Alan Armstrong

Path of least resistance in Aikido

Path of least resistance in grappling

Thanks Leigh for sharing.All of these techniques are also a part of Wing Chun system. Interesting to see them done in a karate setting. These techniques are very effective, would say, that they would be introduced to (Wing Chun) students in about the second year of training. First there would be drills to practice, called 12 hands pack Sao before actually doing the techniques. As well as ;Bruce Lee took it a notch higher by doing these techniques in karate and wing Chun by not touching the opponent but to flow around and striking instead; making the techniques faster and more difficult to defend against.

Within Yin/Yang one cannot discount the other, the "least" is tied to the "most" Attacking and defending. Holding on and letting go. Pushing and pulling. Picking up and putting down. While training or in combat: using the path of most resistance is just as important as using the path for the least; the art is knowing when. Art is knowing when to stop painting or sculpturing, as overdoing can be just as bad as under doing. The art of war is knowing when and when not to fight. Yielding doesn't mean retreating, these are two different things. Advancing doesn't mean attacking, these are two different things. THE ART OF WAR, is as good as any other place to start understanding the when's and when not's. https://archive.org/details/TheArtOfWarBySunTzu

How important is the way or path of least resistance to you. This idea is important to martial artists and equally so to none maists. Water takes the path of least resistance; as Bruce Lee liked to say: "Be like water my friend" Yielding and resistance training, are you using this to your advantage when in combat?

All martial art styles practice some type of resistance, the difference is in the intensity and for their intents. No matter what is said here, each fight depends on the individual. The difference between amateurs and pros is one gets payed and the other doesn't; this is true for most professions. Everyone starts off as an amateur and can progress to the pro level; the next level. There is no such thing as a bad fighter, either a person is a fighter or is not ready to be one, those that loose all of their fights are not fighters. One of the beauties of martial arts is that to talk the talk one needs to walk the walk. There will always be someone that can beat you, this applies to everyone. It is very easy to shot arrows down when standing on the high ground; it's when there is no more arrows to shoot, is when it quickly becomes a disadvantage.

Hobby vs pro, one does it for the fun of it while the other for the money? Is the hobbyist less of a maist than the one that does it for profit? Are professional fighters to be elevated to a higher level of expertise than everyone else? Is being a sadistic type of fighter, really worth training for? Is it proper practice to become a martial artists just to learn how to hurt others?

Tradition is part of the human condition; people don't usually like change.There is a tug of war of sorts with tradition and change. Very good points to consider singularity6 Martial arts is no exception to the complexities of tradition and changing with the times. Tradition is usually trying to hold on to things that are good things or habits; passed on from one generation to the next. Change is inevitable but too quickly is just as bad as stuck too deeply in tradition. The Chinese deal with this in, how will the decisions today (change) effect the future generations. Change for today might be a temporary good but bad in the future; very difficult to reverse once set in motion.

Interesting suggestion.... Unfortunately for your argument I used to be a prison guard. I've got some insight for you- being a felon or a "bad dude" doesn't instill magical fighting prowess. In fact if you want to see some interesting examples you can even look up felony fights on YouTube. There was one where a modestly trained mma fighter in shad smith fought a guy who "just didn't care" because he was "crazy." As you would have guessed, shad toyed with the guy, because he's a pro fighter. You're failing to justify any arguments you make and are trying to appeal to fantasies "These guys MUST be crazy killers because they're in PRISON" I fail to see the correlation between being a criminal and being a skilled fighter. Watch those felony fights. Those guys are- you guessed it- former felons. You'll see just how "not professional" they are.... So you are saying that, the best fighters are cage fighters due to practicing resistance training with each other; whereas traditional martial artists are below them in every way, skill wise due to this reason?

Not all tough guys are stupid and not all intelligent people are tough, but there are tough intelligent fighters that make a living in other ways outside of a cage. Real cage fighting is done in prisons that are not shown on pay per view. Why not set up a match between cage fighters inside ones and out, the winner gets his freedom and the other takes his place.

It's not practical for everyone to be sparring with pros on a daily basis; especially when most people have a life other than fighting. It's fine developing great fighting skills, but it is more important to learn how to have necessary skills for living also, that can be learned in none fanatical, over competitive martial art environments. The cage is a very small place compared to the rest of the world, something like a gold fish bowl compared to the ocean; and there are bigger tougher fish outside of the bowl than those in side it. Try yourself out in a prison, fighting somewhere like in El Salvador; then tell us how you got on with the resisting theory.

