Since I first wrote this article, I've actually had a chance to verify one important aspect of this. At the 1997 Meiji Shrine Demonstration in November, I demonstrated Toda-ha Buko-ryu naginatajutsu. On the first technique, my foot slipped on the grass and I sat down. My only thought was, "Gotta get out of here quick, `cause this is a bad place to be." I scrambled up and out from under the descending cut and countered with a cut of my own. While the situation was not one of life or death, my reaction did demonstrate an ability to act appropriately and without delay, both important elements of dealing with a real attack.
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Original Vs. Concepts: The Great Jeet Kune Do Debate, By Burton Richardson
One instructor who has tasted the best of both Bruce Lee worlds says forget about what is or what isn't: just take the best of each and become a great martial artist.
Originally Printed in the 25th Anniversary Collector's Issue of Bruce Lee Magazine.
Original vs. Concepts - Which is the better approach?
This
question has been looked at over and over again the last few years without
much progress. I believe that just as in any other area of art, sports,
or technology, we can go beyond the old way of thinking and find a better
way. For clarity, let's first take a look at what the "original JKD"
people think, at what the "JKD" concepts" people think, and
what the two camps think of each other.
Original JKD is comprised of those things that Bruce Lee actually did himself, his techniques, his training methods, and so on. A common phrase from this camp is, "If Bruce didn't do it, it's not JKD." They tend to have a healthy reverence for Lee and everything that he accomplished. They have great confidence in the art that Lee founded, and have considerable pride in teaching the methods developed by the founder. They believe in practicing the basics of Jun Fan jeet Kune do with diligence to hone the skills of the artists.
Many in this camp look at the concepts people as a group of wayward martial artists who think that accumulation is the key to proficiency. They think that concepts people will practice any art regardless of whether or not it is useful, and that most concepts people think, "The more techniques I know the better I must be."
Jeet Kune do concepts practitioners believe the art Sigung Lee passed on is good, but there is much more to learn in the martial arts realm. Concepts people think that by studying different arts, a wider scope of understanding will be gained, and the student will be better off in the long run. Knowing more techniques is like having extra insurance in case you end up I a bad situation. They also have a strong reverence for Bruce Lee, but they realize that he was only able to study a small portion of the arts that are available today. They also believe that a martial artist should be well-rounded in his approach, and the only way to accomplish this is to study a wide variety of arts.
Who's Right? Who's Wrong?
Many concepts people think the "original" practitioners are closed-minded, and limited in their martial options. Some concepts people also think that since they practice Jun Fan jeet Kune do themselves, it only makes sense that their approach better prepares an individual for a combative situation. If a concepts person knows the same things as an original person, plus knows other arts too, then the concepts person has the advantage.
Obviously, I am making wide generalizations here, and every individual practitioner is different, but this is some of the prevalent thinking on both sides of the issue. What we all want to know is, which side is right? Which approach is better? Actually, I don't think that is the question. I think what most of us really want to know is, "What should I do to become the best martial artist that I can become?" Isn't this the pertinent question? We want to know if OJKD is better that JKDC to be sure that we are practicing the best was that we can. From a fighter's point of view, how to become the best of oneself is the only question that pertains to martial arts training. IT doesn't matter if it is OJKD or JKDC as long as we become better martial artists.
I have been very, very fortunate to have studied with Sifu Dan Inosanto over the last 18 years. He is the best of all worlds in the martial arts because he is a great teacher, technician, and training in various arts under many different teachers. His teaching also is on a very high level, because he encourages each student to find his way. He will supply everything a person could need to go into any aspect of the martial arts. He also encourages his students to study with other instructors so they student will have different perspectives on the arts. He encouraged me as I went down one martial path, and he now encourages me since I have changed the direction of my training and teaching.
For years I taught all aspects of various arts, from forms to intricate techniques to the basic fighting drills. My Los Angeles students enjoyed the training, as did my seminar students. As time went on I entered various full-contact competitions, with and without weapons, I began to reexamine my teaching approach. I finally realized what my problem was- I didn't have a goal for my training and teaching! I needed a goal to guide my training in a particular direction, but I had to first decide what that direction would be. I decided the most important aspect of the martial arts, that thing that makes it martial arts, is to be able to defend yourself in a life-threatening situation. I wrote out a goal for myself and my students, and used it to guide my research, training and teaching. It has shaped my expression of jeet Kune do. Here is the goal. I hope you find it useful.
Establish A Goal
"You must be able to apply your art under extreme pressure, in all ranges, with or without weapons, against one or more, armed or unarmed, highly skilled aggressive opponents, in a variety of environments."
This is the goal of the training and it guides me and keeps me on track. I believe the underlying theme of jeet Kune do that makes it unique is that the art must work on the street. Take a look at the components of the goal and see if they make sense to you and your training.
To be able to handle such a situation, you must be able to actually apply your art. There is a big difference between looking good in class and going for it in the street. In class you may like to work with someone who has good energy, but in the street an attacker is going to have the worst energy you can possible imagine. Instead of giving you "good energy", he is going to try his best to foul up anything you try. Our training must prepare us to deal with that sort of frantic, hostile energy. The techniques you use must be simple, effective techniques that have been proven to work under adverse circumstances. Remember, knowledge is not power, that ability to apply your knowledge is power.
