# Who was Bruce Tegner?



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 1, 2004)

An older American sensei told me he studied _JUKADO_ under Bruce Tegner.  So who is Bruce Tegner?  And what is Jukado?


----------



## kelly keltner (Sep 1, 2004)

I don't know exactly what jukado is. Bruce Tegner was problably the first person to really mass market a martial arts instruction book. His books were the ones you used to see advertised in the back of comic books years ago. it had a kind of brfore and after caption. The before being a wimpy guy being picked on. the after being the same guy thumbing the bad guy in the eye, kicking him in the groin ect. You get the idea.

kelly


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 1, 2004)

kelly keltner said:
			
		

> I don't know exactly what jukado is. Bruce Tegner was problably the first person to really mass market a martial arts instruction book. His books were the ones you used to see advertised in the back of comic books years ago. it had a kind of brfore and after caption. The before being a wimpy guy being picked on. the after being the same guy thumbing the bad guy in the eye, kicking him in the groin ect. You get the idea.
> 
> kelly


Wasn't that the Charles Atlas ads?  The skinny guy got sand kicked in his face by the barbell boy then had his girlfriend commandeered away from him.  So the skinny guy answered that comic book ad, and _VIOLA_, became a bigger musclehead and kicked sand back at the other guy?

I don't remember a Bruce Tegner ad in any of the funnybooks I read?


----------



## kelly keltner (Sep 1, 2004)

They were there and they used the same type of advertising in fact I think his books are worth some coin if it is in good condition.
kel


----------



## tshadowchaser (Sep 1, 2004)

Tegner was one of the first to market martial arts books back in the early 60's.
Karate, and judo books by him where a couple of the first I ever read. 
They where excellent books back then. The techniques where demonstrated pic by pic and step by step.
He actualy did much to promote the arts through his books, and inspired many to find an instructor.


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 1, 2004)

tshadowchaser said:
			
		

> Tegner was one of the first to market martial arts books back in the early 60's.
> Karate, and judo books by him where a couple of the first I ever read.
> They where excellent books back then. The techniques where demonstrated pic by pic and step by step.
> He actualy did much to promote the arts through his books, and inspired many to find an instructor.


Was he legitimate, or did he just run a 'McDojo'?


----------



## psi_radar (Sep 1, 2004)

kelly keltner said:
			
		

> The before being a wimpy guy being picked on. the after being the same guy thumbing the bad guy in the eye, kicking him in the groin ect. You get the idea.
> 
> kelly



I've got one of his books (they're still in print) and he doesn't advocate groin shots; I guess he developed his system when people were supposed to fight like gentlemen. He was way into shin kicking and rudimentary pressure point hits.


----------



## jukado1 (Sep 1, 2004)

Mr. Skerry: Here is a web sight on Bruce Tegner, it may answer some of your questions,  I'm a black belt in jukado self defense teaching from Bruce so I'm very prejudiced, 

http://www.geocities.com/brucetegnersociety/


----------



## Chicago Green Dragon (Sep 1, 2004)

Thank you for the link.

I rem this guys books when i was a little kid and i first started training in martial arts.

Chicago Green Dragon

 :asian:


----------



## John Bishop (Sep 1, 2004)

Patrick Skerry said:
			
		

> Was he legitimate, or did he just run a 'McDojo'?


Bruce's books introduced millions of people to the martial arts.  He was also the first person to correograph martial arts for television, with his student Ricky Nelson from the "The Nelsons" tv show in the 50's.
Bruce's mother was the first American woman to receive a black belt in judo.  Bruce himself was a AAU national Judo champion.  He was mostly involved in judo and jujitsu, but learned enough about other arts (karate, kung fu, tai chi, etc) to write short books on the art.  It also didn't hurt to be married to a publisher's daughter. 
"Jukado" is his own blend of judo, jujitsu, and karate.  Most of the people that I have met who were "Jukado" black belts were very skilled martial artists.


