kroh said:
Very cool insights Rebecca.
The other thing to consider is the people who actually trained with Bruce. Guys like Dan Inosanto who are toted by many as being a person of integrity that studied with Lee. They still teach JKD / Jun Fan Gung Fu with and without inovation. Those that focus on the no style as style philosophy miss the point. They get so wrapped up in the water is formless debate that they forget that even an ocean has a surface and a submerged side. If there was nothing to contain the water then it would be just floating in the air or out in space. In order for it to be usefull it has to adopt some form or shape. And if you do not do some type of formatted training, then does that mean you should be applying the techniques in a different method every time you train?
Dont know about you, but I like the jab-cross theory. Put up a person who trains a different way every day ( average kung fooligan) versus say, a boxer, who trains the same five techniques every day, 365. I'll put my money on the boxer because his stuff is geared to work versus the fooligan who might have memorized the action but has no expereince training it to work.
The long and short of it is that these arguments hve been hashed and rehashed a thousand times ( including on the school message board that I run for the JKD school I go to). We know that one aspect of Lee's theory was meant to stay a theory and one aspect was the stuff that he actually practiced... But if we say that he practiced something then that means he had to categorize it and repeat it...other wise it wouldn't be practice.
The bad part about an argument like this is that it can go on forever without either side making head way. Formless, yes. Methods of practice ...yes. Forms...despite what people say... Yes ( to a degree). What's the peice of paper worth...? Only the individual can decide. But when i walk into a school and they say, "we teach JKD concepts" and I ask where they learned it...If they say they pulled it out of a book...then i am out the door. If they say that what they are teaching is the scientific departure of forms in favor of function as taught by Bruce Lee... I might stay to see what they have to offer
Regards,
Walt
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now we touch upon the truth.
First the student must fit within a structured set of training parameters, and techniques/drills. ONLY after achieving success in this, and becoming a mature fighter through these regular repeated systems, can the advanced and enlightened student cast aside what does not work for them, and begin to search out what WILL work in real world combat. In my case I have trained in the Inosanto/Vunak systems, under certified instructors, and found my physique did not lend itself to certain original techniques which Bruce could definitely do and which Bruce promoted. (Hook kicks being one) But after I cast those aside I inserted other techniques from other arts I have studied and found worthy, (Praying Mantis concepts, Aikido-Dumog synthesis, etc..) and in fact modified these original techniques for street applicability and integration with basic JKD/Kali, etc.
We discard structure and the basic JKD
techniques Bruce promoted
only after we have burned out most of our personal ignorance and are therefore better qualified to assess ourselves in experience, wisdom and knowledge. We do this by
first trying our best to master the basic JKD structure and understand JKD concepts.
My JKD will
not be
your JKD,
after we both reach profeciency in basic JKD techniques/concepts, and understanding of
our weaknesses. But you are
not understanding JKD concepts if you never trained in basic JKD techniques for sufficient time to learn what
your weaknesses are. You can't just read up a bit on JKD and make an assessment. This is why JKD people
want to train with and study other arts,.. to bring us out of our condition of ignorance. There are definite techniques Bruce believed one should train in and try to master before daring to cast them aside as not worthy. This is a major reason so few try JKD.. it is daunting and conceptual, and few really understand it even after trying it for a while.. and most cannot put into execution the flow from range to range, seamless transition from technique to technique in various arts, without stopping to think about "what's next?" This rigidity makes executing JKD impossible. It takes time and meditation on the concepts and natural ability. Bruce indeed said
"not one in 10,000 men can do my art."
To say they is no form or structure in JKD training is to entirely miss the points Bruce tried to make. Sometimes I think no one really read all of Bruce's writings, or if they did, they did so as an outsider who never tried the Inosanto/Vunak "way" of training, and therefore these concepts of Bruce are not understood today by many. I don't think Bruce really expected most to understand.
artyon: 
) I love the Kenpo/Kempo arts, yet I am also a JKD guy. That costs me with some in the JKD world, but who cares. 
as this is not the best area to open a JKD dojo. I would not do it for money but love of the concepts and arts (plural)
