Is JKD an American MA?

[geezer]

Although its roots lie in both Eastern and Western Martial Arts, would anyone who practices JKD consider it to be an "American" martial art?

I find many things on the internet claiming to be American Martial Arts, but it would seem that JKD is the model for most of these. Being created in America and first propagated here, could it be said that it is American (or at least started out that way)?

I am not a JKD practitioner, but just was wondering...

I'm not a JKD practitioner either, but looking at it from the outside, I'd like to suggest that maybe JKD is the first Global Martial Art.

 

[joeygil]

I think many kicks are Savate- and Muay Thai-influenced?

Good point. Definately the rear stop kick is taken from the coup de bas. I've heard from several sources that Sijo Bruce Lee really liked it.

I'm not sure what other Savate kicks went into Jun Fan. Everybody's got the fuoete (sp?) / lead roundhouse / lead hook kick / o'ou tek. So that could have easily come from a kung fu system. I don't see the chasse (sp?) / side kick in Jun Fan. The high knee chamber position and footwork would give it away as Savate.

I think the only Muay Thai kick that went into OJKD/Jun Fan would probably be the rear o'ou tek / thay / rear round house / rear hook kick. Most of the Muay Thai lead led kicks usually follow after a quick-switch / stance switch to make it effectively a rear kick. A lot of people at the Inosanto Academy do that, but it's not taught that way in the Jun Fan class (they get it from the Muay Thai or MMA classes).

The Muay Thai elbows and knees differ structurally from the Jun Fan elbows and knees. My guess is they come from the WC side.

 

[Doc_Jude]

Though I still feel that JKD is more of a philosophy than an martial art it's teachings and techniques are among the finest.

That's what Dan Inosanto calls it. JKD Concept. Of course, Guro Inosanto is one of the only JKD instructors that doesn't depend on Bruce Lee to bolster his reputation.

Bruce may have started with Wing Chun and then founded Jun Fan Kung Fu, but in the end, yes, I would say that JKD was an American art. America is a vast melting pot, as is JKD.

 

[Doc_Jude]

The editors of Black Belt magazine picking a style to go into their invented hall of fame doesn't impress me or making something true.

AoG

I don't see how Black Belt Mag's Hall of Fame is more or less valid than another. All are contrived by man.

 

[Andy Moynihan]

It was developed in America and Bruce was an American citizen, so the way I call it, it is. *shrug*