MYTHS and FACTS about JEET KUNE DO

Myth: JKD is a combination of over a dozen martial arts

Fact: Bruce Lee devised his martial art of Jeet Kune Do from MODIFIED boxing, MODIFIED fencing, and MODIFIED Wing Chun.

Myth: Jeet Kune Do is merely a mix of different martial arts styles, a "do your own thing" style where you add "specifically what is your own".

Fact: When I asked Bruce what he meant by this statement, he told me that "the Jeet Kune Do practitioner should add his own ATTITUDE" in training or a fight. He meant his mind-set, tenacity, intensity, spirit. Not long after this Bruce confessed to me, "Jerry, it's so hard to teach a man his own attitude". At the time, I really did not fully understand. I assumed my teacher just meant "guts", or courage. But it was much deeper than that. Bruce was constantly vigilant of his own attitude; that included continual study, reading and reflection. It was and still is the path to self-discovery. It is an honest evaluation of one's own abilities, awareness of your mental, psychological and spiritual beliefs, and how they influence your life and your training. Sound like a lot of hard work? The proof is in the pudding. This constant self evaluation led the Young Master to heights of physical and personal attainment that others only dream of.

Myth: Jeet Kune Do contains no "energy training", Chi Sao or trapping.

Fact: Bruce explained to me that the energy training was necessary for the evolution and growth , mentally and physically, for a martial artist to reach the" open end" that Jeet Kune Do has to offer. The energy training is a stepping stone to enlightenment in the art of Jeet Kune Do.

My personal feeling is that without energy training, Jeet Kune Do is just kickboxing. I also feel that this area of training was what Bruce "had up his sleeve", as an edge, if you will. In any case, Bruce left energy training in all his outlines for Class Plans, and we can clearly see him doing Chi Sao with people on the set of "Enter The Dragon", as well as the famous trapping sequence with Bob Wall. Finally, much of the philosophical framework of Jeet Kune Do derives from the Taoist philosophy that is the cornerstone of Wing Chun.