Why i dislike the Jeet Kune Do community

Despite being a Jeet Kune Do practitioner myself, i don't like associating with most of the Jeet Kune Do community. It's not that they are fans of Bruce Lee as i'm a fan myself. It's the fact that the way Jeet Kune Do is being taught today has strayed so much from what Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto intended. I've seen so many people practicing Jun Fan Gung Fu and i have no problem with that. The problem arises when people try to put Jeet Kune Do in a box and limit it to the material that only Bruce Lee practiced. Some have even gone as far as denouncing what Jeet Kune Do is and what it isn't.

This self limiting and arrogant mindset is preparing a generation of people who are unprepared for self defense.  There are many people who have shifted their focus from the process to the product which Bruce warned about. Jeet Kune Do has become a style, not a philosophy. There's a lack of emphasis on creativity, individuality, and finding your own Jeet Kune Do. There's nothing wrong with learning Jun Fan Gung Fu but you should make sure you understand it and most don't. Jun Fan Gung Fu is Bruce Lee's own personal expression. Jun Fan Gung Fu is an example of how the Jeet Kune Do philosophy is applied. It's the basis for understanding Jeet Kune Do. It does not represent Jeet Kune Do as a whole because Jeet Kune Do is different for each individual. Nevertheless, many JKD practitioners will try to fight the way Bruce did. This is impossible. You'll never be able to fight the way Bruce did because everyone has specific needs and distinct abilities. Very few people could move as fast as Bruce Lee and had the same insights in combat as he did. As Dan Inosanto explains, learning Jun Fan Gung Fu helps in understanding Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do from a historical framework but after that, you should research your own experience. If Jeet Kune Do to you means learning Jun Fan Gung Fu then that's your Jeet Kune Do. If Jeet Kune Do means mixing up a bunch of martial arts together to another person then that's Jeet Kune Do for him or her. Jeet Kune Do is a process of self discovery that each person ought to tread alone as long as the philosophy is being applied.  

Why do i find many Jun Fan Gung Fu practitioners unprepared for self defense? Because they confine themselves to a style namely Bruce's. This goes against his teaching "be like water." Once you become too rigid, your movements become mechanical and predictable. That's not to say you won't win any street fight but you won't be able to deal with every violent situation. MMA is becoming increasingly popular nowadays. Do you think you can defend yourself against an MMA fighter? Do you think you can deal with a knife? A gun? Difficult situations? What about advanced weaponry? If you want to defend yourself effectively, you'll have to be fluid because every situation in combat is different. Jeet Kune Do is about evolution and constantly evolving. It doesn't do anyone good to strictly learn a style or system because the essence of Jeet Kune Do is adaptability.

For these reasons, i don't like the Jeet Kune Do community. I don't like the culture that it's brought up. I don't like how Jeet Kune Do is taught. I don't suggest you take a class to learn Jeet Kune Do because nine times out of ten, your instructor will not teach you the essence of Jeet Kune Do. If you want to learn Jeet Kune Do, learn it from Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto themselves. Read their source material and apply the philosophy of Jeet Kune Do in your self defense training. Be independent. Absorb what is useful to you and what isn't. Discover who you are as an individual. Only then will you understand the true meaning of Jeet Kune Do.

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The freedom of creativity in Jeet Kune Do

What makes the Jeet Kune Do philosophy so unique compared to other martial arts' philosophies is the emphasis on expression of freedom and creativity. Jeet Kune Do has no set form or pattern way of thinking. There are no belt systems or forms. Instead, Jeet Kune Do helps it's practitioners see only the beauty in movements rather than styles. The techniques and principles of combat are bent to the will of the practitioners, not the other way around.

When Bruce Lee was alive, he would study each individual movement and find flaws. He'd almost always wanted to know "why? Why do we do things a certain way?" He'd discard the traditional methods of using a particular type of attack or technique in favor of what worked for him. According to William Cheung, Bruce Lee criticized modified footwork and asked "look, why is it like that? Why do i have to do this?" (see link below.) That's when Bruce Lee realized the truth in combat existed in each individual, not a particular style or system. What works for one person may not work for another person. In this video, Dan Inosanto lists the differences between Jeet Kune Do and Wing Chun.

The freedom that is found in the JKD philosophy is the ability to fight in your own way. There's almost no rules in Jeet Kune Do. You do what works best for you. For example, conventional wisdom says "don't take the fight to the ground because of the possibility of weapons and multiple attackers.." Jeet Kune Do's answer is "can you make it work? How can you beat someone on the ground quickly addressing weapons and multiple attackers? What exceptions exist? What are the proper conditions for taking the fight to the ground?" Another saying people bring up in combat is to not kick high because you could lose your balance. Jeet Kune Do's answer is once again "can you make it work?" Perhaps you could steal your opponent's balance through trapping the hand as land a high kick to the head. When does kicking high work and when is it not applicable?

Jeet Kune Do isn't just about the freedom from principles or styles, it's also about making your ideas work. For example, i like to apply a bit of psychology and psychological warfare in combat because i find them useful in certain situations. I take inspiration from Sun Tzu, accounts of warfare from the Bible, and other sources. As long as what you use works in combat, the JKD philosophy is - use it. Can't find a useful technique for a particular situation? Invent your own.

That's the beauty of Jeet Kune Do and apart of being fluid. It's about not confining yourself to a predictable pattern or way of fighting. You are your own best master. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below. 

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Is martial arts effective for self defense?

Is martial arts effective for self defense?

If you ask many if not most people what they think when they hear self defense, they'll say "well martial arts of course!" Martial arts is one of the first things people new to self defense want to learn. Nonetheless, it begs the question "is martial arts effective for self defense?"

Yes and no. Yes because it all depends on how you use it. If you use it well then it's effective. No because martial arts is not the end all be all of self defense. As i mentioned in my other posts (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/why-martial-arts-does-not-mean-self.html), there are several problems with assuming that martial arts means self defense. You cannot simply take a course on martial arts and then expect to defend yourself in every situation in the street. There are many different variables in self defense and violence on the streets such as psychology, fear, aggression, brutality, intimidation, weapons, ambushes, multiple attackers, criminal organizations, family, situational awareness, unresolved conflict, stress, strategy, tactics, the list goes on. For example, do you think you would be able to defend yourself against a group of armed gangsters who are far more aggressive and violent than your typical punks? What about an ambush involving guns? It's nearly impossible for you to learn how to deal with all of these variables in a dojo or local martial arts school. This video gives some good insights on martial arts.

Under what situations is martial arts effective? It depends on the martial arts you are practicing. Martial arts are used for various purposes contrary to popular belief. Can you distinguish martial arts used for sport from martial arts used for theatrical performances in Asian cultures and films? What about martial arts for health and fitness as opposed to self defense? Martial arts simply gives you the tools and knowledge needed for a particular purpose namely hand-to-hand combat. Martial arts as it is known today the total essence of combat.

Guru Dan Inosanto said "I think it's important to take the knowledge of the past and improve it." The ancients have made contributions to the knowledge for combat. It is now up to us to take the knowledge of the past and adapt it to the present so it can be applied effectively. Can you use your martial arts effectively against a gunman? A knifeman? Other martial arts styles? If not, how can you go beyond the limits of a particular system or style and find the answers needed in self defense? How can you apply the traditions of the past while making them work for the modern world?

Doesn't matter what martial arts you practice, it's how you can apply what you know effectively and wisely in modern combat. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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