jeet kune do / way of the intercepting fist

[This section is under construction. I am not a martial artist, let alone a student of JKD, but will try my best to come to grips with Bruce's martial arts legacy. Of course, there are conflicting views about many aspects of that legacy - about what jeet kune do is, and about exactly who is qualified and entitled to teach it. Which makes my task the more difficult. If I make grievous errors feel free to correct me. (I draw my information from books and magazines, notably Black Belt, as well as Bruce's own writings on the subject and a more than passing familiarity with the Tao Te Ching.)]

Bruce's first American martial arts student was Jesse Glover, his second Ed Hart. According to Hart they were also his first American friends - Hart was Glover's roommate. Hart, whose last encounter with Bruce was in early 1963, was also the time keeper at the famous YMCA fight between Bruce and a delegate of the Chinese elders, upset at Bruce's teaching kung fu to foreigners. According to Hart it lasted 11 seconds, with Bruce defeating his opponent decisively. According to other sources it took longer, with Bruce unable to put the man down for the count, finding himself reduced to chasing him around the gym, catching him and sitting on him to force him to give up. At any rate, the encounter made it clear to Bruce that his conditioning was far from what it should be, and that his methods needed serious reconsideration.

Bruce and friend Hawkins Cheung had studied wing chun with Yip Man in Hong Kong. Bruce attended the gymnasium in Lee Tat Street at Yau Ma Tei - it was opened in 1956. The system formed the basis of Bruce's martial arts development. He became adept at various other forms as well, including the animal styles, as the screen test footage shows. Bruce ranged far and wide in martial arts, studying moves, concepts and weapons from, amongst other styles, Western boxing (he admired Muhammed Ali), fencing, and savate. Dan Inosanto introduced him to the nunchaku, with which Bruce was to become so identified. Hart has pointed out that the origin of the JKD back fist is choy lay fut. Larry Hartsell noted that Bruce added 33 grappling moves to JKD before he died. (Hartsell studied with Bruce from 1967 to 1970, along with Dan Inosanto, and also taught at Ed Parker's.)

Bruce's new "style without a style" had few moves which were designed to cover many eventualities. The idea was to have a very fast, economical, adaptable way of fighting, pared down to the essentials, only incorporating what worked. By its very nature JKD - "the way of the intecepting fist" - is organic: it is not rigid but fluid, has no restricting kata but responds instantly and effectively to any given combat situation, with simultaneous, combined defense and attack. It is supposed to be the opposite of a set, mechanical form, such as the classical karate and kung fu systems Bruce strived to leave behind.

JKD depends on a superbly conditioned body and mind. It is an advanced art form. As such, it is probably - so it seems to me - out of reach of most people. What most people got to see - and still get to see - is a kind of dramatised, embellished version of Bruce's martial arts. This is the version he presented in his films and TV appearances. The catcalls, the high kicking, the dramatic pauses and flowery movements. There are exceptions though. The first episode of the Longstreet series contains as complete an unadulterated statement of the main principles behind his art as he ever got to display in a fictional setting. I should also mention the epic bout between Bruce and Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon. Game of Death was supposed to be the most complete realisation of that goal. Maybe one gets a better idea about that in John Little's A Warrior's Journey, which reconstructs the film as far as is possible with the surviving notes and footage. I haven't had the opportunity to see that yet.

The martial arts phenomenon who was Bruce Lee first came to the attention of the non-martial arts public after the 1964 Long Beach International Championships. Hair dresser Jay Sebring told producer William Dozier about him, and the rest is history. His appearance led to a screen test for a proposed series, Number One Son, which was never produced, and a role as Kato in The Green Hornet. Bruce also performed at the 1968 Long Beach International Championships.

One can find footage of these shows, including the screen test, on video and DVD. From what I can find out the 1964 footage is poor quality, that from 1968 somewhat better. In the latter Bruce demonstrates chi sao - while blindfolded, his famous one-inch punch, and engages in some full-contact sparring.

Other footage available from various sources, bootleg and legitimate, includes:

• home training sessions with Taky Kimura in Oakland (from the early 60s)
• backyard training sessions with Ted Wong and Larry Hartsell (from about 1969 - 1970), with sound
• home training sessions with Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Coburn, with sound
• 2 session with James Coburn, one with sound, one with Lee's voice-over - apparently the image quality is quite bad

[all links open a new window]

• Yip Man Tribute Site - Bruce Lee's wing chun sifu
• Wing Chun, Bruce Lee and Hawkins Cheung - 4-part series about Bruce Lee and his "mother art", by Hawkins Cheung (click on Articles)
• MartialInfo.com - look for Bruce and JKD stuff; there's plenty, such as the JKD links page
• Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association - "The Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association's Home Page is your number one Web source for accurate and up to date information and links about this effective art and the artist behind it."
• www.BruceLeeBook.com - buy How to Master Bruce Lee's Fighting System by Joe Lewis