The ABC of JKD

A Brief History

Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat philosophy in 1967. Originally, when Lee began researching various fighting styles, he gave his martial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead gave us the process that created it.

Bruce Lee, and thus JKD was heavily influenced by European boxing and fencing. Although the backbone concepts (such as centreline, vertical punching, and forward pressure) come from Wing Chun, Lee stopped using the Wing Chun stances in favour of what he considered to be more fluid/flexible fencing and boxing stances

Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes

Jeet Kune Do not only advocate the combination of aspects of different styles, it also can change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, JKD advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, within this stance he used elements of Boxing, Fencing and Wing Chun. Just like fencing, he labelled this position the "On Guard" position.

The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times. A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA.

Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do what he felt were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead a person to becoming a "total" martial artist and great combat success if followed. Some of the concepts were borrowed from European Fencing, and Wing Chun. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee. The most widely known are as follows:-

Intercepting.
Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them. This provided an opportunity to "intercept" that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or "intercepted" and thus be used to one's advantage.

Economy of motion
JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best also that techniques should contain the following properties:

Efficiency - An attack that reaches its mark
Directness - Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.
Simplicity - Thinking in an uncomplicated manner.

Stop hits & stop kicks
This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy is a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as an essential component of European epée fencing (known in fencing terminology as the "counter-attack").

Simultaneous parrying & punching
When confronting an incoming attack, the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.

No high kicks
JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportunity presents itself, even a target above the waist, one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.

The 4 ranges of combat
Kicking
Punching
Trapping
Grappling

Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges.

The Five Ways Of Attack

The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. They are:-

Single Direct Attack (SDA) or Single Angulated Attack (SAA) is a single offensive action (say a punch or kick) that travels directly from where it is to the desired target which is usually executed when a particular target area has been unintentionally left open by the opponent.

Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA) which also includes foot trapping which make use of trapping to limit the opponent's function with that appendage.

Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA) here you attack one part of the opponent's body and draw some form of defensive reaction from your opponent. You then use an initial feint or false attack to draw the same defensive reaction from your opponent and attack the open line. e.g your false attack was on the high line so you hit on the low line.

Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks, with volume of attack as a means of overcoming the opponent.

Attack By Drawing (ABD). This is to intentionally leave a particular target area open as a means of counter attacking.

Centreline
The centreline refers to an imaginary line running down the centre of one's body. The theory is to exploit, control and dominate your opponent's centreline. All attacks, defences and footwork are designed to preserve your own centreline and open your opponent's. Lee incorporated this theory into JKD from Wing Chun. This notion is closely related to maintaining control of the centre squares in the strategic game chess.

The three guidelines for centreline are:

The one who controls the centreline will control the fight.
Protect and maintain your own centreline while you control and exploit your opponent's.
Control the centreline by occupying it.

Process and not a Product

The uniqueness of JKD to Lee is that it is a "process" not a "product" and thus not a "style" but a system, concept, or approach. Traditional martial arts styles are essentially a product that is given to a student with little provision for change. These traditional styles are usually fixed and not tailored for individuals. Bruce Lee claimed there were inherent problems with this approach and established a "Process" based system rather than a fixed style which a student could then utilize to make a "tailored" or "Personal" product of their own.

Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagreed with his opinions on these issues. However we have seen in UFC that knowledge of other systems and cross training is essential e.g grappling.

As Always when training , train intelligently, train sensibly , respect the Art respect yourself and have fun.

Quotes used by Sifu Bruce
“ The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness.[8] - Be prepared to accept new knowledge and not be hindered or biased by old knowledge. This quote originates from the Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism. [9] ”

“ Using no way as way. - Don't have preconceived notions about anything. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo. It was also used by Bruce Lee often to describe JKD. ”

“ Having no limitation as limitation. - Don't be confined by anything, achieve true freedom. This statement is embedded in the Jeet Kune Do logo. ”

“ Empty your mind. Be formless shapeless like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can either flow, or it can crash! Be like water, my friend. - Lee explaining the principle of being like water in a Hong Kong television interview.