JKD Charlatan Wannabees..??

[Calm Intention]

This is something that crossed my mind while talking with a friend over the week.
I had mentioned that I joined this website, and that it was of no surprise to myself that there seemed to be alot of contention with regard to 'what the art and philosophy' of Bruce Lee is about, was about, what should be being taught, should things have not evolved and remained as was, etc.
And then I asked myself if this statement would be correct, and what our active members here think of this:

Is J.K.D. the one martial art(or philosophy), that for whatever reason, allows a certain type of individual, to take some of the basic tenets along with the philosophy, and carry this into private settings to teach this to the un-wary, unknoweldgeable student who wishes to sincerely learn- but has not the time to join a formal school with its time schedule?

I really have this feeling that there are umpteen J.K.D. wannabee teachers, who can't establish their own school, and take this into garage like settings to earn themselves some extra cash at the expense of the unwitting student(whose real fault is their own).

I may have been able to phrase this better, but I view J.K.D. as being very vulnerable to those who would manipulate it in the manner I describe.

*is there a guide to known established J.K.D. teachers?
thankyou.

 

[terryl965]

I'm certainly no expert on JKD but was'nt it an Art with no Art sort to speak, each individual will be themself for what they have learned
Terry

 

[Andrew Green]

JKD seems to have more "fun" with this then other names, because it is undefined, or at least defined in many different ways. I can definately see how someone could read all the stuff and come off thinking they don't need a lineage to Bruce Lee to do it.

And they don't, but why call it "Jeet Kun Do" then?

I view that kinda like opening up a Burger place and calling it "McDonalds", except that more control over that name exists and I would be sued and shut down if I tried, but basically, same thing.

 

[Calm Intention]

JKD seems to have more "fun" with this then other names, because it is undefined, or at least defined in many different ways. I can definately see how someone could read all the stuff and come off thinking they don't need a lineage to Bruce Lee to do it.

And they don't, but why call it "Jeet Kun Do" then?

I view that kinda like opening up a Burger place and calling it "McDonalds", except that more control over that name exists and I would be sued and shut down if I tried, but basically, same thing.

Interesting way of putting it Andy!

gotta run now,, anxious to see how others feel on this

 

[Robert Lee]

If you look at many other arts They have not changed much or not at all for many many years yet they are still taught. Some say taught asthey were. Would you think of those arts as out dated? JKD has a structure that was developed by Bruce. It evolved as he lived But now he is gone. To learn JKD would you want the any thing mix that some want to call JKD or would you want the JKD that was handed down to the different intructors there are now. Then you could learn then Find within JKD what was yours. If later you choose to explore other methods that would become something you chose Would these added options be JKD not really. Concepts Yes As long as you did not keep building. The idea is to reduce not build. Many people teach in a garage. And some of the best instruction you can get is found off the beaten path. Now far as someone being legit Hopefully they are certified to instruct. JKD evolves by the person. give that same choice to the next person. JKD like other arts its just a path of learning freedom is dicarding it as a name and just doing what you do. But JKD is a style Bruce said so his self. But grew from that fixed word because people would not see that to have NO STYLE you have to let go and be your self. Its sad JKD has so much politics It just shows it still being miss understood Most arts are because those arts to when just done while a person is doing them That to has no name and no way. Just something you did and do. A path and you must learn to walk it alone with out holding on. So JKD would be a path of not the truth not the way just a guide. But remember it has structure a foundation

 

[Flatlander]

I don't see JKD as being any more susceptible to false lineage claims or illegitimate propagation as any other art. The same holds true for JKD as anything else: caveat emptor.

 

[Andrew Green]

I don't see JKD as being any more susceptible to false lineage claims or illegitimate propagation as any other art. The same holds true for JKD as anything else: caveat emptor.

Except that the sort of person into making false claims is also often the sort of person to want to associate themselves with Bruce Lee, and as stylistic rules aren't as defined, it's easier then say, someone to decide to call what they put together themselves "Shotokan" and claim a connection to Funakoshi.

 

[Calm Intention]

I don't see JKD as being any more susceptible to false lineage claims or illegitimate propagation as any other art. The same holds true for JKD as anything else: caveat emptor.

I'd have to agree with Andrew Green and his comments.

I'm searching for a good analogy, so what about a style that has no "quote" marks on its boundary? Anyone could add in as they'd choose.

 

[Flatlander]

I'd have to agree with Andrew Green and his comments.

I'm searching for a good analogy, so what about a style that has no "quote" marks on its boundary? Anyone could add in as they'd choose.

Yes, they could. It seems to me, though, that JKD does in fact have some very fundamental tenets, principles, and movements that are the root and core of the art. If they're missing, then JKD is not what is being taught.

So, an unknowing student would not understand the difference, and therein lies the problem: if you don't know what's right, then how can you judge the validity of your learning? This is an issue that trancends artform, it's fraudulent behaviour. I still don't see JKD as being any more susceptible to this type of fraud than any other art - people get their black belt and run off to teach. I imagine that this is probably more commonplace with the popular art of the day. For a while it was JKD, for a while it was Ninjutsu. I speculate that there's probably a real proliferation of it now with MMA.

JKD isn't the problem, people are the problem.