bcbernam777
Brown Belt
Hi all JKD practicioners:
I just finished posting this comment on another forum and I just thought I would throw it out there to get yur feedback, as having studied JKD and now studying WC, these are some of my thoughts on JKD, my intentions not to diss the art, but these are just some things I have on my mind about the art after doing some much introspective thinking about my JKD and WC journey, I make no bones about it, for me WC is the supreme martial art, not everyone agrees (actuall few agree) but there you go, please give me some feedback and let me know where I have missed so we can discuss:
As having studied JKD and currently studying Wing Chun with a former class mate of BL's I have to comment that the majority of the concepts and priniples that bruce founded JKD on are actually based in Wing Chun, with some notable differences in aspects such as stance positioning, and its interplay and goals within kicking range. My own personal feeling with JKD is that it is a superimposing of the Wing Chun mind set whilst utilising different tools, the problem I see in this is the cross purposes that the tools from other martial arts where created to be used in such a way that does not fit the pinciples of Wing Chun on which JKD was built. To give an example, one of the three foundational concepts that Wing Chun is built on is economy of motion, for this reason in wing chun the legs never, ever go above the waist, because no matter wich way you cut it it takes longer to launch a high kick than it does a low kick or longer for the leg to operate than the hands, yet JKD sees no problem in incorporating (for example) the high hook kicks of MT, this presents a problem in the interpretation and implementation of the concept of economy of motion. Another key area in the operation of JKD which is vastly different to Wing Chun is the concept of the riposte, the fencing position of lunge and withdrawl. It is said in Wing Chun "if you are going backwards you are not doing wing chun" the riposte is fine if you are fit and healthy and conditioned, and if you have a complete and flawless understanding of timing, distance and different levels and types of openings, whether they be forced by drawing, feinting, etc, or natural opening initiated by the oponant, however, it takes many, many years to build yourself to that point, and the amount of wasted energy by lunging constantly in and out is enough to wear out even the most conditioned of fighters and again is a condridiction of the concept of economy of motion, and efficiency, as it may prolong an engagement unecesaraly.
Another aspect to consider is that Bruce already had a healthy foundation in a core art, therefore he had a pathway to develop core attributes, something I found lacking in JKD, whereas the thing I find bewildering is that Bruce therefore left a path, but instead of walking the full path, many people try to pick up where bruce left off, this is akin to taking a novice and expect him to act at the level of a senior student off the bat.
JKD was Bruces own personal journey, but not one left untainted with his own human frailty's and to a certain degree his level of maturity and inmaturity. People simply cannot follow that path. My own personal belief is that Bruce was not against the practice of TMA he was against the mindset that it produced in its students, where instead of engaging their brains and relying upon their own ability to look past the techniques, forms, and positions, they would practice and see the concepts and realities of which those particular techniques represented they would simply become mindless parrots simply copying their Sifu without understanding, blindly accepting without any thought. His ideal was instead of becoming a slave to the system, they would become the systems master and use that system as a path to illumination in the martial way, therefore attaining to what Bruce refered to "the art of artlessness" the three stages being 1) ignorance 2) understanding 3) freedom from that understanding so as to find freedom, or as was said by another Sifu, "it not having no way which becomes a way, but having a way which becomes no way", so then our goal is to transcend the form and function. and find liberty within yourself
One more aspect that I will put out there, their are many tools and functions in areas such as arnis, MT, Boxing etc that will be at cross purposes to each other, in a real life situation, you cannot train in partial arts and expect the full results, and if you do get into a fight the question you must ask yourself "have I studied this art sufficiently to the point that I will react quickly and out of instinct, or will I need to think for a split second to decide which attack I am going to emply in this circumstance?" also baring in mind that many arts dont have the supposed gaps, that exsists they just deal with situations in a different way that is in harmany with the systems own principles and guiidelines. A perfect example of this is the current trend for "contemporary """"Masters""""" to supplement their Wing chun curriculum with kickboxing and BJJ because of supposed gaps in the system, without realising that Wing Chun has an answer for both of these situations, its just that the goals it has are not what is generally deemed acceptable, and indeed they are hard to master, but not impossible. No Wing Chun does have an answer, its just that they cannot see the woods for the trees, forever looking at the pointing finger and failing to see the entire "heavenly glory"
These are just my honest opinions on the art of JKD
