How did you start JKD Footwork?

Question

I have a pretty good stance. But I am a little puzzled about the footwork. If you have any tips please let me know. Thanks a bunch.

Answer 1

I studied Jeet Kune Do for a short while until I got hurt in an unrelated incident. What helped me was the Bruce lee books Bruce Lee's Fighting Method Vol.s 1 - 4. What's better advice than from the man who created it. The books show not only true JKD footwork but real techniques that Bruce developed that is portraid in his last film Ener The Dragon. Those books are a big help for novice and intermediate students.

Answer 2

You need to incorporate skipping rope into your training. The footwork from fencing is what's used in the Jun Fan JKD footwork. As a kid, I was a great fan of swashbuckler movies and though I had no formal training in fencing basically had an idea of how the forms worked, so when I started my JKD training in high school, I more or less got the skip and shuffle footwork mastered in no time. If you are familiar with boxing footwork, bouncing lightly on the balls of your feet thru skipping rope will help you learn to establish a rhythm. This rhythm can be further developed thru drills, like skipping forward across a basketball court for example, then backwards, then sidewards. You can also shuffle or mix both skip and shuffle until it becomes a natural movement for you. Drills are the key, try to constantly repeat them til they become second nature.

And by the way, regarding the first poster's book recomendation. Bruce Lee's Fighting Methods books vol. 1 to 4 were written by M.Uyehara, not by Lee. Still, a good reference book just the same. Just ignore the first volume, since it's basically an advertisement book that merely shows some of the specific self defense techniques as a teaser. Volumes 2-4 are the more useful ones that cover basic and advanced training methods.

Answer 3

Jkd Footwork

Answer 4

The Bai Jong stance right? I think it's taken from fencing. Anyways, the front foot is flat, up on your toes. The rear leg's heel is up, and on toes also. Make sure you're light, bouncy, and most important of all, comfortable. Usually you would want your dominant hand/feet forward. Try to get some flow and rhythm. Don't be jerky.
Make sure when you're doing a cross, uppercut, or hook, you are 'squishing the bug'. Which is, if you don't know, pivoting on your toes so that it's given you more power through your legs to hips to upperbody.
In my JKD school, my teacher sent me a kind of curriculum thing in Microsoft Word. It contains some pretty good information on JKD. Give me your email if you want me to send you it.