I've just started taking classes at a Jeet Kune Do school that is very convenient to my home

I took a beginners class yesterday, and an advanced class tonight. I'm liking it a lot so far.

I studied Krav Maga a number of years ago in Granite City, Il and really liked that, once that particular instructor moved away I dropped the class. In my new neighborhood, the closest Krav class is about 35 minute drive in good conditions. No-go there.

I enjoyed the knife and stick work in the advanced class mixed with a lot of CQB type hands only. Constant movement and drills mixed with free form skill specific drills. LOTS of footwork practice in both classes.


Anyone have any experience or opinions?

Who and here are you training with in Illinois?

I have Bruce Lee's book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, just curious who is teaching your class or is he teaching a combination of mixed martial arts ? The only people I thought were even some what qualified to teach that martial art were original students like Dan Isanto, but I'm probably wrong.

He has lineage through Paul Vunak which is credible. I have never met Paul Vunak but I know that he is one of Dan Inosanto's long time students and a respected instructor. As far as certification for teaching JKD, the lineage traces back to Dan Inosanto and Taky Kimura. These are the ONLY two people still alive with ACTUAL INSTRUCTOR CERTIFICATION from Bruce Lee. James Lee was the third but he died long ago. Dan Inosanto is the most recognized of the two remaining. Over the years Guro Inosanto has produced numbers of skilled instructors in JKD and Filipino martial arts. To clarify, Dan Inosanto DOES NOT certify instructors in the general term of JKD to include kali and muay thai. JKD and Filipino martial arts certifications are separate from one another. Muay thai instructor certification is typically earned through Ajarn Chai and the U.S. Thaiboxing Association. Inosanto certified instructors, like Paul Vunak, generally present an instructor certification that encompasses the entire curriculum. It is then up to the student to seek further training if they want specific certification in each art.


If you have followed the JKD "controversy" over the years you will know that other groups have tried to attack Guro Inosanto's credibility in the JKD realm, stating that his JKD is not "real" JKD. He has chosen to expand his martial arts knowledge over the years by training in just about every art he has come across, and achieving instructor rank in most of them. These people claim that he is blending these arts, specifically kali, into JKD and calling it JKD. As I stated earlier, this is NOT TRUE. The arts are taught separately even though they blend very well.


Sorry for the long rant but I have been involved in the arts for many years and seen much of the controversy. Basically, what I'm getting at is as far as his credentials/lineage it looks like he is on the "up and up." Whether or not the concepts work for you is a personal decision. Have fun with it, there is a lot of information to be learned!

From what I have read in the Dao of Jeet Kun Do and what I have experienced personally (not in JKD, but in the arts I have done) one of Bruce's points is that you should focus less on certain moves, and instead on tactics and strategy. There are only so many ways the human body can move, so far it can move, and only so many ways to hurt it. I think Inosanto's inclusion of the FMA techniques would be right up Bruce's alley. Once you have seen a couple martial arts you will find your self at first saying "hey we have a move just like that", then after a few more you will instead find yourself saying "Oh, that's a clever variation". JKD seems to be a good martial art, and if you can find a good instructor all the better. Once upon a time TKD was a viable martial art, now it's too diluted in general by weak teachers Good to hear you seem to have a credible instructor.

jim

Took JKD for a year age 17-18 right before I joined the Army. My boxing background flowed right in so the Muay Thai was easy for me. The grappling (at the time) was serious business. Some kind of street fighting version of Machado BJJ. We did Kali as well. My instructor was Chris Ascari of the IMB and it was Jun Fan under JKD principles (whater the hell that means).
I had a blast. I got in great shape. The sparring was hard and the conditioning even harder. 16 years later I still train and will soon hope to get my brown belt in BJJ.

I am a student and Phase 1 Instructor of JKD. I really like the diversity that JKD offers and think it is a great art for self defense.

My chief instructor has certifications from Grandmaster Rodriguez and Paul Vunak. He (and a few of the other instructors) go to Vunak's home pretty regularly to train. This is pretty significant since Vunak is in Southern California and we are all in Georgia.

We just started taking Ted Wong JKD. Today was our first class. My wife and kiddo really liked it as well.

This looks like a Jeet Kune Do "Concepts" school. There are a couple of JKD styles out there in the US and each style thinks the others are doing it wrong. Its a little silly.

It looks like a really good school. Are you still enjoying it?

Was really enjoying it a lot, taking a break now. I need to get a knee repaired and a rotator cuff looked at. The workouts have really irritated some old injuries and RICE is not making any positive changes. Can't wait to get back though.

Glad you are enjoying it. A Grandmaster told me that everything on the ground takes at least twice as long to master as anything standing will. So, dont worry about the grappling, just keep drilling it.

Thats awesome! Let us know how you do.

I won my first cage fight in the 2nd rd by TKO due to strikes. The guy I fought came in at 166lbs and I was 154.6. I had to sign off on the match with the fight commission because they wanted to call it off because he was so over weight. I got a good black eye from a haymaker right. But I won and thats all that matters.