Really mediation can be used for different reasons. In Yoga it will be different than for martial arts. In Yoga meditation is used in spirituality and body unity for the purpose of harmony. In martial arts meditation is usually used as a tool, to be a more efficient and effective fighter; but how? Usually it is about focusing on a particular thing; then there is a feeling or sensation occurring of energy movements; this can be done with the natural way of breathing in and out. Something more useful is practicing how to listen to someone with your full attention, without you creating something to say while the other person is talking. As this often happens, very much so in arguments, when both are talking and neither one is listening to the other. Meditation is s powerful tool, never to be underestimated. Switching off the internal chatter in one's own mind is another exercise. Focusing on how a tree moves in the breeze and tuning in with the movements, this practice; will help you tune in to your opponents movements, making it easier for you when in combat. When driving feel the road, become tuned in to the bends and bumps. Becoming more tuned in to what you do, takes less energy and is easier to do; from riding a horse to skipping a rope. When people are mentally challenged, they tune out and become withdraw. Meditation is a good way to learn how to focus, so when we do a front kick (or any technique) on an opponent, it is carrying with it your full attention; just like listening to the other person with 100% of your attention.

Wing Chun vs JKD, which is better? Let's here what the experts say:

Flexibility by using weights, is it possible? The question should be, how flexible do you want to be if using weights? [/u]

Here is Kyokushin Karate complete 1,2,3, BONUS: Best Kyokushin Karate (KO's) in history. Fight Quest Kyokushin karate https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=PLNBpDWevaYqI5rstm2hqIwWDfHizJsDF3&v=Yokfp5xz-d0

JKD has died with its creator and has been reborn out of the ashes, now in to the heart and minds of the devotees; reincarnation promises improvement in the next time around. Bruce Lee set the bar very high for his followers, the task of improving on his work is now in their hands. 1973(Age 33) Bruce orders all three of his Jeet Kune Do schools closed in six months. He did not approve of some teaching methods in his absence and he felt others were taking advantage of him in some way. source: http://asiajeetkunedo.com/about_lee.php What is authentic jeet kune do?

Loyal to a style, the originator of it is not loyal due to starting their own style. The creator of a style learned there martial art from others first, then secondly built upon it, or modified it and adapted it to their own needs. Perhaps the division in loyalty is because in the past comrades depending on each other, working as a unit for the good of all in a time of war or strife; but now days there is the martial arts as a hobby or sport factor to consider, things are not so serious, as in life and death situations. This could also be the age of none commitment and McDojos.

Here is a fight, that shows how effective hair pulling can be.

To do JKD to Bruce Lee's standard, the student would need to be exceptional fit. This rules out many people from becoming a JKD martial artist, for many reasons. Bruce Lee's JKD is not intended for hobby or sport minded people, as it is street fighting or urban combat based. JKD is continually changing, developing and evolving, therefore what worked today might be discarded tomorrow, because of that, katas and forms could not be designed, because soon after being designed they would become quickly obsolete. Bruce Lee's art was to wow audiences in movies and to develop his personal style of combat that wasn't flashy but on the contrary, his off screen methods were to get to the point of beating an opponent in a few seconds; or less if possible. JKD wasn't there for the masses, so as to build a martial art empire, like many be fore him had done. JKD was the life's work of one martial artist; that is now up in the air for anyone to take and do with it as they please, without Bruce Lee's consent, permission or blessings. Do not deny the classical approach simply as a reaction, for you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there. Bruce Lee

Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing. It has no resting place, no form, no organized institution, no philosophy. When you see that, you will understand that this living thing is also what you are. You cannot express and be alive through static, put-together form, through stylized movement. Bruce Lee

The secon-hand artist blindly following his sensei or sifu accepts his pattern. As a result, his action and, more importantly, his thinking become mechanical. His responses become automatic, according to set patterns, making him narrow and limited. Bruce Lee

I don't think the Elvis or Michael Jackson comparisons are fair in this case. That'd be equivalent to saying anyone who's teaching martial arts is impersonating their instructor. We learn from our instructors so we can in turn pass this knowledge down to others, who will hopefully do the same. Martial arts styles do not die with their creators. They may evolve, but the spirit still lives on. In the long history of martial arts, the instincts to follow and imitate seems to be inherent in most martial artists, instructors and students alike. This is partly due to human tendency and partly because of the steep traditions behind multiple patterns of style. Consequently, to find a refreshing, original, master teacher is a rarity. The need for a "pointer of the way" echoes. Bruce Lee You are right in the beginning of your training but dead wrong in the instructor years. The techniques passed down are as in any art, the foundation of that art. If you do not mimic or imitate the instructor you do not learn the proper way to perform/execute the techniques/applications. This is a natural learning process, to learn the techniques/applications of the art. However once these are learned the student begins to morph (to an extent). They make the applications and techniques there own. In 35+ years I have never met a senior instructor with the exact same style of teaching. The curriculum is the same, the techniques and applications are the same but the way it is transmitted to the student is not. The scenario you are speaking of is found in most Modern Dojo where conformity is mandatory. If you ever travel to Okinawa you will find a much different learning atmosphere where the individuals critical thinking and individual learning process is fostered rather than quelled. Essentially we learn from each other. One student/instructor will see an application totally different from another and instead of penalizing them for this we test it and apply it in real life applications to see if it works. If this is not done the art WILL become stagnant once you reach a certain level and then I would agree that you are just parroting what your teacher taught you. Having said this, the teachings of those that went before us holds wisdom and should not be ignored. If your statement, "refreshing original master teacher" means someone that doesn't teach the arts techniques and applications as it was passed down then I take back my previous statements as we do pass down the founders teachings. However if you mean allowing students to think on their own then my statements stand. Everything highlighted in blue, is Bruce Lee's not mine.

