What is Jeet Kune Do (JKD)

Jeet kune Do (way of the intercepting fist) is a style of martial arts founded by Bruce Lee in the 1960's. Bruce, a true visionary, wanted to create a unique style that had no system or methodology. His goal was to create a foundation of fighting principals to his students that would develop the mind and body. The foundation he developed borrows liberally from multiple Kung Fu styles including wing chun, taekwondo, wrestling, fencing, and western boxing. 

A JKD practitioner builds his style and form through self-knowledge and discovery. This allows individuals with different body types, skill sets, strengths, and weaknesses adapt JKD to their own personality. Bruce realized that most styles of fighting would eventually go wayside to a newer form as people would create new styles to specifically counter the currently trending form of fighting. JKD is not just a fighting style but an art that allows its practitioners to express themselves through their combat. 

Philosophy 

Lee's main goal was to not invent a new style of martial arts, he was afraid if JKD became considered a style it would be rigid, unadaptable, and share the same limitations as other martial arts styles. He believed in trying to free the mind from preconceived notions as he did not want his pupils to cling to a style, pattern, or mold that could not be broken. Jeet Kune Do at its simplest form is just a series of different non-classical and classical movements that can be strung together as the practitioner sees fit. Bruce Lee Has said " a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive." Lee would go onto use a metaphor from Chan Buddhism that says to constantly fill your cup with water, and then emptying it, to describe his philosophy of cultivating and shedding of useless techniques from various fighting methodologies. 

About the Writer

My name is Lee Serel and I have been training in JKD for over a year now. JKD has changed my perspective on life, it is not only an fighting style but truly incorporates mind, body, and spirit. If you learn all the moves and different forms, but you do not have a questioning and analytical mind you will become a copy cat of your ancestors instead of being true to yourself. Not only that but we all have different body types, strengths, and weaknesses and how you want to express yourself in martial arts may not be the best way for me to express myself. Bruce Lee founded more than just a fighting style in JKD but a whole lifestyle that flows into each practitioners everyday. I will continue to write more about JKD in the upcoming weeks including different forms, methodologies, and techniques.