About Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do: Jitkyùndou, “Way of the Intercepting Fist,” also “Jeet Kun Do”,”JKD,” or “Jeet Kuen Do”) is a mixed martial system and life philosophy founded by Bruce Lee in 1967. Jeet Kune Do is considered to be Bruce Lee’s personal expression of the martial arts. It is not bound by any one system and it is not meant to be a system.
Bruce Lee actually developed this Jeet Kune Do after winning a match with another martial arts master. Bruce Lee, a master of Wing Chu, felt the fight lasted too long because Wing Chu limited his movements. It is then that Bruce Lee formed a system of progression called “Jun Fan Gung Fu”.
Jun Fan Gung Fu combined Wing Chu, boxing, fencing, jujitsu and savate. But Bruce Lee still felt there were limitations to the system. He eventually expanded this style into what he called, Jeet Kune Do, described as a blend of fluent, direct, non classical and straightforward movements.
Jeet Kune Do is primarily an open hand system. The system is based on the use of different ‘tools’ for different situations which are broken down into Kicking, Punching, Trapping and Grappling with techniques flowing smoothly between them. Unlike more traditional martial arts, Jeet Kune Do is not fixed or patterned, and is a philosophy with guiding thoughts.
JKD is widely practiced by many martial artists, most of whom, started with another form of martial arts. Those who seek freedom in movement, personal expression and adaptability in form and technique are often drawn to JKD as is noted by the World Jeet Kune Do Federation . As Bruce Lee’s closest friend and protégé Dan Inosanto said, “It’s like trying to fit everyone into a size 42 coat. It will fit some but not others. People are made up of different sizes and attributes and what will work with some, will not work for others.” This is why everyone will find his or her own JKD.