# Does JKD work on the street



## Mider (Aug 18, 2021)

Have you made JKD work on the street or in sparring vs boxers and BJJ guys? I remember Tim Tackett saying if it doesn’t work against a skilled opponent he doesn’t care to learn it.


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## Martial D (Aug 18, 2021)

I guess it depends what you mean by jkd. If you mean the overarching concept based philosophy laid out in his TJKD, then yes. Use what works, discard what doesn't and add what is your own.

If you mean the crystalized rigid thing it has become that doesn't put too much focus on aliveness..your milage may vary.


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## Flying Crane (Aug 18, 2021)

Like everything, it depends on how well it is trained.  The style itself does not work.  No style “works”.  It is the person training the methodology that is able to use it effectively.  Some people can, others cannot, and that is true of every system and style.

Are you considering training JKD?  Do you have access to a skilled and knowledgeable instructor, w whom you have a good rapport and are comfortable working?  Can you afford that fee?  Do you find the method interesting, enough to keep you working at it without getting bored or losing that interest?  If so, then give it a try.  That is what matters.  

There is no hypothetical “best” style.  What is the best choice for you may be a terrible choice for someone else.  The best choice is something that you will keep at, enthusiastically.  If you lose interest and stop training, then it is a terrible choice for you, regardless of what others might think of it.

Find what is a good choice for you and then keep at it.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 18, 2021)

Don't now if it works in the street, my guess is it does if the person is well trained. I did have a teacher that said it worked rather well in a bar. He apparently got in a few bar fights before I knew him and JKD worked rather well


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## Sifu Mike (Aug 28, 2021)

All things being equal, it does. However, discerning factors can make a difference. One such is speed. If you have incredible speed and only 1 kick, 1 block, and 1 punch then you will most likely win. Even that is questionable as I remember my old karate days and being in a 4 Seasons Tournament  (Long Beach, Ca). My speed on a block was too fast and blocked nothing but air-then my opponent scored against me. Bummer and embarrassment. (That is why Sifu/Guru Dan Inosanto says "timing is more important than speed"!
Other  factors make winners or losers too. Experience and mind-set, for example.
Remember: It's not the size of  the dog in the fight-it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Sifu Mike


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## Mider (Aug 30, 2021)

I’ve heard it de


Xue Sheng said:


> Don't now if it works in the street, my guess is it does if the person is well trained. I did have a teacher that said it worked rather well in a bar. He apparently got in a few bar fights before I knew him and JKD worked rather well


ive heard guys like Tim Tackett and Ted Wong are great teachers at teaching how to fight on the street.


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## Xue Sheng (Aug 31, 2021)

Mider said:


> I’ve heard it de
> 
> ive heard guys like Tim Tackett and Ted Wong are great teachers at teaching how to fight on the street.



I have no doubt it does, I was only basing my response from what I was told by someone who trained JKD who was also in an unregulated fight. This teacher also believed it worked well in the street. It was just his unscheduled, unwanted fights, occured in a bar. 

Bottomline, what this taught me was I never wanted to go to a bar with him


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## Ironbear24 (Aug 31, 2021)

Mider said:


> Have you made JKD work on the street or in sparring vs boxers and BJJ guys? I remember Tim Tackett saying if it doesn’t work against a skilled opponent he doesn’t care to learn it.


A jackhammer is more effective on the street.


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## NYFIGHTSOURCE (Oct 22, 2021)

The real question is not the art... but the student and how well they trained the art.   If you seriously train an art... it can work.   Having trained it myself... and used it....  Well it worked for me.   But maybe if I devoted the same time to Art X/Y or Z it would also.  
It's basis is centered around being street effective.  
And someone pointed out above....  Certain arts are definitely geared to different physical attributes.    If you got bad hips for example... It's probably not a good choice to go into a art that relies heavily on kicking.


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## _Simon_ (Oct 24, 2021)

But I think the REAL question is... which street?


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## Cynik75 (Oct 24, 2021)

Sesame one.


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## Ironbear24 (Oct 24, 2021)

Cynik75 said:


> Sesame one.


Big bird never saw it coming.


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## _Simon_ (Oct 25, 2021)

Cynik75 said:


> Sesame one.


Ah well... I'm sorry but nothing will help you there.


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## Buka (Oct 25, 2021)

_Simon_ said:


> But I think the REAL question is... which street?


We used to spend summers on Cape Cod. In the town of Dennisport there was a street, Easy Street.

People stole that street sign ten times a summer. Looking back, I wish I had stolen one, too.


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## ThatOneCanadian (Oct 29, 2021)

which street
nevermind someone already beat me to it :C


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## Oily Dragon (Oct 29, 2021)

_Simon_ said:


> Ah well... I'm sorry but nothing will help you there.


It's right there in the theme song. Poor kids always begging to be told how to get there, every show.

I learned JKD from a professional Thai boxer.  He thought it was cool, that's all that mattered. 

Haven't needed to use it in the street yet, thankfully.  If the time comes, I am so going to scream like Bruce Lee, hopefully my opponent will run away.


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## Yanli (Apr 27, 2022)

Sifu Mike said:


> All things being equal, it does. However, discerning factors can make a difference. One such is speed. If you have incredible speed and only 1 kick, 1 block, and 1 punch then you will most likely win. Even that is questionable as I remember my old karate days and being in a 4 Seasons Tournament  (Long Beach, Ca). My speed on a block was too fast and blocked nothing but air-then my opponent scored against me. Bummer and embarrassment. (That is why Sifu/Guru Dan Inosanto says "timing is more important than speed"!
> Other  factors make winners or losers too. Experience and mind-set, for example.
> Remember: It's not the size of  the dog in the fight-it's the size of the fight in the dog.
> Sifu Mike


  There are many factors that make a great fighter, speed is definitely one of them, but reflects is the other. You can know all the moves in the world, be the strongest, but if your opponent is faster in speed and reflects, you do not have a chance.


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## drop bear (Apr 27, 2022)

The question is whether it works at all. Which should be pretty easy to tell.

The reason works on the street is not a great indicator is you probably won't see it working. Or see it working enough times to get a good idea.

Where if say some guys jab hits everyone in the room all the time and nobody has an answer to it. That is a much more reliable indicator.


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## Oily Dragon (Apr 27, 2022)

drop bear said:


> The question is whether it works at all. Which should be pretty easy to tell.
> 
> The reason works on the street is not a great indicator is you probably won't see it working. Or see it working enough times to get a good idea.
> 
> Where if say some guys jab hits everyone in the room all the time and nobody has an answer to it. That is a much more reliable indicator.


Few people have ever been jabbed in the face.  I mean really nailed.  Most people don't know what that feels like.

So how could they possibly know how to react?  Most people have no answer to a jab because they've never felt one, let alone had the time to dwell on it.


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## SuperSnakeCrane87 (May 2, 2022)

I used JKD in a couple of physical altercations I wasnt able to talk myself out of and it works fine, and within the confines of the law which is the trickiest part


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