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Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his personal approach to martial arts. Below is the evolution of his martial arts from its early Tai Chi influences, through Wing Chun, Jun Fan Gung Fu, and all the way to its final form of Jeet Kune Do.
Part 1: Early Influences (1940-1953)
Part 2: Wing Chun (1953-1959)
Part 3: Jun Fan Gung Fu (1959-1965)
Part 4: Jun Fan Method (1965-1967)
Part 5: Jeet Kune Do (1967-1973)
Part 6: Final Analysis
Part 1: Early Influences (1940-1953)
Gung Fu
Bruce Lee grew up in Hong Kong and was influenced by the martial arts around him. His father was a Chinese Opera star who had a background in acrobatics and the Chinese martial art of Gung Fu.
What I was really interested in was self-defense. We Chinese have been perfecting methods of armed and unarmed combat for thousands of years, and the student of martial arts is a venerable and respected one. It is also very handy if you happen to live in a tough neighborhood, like I did.
Tai Chi
Lee also practiced Tai Chi with his father in King’s Park. Although Tai Chi was the first martial art he practiced, he didn’t like it very much. He simply had too much energy for such a slow style (Words, page 113; Life, page 34-35).
I got tired of [Tai Chi] quickly. It was no fun for a kid. Just a bunch of old men.
Part 2: Wing Chun (1953-1959)
Juvenile Delinquent
Lee admitted to being a juvenile delinquent while growing up in the rough streets of Hong Kong. He would often get into fights with other kids and would travel with a gang of friends. He wanted to learn how to fight in case his gang wasn’t around to help. He started to learn the Wing Chun style of Gung Fu under Master Ip Man around 1954 (Letters, page 15).
When I was 13, I was kind of a juvenile delinquent in Hong Kong and got into a lot of fights in which I learned about Gung Fu. The more I learned about Gung Fu, the more I liked it. Then I went to a special school and trained myself. Later on, I helped teach in the school.
Trapping Range, Straight Line Attacks
The Wing Chun style was an aggressive form of Gung Fu that specialized in the close trapping range. It taught to waste no effort, use centerline straight attacks, and counter attacks with the blocking hand. Approximately 60% of the techniques involved the hands and 40% involved low kicks. Attacks by the hands and feet were often done simultaneously. Lee trained with Master Ip Man from 1954 until April 29, 1959 when he left Hong Kong (Letters, page 33).
Boxing
Lee also gained a little boxing experience in Hong Kong. He fought in a boxing championship for St. Francis Xavier School. He used Wing Chun techniques including short quick punches which continually hit his opponent. Lee won the match, but was upset that he couldn’t knock out the guy due to the padded boxing gloves (Life, page 61).
Damn it, I couldn’t knock the guy out. He kept backing away, and my punches weren’t penetrating because of the gloves.
Fluidity of Water
Lee was a natural at Gung Fu and quickly gained a reputation as a skilled practitioner. He attacked his opponents aggressively but wasted too much effort doing so. Ip Man wanted him to stay in the moment so he could react to his opponent’s moves without thinking.
My instructor, Professor Ip Man, would come up to me and say, ‘Relax and calm your mind. Forget about yourself and follow the opponent’s movement. Let your mind do the counter-movement without any interfering deliberation. