Jeet Kune Do

The following are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The "4 Combat Ranges" in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a "total" martial artist. This is also the principle most related to mixed martial arts. The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire. The concepts of Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were borrowed from Western Fencing. These concepts were than modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee.  
  I. Be like water JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. II. Economy of motion JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best. A. Stop hits & stop kicks This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts. B. Simultaneous parrying & punching When confronting an incoming attack; the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts. C. No high kicks JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportunity presents itself; even a target above the waist one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle. III. Learn the 4 ranges of combat Kicking  Punching  Trapping  Grappling  Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges. Bruce Lee's theories have been especially influential and substantiated in the field of Mixed Martial Arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges.  
 IV. Five Ways Of Attack A. Single Angular Attack and its converse Single Direct Attack. B. Hand Immobilization Attack and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack, which make use of “trapping” to limit the opponent to function with that appendage. C. Progressive Indirect Attack. Attacking one part of the opponent's body followed by attacking another part as a means of creating an opening. D. Attack By Combinations. This is using multiple rapid attacks as a means of using volume of attack to overcoming the opponent. E. Attack By Drawing. This is creating an opening with positioning as a means of counter attacking. V. Three Parts of JKD Jeet Kune Do practitioners believe that techniques should contain the following properties: Efficiency - An attack that reaches its mark  Directness - Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.  Simplicity - Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.   

"The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness". - Be prepared to accept new knowledge and not be hindered or biased by old knowledge.  "Using no way as way". - Don't have preconceived notions about anything.  "Having no limitation as limitation". - Don't be confined by anything, achieve true freedom.  "From form to formless and from finite to infinite". - Don't be confined by limitations and forms.  The consciousness of "self" is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action - This is actually a Zen or Chan maxim which means to "be in the moment" and NOT be distracted by your own thought process. The Zen quote is: "If you seek it, you will NOT find it". The "Western" counterpart to this is the term "Being in the Zone".  "If people say Jeet Kune Do is different from "this" or from "that," then let the name of Jeet Kune Do be wiped out, for that is what it is, just a name. Please don't fuss over it." - Don't get hung up on labels and parameters. JKD is alive and therefore always changing; don't try to box it in.   

Jeet Kune Do, unlike many other methods, is not a defensive type of combat. JKD follows an approach explained with an expression used in modern sports; 'The best defense is a good offense.' JKD favors a hit first and ask questions later approach rather than letting the opposition dictate one's course of action.  From Bruce's research into the art of combat, he concluded that there are ultimately five methods of attack. These five ways are not meant to exclude any of the infinite number of specific attacks that are possible. He wrote them aiming to generally categorize all modes of attack.  The 'Five Ways of Attack' are as follows:SDA- Single Direct AttackABD- Attack By DrawingABC- Attack By CombinationPIA- Progressive Indirect AttackHIA- Hand Immobilization Attack   
  SDA-An SDA, or Single Direct Attack, is one single strike, taking a direct path to the target. Although it is probably one of the most difficult attacks to land, it is definitely the most important to master. Strong SDAs make strong fighters. If you were able to land an SDA with successful consistency, you would obviously out class your adversary. An SDA takes precise timing, distance, and a keen awareness.Examples of an SDA:1.) A straight lead to the head when they drop their guard.2.) A front lift kick to the groin area.3.) A side kick to the open ribcage.An SDA is a very simple attack, involving no set up or preparation. It is an attack that takes advantage of holes in an opponent's defense.  ABD-ABD stands for Attack By Drawing. It is a set up. It draws the others into a situation that enables you to strike. You can draw them to make an attack that you plan to counter. They can be led a certain direction so that you can intercept or simple get them close enough to hit. Most ABD type attacks require a level of comfort that can only be achieved through numerous sparring sessions. It is necessary to be able to think clearly during the confrontation. ABDs are preplanned; they are a manipulation of your opponent's actions.Examples of ABD:1.) To close the gap, you back away. As they follow, shorten each of your steps gradually so that it goes undetected. With each step getting shorter, they come into your range without noticing. As soon as they are in striking distance, attack.2.) Purposely leaving the right side of your head unguarded, you attempt to draw a jab out of them. When they throw the jab, you counter with a slip and a strike to the ribcage. (Distance is important in this. If you stand out of his punching range, you are likely to get kicked in the head while waiting for the jab)  ABC-An ABC is an Attack By Combination. It is, as it sounds, an attack that utilizes a series of strikes together as one. They are designed to overload the opposition with a few, or possibly several, strikes to fend off. ABCs can be combinations involving hands, feet, or the two together.Examples of ABCs:1) A straight lead to the head, a cross to the body and a hook to head.2) A Side kick to the knee, a straight lead to thee head, then a hook to the head.3) A straight lead to the head, a hook kick to the groin, followed by another straight.The amount of possible combinations is endless. With practice on your own, you will find the combos that flow best for you.  PIA-PIA or Progressive Indirect Attack is the preferred method for a JKD man. It is an attack that is planned from start to finish. Both Feints and fakes are used along with real strikes to set up your final blow. Unlike an SDA, which is thrown directly towards the desired target, with a PIA you may throw a fake, feint, or a real attack, towards another target, drawing their attention to that attack. When they respond, it will open the target you originally intended to hit. Planning a PIA, you will chose a striking point and progressively work your way in.Examples of PIAs:1) Throw a fake low punch to the stomach. When they drop their hand to block, strike to the face.2) You notice your opponent drops his hands when you attack low, and raises both when you attack high. Lead with a low kick to the groin. When they block it, follow with a lead to the head. If they block that too, throw another kick to the groin while their hands are covering their face.3) For someone who backs away frequently; Throw a Straight lead as a feint, when they step back, Double up on the lead, catching them in recovery from their first step.   
 HIA-A Hand Immobilization Attack is a way to force an opening through a tight defense. HIAs, also known as trapping hands, may also be a way of tying up the opponent's weapons so they cannot be used against you. The origin of trapping in JKD is from Wing Chun Gung Fu, the style Bruce practiced when he was young.Examples of HIA:1) Lead with a low punch to the stomach, When they block, slap their forearm (Pak Sao) with you're rear hand, preventing it from moving while you take advantage of the opening, hitting with a backfist to the head.2) While fighting inside, you throw a hook to the head. If they block the hook, as soon as contact is felt, hook their forearm and jerk (Jut Sao) the arm downwards (Like pulling the lever on a slot machine). Immediately spring off their arm with the same hand and strike to their head.Trapping can get very complicated. For effective HIAs it is best to stick to simple traps, steering away from those that involve several movements.The Five Ways of Attack outline five distinct strategies that can be helpful to any martial artist regardless of experience or style. Each strategy works together as well as on it's own. After practicing them individually you will begin to realize that all are inter- related. An HIA can also be a PIA, ABCs are made up of a series of SDAs, or you may use an ABD to pull off a PIA. I know it looks confusing using all those acronyms. Attacking can be quite simple having the Five Ways of Attack to label your options.

Jeet Kune Do, as most of us know, translates as 'The Way of the Intercepting Fist'. It seemed appropriate to provide an article about interception itself.  The interception of an attack can be a very useful tool. It can add power to your attack without additional effort. It may require little preparation, giving the element of surprise. It also, can be extremely frustrating to your rival, helping to win the bout psychologically as well as physically.  There are many different types of interception. An interception does not have to be executed only with the fist. You can intercept a punch with a kick, a kick with a punch, or a kick with a kick etc. Some do not even involve a strike from both sides. You can cut off an attack by simply moving into a position that will jam them, leaving no opportunity for them to land the attack. Alternatively, if he were to simply step one way or the other, you could intercept their motion with a blow, causing him to walk into it.  There are also different times during the adversaries' attack in which an interception may take place. It can occur before, during, or after their attack or movement. Before, or while the opponent is in preparation, you can read their intentions and strike before they can initiate. During their movement, there may be several opportunities to intercept. You could strike from the materialization of their movement all the way up to their full commitment. After, or upon completion, the interception takes place as they recover and before they can launch another attack.  In order to utilize interception as a tactic, it is necessary to train certain attributes. First are your Single Direct Attacks (or S.D.A.'s), for obvious reasons. The faster, more precise, and more powerful your technique, the better chance you will have in pulling it off.  Next, and equally important, is mental awareness. Your mind must be sharp in order to pick up on their movement and react accordingly.  Additionally, work to control your emotions is needed so that fear, self-doubt, and you ego do not cloud your senses and hinder your performance.   
