Hello members of martial talk. I can answer some questions regarding Joe Lewis and his work with Bruce Lee.
In the 1960's Joe was among the top three tournament competitors. In 1968 Joe was recruited by Bruce to train in JKD. Joe was asked by Bruce to call his style jeet kune do and identify Bruce as his instructor. At the time karate was king of the arts. JKD was identified as a style of non-classical gung fu. Joe would not change his art name to JKD (from karate to what was perceived as "kung fu") but he always gave Bruce credit for his instruction. Bruce was in his mid-twenties. Advertising that he taught the top three karate fighters must have been important to Bruce.
As early as 1968 Joe began teaching the JKD training methods he had learned from Bruce in seminars nationwide. In 1969 Joe quit tournament sparring claiming that the sport lacked realism ( a concept in which he and Bruce agreed). In 1970 Joe put his JKD training to work again when he entered the ring as the first American Kickboxer. At the time there were no rules. Competitors and judges simply had no experience. The early kickboxers wore any ounce boxing gloves , long pants and tennis shoes! Joe won 10 fights in a row by the knock out (all ended in the first or second round) to become the undisputed heavyweight kickboxing champion. If you watch Joe's first fight (Jan,1970) you will see JKD in the ring.
Joe never asked Bruce for a certificate, nor did he train as an instructor. Bruce asked all of his students not to teach openly the JKD training methods. In 1971 Bruce closed his JKD/gung fu kwoon and disbanded the practice of jeet kune do. After '71 it has been speculated that Bruce identified JKD as a philosophy...a way to escape the bondage of fixed styles...but that's another story.
Today all of Joe's black belt certificates carry the jeet kune do affiliation because Joe continues to refine and teach that which was taught to him by Bruce Lee.
In 1982 , as a fifth dan I began to train with Joe. From 1983-1988 I also attended and trained at perhaps a dozen JKD concepts camps and seminars. I also promoted seminars for several former Bruce Lee students. After careful observation , comparative analysis and actual training experience I haved concluded that Joe Lewis is without peer as the premier fighter among former students of Bruce Lee.
You must remember that Joe has his own audience outside of the JKD groups. Many in JKD are only now recognizing the wealth of JKD fighting strategy available from Joe Lewis. Additionally it should be noted that many who have entered martial arts training in the last decade simply have no recolection of the awesome reputation Joe Lewis carried in the 1960's and early 1970's. You can find out more about Bruce and Joe by reading Joe's new book about the subject.
Jerry Beasley, Ed.D.
Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame
Instructor of the Year 2000
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