Why do people still insist on claiming JKD is a style not a philosophy?

Question

seriously,

if you are a martial artist it is my opinion that you MUST must follow the JKD philosophy, meaning in short:

"use what works FOR YOU regardless of what style it comes from"

Imo if you are a serious student of the martial arts and you found a way to make a fade away jump shot work for you in a fight then why the hell shouldn't you use it?

maybe I'm being extreme, but shouldn't ALL martial artists study JKD which is just basically the art of using whatever the hell works for you?

I understand that if you are new to martial arts and just learning and don't really know then you probably don't have the background to start experimenting with what works before you have a grasp of some basics- but once you have some experience under your belt why the hell wouldn't you use something that works for you.

good point that jesus was not the real originator of this philosophy. I usually put the example of the roman army mixing techniques and tactics (thats as far back in ancient time as I would go and still consider myself able to speak on with any degree of knowledge- I can't imagine that greek societies didn't do this before them or nomadic tribes- I however am not so knowledgeable on such things) or fectbooks that draw on other master's techniques and combat systems but I must have forgotten here.

Not "jesus" bruce lee- while some nuthuggers and fanboys might see bruce lee as jesus- that must ahve been from my spending much time in the religion and spirituality section- sorry.

just to add, belts don't make it a style. nor does a unified teaching system.

not all styles have belts (boxing, MT), generally only korean and japanese systems do.

Also unless you are training for a specific type of limited ruleset- like tkd, there is much flexability in how a teacher might train thier students. different boxing coaches train in different ways, same style, but different focus, ideas, belliefs and talent can vary from coach/teacher to coach/teacher.

Answer 1

The idea of free-flowing movements is not specific to Jeet Kune Do. Bruce Lee was not, and is not, the only person to advocate free-flowing movements and switching between one method/style and the next based on the situation, and modifying and adapting techniques to make them your own. I have to modify many of my jujutsu techniques based on my abilities and what works for me (short guy, short arms). Hell, the basis of aikijutsu and Judo is that you have to take what the opponent is giving you, so you have to be free-flowing constantly. But while Lee did promote natural movements and actions, he also said they should be done in a learned way. Like throwing an effective kick instead of striking in some crap, inefficient way.

Also, Bruce Lee taught Jeet Kune Do as a martial arts system in addition to its ideology. I don't know off the top of my head, but stuff like combinations and trapping are stressed in Jeet Kune Do, and use of the "four ranges of combat". In this way, Jeet Kune Do can be referred to as a style as well.

Answer 2

Bruce Lee was a student of a number of various styles of martial arts. He defined Jeet Kune Do as meaning "Use What Works". In other words, he integrated all of his martial arts skills and knowledge into his fighting as he saw fit. He did not force himself to stick to one style or form throughout a fight. Every time he executed a strike, a counter, or whatever, he picked what he thought was the most appropriate out of everything he knew. If you only know TKD, then you're still practicing TKD, no matter what combination of moves that you use. If, however, you learn one move from another style, like Jiu Jitsu, or street fighting, for example, and you use that move during a fight, along with some TKD, then you will be using the philosophy of JKD. You will have taken one or more things from each of two or more martial arts and used them both in the same fight.

Answer 3

I want a serous answer to this not an insult. If I go to Jersey and study JKD are they going to teach something different then here in Wyoming. I mean its all about what is applicable right? So being an MMA fighter and a green belt in Tae Kwon Do a student of judo and various sword fighting styles makes me a JKD guy. Does JKD have belts. if it has belts then it a style. if it has a unified teaching system that it is supposed to fallow then it is a style. If I follow my own path but never take JKD and am not a JKD because of it then it is a style

Answer 4

Hi there

I do agree that it's more of a philosophy that should be applied to all. But i also think that the art that was taught by Bruce was a compilation of all his best stuff. You could argue that what is taught today maybe a very watered down version of the original concept with new instructors throwing in their own stuff for good measure. That doesn't make it the authentic art that Bruce taught. Or does it? You see this again all depends on who you train with and why you should choose your instructors with care. There may well be someone out there that has had more exposure to the source. Like his original students for example. In the end who are we to judge.

Once you learn everything written down you tend to stop learning. Better to train for the feeling this is something that comes with experience.

Best wishes

idai

Answer 5

I think it's due to some instructors who want to jump on the JKD bandwagon and use the Bruce Lee myth to promote their school. Bruce himself has stated clearly in an interview that he regretted giving it a name since he didn't want anyone to go around using JKD as a promotional tool for their schools which is what happens nowadays when someone claims to teach JKD, they deliberately blur the distinction between philosophy and style to make people think JKD is a specific style and since JKD can be applied to any style, they basically have a free pass to claim anything they want since it's a debatable subject. It doesn't help that most people's source of knowledge about Bruce Lee and JKD are his movies which were merely for theatrics and designed to promote the martial arts in general to the public and not JKD, this adds to the confusion in general about what JKD really is.
The book "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do" on the other hand does show us what JKD is all about when applied to Bruce's way of fighting. But it must be kept in this context, that it is customized for Bruce Lee's gung fu(or Jun Fan gung fu as he called it), it would look different when applied to someone else like Dan Inosanto for example, because he does apply JKD principles in his training but as applied to Filipino Martial arts which was his focus of training at that time after Bruce passed away. When people read the Tao of JKD out of context and don't regard it as merely a guiding principle for training, they assume that this is how JKD should look like, that is when they mistakenly conclude that the techniques illustrated in the book is the gospel truth of the JKD style. An apt analogy would be when people look at a painting of Vermeer. Now to those who don't know his works, he liked to experiment with the concept of light and shade and his paintings are of figures and scenes that depict the different effects of light and shadows from different directions and intensity. To those who don't know this, they just see a painting of a man flirting with a girl ("Girl with a wineglass") or a soldier flirting with a lady("Officer and a Laughing Girl") or a girl alone in the dark("Girl with a Pearl Earring") and conclude that Vermeer's art is about Girls, when in fact, the way the light is reflected in the room with the two couples and on the girl's face is Vermeer's true theme in his paintings.


Dang! I can't believe I just combined something about Bruce Lee and Johannes Vermeer all in one post! I guess those sleep inducing lectures in my college fine arts class was pretty useful afterall : P

Answer 6

You can say yes its a Style but Yes its a Philosophy, Its an Art. Whatever you make of it thats what it is. Its not this way or that way its just a Way. Well, I understand what your saying BUT, you can learn any Martial Art and make it your own Mr. Lee wasn't saying that Just his Art you can turn it into your own, he is saying take what you can, and make Everything your own. Not like some Karate schools they say your foot MUST be right HERE for this to work and then you go to other schools and they say you MUST have it THERE to work. Bruce Lee is saying you must learn the basics then make it work for you and your body. Then that way there is no "system" and no "set movements." You learn and let the Art takes its path in your body make the Art your own.

Answer 7

Its somewhat a style in that there are certain stances and moves in the book Tao of Jeet Kune Do. The main idea of the art is a philosophy though.

And yes all people should study Jeet Kune Do after their cup is filled.

Answer 8

You are 100% correct

As a teenager we would get together and share techniques
with each other,picking and choosing what worked well and felt natural.

Answer 9

could it be because even though bruce said that it wasn't and the book says it isn't, linda and shannon are now claiming it is so that they can make money off the name?

Answer 10

a+