WHO LEARNS BRUCE LEE’S JEET KUNE DO?
by Sifu Lamar Davis at http://hardcorejkd.com
Jeet Kune Do is too “goal specific” for most. Being a pretty much “self defense only” martial art, and very serious in nature, it does not suit everyone! It is a bit too serious in nature for kids, unless the curriculum is seriously modified and restructured to suit children. I have found that usually something bad has to happen to someone before they realize a need to learn Jeet Kune Do, or they are specifically interested in learning the martial art developed, practiced and taught by Bruce Lee.
Most who come to learn Jeet Kune Do do not care anything about belts, gis, forms or sport competition. They have one goal in mind … to be able to defend themselves and/or their family when necessary! And yes, it is far less commercialized. Take my kwoon for instance. It is a private location with no signs or advertisement. Those who come there are interested in learning serious self defense! Some who teach JKD do have commercial schools, but oftentimes they also teach another martial art that actually keeps the doors open! Also, I encounter people almost daily who have absolutely no idea what Jeet Kune Do is! It has been far less promoted than just about any martial art in existence!
The Main Purpose of Jeet Kune Do is Self Defense
So much time has passed since Bruce Lee’s death (40 years) that many teenagers do not even know who Bruce Lee is, much less Jeet Kune Do! This is sad, but unfortunately very true!
Jeet Kune Do is (1) simple, (2) direct and (3) non-classical. Simple, while easy to explain and demonstrate, is not often easy to learn or understand. Most people have to make major adjustments and completely re-structure the way that they normally do things, in order to achieve the necessary level of simplicity. Direct is also a problem for most. If you look around you, you will see wasted motion in just about all areas of life. Jeet Kune Do pinpoints the most direct way to achieve your goal with no wasted movement or energy. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. JKD prefers that straight line!
Non-classical is both a way of training and thinking, as well as an attitude. No belts, no training barefoot, no white gis! No chambering punches at the hip, or chambering the leg before delivery of a kick. No preconceived notions of what should or shouldn’t be. The student must arrive with an “empty cup” and open mind, prepared to receive whatever the Sifu is ready to give them. Some absolutely love this, while to others it seems to lack that organized, “in a box tied with a neat little bow” attitude that they are accustomed to with most things in life! Jeet Kune Do also requires someone to have a certain level of intelligence and dedication, which also seems to be lacking in today’s society. Most everything is based on convenience these days. Many are basically moving along everyday like “drones”, not willing to journey “outside the box” or their “area of safety and familiarity” in order to experience something both refreshingly new and seriously eye opening!
So yes, it definitely takes a certain kind of person to have what it takes to learn and become good at Jeet Kune Do! Are you that kind of person? More importantly … IS IT TIME TO FIND OUT?
You can learn more or join at Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Gung Fu Association at http://www.hjkdcgfa.com/