Bruce Leez Jeet Kune Do: A Non Controversial Controversy

[alfa]

Bruce Leez Jeet Kune Do has radically changed the way of Fighting arts. Today, JKD is the most controversial Martial art. However, it is also the most popular martial art. Bruce Lee lives on, his JKD spreading over continents.

 

The controversies about jeet Kune Do are not whether Lee was the best martial artist around, he was undisputedly. He was one of the best grandmasters of all time, unarguably. He was also a great philosopher & teacher. His students represent the best instructors in the Martial arts fraternity. The generations of students who learnt from his lineage directly or indirectly also will obviously be some of the free-est and most open martial art practitioners in the world, to be able to accept combat in multi range facets!

 

As for as the current controversies, JKD is a set of original technics OR JKD is a concept based art? The debate rages. But do we not agree that while Bruce did reduce his large vocabulary of technics to a few number of effective technics, he did so to make an art simpler to learn & execute. At the same time JKD will also remain a concept based art, as it was JKD & Lee which advocated that one must practice fighting in ALL Ranges. One must disregard the "Sport foul limitataions" and absorb the useful. That each man must find his own way, That every art is to be respected, that internal & external arts are NOT TWO!

 

I got very impressed by the Jeet Kune Do Ideology India, where there is a beautiful article penned by Prof. Dr. Rao, a must read for Jeet Kune Do enthusiasts. Do See

 

http://jkdmumbai.tripod.com/id10.html

 

I pray that we derive all that we can from Lee & his JKD and in the process of studying it, find our own Non controversial Jeet Kune Do .... our unique way, in Combat and in Life. With respect to the entire Martial arts fraternity,

 

Alfa

[Nick_UKWC]

"JKD is the most controversial Martial art. However, it is also the most popular martial art."

 

Don't think I'd agree with that.

[Rank7]

JKD is great, the only thiing l find worth arguing is take a boxing class or learn thier technique on throwing punches . JKD punches are great, dont get me wrong ( i hear they are more powerful than a shotokan punch) but the boxers only know how to punch and they do it well. This will make your JKD worth every bit! Not that it already isnt.

[striking_cobra]

boxing is included in jkd...

[Gary]

All you have to do is watch Bruce Lee movies and you know he was not the greatest. Please, he was good but the greatest? Perhaps had he lived a longer life, maybe, but he was one of the best karate movie guys.

[taiji fajin]

I'm not even sure where to start with this. First off, I would like to see some evidence he was "undisputedly" the "best martial artist around." Or that he "was one of the best grandmasters of all time, unarguably." I can think of other people that I would put above him for best grandmaster, and I've met other people that I would put money on against him in a fight. As for his philosophy? While I don't remember the name (I'm sorry, I know that's a horribile thing to say since it give sme no credibility as it gives you guys nothign to check up on) I have talked with someone who has a PhD in philosophy who practices martial arts that says Bruce Lee's philosophy was just rehashed from some other guy in the past who wasn't that famous.

 

Remember, you can give them the title of "grandmaster" all you want, and I'm sure most have earned it, but in the end, they are just humans who worked hard. In my opinion, that's a good thing. It means if we work hard and dedicate ourselves, we can be just as good (yes yes, assuming we train right, are taught correctly, blah blah blah).

[Hudson]

I thought this was dead, but since it's been resurrected, here's my two cents.

 

Sure, Bruce Lee wasn't original, he wasn't the greatest, and he wasn't the undisputed greatest grandmaster of all time. He was, however, undisuptedly quick, extremely fit, quite strong pound for pound, and he was cool. His philosophy was his own, just as I could take Bruce Lee's philosophy and add to it my own to make it my own. He was a constantly evolving person who strived towards perfection. I think he's a great role model as well as quite an inspiring person - ever read "Striking Thoughts"? I keep it next to the Art of War and Book of Five Rings.

[battousai16]

"At the same time JKD will also remain a concept based art, as it was JKD & Lee which advocated that one must practice fighting in ALL Ranges."

 

about the only thing in that entire set that i agree with, really.

[Chaz]

If I had to throw my mildly educated guess out (I've read 3 of his books and one about Bruce...), I would say that the contraversy lies in the way people practice JKD...It sounds as iff people are missing the point...(not saying you are...but it is a considered possibility)

 

Isn't JKD just concepts and philosophy? People talk about it as if it has form...thats not what bruces writings indicate...Wasn't he trying to press the idea that just because kickboxing and Wing Chun were his first focuses that later formed his ultimate way of fighting, doesn't mean it will be yours? Don't you have to find your own way? It seems to me JKD would be better served as a philisophical book than taught in a dojo...Even Bruce Lee quite teaching JKD in the end because people were using it as an ultimate way of fighting, Bruces way! They were'nt finding there own way...I'm confused...What is it you JKD practitioners do in the dojo to properley carry on Lee's Legacy?

 

(This posted in other sections as well, but I was hoping to maybe catch a few different people in here that might inform me... )

[Nick_UKWC]

This is my understanding as well Chaz. I have commented to this effect a few times but never get a responce from someone 'in the know'. Everything I've ever read about JKD is that it's a concept, and idea and that basically you can not teach it as a sylabus. Basically as soon as you write down what it is, it isn't JKD.

 

What happened to using 'no way as way, no form as form' and all that?