To become a powerful martial artist you must be able to apply your art. You must be able to handle the pressure of an aggressive attack. If your training doesn't include dealing with heavy attacking pressure, how do you expect yourself to automatically adjust to high-pressure situation in the street? Be sure you included drills in your training where you feel your partner pressuring you, or create a training situation where you have to deal with the nervousness that can hinder your performance.
You must be able to fight in all ranges of combat. Nobody can predict which range a street fight will start in, or where it will end up. You must be functional in all of the ranges, or after years of training you may end up in a position that you are unfamiliar with. You should be proficient in kicking range, hand range, trapping range you should be able to throw an opponent, and you must be able to fight on the ground. You may be a great stand-up fighter, but what happens if you get tackled from behind by an opponent you didn't see? How about a grappler who has to face more that one opponent? If you want to have a fighting chance on the street, you must be functional in all of the ranges.
Weaponry is a must as well. Once o the most natural things for an irate human being to do is to pick something up and use it as a weapon. If you want to understand how to defend against a weapon, you should learn how to fight with a weapon. You should understand the difference between fighting with and edge weapon and fighting with a blunt impact weapon. If you know the weak points in your attack with the weapon and you are used to the motion of the stick or knife, you will have a much better chance of surviving an armed attack. If the situation is really bad, you may need to improvise a weapon to save your on skin.
Have you practiced against multiple opponents? Have you seen a mass attack occur? If not, you better get to work. Mass attacks are a common occurrence. You could be minding your own business when a group of youngsters with nothing better to do decide that you are to be the outlet for their rage. Multiple opponents are very difficult to deal with, but you should at least practice the tactics that could allow you to run to safety. Even in your one-on-one training, you should factor in the chance that the guy your are fighting may have friends on the way. This is why staying on your feet is important. If his friends come around the corner, you can run. When you grapple, you should try to choose positions that are easy to run away from. If you are tangled up with an opponent, he can hold you until his friend arrives to introduce his boot to your brain. Not good. Always factor fighting against more than on opponent into your training.
Expect The Worst
I always want to assume that any opponent I or a student of mine faces is highly skilled in all of the ranges. IF you assume that the person knows nothing, what happens if you go to the ground and find out that he is a wrestling champ> You could make a careless mistake and be finished. Much better to assume that the person is highly skilled, do you very best, and win easily if the opponent isn't skilled. The best way to avoid underestimating an opponent is to assume that he is very good.
There are environmental considerations to take into account also. Can you fight in the dark? Can you function when it is very noisy, like in a nightclub. How about when the ground is slippery, or on a hill, or in the snow, or in the water, or when you have lots of clothing on, or when you are in a parking lot, or when you are sitting in your car? You should try training in different environments so you can more easily adapt to a situation in the real world when conditions are less that optimal. So know that the goal is, but what do we need to become functional? WE must have sound techniques and employ proper training methods.
There are millions of possible techniques, but far fewer moves that are probable to work against a highly skilled, aggressive opponent, so where should we draw our base techniques from? I choose most of mine from full-contact combat sports. Muay Thai, Valé tudo, boxing and other combat sports put skilled competitors together to go nearly all-out. They don't talk and theorize about fighting, they go out and do it. You will see certain techniques being used over and over again because they work well. I use these techniques, then add all the foul tactics such as eye and groin strikes that are illegal in the ring but perfectly acceptable in the street. The techniques must be simple, and practical and must be practiced repeatedly to become functional.
Most of the techniques I teach are those I have pulled off under pressure, or techniques, which I know have been performed by someone else under pressure. I want to teach a move that I believe is practical, but I don't know of anyone actually doing it, I will tell my students just that. This way I am honest with my teaching and I feel good about staying true to my goal.
I take most of the basic training methods from combat sports. You must have an efficient way of practicing your techniques that simulate the combat conditions while keeping a margin of safety. If you get hurt during training you are defeating the whole purpose of martial arts training. You learn martial arts so that you can stay healthy, so safety in training is a must. Training for combat sports is designed to win the event and since our "event" is a streetfight with no rules, we must alter drills to fit our needs. The main goal in training is to build extremely strong basics in each range, because the fighter with the strongest basics usually wins the bout.
Unlimited Potential
This is my expression of jeet Kune do. I call my group Jeet Kune Do Unlimited because I don't want any of my students to become limited in our thought process, and start to think that we have the "best" way or the "only" way. I call what we do high-performance martial arts because that is what it should be; martial arts that you can perform at a high level of proficiency. Some people will like it. Others will hate it, but that doesn't matter. The most important thing is to be constantly improving.
I am happy with where the training is now, but I know it will get better in the future as I and my research team of instructors experience more training methods from different arts, cultures, and fighters. I want to be the best I can be, and I want to help my students and friends to do the same. Bruce Lee gave us a great example by showing us what happens when a person sets a goal and works on that goal with zeal.
Forget about whether "this" art is better than "that" art. Set your goal, make sure it feels right to you. Then get to work on being the best that you can be.