----------



## jukado1 (Sep 2, 2004)

Psi_Radar: Bruce's reason for not emphasizing groin kicking had nothing to do with ethics, it was for 2 reasons, first, since most bad guys/attackers like to throw groin kicks they are prepared to defend against them, and 2nd, groin shots, under some circumstances wont stop an attack, some attackers don't feel pain, and for the groin to stop an opponent they must feel pain NOW, not later. people have died from groin shots, IE. ruptured bladder, but during a fight, did not even slow down after being kicked in the groin.


----------



## psi_radar (Sep 2, 2004)

jukado1 said:
			
		

> Psi_Radar: Bruce's reason for not emphasizing groin kicking had nothing to do with ethics, it was for 2 reasons, first, since most bad guys/attackers like to throw groin kicks they are prepared to defend against them, and 2nd, groin shots, under some circumstances wont stop an attack, some attackers don't feel pain, and for the groin to stop an opponent they must feel pain NOW, not later. people have died from groin shots, IE. ruptured bladder, but during a fight, did not even slow down after being kicked in the groin.



I appreciate the insight. I had heard the ethics thing third hand elsewhere, I shouldn't have repeated it without more research. Thanks for the second hand clarification.


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 2, 2004)

John Bishop said:
			
		

> Bruce's books introduced millions of people to the martial arts. He was also the first person to correograph martial arts for television, with his student Ricky Nelson from the "The Nelsons" tv show in the 50's.
> Bruce's mother was the first American woman to receive a black belt in judo. Bruce himself was a AAU national Judo champion. He was mostly involved in judo and jujitsu, but learned enough about other arts (karate, kung fu, tai chi, etc) to write short books on the art. It also didn't hurt to be married to a publisher's daughter.
> "Jukado" is his own blend of judo, jujitsu, and karate. Most of the people that I have met who were "Jukado" black belts were very skilled martial artists.


Sensei Bishop,

Jukado?  Does this mean that Bruce Tegner was one of the first inventors in this country of a mixed martial art?

Also, Could you give a brief description of the differences or similarities, if any, between Bruce Tegner's Jukado and Kajukenbo?

Thank you for your time!


----------



## jukado1 (Sep 2, 2004)

Mr. Skerry: As far as what jukado is,  In the early 1960's Bruce attempted to develop a belt ranking system for pure self defense, as there was really no rank system for those only interested in self defense,  with  no interest in any traditional or sport karate, judo, or jiu jitsu, so Bruce originally took the traditional jiu jitsu tests and modified and updated them to face realistic street attacks.  Instead of the defenses against samurai with swords, and basic step through lunge punches, we'd face a punk with a lunging knife attack, and defenses against street sucker punch.  The techniques and principles are the same as in any effective self defense, but the way they were taught were for that time revolutionary,  and this made Bruce very unpopular with Meany of the traditional instructors of the time.  Bruce felt that self defense was more important for the non athletic, non aggressive person who did not want to be a martial art master.  Another instructor who faced a lot of criticism for his methods was Ed Parker, and a few years later a young man named Bruce Lee.
 By the way,  While Bruce was one of the first modern instructors to cross train, many of the older martial artiest combined styles, in fact the original jiu jitsu combined the throwing and grappling of judo,  holds and locks, and the striking and kicking to nerve centers and pressure points of atemi waza,  The level of specialization that we have now did not really start to the late 1950's before that martial artiest were more well rounded.


----------



## Marginal (Sep 2, 2004)

Patrick Skerry said:
			
		

> Sensei Bishop,
> 
> Jukado?  Does this mean that Bruce Tegner was one of the first inventors in this country of a mixed martial art?
> 
> ...



You can always check out his book titled Bruce Tegner's Complete Book of Self-Defense. I've seen it for sale at Barnes and Noble, so it's very definitely not out of print.


