Sifu Dwight Woods, the Jeet Kune Do Rebel, of Unified Martial Art Academy in Miami, brings you a weekly podcast discussion about Bruce Lee's martial art and philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, (sometimes with a glance at its Associated Disciplines of Filipino Kali/Eskrima/Arnis, Muay Thai, Boxe Française-Savate, Pencak Silat, Shootwrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) and others. On this week's Broadcast we take a humourous look at many of the things that Jeet Kune Do is NOT and why they're so!
JKD is not ‘New Jack City’, Sifu!, No canceling over here! Except for maybe the complete negation of styles and systems for an allowance of unconditional freedom to take place. If one has a simpler and more efficient way of bringing such freedom about perhaps its worth 👀.
'Style' implies something FIXED.....STATIC ....UN-EVOLVING ....Something already up and running & following something without taking the initiative to evolve it yourself.....This would be true in MUSICIANSHIP as well as Martial Art....Yes.
Nearing the end of J. Krishnamurtis life he attempted to initate dialogues amongst attendes. He would sit there and perhaps curve discussions. But the thing was a mess. Its funny because by the very last years of his life he would say ‘the speaker has been saying this for like 50 years!’ That may shed light on if Bruce was alive that it would make a difference in the understanding of JKD. On the Krishnamurti subreddit, which has gained traction of the past few months, there is ‘fussing over the name’ so to speak. The other day someone posted a poem and an analogy to K’s work. It occurred to me how important non-classical approach is. Film is an obvious example shown by Bruce.
Start with fundamentals, structure and technique as you explain, demonstrate and emphasize the principles, concepts and theories. One concept, principle or theory understood is worth more than 10,000 techniques sampled.
Structure desolves, principles remain. I teach my students how i got to understand jkd. First trough economy and speed, later balance. I tell them how the pillars raise their ability, and how taking the different truths in jkd to their limit will help them find their own understanding.
Bruce was doing that all the time....Adapting Boxing concepts & changing them to JKD ....When people found Bruce's copy of Haislet's BOXING they found that in the margin of the text Bruce had written notes & he had changed the text to read JKD lead thrust instead of Boxing lead thrust & he would do this with many of the boxing terms.....Bruce would leave texts otherwise unchanged but adapt it for JKD.
I believe truly you should learn the body of work from sijo Bruce because according to one of Ted's student the art was sufficient!! It was complete!!! And if you add other tq's to it you might as well come up with your own ART DWIGHT!! Because if Bruce comes out of his grave which will happen on the day of judgement and sees that he does not agree with this tq or that tq then WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU CALLING IT JKD!! come on MAN!! you call it another Style or method of fighting DWIGHT!!! IF you are adding and adding techniques!!!!!!!!!! That is why sifu Dan calls it JKD DAN'S METHOD it is no longer Bruce's METHOD !!
Interesting.......Different meaning usages for the word 'RANGES' ...(3 ranges of combat. And the skill within the 3 ranges) But if in JKD one is applying ECONOMY to improve FUNCTIONALITY could that not mean that 'TRAPPING' would be less DIRECT if one was at a certain RANGE ? .....What I mean is .....Boxing range could be happening at the same range as trapping .....But BOXING would be more simple & direct because it is less complex...How could you have 'long range grappling ' though ?
Well said sifu Dwight. Remember though "he who knows not, and knows he knows not, he is a fool -shun him..." To my recollection, Sijo Bruce was an admirer of Khrishnamurti. One of the most important concepts of Khrishnamurti was that it was impossible to change the mind of anyone. They must desire that will to change, before change can occur. Or as he put it, we must be like the sun, permeating our warmth and thereby influencing that person to look up and accept all that it (the sun) offers. "When the student is ready, the master appears." Shine on!
Man !! You woke me UP! I was just watching a boxing video on the 3 RANGES OF BOXING and it was close, mid & long range on the heavybag!!! And I did not know that Bruce taught 3 ranges and Sifu Dan taught 4!!!!!! But how does it explain in the TAO OF JKD in the 4 ranges that Bruce describes!! In his book?? If Bruce taught only 3 ????? I am confused Sifu DWIGHT! All due respect 🙏!!!
His image was carefully crafted after his death. This(imo) is what angers many people. Being presented as the perfect person. Listen to some of his old interviews, he stated himself that he has not been an angel. I still respect him for what he accomplished in his short life, but many that knew stayed silent about this to keep the image alive(their prerogative). As a fan, I wish it never happened. The "everybody did it, hollywood of the 70's" crap I don't buy. You make individual choices about how you choose to live your life.
