How Is Jeet Kune Do Different From Other Martial Arts

Continuing with my series on the history of MMA (part iii tin can be establish here: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/33398-rebirth-of-mod-pankration-the-origins-of-mma-part-three), this article volition examine Bruce Lee's martial arts philosophy and contributions to the development of modern MMA combat.

The next article in my series looks at the ascension of Vale Tudo contests in Brazil and the piece of work of the Gracie family in developing the art of Jiu-Jitsu, somewhen leading to the creation of the UFC in 1993.

Lee as a Historical Effigy

Xxx-five years afterwards his death, Lee remains a controversial human being, both as an actor and martial artist. He is undoubtedly a cultural icon, responsible for bringing popularity to traditional martial arts and Chinese cinema in the West. He was named i of the top 100 Most Important People of the Century by TIME magazine.

However, there are many critics who concord serious reservations about Lee's legitimacy equally a true martial artist, citing that he was an actor commencement and foremost. While this might be true to an extent, Lee's accomplishments as a professional fighter have been well-documented, including many feats of strength that seem to defy the realm of possibility.

Therefore in this article I do not want to dispute the authenticity of Lee'due south abilities and argue whether or not he was a real fighter: I want to stick to the facts and examine what he good and believed regarding the essence of martial arts, especially in relation to his "style" of Jeet Kune Do and its human relationship to current MMA competition.

A Short Martial Arts Biography

Lee began training in Fly Chun Kung Fu at the age of 13. Wing Chun is a Southern Chinese martial art that focuses on brusk-range combat, with an emphasis on aggression and practicality. Lee also trained in Western boxing and fencing. At 22, Lee received informal training from Wally Jay in the Japanese fine art of Jujutsu, from which come up the styles of Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He also practiced Judo and catch-wrestling with Gene Lebell.

He began teaching a modified class of Wing Chun when he came to America at the age of 19. In 1965, when Lee was 25 years old, Jeet Kune Exercise would be created. In a long and disputed match with Wong Jack Homo, Lee became convinced that traditional martial arts were likewise restrictive and formalistic to exist employed effectively in a real gainsay situation.

He strove to develop a fighting organization that focused on expediency and flexibility, and which would be able to react to any development in a fight with speed and efficiency. He would phone call his new martial art Jeet Kune Practice, and proclaimed it as the "way of no way."

Jeet Kune Do and Martial Philosophy

The phrase Jeet Kune Do literally translates as, "The Way of the Intercepting Fist." Information technology refers to the process of countering your opponent's attacks with one of your own, and using whatever techniques that the state of affairs prompts. Lee understood that in a combat state of affairs, certain forms or kata would be too rigid and unresponsive to be used advantageously.

With Jeet Kune Do, the practitioner is able to apply any motion or attack that will enable to him to have reward of the irresolute circumstances in a fight. Thus, there is greater liberty of move and more options available to those who adopt this philosophy of combat. JKD is supposed to exist a response to traditional martial arts that are too narrowly-focused on pre-conceived configurations in society to be truly effective in a dynamic surround.

However, to even call JKD a style is a misnomer and misunderstanding of its essence, and hither it'south just referred to every bit a "style" for grammatical convenience. Its emphasis is using solely what is useful for combat purposes, and discarding everything else. It doesn't thing where the techniques that you are using come from; it just matters if they are effective and efficient in a live gainsay situation.

Lee himself said that JKD is merely a name, and is not to be compared to any other manner, because JKD is the "style of no style." To ready off JKD against Karate or Jiu-Jitsu as a distinct entity would be a error, since JKD is not a collection of certain techniques or movements: information technology is all possible gainsay maneuvers simultaneously, with the current situation determining the next action of the practitioner. The martial art adult past Bruce Lee is essentially "style-less."

Lee heavily emphasized physical conditioning as an integral component of the martial artists' lifestyle. He believed that force and endurance training was largely neglected in the martial arts earth of the solar day. Proper nutrition was also one of his focuses. Lee would spend several hours each twenty-four hour period working on his physique and workout in society to become a stronger and more durable competitor.

His training plan tin be described as a "full torso fettle" regime, and Lee would only do functional exercises that gave him direct combat benefits. He stressed the importance of cantankerous-grooming, cardiovascular work, strengthening the abdominal muscles, and speed-building exercises. He usually weighed between 135-145 pounds, though at 1 signal he reached 160 pounds due to heavy lifting.

Lee paid close attention to the ground game, and practiced wrestling and Jujutsu. Yet he realized that fans would rather see a striking match instead of grappling, and lamented the fact that submission arts may never accomplish the popularity of traditional styles in movies. He wanted to put on a show for the audition, but unlike most of his contemporaries, he knew that to exist a really dangerous and complete fighter, i had to have a solid grasp of basis-fighting techniques.

Legacy and Connexion to MMA

Bruce Lee's influence on MMA can be felt to this day. His emphasis on only using techniques that are beneficial in a real fight coincides with the training regimes of current MMA combatants. Fighters of today focus on whatever methods will bring them success in the muzzle, and not on whether or not a move corresponds to a certain class or style. To win, yous need to exist unrestricted in your movements and attacks, and this is a lesson Lee taught over 20 years before the first UFC was held in 1993.

Interestingly enough, the early on UFC events were advertised as a competition between styles, to determine which one was the best in a 1-on-one gainsay situation. The UFC was in office created by Rorion Gracie, who wanted to annunciate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the supreme combat art. At that time, most fighters in the striking arts were unfamiliar with the ground game, which enabled Royce Gracie to win several UFC tournaments with submissions.

The sport has evolved since then, and competitors take realized that yous demand to be well-rounded at in all facets of combat if you want to be truly successful. Otherwise, one-dimensional fighters will lose to those who are better-rounded than them or stronger in the aspect that they specialize in.

In that location are a few current MMA fighters who have trained in Jeet Kune Do and fifty-fifty employ it to complement their other skills. Jerome Le Banner and Ben Saunders are two of the more prominent fighters who claim a background in JKD. They both fight in a southpaw opinion, even though they're right-handed, because Lee taught that it is best to fight with your strong hand forwards.

He understood the "martial" attribute of combat arts better than virtually, and tailored JKD to be as powerful equally whatever fighting arrangement could be. He later would regret the progress of JKD though, citing that it had turned into an bodily "style," which was the complete opposite of his intentions.

I wonder what Lee would have idea almost MMA if he had lived to his day. He has received many compliments from those inside the business. UFC president Dana White has called Lee "the begetter of mixed martial arts."

Randy Couture, the only five-fourth dimension UFC champion in history, had this to say: "I retrieve a lot of the martial arts schools across the country are moving away from the traditional martial arts programs to more of a mixed martial arts curriculum. I remember Bruce Lee would be very proud of the movement and what's happening. Information technology's kind of all almost what's constructive and not getting caught upward in 1 particular style or some other" (David Mayeda, "Fighting for Acceptance" p.9).

There can be petty uncertainty that Bruce Lee was a pioneer and a human well ahead of his time. His "style" and focus on practicality and effectiveness lies at the heart of the goal of truthful MMA competition: to decide who the better fighter is, and not what is the best style.

Lee's whole approach to the martial arts and life itself is encapsulated by a phrase he once said: "Empty your mind. Exist formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the loving cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put information technology into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, h2o can period, or it can crash! Be water, my friend."

Look for my next article in this series which details Vale Tudo in the twenty^thcentury and the development of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by the Gracie family unit.

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Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/36944-bruce-lee-and-jeet-kune-do-the-origins-of-mma-part-four

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