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 8, 2004)

jukado1 said:
			
		

> Mr. Skerry: As far as what jukado is, In the early 1960's Bruce attempted to develop a belt ranking system for pure self defense, as there was really no rank system for those only interested in self defense, with no interest in any traditional or sport karate, judo, or jiu jitsu, so Bruce originally took the traditional jiu jitsu tests and modified and updated them to face realistic street attacks. Instead of the defenses against samurai with swords, and basic step through lunge punches, we'd face a punk with a lunging knife attack, and defenses against street sucker punch. The techniques and principles are the same as in any effective self defense, but the way they were taught were for that time revolutionary, and this made Bruce very unpopular with Meany of the traditional instructors of the time. Bruce felt that self defense was more important for the non athletic, non aggressive person who did not want to be a martial art master. Another instructor who faced a lot of criticism for his methods was Ed Parker, and a few years later a young man named Bruce Lee.
> By the way, While Bruce was one of the first modern instructors to cross train, many of the older martial artiest combined styles, in fact the original jiu jitsu combined the throwing and grappling of judo, holds and locks, and the striking and kicking to nerve centers and pressure points of atemi waza, The level of specialization that we have now did not really start to the late 1950's before that martial artiest were more well rounded.


 
Mr. Rosenbaum,

If someone today wanted to train in Bruce Tegner's JUKADO, where would they go?


----------



## jukado1 (Sep 8, 2004)

Patrick Skerry said:
			
		

> Mr. Rosenbaum,
> 
> If someone today wanted to train in Bruce Tegner's JUKADO, where would they go?



At this time there are no jukado instructors or schools from the Tegner linage. About the best way to learn what jukado is would be by reading some of Bruce's jukado, or self defense books. there are no new or secret technique's in jukado, It's just a method of giving rank in self defense, With an emphases on simplicity and common sense.


----------



## John Bishop (Sep 8, 2004)

Patrick Skerry said:
			
		

> Sensei Bishop,
> 
> Jukado? Does this mean that Bruce Tegner was one of the first inventors in this country of a mixed martial art?
> 
> ...


Jukado would probably be one of the early MMA's of America, first of course being Kajukenbo, 1947.  From "Jukado1"s description, it sounds very similiar in concept to Kajukenbo.  I know that Bruce was a friend and contemporary of John Leoning (first Kajukenbo instructor on the mainland 1957), and it's obvious that they had some workouts together, since Ricky Nelson is pictured in one of Bruce's book doing the Kajukenbo kata, Pinion 1 (now called Palama Set 1).  Bruce was without a doubt someone who deserves more credit then he has been given.


----------



## bignick (Sep 8, 2004)

jukado1 said:
			
		

> Psi_Radar: Bruce's reason for not emphasizing groin kicking had nothing to do with ethics, it was for 2 reasons, first, since most bad guys/attackers like to throw groin kicks they are prepared to defend against them, and 2nd, groin shots, under some circumstances wont stop an attack, some attackers don't feel pain, and for the groin to stop an opponent they must feel pain NOW, not later. people have died from groin shots, IE. ruptured bladder, but during a fight, did not even slow down after being kicked in the groin.


also...as a lot of guys will attest...we are trained from birth to protect that area...and we can cross our legs at the speed of light to avoid taking a shot there...


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 9, 2004)

John Bishop said:
			
		

> Jukado would probably be one of the early MMA's of America, first of course being Kajukenbo, 1947. From "Jukado1"s description, it sounds very similiar in concept to Kajukenbo. I know that Bruce was a friend and contemporary of John Leoning (first Kajukenbo instructor on the mainland 1957), and it's obvious that they had some workouts together, since Ricky Nelson is pictured in one of Bruce's book doing the Kajukenbo kata, Pinion 1 (now called Palama Set 1). Bruce was without a doubt someone who deserves more credit then he has been given.


Dear Sensei Bishop:

I found and purused through a Bruce Tegner book on self-defense I found at the Boston Public Library, copywright 1968, and what a blast from the past.  Yet I like the techniques that I saw.  Not flashy or exotic, but seemingly effective enough.