 Two other attributes that need specific attention are timing and distance. Surely, they are both important anyway, but without them, interception becomes impossible. Proper timing can be responsible for some of the most devastating attacks. You can use the momentum from your movement combined with theirs, timing it so that they collide head on into your strike. While the correct distance enables you to strike the target cleanly allowing for more power and penetration.  Here are some examples of interceptions:  1. -The opponent begins to throw a front kick from the rear leg.  -You intercept his kick with a sidekick to the attacking leg as it approaches your position. This is commonly called a stop kick or Jeet Tek in JKD. Depending on your distance and timing, you can attack just about any part of their leg, from the thigh down to the top of their foot.  2. -The opponent throws a jab at your head.  -Drop and Step forward to the outside of their lead leg letting his jab pass over your shoulder. As it does, strike to their open rib cage. This is also called a slip.  3. - The opponent begins to step to his left.  - Throw a hook with your right hand, timing it so that they walk into the punch. Strike them before they complete the step, they will take a much greater impact if their feet have not yet settled on the ground.  Intercepting is almost an art in itself. It takes a lot of practice to perfect but is well worth the effort in the end. Once you are able to utilize interceptions effectively, you will gain a new level of control in both, sparring sessions, or on the street. Interception is a tool for the superior fighter.  

Jeet Kune Do is primarily an empty-hand fighting system. Although Lee himself never wrote about ranges, most of today's practitioners train in the kicking range, the hand range, the trapping range, and the grappling range, and apply different tools (strikes, kicks, etc.) in each range. An important concept in JKD is the idea of simultaneous attack and defense, in which a practitioner either engages in an attack which is in itself a defense ("stop-hit,"), or attacks with one limb while defending with another. Other important elements include the "bi-jong," JKD's stance, and the idea of the "immovable elbow," which is adapted from Wing Chun.  The Straight Punch is essential to JKD, as economy of motion is a guiding principle. There are no forms, and fighters must avoid telegraphing. Unlike in many other martial arts, JKD practitioners hold the power (dominant) hand forward to lead. Emphasized in all JKD techniques is the "center line," an imaginary line running down the center of one's body; one must break down an opponent's center line while maintaining one's own. The focus in JKD is always on the offensive attack. Above all, a JKD practitioner stands prepared to adapt to whatever form of attack may come, regardless of style or system.  The majority of JKD techniques can be broken down into two categories: leg techniques (kicking) and hand techniques (striking), although elbow techniques, head butting, and anything else a fighter can use efficiently are acceptable. Grappling, Trapping, Feinting, and Parrying are employed as well. Fluid footwork is also a key element of Jeet Kune Do. More important than the utilization of any of these tools, however, is the cultivation of a fighter's personal attributes such as coordination, endurance, balance, vision awareness, and speed.

