What is Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do translates to “The Way of Intercepting fist”. Jeet Kune Do was created in 1965 by the legendary Bruce Lee. In these modern times there are three similar but different methodologies of Jeet Kune Do.

• Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do is considered the original art taught by Bruce lee himself. (Jun fan was his Chinese name) Some people from this methodology would say if your not using 60% wing chun, 20% western boxing, and 20% western fencing your not doing authentic J.K.D.
• Conceptual J.K.D. is the most popular of the three. This version blends Filipino Kali into the art and mainly but not solely, uses the concepts/principles from Jun Fan instead of the physical aspects. This way the concepts can be applied to, and taught to, anybody, from any style.
• Functional Jeet Kune Do is more sport than street orientated. They don’t emphasize foul/dirty tactics. This art focuses on only one of the original principles, aliveness. Aliveness is defined as training with a resisting opponent. They don’t believe in drilling focus mitts or hitting the heavy bag. Just a lot of “real time” sparring.

The Philosophy is “simply to simplify.” Bruce’s whole J.K.D. theory is basically, “Don’t be like the painter who is constantly adding paint (techniques, complex theories, etc.) to the canvas; but more like the sculptor who is constantly chiseling away the non essentials (wasted motions, technical choices, muscle contractions, etc.) until his master piece is revealed.”

It’s referred to as the “Formless Form”; which means it has no physical form and no physical boundaries. What it does have is creative freedom and scientific principles (hand moves first, action is quicker than re-action, four ranges of combat, center line, dominant side forward, etc.) that everyone uses and interprets differently; which guide the student physically and psychologically from beginner to expert. This makes it an Individualized custom tailored fighting art. You can’t apply the following concepts if you belong to a system and/or style that says punch like this, blocks like that, kick like him, do it like me.

• The J.K.D. motto is: Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is essentially your own.
• The J.K.D. creed is: Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation

Much of this art is organized by range. We use four ranges of distance to map out the art:
KICKING………PUNCHING………TRAPPING………GRAPPLING
A J.K.D. man should be able to confidently fight in any range. Each technique or tactic in the martial arts has a distance that is required for its optimum use. The real goal is to be adaptable to any situation at any time. Adaptability is defined as being able to using your past experiences in any situation that is unfamiliar to you. Your creativity is important as well, because nothing ever goes as planed. Your creativity works hand in hand with your experiences allowing you to become adaptable. My J.K.D. Street Fighting Academy will help you become this way by:

• Allowing you creative freedom
• Providing you with realistic experiences
• Heightening your level of awareness
• Training drills that work your decision making speed
• Theories and techniques that fit your personality and body type
• A proper mental attitude
• Discipline and/or self control