Ok - how's this for starters

[Iron Arahat]

I believe a great deal of people do not practice JKD for a few reasons:

 

1) There are still alot of "false prophets" out there, and they are more difficult to point out than in other "mainstream" arts. Remember that most people come to the martial arts with many misconceptions, regardless of style.

 

An example the above is that wee have a Tae Kwon Do instructor who has taken a handful of weekend seminars, and is now teaching JKD as a side. When I first move to the area, I though it would be good for me to learn JKD. I watched a class, and too put it mildly I could tell instantly that he was a hack. But to the untrained eye you would never know any better. As I learn more about this person, I now have little respect for what he does.

 

2) Commercialization. JKD instructor in a week or weekend. JKD the American way.

 

3) The general differences between 'Concept' and 'nucleus' teachings.

 

4) If I take JKD at point A chances are at the school at point B may be entirely different.

 

Just my two cents....

 

 

[AnonymousOne]

My question is - why do so many people "Love JKD" yet so few take the time to actually seek out a bona-fide school & train it?

 

Well down here there are no such schools

 

 

[thaiboxerken]

I hear the same thing about Muay Thai as well as JKD. People say they think it's cool, but I think the amount of physical training scares them off. You have to admit that JKD schools tend to have more of a boxing oriented workout that involves sweating. And dang it, the stuff just looks dangerous.

 

 

[Trojin]

I am in the exact same boat AnonymousOne. I live in Melbourne, Australia and there are no JKD schools anywhere.

 

But given that JKD's entire philosophy is based on "simplifying", with hard work and proper analysis of your techniques you really can base a JKD on yourself. Because really JKD isn't a style, Bruce Lee was trying to make us all understand that a Martial Art is an expression (flow) of oneself, for example:

 

As Bruce Lee once said (this is paraphrased because i could not remember the direct quote): That a sculpture does not add to his artwork, but chips away what is not needed, constantly perfecting his art.

 

It is all about efficiency of movement, getting the most out of the least amount of energy.

 

 

[YODA]

The old sculpture & clay thing....

 

If you wish to progress & learn over a lifetime then it is sometimes prudent to add some clay too - otherwise you'll end up with nothing!

 

JKD is a constant process of adding clay & chipping away to reveal a better statue

 

 

 

 

[TKD_McGee]

"I saw Bruce Lee on TV, hes cool.."

 

or

 

"I read stuff about Bruce Lee he's one bad mother.."

 

I think people are affected by what they watch and hear... some people join martial arts because they saw it on a video game or movie..

 

 

[Strife]

FIRST! JKD isnt just a fighting style, in a way its a life style! You dont learn JKD! It dosent have any set boundraies(hope thats how you spell it!) You can add in other styles to personalize it, like kickboxing, etc. When he said that no one could teach or learn HIS style, thats what he meant. Everyones style of JKD is gonna be different. Bruce Lee's way should be used as a building block to get yourself started.

 

 

[YODA]

I agree Strife. But I wouldn't say you could add in ANY art. It would have to fit withing certain criteria...

 

Functional

 

Economy of motion

 

Non classical

 

It would also have to share some common thread with the other methods you use - this is why many JKD people seem to choose the same art or types of art.

 

For example, in the standing striking ranges Muay Thai fits very well with Jun Fan Gung Fu - it is easy to launch a Thai kick from a Jun Fan Bi Jong position, but not very easy, for example, to launch it from say a Hung Gar horse stance. There are many good arts out there - but they just don't "fit" with what we do.

 

Take Shotokan Karate - I know people who train Shotokan who are formidable at the ranges that it covers - I would NOT want to take a gyaku-tsuki off one guy in particular, he would snap my sternum into pieces! BUT - he finds it very difficult to use any of the trapping from Jun Fan because his structure doesn't fit with it.

 

We had a funny encounter once actually (getting off the topic...) We had been discussing the relenance of grappling and he said that he would & could kick anyone to bits before they got close enough to grapple him. A few days later I was walking through town & spotted him sat with his family ina cafe having lunch. Luckily his wife spotted me before he did (I approached from behind him) & she got the idea right away from the grin on my face. I slapped him in a rear choke & took him to about 2 seconds before unconciousness before letting go - pretty difficult to get of that devastating front kick (and his IS) if you're sitting down reading a newspaper with a mouthfull of coffe - Muhahahaaaaa...... He got his revenge a few months later but errrr.... that's another story.

 

 

[thaiboxerken]

"Functional

 

Economy of motion

 

Non classical "

 

Any art can be fit into the "JKD" thing, but it must have the first 2 criteria.. the 3rd (non-classical) is a very subjective criteria that I won't even consider. What is classical, what is not? When a person modifies a technique, then it is no longer classical, anything absorbed into JKD will no longer be classical.

 

 

[YODA]

I'd say "Non Classical" refers more to the shunning of adherence to classical tradition for the sake of it.