Jeet Kune Do does not require uniforms, or a system of rank such as colored belts.  Learning and becoming proficient in the martial arts can be an overwhelming task. It may take years, if not a lifetime to reach an accomplished level. At times, progress can be made rather quickly. For the most part, noticeable change is painstakingly slow.  In order to progress at the fastest rate possible, it becomes necessary to organize your workouts. As with most any other venture, the more organized, and consistent you are, the more you achieve with your time. It does not matter what style of martial arts you practice, I guarantee that you could practice twenty-four hours a day and accomplish very little, unless you have a plan. Therefore, time is crucial; Planning is crucial. Every workout should be a quality workout. You should begin each session with a plan and stick to it as best as possible. This will not only help achieve more during your training, it will also give you the information you will need to track your progress. There is nothing more frustrating than working as hard as you can for several months and, seemingly, achieve nothing. This is how you can feel if you are not organized in your training.  To help organize your sessions, I have found it efficient to start by breaking things down into four separate steps.1) Form2) Speed3) Power4) Fluidity  When practicing a newly learned technique, the steps should be followed in the order written above. Jumping around only slows down the process and may possibly create bad habits that will have to be undone later. For example, If you were to learn a new type of punch and begin trying to slam the heavy bag without first achieving the proper form, you may substitute proper technique with muscle. Muscling a punch like this may hinder your speed as well as ruining your form. Following the steps, you most likely will find that much greater power is the result of proper form and speed.  In addition, proceeding in the proper order will not only help with power, it also saves time, preventing the necessity to back track and fix what was not learned in the first place. Worse yet, is the fact that without following the correct sequence in learning, you may have practiced the form incorrectly, long enough that it becomes extremely difficult to repair.  FormThe from stage of the process includes learning the mechanics such as what part of the body moves first, where the power is derived, or what type of footwork goes with it. For the best results, all aspects of the movement should be taken into consideration. 1) The muscles involved in the action 2) Footwork 3) Timing 4) Body alignment 5) Balance 6) Flexibility involved 7) What the movement is used for.  Once analyzing all facets of the form, a program of drills can be developed to work these attributes either separately, or in conjunction. Usually, the beginning practice sessions should be slow repetition. Performing the movements slowly does several different things: First, it enables you to monitor and constantly correct the balance throughout. It strengthens the muscles involved, increasing endurance and coordination specifically for this motion. Additionally, practicing slowly lets you feel it every step of the way. When it feels right, it usually is.  After sufficiently breaking down the form and practicing it until it looks and feel right, you are ready to move on to speed training.  SpeedSpeed training, again, can be broken down into separate categories: 1) Relaxation 2) Initiation speed 3) Performance speed 4) Mental speed 5) Reaction speed and 6) Alteration speed  Again, define drills and exercises to work each factor specifically. You will find that in many cases, improvement in speed may require additional work on the form. Even though you may have been able to perform the motion beautifully at a slow pace, doing it quickly will require different types of muscles and a different feel altogether. Repeating the speed drills will train the muscles to perform easily at that pace. (In my next article, I will get more specific on speed training)   
 PowerAs mentioned earlier, you will find that just being able to move quickly and in proper form, power will almost be there on its own. Breaking down the components of power you have: 1) Form 2) Speed 3) Muscle strength 4) Joint and Ligament strength 5) Timing 6) Distance  Again, create drills and exercises to enhance each component. Continue to work on form and speed as previously outlined. Add supplemental exercises such as weight lifting and calisthenics. For timing and distance, drills on the bags or with a partner can be beneficial. Overall, the heavy bag is one of the most useful tools in the development of power.  FluidityFluidity is the process of putting it all together. Having practiced form, speed, and power, now it is necessary to add the new technique to your arsenal. Being fluid with a technique means that you are able o use it in combination with other skills or freely by itself. To work on fluidity, identify the uses of the technique: 1) In combination 2) As a counter 3) As an attack 4) Without preparation  There are many ways to work fluidity, either on a bag, shadow boxing, or most importantly, sparring.  From there, the four steps should begin again. In order to maintain and progress further, techniques are periodically put back through the steps. The steps become, not only a guide to learn a new technique, they are also a means to sustain and enhance existing techniques.  After going through the four steps, a new technique becomes useable. It will be quick, efficient, and potent. In the final stages, it will work without preparation or thought. The ultimate is when 'it hits all by itself'.   

