Not too sure what you mean by groups but there is the group I am a part of that is headed by Paul Vunak- Progressive Fighting Systems www.fighting.net 949-248-8999
Outside of this group it helps to identify if you are looking for, and I hate to say it, but Original JKD or JKD Concepts. JKDC is for the most part from Dan Inosanto's camp and he has many Instructors some of them are
Paul Vunak & Progressive Fighting Systems:
Burton Richardson & Jeet Kune Do Unlimited,
Ron Balicki,
Rick Fay & Minnesota Kali Group,
Rick Tucci & Princton Academy of Martial Arts,
Mark Stewart and Boxer Rebellion International,
Chris Kent, Bosie Idaho
These are some of Dan's main Instructors. Of them they each have their own group of Instructors. I know the PFS website has an Instructor tree and map for PFS Instructors
Hope this helps some.
Of the OJKD Instructors. I have to say that many are being certified by a person who had "potentially" 4 to 5 meetings with Bruce Lee and not all of them were training times. This person has since been certifying others in JKD when he has had very little experience with it. In addition many of these people are very well published and popular and seem to get much press. The down side is they influence those people who read the articles. Right or wrong it gives a tainted picture of what the history is as well as who is who for real. I all comes back to Dan Inosanto or Taky Kimura as the two only living certified people by Bruce. Of anyone ever certified, Only Dan was certified in all of the Three arts Bruce offered Certification, Jun Fan Gung Fu, Tao of Chinese Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do.
I am sorry but I have run away with this. Ramble, ramble. I will work at staying the course
I've always said that if somebody can't verify their lineage back to James Lee, Taky Kimura, or Dan Inosanto, then they aren't legitimate. I don't think James Lee certified anybody before he died.
I know what you mean...there are quite a few people out their claiming certification in JKD without having any real extensive training with Bruce or the three mentioned above. I believe a certain well known sport karate fighter is among these people. It's really very sad. Fortunately, they seem to be fairly easy to recognize.
This sport karate dude is the one. He has really misled many who are looking for real answers in this area. The problem also comes from taking away from those who are legit and have worked hard to carry on what Bruce started. I am appalled at the certain so called JKD Instructor who has actually gotten a college course in JKD going at Radford. He's a good martial artist but he's not JKD
Miller
Heh...fitting that the Radford guy's name rhymes with 'weasely'. Again, though, they do seem very easy to sniff out. For me, it's not so much that I understand it so well that I know they're B.S., but that they do it so poorly that it reeks of B.S.
Unfortunately, it isn't terribly hard to make money off of Bruce Lee. Particularly with JKD, since so many people don't have a good grasp of what it is or isn't, that a somewhat talented martial artist can cobble together a few techniques from martial art A, a few from martial art B, and claim it's JKD.
College course in JKD. Gimme a break. I don't know if Bruce would be laughing his a$$ off or snapping someone's neck.
Keatings "riddle of steel" retreats are great. He has some Dan experience and others. Other than that I don't know. Oh Yeah...throw away ....Demile and Glover. Nice guys I'm sure but dinasaurs...opps
From what I've seen, at least Glover isn't trying to 'cash in' on what he was taught from Bruce. DeMile has written books on his "Tao of Wing Chun Do" and 'Bruce Lee's 1"/3" Punch'. I saw that particular book a looooong time ago. That's all I'll say about that.
I wonder if Bruce would just say..."get on with it"...:soapbox: He died...his art did not...but those still focused on ojkd are letting what he stood for and started die...Demile as I understand it is a great guy....many close to Bruce however have really sold him out including ..............well should stop there. you can fill it in as you wish. (not Dan)... Then there is the Weasleys and Lewis's (insert joke here):rofl:
It's easier to name the people who haven't sold Bruce out. So sad :shrug:
The thing is, if Bruce were still alive, JKD never would have become so fractured, I think. Basically, I don't think anyone would have had the stones to start teaching JKD without his permission/certification. Now that he's dead, anybody and their Aunt Petunia can claim certification.
I've said it before, but it bears repeating: The only three people ever certified as JKD instructors by Bruce Lee were Taky Kimura, Dan Inosanto, and James Y. Lee. Lee did give others certification in JKD (such as Ted Wong), but the three people I mentioned were the only people ever certified as instructors by Lee himself. Anyone claiming to be a certified JKD instructor must be able to trace their lineage back to one of these three men.
Lewis can't. I'm pretty sure Weasely can't. Countless others. If somebody is trying to pawn themselves off as a JKD instructor, go ahead and verify their claim. If they're legit, they won't mind. Right, Jim?