Modern Day JKD

[Transk53]

I have been wondering if what is JKD, has any bearing on what Bruce Lee originally set out? From what I have read of him, he was always looking to innovate and streamline, or at least tweak some things. Exactly what I am not entirely sure, but in today's world, has JKD moved on and been added too? Improved or such like? Basically is JKD a lot different?

 

[Xue Sheng]

There are basically 2 groups
What Bruce taught, think folks like Jerry Poteet, stick to what Bruce Taught them pretty much
What Bruce said, think folks like Dan Inosantom that teach JKD based on the Philosophy of JKD

However even Dan Insanto starts out with what Bruce Taught

 

[snake_monkey]

Yep, Dan Inosanto is on record saying that his JKD is individualized training, and they are basically always adding to it. This aspect is not too different than most other styles of martial arts (at any given point of time in history), although today we have two sides. One way is towards all-new dynamic mixed techniques for optimal fighting efficiency. The other side is the complete trust in some teaching for some of the wrong reasons. I personally enjoy looking at traditional martial arts for their own dynamic efficiency, learning the basics from several arts training to learn more advanced moves. I have played around with a JKD style however I prefer short range striking, whereas the Inosanto JKD plays the Wooden Dummy on at a bit more of a range (to give you an idea).

 

[Danny T]

There is Jun Fan and there is Jeet Kune Do.
Jun Fan was/is Bruce’s Gung Fu
JKD was more Bruce’s philosophy toward studying the arts, knowing yourself, enhancing your skills based on your individual talents and abilities.
Each individual has a somewhat different JKD.

Today we have:
-The individual JKDers (those who just do whatever and call it JKD)
-Bruce Lee JKDers who do Bruce’s individual JKD only (which is strange in that Bruce said in several ways that that IS NOT what JKD is)
-Those who study what Bruce did and then begin to add/subtract change along their training journey.
-The concepts JKDers which fall into 2 subgroups. A) those who study some of the Jun Fan material and begin to apply the JKD concepts to other material/methods calling it JKD.
B) those who study Jun Fan, calling it Jun Fan and study other methods under the JKD concepts for their individual skill and attribute development.

So we have:
Jun Fan,
JKD the philosophy,
Bruce’s JKD,
People doing Bruce’s jkd type JKD,
People doing whatever JKD,
People doing Jun Fan and JKD concepts to only what Inosanto does JKD,
and finally;
Those who study Jun Fan to understand Bruce’s method then apply the JKD concepts to their study of other methods for their individual growth.

 

[Transk53]

Thank you all for your replies. Some extremely interesting information, and kind of reminds of the world of Krav Maga. Both seem similar on paper at least. Yes so as a philosophy it makes a lot of sense that I guess a lot of people have just run with it as JKD, refined to something they can teach, and call it JKD. Morally if the right term to use, offers substance to what the individual is teaching. Interesting though that I have seen Jun Fan Jeet Kun Do as one Danny T. I believe it was in a Bruce Lee book as well.

 

[Danny T]

Interesting though that I have seen Jun Fan Jeet Kun Do as one Danny T. I believe it was in a Bruce Lee book as well.

Jun Fan has a specific curriculum.
JKD (Bruce's) had a ever changing curriculum. There was some cross over of some but it wasn't the same curriculum.
To understand Bruce's individual JKD one needs to have Jun Fan but Jun Fan is not JKD.

 

[Martial D]

I like JKD as described in his book, but not a huge fan of the organized versions that exist today.

As described in his book jkd is merely a philosophy/method of putting together what you know into what works by trimming off all of the fat.

He encouraged diversity in training and emphasized athleticism in your daily life.

He didn't really create so much as compile and audit what was already there, with the exception of his concept of the stop hit and his version of the Philly shell, which are both cool and useful imo.