The 'Art’ Jeet Kune Do advocates may utilize techniques from any martial art; the trapping and short-range punches of Wing Chun, the kicks of northern Chinese styles as well as Savate, the footwork found in Western fencing and the techniques of Western boxing, to list but a few. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee's philosophy of "casting off what is useless". He also used the sculptors's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the "Unessentials". The end result being what he considered to be the bare combat essentials or Jeet Kune Do (JKD). Jeet Kune Do as it survives today – if one wants to view it "refined" as a product, not a process – is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. JKD in its later phases was heavily influenced by Western boxing and fencing (whereas the backbone concepts such as centerline, four gates, vertical punching, straight blast, "entering", and forward pressure come from Wing Chun). The result was that Lee stopped using some of the Wing Chun stances he had learned, in favor of what he claimed were more fluid, flexible Western fencing and boxing stances. The claim is that allowed him to "flow", not to be stuck in stances, a positioning that Lee believed was a feature of some of traditional Wing Chun that he dismissed as the "classic mess". For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing boxing "entries" that do not require "bridges" from Wing Chun. Dan Inosanto, who was to be Bruce Lee's student in Jeet Kune Do, once said that originally, Bruce Lee wanted to create the "ultimate fighting form", but later in the development of Jeet Kune Do, he wanted to use the art for personal development as well, not just to become a better fighter. Jeet Kune Do not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also has to change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, Jeet Kune Do advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, therefore he almost always used the right hand stance of Western Fencing. He labeled this stance the "On Guard" position. Lee incorporated this stance into his JKD as he felt it provided the best overall mobility. Lee felt that the dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. Lee discarded both the left hand and center stance, whereas most traditional martial arts train their practitioners to be ambidexterous. Lee believed that these decisions should be done within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sparring". He believed that it was only in this environment that a person could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.  
  Bruce Lee emphasized what he believed to be the combat effectiveness of Jeet Kune Do, and did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or "Kata", as most traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. While practicing Western wrestling, Lee was once pinned by a more skillful opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, "Well, I'd bite you, of course". One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend oneself, irrespective of where the techniques used come from. Lee's goal in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern spate of hybrid martial arts. Jeet Kune Do practitioners claim that it is not a fighting style so much as a fighting philosophy. What Jeet Kune Do practitioners describe as the weakness of traditional martial arts is their rote memorization of techniques (Lee compared doing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land). They claim that these memorized movements will not be of any help in an actual combat situations. Lee believed that "Real" combat was "alive" and "dynamic". Circumstances in a fight change from milli-second to milli-second and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques being static are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. Adherents believe that Jeet Kune Do does not make one a good fighter, just a better fighter. As an anecdote to this thinking Lee once wrote an epitaph which read: 'In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.' The "classical mess" in this instance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts. Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagree with his opinions on these issues, especially seeing what Lee described as their lack of strategic flexibility due to "rote" teaching methods to be a misunderstanding on Lee's part. Most, if not all, traditional martial arts teachers say "fluid" strategy is a feature of martial training that is indeed addressed in the curricula of most traditional styles at advanced levels, when the students are ready. The schools Lee criticized tend to see their initial conservatism as a safety feature; a legacy of practical experience passed down from generation to generation, said to ensure that their students are thoroughly prepared for advanced martial arts training, skipping nothing and developing intangibles such as good character, patience and discipline. The hierarchy of the traditional schools is said by this reasoning to provide a level playing field for all students by instilling respect and care for one's seniors, peers and juniors, so that everyone, not just the physically gifted, has an opportunity to benefit from the training provided in a martial art school.  
 The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of mixed martial arts in modern times -- Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the "father of mixed martial arts"[1]. Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of Mixed Martial Arts. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD "Combat Ranges". A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range to thus be effective in all of them; just as in Mixed Martial Arts.  

"The usefulness of a cup is its emptiness". - Be prepared to accept new knowledge and not be hindered or biased by old knowledge.   
 "Using no way as way". - Don't have preconcieved notions about anything.  "Having no limitation as limitation". - Don't be confined by anything, achieve true freedom.  "From form to formless and from finite to infinite". - Don't be confined by limitations and forms.  The consciousness of "self" is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action - This is actually a Zen or Chan maxim which means to "be in the moment" and NOT be distracted by your own thought process. The Zen quote is: "If you seek it, you will NOT find it". The "Western" counterpart to this is the term "Being in the Zone".  "If people say Jeet Kune Do is different from "this" or from "that," then let the name of Jeet Kune Do be wiped out, for that is what it is, just a name. Please don't fuss over it." - Don't get hung up on labels and parameters. JKD is alive and therefore always changing; don't try to box it in.