I just finished posting this comment on another forum and I just thought I would throw it out there to get yur feedback, as having studied JKD and now studying WC, these are some of my thoughts on JKD, my intentions not to diss the art, but these are just some things I have on my mind about the art after doing some much introspective thinking about my JKD and WC journey, I make no bones about it, for me WC is the supreme martial art, not everyone agrees (actuall few agree) but there you go, please give me some feedback and let me know where I have missed so we can discuss:
As having studied JKD and currently studying Wing Chun with a former class mate of BL's I have to comment that the majority of the concepts and priniples that bruce founded JKD on are actually based in Wing Chun, with some notable differences in aspects such as stance positioning, and its interplay and goals within kicking range. My own personal feeling with JKD is that it is a superimposing of the Wing Chun mind set whilst utilising different tools, the problem I see in this is the cross purposes that the tools from other martial arts where created to be used in such a way that does not fit the pinciples of Wing Chun on which JKD was built. To give an example, one of the three foundational concepts that Wing Chun is built on is economy of motion, for this reason in wing chun the legs never, ever go above the waist, because no matter wich way you cut it it takes longer to launch a high kick than it does a low kick or longer for the leg to operate than the hands, yet JKD sees no problem in incorporating (for example) the high hook kicks of MT, this presents a problem in the interpretation and implementation of the concept of economy of motion. Another key area in the operation of JKD which is vastly different to Wing Chun is the concept of the riposte, the fencing position of lunge and withdrawl. It is said in Wing Chun "if you are going backwards you are not doing wing chun" the riposte is fine if you are fit and healthy and conditioned, and if you have a complete and flawless understanding of timing, distance and different levels and types of openings, whether they be forced by drawing, feinting, etc, or natural opening initiated by the oponant, however, it takes many, many years to build yourself to that point, and the amount of wasted energy by lunging constantly in and out is enough to wear out even the most conditioned of fighters and again is a condridiction of the concept of economy of motion, and efficiency, as it may prolong an engagement unecesaraly.
Another aspect to consider is that Bruce already had a healthy foundation in a core art, therefore he had a pathway to develop core attributes, something I found lacking in JKD, whereas the thing I find bewildering is that Bruce therefore left a path, but instead of walking the full path, many people try to pick up where bruce left off, this is akin to taking a novice and expect him to act at the level of a senior student off the bat.
JKD was Bruces own personal journey, but not one left untainted with his own human frailty's and to a certain degree his level of maturity and inmaturity. People simply cannot follow that path. My own personal belief is that Bruce was not against the practice of TMA he was against the mindset that it produced in its students, where instead of engaging their brains and relying upon their own ability to look past the techniques, forms, and positions, they would practice and see the concepts and realities of which those particular techniques represented they would simply become mindless parrots simply copying their Sifu without understanding, blindly accepting without any thought. His ideal was instead of becoming a slave to the system, they would become the systems master and use that system as a path to illumination in the martial way, therefore attaining to what Bruce refered to "the art of artlessness" the three stages being 1) ignorance 2) understanding 3) freedom from that understanding so as to find freedom, or as was said by another Sifu, "it not having no way which becomes a way, but having a way which becomes no way", so then our goal is to transcend the form and function. and find liberty within yourself
One more aspect that I will put out there, their are many tools and functions in areas such as arnis, MT, Boxing etc that will be at cross purposes to each other, in a real life situation, you cannot train in partial arts and expect the full results, and if you do get into a fight the question you must ask yourself "have I studied this art sufficiently to the point that I will react quickly and out of instinct, or will I need to think for a split second to decide which attack I am going to emply in this circumstance?" also baring in mind that many arts dont have the supposed gaps, that exsists they just deal with situations in a different way that is in harmany with the systems own principles and guiidelines. A perfect example of this is the current trend for "contemporary """"Masters""""" to supplement their Wing chun curriculum with kickboxing and BJJ because of supposed gaps in the system, without realising that Wing Chun has an answer for both of these situations, its just that the goals it has are not what is generally deemed acceptable, and indeed they are hard to master, but not impossible. No Wing Chun does have an answer, its just that they cannot see the woods for the trees, forever looking at the pointing finger and failing to see the entire "heavenly glory"
These are just my honest opinions on the art of JKD