I don't think the Elvis or Michael Jackson comparisons are fair in this case. That'd be equivalent to saying anyone who's teaching martial arts is impersonating their instructor. We learn from our instructors so we can in turn pass this knowledge down to others, who will hopefully do the same. Martial arts styles do not die with their creators. They may evolve, but the spirit still lives on. In the long history of martial arts, the instincts to follow and imitate seems to be inherent in most martial artists, instructors and students alike. This is partly due to human tendency and partly because of the steep traditions behind multiple patterns of style. Consequently, to find a refreshing, original, master teacher is a rarity. The need for a "pointer of the way" echoes. Bruce Lee

Preserving or letting JKD die, that is the question. Bruce Lee admitted that nothing about JKD is new. Yet he pulled elements from everywhere and created something new, giving him a way to self expression; there is and was one Bruce Lee. Only one Micheal Jackson; everyone else are impersonators. Only one Elvis Presley; everyone else are impersonators. Only one Mohamed Ali... How can anyone put together a Bruce Lee JKD curriculum, then tell the student "Don't worry, what doesn't work for you, just discard it" When Bruce Lee put his JKD together as a concept, he wasn't specific with the type of Boxing, Fencing, Grappling or Kung Fu, it was the idea that he could use what worked for him. Each person to make the art, become the art, feel the art and express the art, in the moment. Bruce Lee didn't say copy me, he promoted the opposite of, be yourself and chip away all the inessential, to reveal the truth. Bruce Lee didn't hand over any keys to his martial art studio, to continue his legacy. Bruce Lee, for my understanding, was fighting ignorance and prejudice, not much different than, what John Lennon and Muhammad Ali were preaching with their art also.

MMA is a concept. It is also a codified rule-set. The idea behind the rule-set being to avoid forbidding as many martially valid techniques as possible and still have a valid sport that the public can watch. The early UFC's, and before them the Gracie Challenges, had few if any real rules, as has already been stated. What's interesting is the fact that, other than the quality of what is being done, the rules that have been added have not significantly affected "what works" in the cage. The idea here is put up or shut up. If you want to make a claim about how effective a martial art is for it's intended purpose, which for most of them is either fighting, self defense, or warfare, then put your money where your mouth is and fight. The truth is, MMA gives every martial art a roughly even chance as long as it is based on martially valid principles. The top athletes rise to the top, but just about anybody can compete at the lower levels, with the caveat that whatever you have been doing will be put to a much more extreme test than most people ever face, so you will need to be ready for that. If you think compliant training is going to get you ready for a fight on it's own, be prepared for a rude awakening when you step in to a real encounter. I have seen everything from simple punches, complex ground combinations, and even jump, spinning roundhouse kicks off the side of the fence, ALL work in the cage, but they all had one thing in common. The people practicing them trained in an alive manner consistently against intelligently resisting opponents. That's it. That's the super secret sauce right there. Link to article on aliveness: http://mattthornton.org/its-aliveness-still/ Thanks Tempest: It’s Aliveness – Still That's it. That's the super secret sauce right there. Link to article on aliveness: http://mattthornton.org/its-aliveness-still/ I have experience in a JKD Dan Inosanto indorsed club. It wasn't Bruce Lee concepts and philosophy based. It was however very stick fighting based with a strong Inosanto flavour. They were awarding black belts but funny enough colored belts were not worn in class. Having been a fan of Bruce Lee since the opening of "Enter the Dragon" in about 1973, for 30 years, just must know a little about JKD. The curriculum in my opinion was street defense oriented, with and without weapons. It was Insonatosized devoid or any Bruce Lee's JKD, including concepts and philosophy; actually I was binging JKD in to the class, instead of being taught it by anyone there. The head instructor was however a very capable martial artist and fighter. I will have a look at the videos and read the article again, thanks Tempest.