Dropping the Trapping in JKD

[joe-jitsu]

I attended a JKD Street Fighting Seminar in Grand Blanc, MI two days ago presented by Sifu Marcus Charles out of Chicago, IL (certfied under Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak & the late great Larry Hartsell). Sifu Charles is also the Midwest Director for both the JKD Grappling Association (the late Sifu Hartsell) and Progressive Fighting Systems JKD (Sifu Vunak).

Sifu Charles taught a lot of basic trapping tactics (ie: Pak Sao, Lop Sao, Dumog, Hubud) but I also know that he is heavily involved with in-the-clinch fighting as well, though we didn't train with it at this particular seminar.

 

[xfighter88]

I am not a JKD guy. That being said my friend is and has worked some very basic trapping with me. I am a muay thai/TKD guy, but I use trapping a lot when sparring. Trap the lead hand and kick or punch the head in TKD. Trap, quick punch and clinch to knees in Muay Thai. It is such a foreign concept to other forms of martial arts. So it works really well. Trap, back fist, Elbow is a personal favorite of mine.

I think that MMA is getting so popular that perspective students want to see clinch used and taught because that is all they know from TV these days. No one traps in UFC so people tend to misunderstand, underestimate, or disregard it.

Cheers!

 

[sgtmac_46]

Learning the basics of trapping is one of the main reasons I began to study Wing Chun. Im curious to learn why the students that you speak of have decided to disgard this part of the system...

Probably because they feel that for them personally, it is a better solution to those particular situations in fighting.

 

[sgtmac_46]

I am not a JKD guy. That being said my friend is and has worked some very basic trapping with me. I am a muay thai/TKD guy, but I use trapping a lot when sparring. Trap the lead hand and kick or punch the head in TKD. Trap, quick punch and clinch to knees in Muay Thai. It is such a foreign concept to other forms of martial arts. So it works really well. Trap, back fist, Elbow is a personal favorite of mine.

I think that MMA is getting so popular that perspective students want to see clinch used and taught because that is all they know from TV these days. No one traps in UFC so people tend to misunderstand, underestimate, or disregard it.

Cheers!

I'd say that's part of it. MMA sport can't help but influence, and the Wrestling and BJJ training being incorporated in JKD Concepts certainly has a lot to do with it.

But again JKD is an evolving personal art, so one finds the path that works best for them.

 

[seasoned]

Once you learn trapping, it just happens. Hand comes in, trap and strike happens, along with the locks and take downs. The key is, it all has to come naturally, from a lot of practice.

 

[Thunder Foot]

Some great views presented in this thread!
I honestly believe that trapping is a part of the progression of JKD. Some folks don't progress and stick to it, some others progress past it... and some progress while maintaining its elements.

I was first exposed to trapping in Muay Thai. Some of the mae mai techs of the Muay I learned involve trapping. Later JKD and Wing Chun. These days I view trapping as a by-product of not being able to successfully hit. Some people may be skilled enough to hit every time without using traps... I personally feel that the objective should always be to hit, but when you can't directly hit then a trap may be used just as taking another line could be used.

In my opinion though, it should still be taught, experienced, and evaluated by folk to determine themselves if they want to keep or discard it. Better to question it and find the answer for yourself, than to take another's word for it whom may not have had sufficient skill to make something effective.