Then I found the book: 'PowerWalking' by Steve Reeves (of Hercules fame) circa 1960s, I guess he was the one to coin the term 'powerwalking' used by a lot of lunch hour secretaries.

The point I want to make is that a lot of these old books hold a lot of modern concepts, or at least concepts which modern martial arts and physical education are based upon.  

It makes me want to dig up a lot more older books from past martial arts masters to see what they have to offer.


----------



## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Sep 9, 2004)

jukado1 said:
			
		

> ... in fact the original jiu jitsu combined the throwing and grappling of judo, holds and locks, and the striking and kicking to nerve centers and pressure points of atemi waza, The level of specialization that we have now did not really start to the late 1950's before that martial artiest were more well rounded.


Please don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Mr. Tegners work, and have been since a squirt. However, unless I am horribly mistaken about everything else I have ever read on the subject, jujutsu is not a combo of judo and other stuff, but a principle predecessor. Kano was an accomplished practitioner, who consulted with and recruited other accomplished practitioners, then later culled the material to develop judo from jujutsu.

D.


----------



## Patrick Skerry (Sep 9, 2004)

Kembudo-Kai Kempoka said:
			
		

> Please don't get me wrong: I'm a big fan of Mr. Tegners work, and have been since a squirt. However, unless I am horribly mistaken about everything else I have ever read on the subject, jujutsu is not a combo of judo and other stuff, but a principle predecessor. Kano was an accomplished practitioner, who consulted with and recruited other accomplished practitioners, then later culled the material to develop judo from jujutsu.
> 
> D.


There is some very good history of both judo's development and on Dr. Jigoro Kano at http://www.judoinfo.com

and a lot more on judo.


----------



## jukado1 (Sep 10, 2004)

Kembudo-Kia Kompoka: Maybe I phrased it wrong, jiu jitsu is with in it self a complete system which teaches hitting, and kicking, throwing, holds locks, ETC, in it's original form.


----------



## Jonathan Randall (Jan 28, 2005)

John Bishop said:
			
		

> Jukado would probably be one of the early MMA's of America, first of course being Kajukenbo, 1947. From "Jukado1"s description, it sounds very similiar in concept to Kajukenbo. I know that Bruce was a friend and contemporary of John Leoning (first Kajukenbo instructor on the mainland 1957), and it's obvious that they had some workouts together, since Ricky Nelson is pictured in one of Bruce's book doing the Kajukenbo kata, Pinion 1 (now called Palama Set 1). Bruce was without a doubt someone who deserves more credit then he has been given.


Thank you for saying that. Many of us are martial artists today because of Bruce Tegner's work and I'm glad I'm not the first to be surprised by the current idea of MMA as being "revolutionary". 1947 was a long time before 1993!


----------



## MichiganTKD (Jan 28, 2005)

But why offer rank in something like "Jukado"? If all you care about is self defense, then rank would likely be unimportant.

Kinda like kickboxing. Kickboxing is a sport, not a martial art. Therefore, there is no black belt in kickboxing. If "jukado" is concerned with only self defense, then earning a black belt would not matter.


----------



## Danjo (Jan 28, 2005)

On the cover of his book, Tegner calls Jukado "Modern jiu Jitsu". I enjoy reading through his various books and have several copies. It's sad that they are mostly out of print.


----------



## jukado1 (Jan 28, 2005)

Michigan TKD: Jukado was not meant for pro fighters, But for the general public, People's reasons for studying vary from person to person, some want a hobby, most non pro's want some means of judging their progress, the belt ranking system gives them that option. But you can also study and practice for self defense without having to take the test.


----------



## 47MartialMan (Mar 5, 2005)

I have them all. Many first and second additions. Very interesting stuff. Not what I would want to use as an actual physical study, but other info was intersting


----------

