Jeet Kune Do (JKD)
Jeet Kune Do was developed by the late Sijo Bruce Lee, and passed on by Sifu Dan Inosanto.
JKD is a hybrid fighting system and life philosophy founded by Bruce Lee in 1967 with direct, non classical, and straight forward movements. Jeet Kune Do is primarily an open hand system. The system works on the use of different 'tools' for different situations. These situations are broken down into ranges (Kicking, Punching, Trapping, & Grappling), with techniques flowing smoothly between them. Also, it is referred to as a “style without style”. Unlike more traditional martial arts, Jeet Kune Do is not fixed or patterned, and is a philosophy with guiding thoughts.
The core concepts of JKD are derived from Wing Chun Kung Fu. This includes such ideas as centerline control, vertical punching, trapping, and forward pressure. Through his personal research and readings, Bruce Lee also incorporated ideas from western boxing and fencing. After his death, Dan Inosanto continued to evolve the system even further by blending elements of more martial arts in every fighting range. Bruce Lee claimed that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend himself, regardless of where the techniques come from. One of the premises that Bruce Lee incorporated in Jeet Kune Do was “combat realism”. He insisted that martial arts techniques should be incorporated based upon its effectiveness in real combat situations.
Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagreed with his opinions on these issues. Among Lee's goals was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in traditional martial arts training, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the reality of a fight. JKD is currently seen as the genesis of the modern state of hybrid martial arts.
Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA because of its syncretic nature. 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, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA. The notion of cross-training in JKD is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times — Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the “father of mixed martial arts”.
JKD is known for its economy of motion and integration of arts. The system emphasizes footwork and agility, tool development, economy of motion, counter ability and strong practical self-defense.
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