member

    Hi guys, i wanted to know why or how did you get interested in JKD? Is it because of Bruce Lee or something else? I have seen Bruce Lee movie before but i feel that the movies are really lousy compare to todays movie so i just does not care about him. I do feel Jackie Chan and Jet Li can beat him in a fight. However, it was only until Dragon that i got interested in the art, it is because of Jason Scott Lee, who look so cool.
     
  2. callsignfuzzy

    callsignfuzzy Is not a number!

    Wow. As much grief as I give the Bruce Lee fanboys for thinking he was the best fighter in the history of the world, I've gotta say that compaired to the other two, at least he trained to fight. I like watching Jackie Chan and Jet Li movies, but thinking that some Hong Kong choreography and wire-fu makes them better fighters that Bruce Lee is just wrong. Judging someone's martial arts skill based on what you see in movies is foolish behavior, in more ways than one.

    Anyway, back to the original question: why JKD? I actually started looking into Lee's writtings before I'd seen any of his movies. The fact is that it's hard to look at a martial arts book, magazine, or documentary and not hear him referenced. I picked up "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do" while I was still in school, and really dug the analyzation and philosophy behind it all. Bruce Lee's writting and other JKD source material is where I first discovered a lot of basic and advanced martial arts principles. It's colored my approach to martial arts and, to some degree, to life in general. I consider Lee to be one of my three main influences in martial arts. Because I'd studied JKD texts for years before I'd set foot in a JKD class, I tend to lean more towards the "JKD is philosophy/principles, not set technique" group of folks. In fact these days I don't really say that I'm "doing" JKD so much as I study JKD principles and go to JKD class. I also think that the JKD community has far too much politics in it. On the bright side, there also seem to be some very good technicians and teachers, too.
     
  3. JeetKuneDero

    JeetKuneDero Valued Member

    Thanks. You made a point I've tried to make to callsignfuzzy elsewhere about some seeing the bottle as half full versus half empty no matter "evidence" to the contrary. :p LOL!

    As for your question, actually, I ignored Lee for a while. Then one day, bored, I checked out "Fist of Fury," and was astounded at his artistry -other than just one wire trick, a few other tricks here and there, the rest was just pure animal magnitism coupled with an amazing athleticism on Lee's part.... I wanted to know what he'd done to get that way, which led to finding out the guy was more, way more than just some kung fu movie actor.

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=JPuBYX2MSzA
     
  4. SiAiS

    SiAiS Moved on

    Because training has so much potential for revealing such a high level... under-rated in my view. However, I believe should one want to achieve Mastery in the Martial Arts, which one may or may not want to do, I am coming to believe more that one would want to train in an art that brings you as close to flow state as possible constantly, and there I believe is Aikido.
     
  5. JeetKuneDero

    JeetKuneDero Valued Member

    Respectfully, if your quest is street effectiveness, then unless the Aikido "flow state," is achieved/trained in against resisting opponents, it is not only not realistic, but a dangerous delusion.

    How does one, having trained solely "against" cooperating "opponents," flow when one encounters a real threat, not to mention, the shock and disorientation of being struck by someone out to take one's head off?

    Lee trained for that sort of thing - realistically - he'd come from that street background. JKD was his response to the quest for a flow state in combat, not Aikido.

    His own "Way of The Intercepting Fist" was a way to that effective flow state. For, without realistic training one risks not being able to intercept a live opponent.

    Again, no disrespct intended.
     
  6. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    The OP is ridiculous - Jackie Chan and Jet Li could beat up Brucey etc . . .

    A fair bit of trolling there.

    I took up JKD because there was a JKD place advertised in the phone book. I continue because it's totally awesome.
     
  7. Semper Fi

    Semper Fi Valued Member

    I started training in JKD because I moved too far from where I used to train "Wah Lum Tam Tui Northern Praying Mantis". I visited other schools but none had the kind of training I was looking for.
     
  8. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Where do you train, anyway? I've been meaning to ask for ages now. You're only a few minutes from me, by the looks of it.
     
  9. Semper Fi

    Semper Fi Valued Member

    I train at 6269 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA. Under Luis Sanchez. Its right at 7 corners.
     
  10. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Oh right. Cool. There's a teacher in Alexandria too. Haven't gone to his class. And likely won't anytime soon. New baby arriving soon.

    Just curious. Cheers!


    Stuart
     
  11. Semper Fi

    Semper Fi Valued Member

    Whereabouts in Alexandria? My instructor did teach in Alexandria for a time, right at Quantrell ave and King Street but he moved about a year ago to the new location.
     
  12. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Ah. Probably the same guy then. I just got his flier from his wife, who was a friend of ours (assuming it's the same guy I'm thinking about). I've got it around here somewhere.

    ...

    But then, I've got a lot things around here somewhere. :p
     
  13. pmosiun

    pmosiun Valued Member

    I did not intend to troll. It was really just an opinion. Anyway, it does not matter because Jason Scott Lee is a better Bruce Lee at least on screen.
     
  14. SiAiS

    SiAiS Moved on


    Because I faught an Aikido practitioner on the street, in the flow state, I won but he converted me.
     
  15. JeetKuneDero

    JeetKuneDero Valued Member

    I'm curious about your take on this: If I understand my Aikido correctly, it is not a "fighting" art, as it's non-aggressive and defensive in nature.

    How does one "fight" someone from a non-agressive art -did you start that fight? I know that may not necessarily have been the case. Just curious.
     
  16. RisingSun

    RisingSun New Member

    Unlike most people here, I'm primarily interested in JKD because of the philosophical angle. That's what I find of value in it. It's the philosophy I find myself agreeing with the most.

    As far as your comments on cinema, by Brandon Lee's own admission, the acting was below par, and the scripts were rather deficient. But look at the budgets; they had little to work with. As for the fighting portrayed on film--Bruce Lee's work is some of the best in the history of cinema. The fighting portrayed in The Godfather (regarded as one of the best films of all time) is laughable.

    As for your comments regarding Jackie Chan and Jet Li, others have already addressed them. One other comment, Jackie considers himself primarily an actor, so I don't think he himself would claim to top Bruce Lee.
     
  17. g-bells

    g-bells Don't look up!

    i got interested it because of it's directness and simplicity
     
  18. SiAiS

    SiAiS Moved on

    He started it. I used Taisen Deshimaru's advice and finished with Chi Sau.
     
  19. JeetKuneDero

    JeetKuneDero Valued Member

    LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! God, that was hilarious! Thanks!
     
  20. SiAiS

    SiAiS Moved on

    It wasn't - it was very upsetting. But it did help me to appreciate what I had been taught about feeling the movement in the forms.
     

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