Originally posted by sweeper
hmm.. Akja as someone who practices JKD I have some questions for you, Now before I start I would like to say I don't mean these to sound like attacks (with the way this thred has gone I don't want you to mis interpret my questions) just simply quesitons.
Now I don't realy know anything about how you teach, I was wondering why you chose the japanese rank names, do you speak japanese.do you teach it to your students? Reason I asked is it seemed from your web site that there is a realy heavy JKD influence (for example all the lineage was through JKD people/wing chun people)
Also, You say that everyone following bruce lee has created a seperate system, what do you mean by this? Could you please elaborate on this?
And last, I practice JKD, If your art is predominantly JKD there are some things I just don't understand how you could grade/teach via video. For example all the energy stuff wouldn't work, and application is a big part, how could you grade someone's sparring capability via video? Their timming, their power, you could make sure they are mechanicly sound but there's alot more than that. Now Again I just want to say I don't mean to sound like you are wrong, I just want to know how you do things.
First, nothing is set in place yet, videos are not complete and I'm not advertising or anything of the sort. Everything on my site is what I'm working on. I'm concentrating on my group together we are going to grow our organization including bringing up fighters for the cage fights. I have one now, who has a ays to go, but that is his goal, as is my nephews.
Second, you read it wrong. My art is technique influenced only! The Kempo systems are basic technique compared to the whole JKD process. I'm not teaching the JKD process to anyone. If someone really wants to through the hole process of JKD, I send them to my Sifu who lives in a neighboring city. Although I will teach all that I know in regards to JKD to those who want it and deserve it. Meaning Bruce wanted small groups only. I think now that I see why. But the real reason is for the benefit of the student. What I offer them is the chance to learn from the source!
Also all the JKD systems are new systems. If they are not the original system, then they are new systems. Perhaps they share the same name, but we all know that no 2 JKD systems are the same, so they are all new systems.
While I was training with my Sifu he stressed that he believed all of JKD to be watered down and he disliked the name. After I left training with my Sifu I began calling my art Kempo Bujutsu. This process of mine goes back to about to 2000. The factors are I was told repeatedly by my Sifu that he did not not want his art to be "mixed up" and resemble JKD Concepts. Thats not what he teaches and he did not want to his art to be lost. I promised him I would not teach his art in that fashion and I don't don't.
I don't speak Japanese nor would I expect a student to learn to speak something that I have no intention of learning. The techniques do not have Japanese terminology. Although some of te grappling has Japanese terminology and most of the world uses it, we all see it and hear it. There is nothing wrong with a student learning it, but it would have nothing to do their evaluation.
Now Gary Dill was a student in the Oakland JKD school and he was the first to create a Kempo system from the JKD. He created Bushido Kempo, it uses the Kyu and Dan ranking structure. You have to realize that this is easiest ranking structure to use and we do where Jujitsu Gis. To learn the grappling you have to learn the techniques completely. And that is something that I do that I don't see in JKD. In JKD they usually incorporate BJJ separately as an art and offer it that way, probably out of respect to those that teach it to them. Then they incorporate the technique that they feel will mix well into their JKD.
I don't teach BJJ at all, I teach what I've learned from BJJ in my Kempo Jujitsu class as part of the curriculum. We focus on all the grappling positions, from the positions the finishing moves will come, but the focus is on the positions. In JKD if you practice what I just explained, then you just through out some of te original concepts simplicity, closest weapon to the closest target. There are more but BJJ does not fit with the concepts although as separate arts they compliment themselves excellently.
Back to Gary Dill and his Bushido Kempo which is an "open ended" system. Gary Dill created this concept of an open ended system. The open ended system is meant to be modified by its practioners to fit themselves. If you modify the art is OK to change the name as did Carter Hargrave who Gary Dill Certified in JKD and Bushido Kempo. Carter created American Combat Kempo which again is an open ended system.
When I sent my training tapes of myself and my Sifu to Carter, I told him my intentions that I wanted to establish what I teach as a system. He reviewed my training and promoted me to Full Instructor in JKD and 5th Dan in his American Combat Kempo explaining that I was well enough qualified. These Kempo Systems are not advanced in regards to JKD, but they are advanced in the regards to the way a martial artists thinks. I have been given permission to build my system from his system, using as a base.
Bushido Kempo, American Combat Kempo amd Atemi Kempo Jujitsu all come from the teachings of the Oakland JKD school but they are all slightly differant from our own individual contributions.
I really do understand what you are trying to say. And I totally 100% respect that because unlike most of the others, you speak from first hand experience.
Now my system, there is basic technique and more advanced technique. This is something that most people don't understand.
I know what I expect from my students and some based on their experience may judged differantly. But lets discuss the video tape grading.
The first test. There are 2 tapes. The test is on the first tape. because I know what I expect from someone at that level. But if someone thinks they can skip the second tape and move on, it won't happen. The second tape takes you deeper into the art at each level.
So at test 2 if the student does not learn all the material in both tapes, there will not be able to pass test 2 if they only learn tapes 1 of both levels. You see where this is going. There is alot of material to learn and I do know how to judge what I teach. As far as the Jun Fan Gung-Fu that I learned, I have it on video. My Sifu started filming after I had about 5 or 6 months in. He wanted me to see my progression over time, so we taped every 2 or 3 months and this went on for over 2 years. So that alone shows me where I was at differant levels of my training.
My system is 65% standup and 35% groundgrappling and as I state on my site is technically not JKD but is technique influenced from JKD. Big differance.
Also we've established my system is not JKD and it draws from any and all of my experience. Going back over time 2/3 of my training was in Karate. The Kyu and Dan ranking is appropriate. Also the ranking structure is meant to be universal because we have in the works adding more systems within the Association we are building. And the reason for universal is because I've been there, I know that there are many differant reasons for a student to changes systems. I've put on a white belt time and time again. I've "sparred" and "rolled" with many people who even if their lives depended on it, in reality couldn't touch me. In in these classes, they were my seniors.
But I think that if they do switch arts, which I'm not encouraging, they should not have to go back to white belt as long as they know that they cannot promote until they have caught up tp their rank and exceeded it. But this is for the future as we are not teaching anything at this time except American Combat Kempo and Atemi Kempo Jujitsu.