I’m thinking of making a new facebook account to get on the facebook forum. Apparently its popping off over there. But will I be ready? Am I willing to look into the mirror of relationship? Or is the mirror clouded and covered in labels? Who is the one which will be delighted upon agreement? At that fixed point I am no longer alive but weighed down. Am I looking for more glue to stick these labels back on? Which are continually falling off for some reason.. Or will I allow that calling to rebel rouse, that calling which has no return number, to express itself. What happens to ‘me’ after such a lightning strike? I guess I’ll ‘think’ about it. 🤣
I have throughout a lifetime created and nurtured a ‘false self’. Its a bit of an addiction to continuously have to feed its existence. Takes a real toll. The training in Kali requires of me to observe without an observer for an extended period of time to try and absorb what is being taught. The flow of Kali trains in me a sense relaxation into this uncomfortable space. NOW the interception in JKD, after training in Kali and cultivating faith in that I will be okay if I exist simply as my true self, is the point where my ‘false self’ seeks to take control and it won’t be given a chance. Thats what I am coming to experience in putting the work in to apply the principles of JKD.
I think that he would have continued to devour and continue to apply the four tenants of JKD on his life’s journey. JKD as a tool to let one’e ego go and yet still MOVE and not only MOVE but THRIVE requires as much work as the ego puts in with trying to pigeonhole and subjugate oneself to its authority. Thats why one continues learning and applying the four tenants. To keep the flame alive. Whats great about JKD is that Bruce Lee never made himself out to be the authority of JKD, but rather that he believed we can walk this path in unison, all the while finding what we need to find, to serve JKD’s objective.
Although I was disappointed at learning this through the letters, it was Always "whispered", so I wasn't that surprised. The Man was Human and had his demons but I Look up to HIS MARTIAL PROWESS, and use the "Way" as a means to elevate me as person.......so HOW he may have behaved during "Leisure"time is Not my Business.
Being introduced to the JKD world has been pretty interesting. Its relatively small, but extremely passionate. The open mind you speak of is I believe-the advantage. I watched a Paul Vunak video the other day talking about how he didn’t pass rank to some students because they were missing the key ingredient in their sparring-interception. Then he played that Bruce Lee 60’s sparring footage at a Karate tournament, I believe, the one that the whole world has seen again and again. It really dawned on me how SLOOOW his time was while intercepting EVERYTHING coming his way very, very, FAST I remembered that when an object approaches the speed of light its time slows down. The boldness of Lee’s work in proclaiming and demonstrating there being no difference between the inner and the outer, in other words, that mental attributes can contribute to real and significant results in the physical sense is something I believe the JKD world as a whole can agree on. I dont wanna get into internet comment arguments either. But here’s one thing I know and no one can convince me otherwise. The trick is in the FUNK. If ain’t FUNKY it ain’t JKD. If playing around with the GAPS ain’t there, might as well go to a UFC gym on every corner in the USA. And another thing, JKD is so passionate of a community that its non-classical approach ironically cultivated that old school kung-fu story in its art. For example, I wanted to learn the way of the intercepting fist, but who could teach me? I sought a teacher and I found one. In a county of close to 3 million people, there was ONE man who could show me the way of the intercepting fist. Then after meeting my senior classmates and my seniors seniors has been straight up something outta an old school Kung-Fun movie. This shit has been a trip! 🤣
Ironically, behavioural psychologists can be the ultimate in claiming the theoretical high ground for their own as specialists.....creating theories which can manifest the very faults they describe....lol
Cultivate is such an important concept, especially within JKD. I was drawn to the non-classical approach to JKD. I was surprised to find that the field of risk and danger that a non-classical approach truly grows on was one I had not truly stepped foot on. I merely read about the land and have held its soil in my palms. The part about the (I get the titles now 😀) cultivating of a learning/teaching environment that is both conducive physically and mentally reminds me of some training I had done. I took a little over 2 minutes to train well formed Kali strikes. Emphasis especially on turning of my torso when striking. Not only does it train itself but in a non-classical sort of way trains the extension of my shoulder when punching in kickboxing mode. It also cultivated that friendship, ya know, that we all have with that homie who’s always grounding us in reality and is looking out for us. Ya know, like when that special thing about us that also makes us go kinda crazy could be tempered by drawing from that source instead of some of the toxic stuff that can get dicey real quick. But that source is kinda boring now compared to the toxic stuff. But actually that source is offering a bunch of cool stuff that we wanted to get into in the first place.
JKD is fast, powerful, deceptive. 🔥☯️🔥. I give thanks this Thanksgiving that JKD was handled with such care-like that of a nuclear material handler with the radioactive ore in a pair of tongs- so that it can be living, breathing, fresh, and cool af today, each day at a time.
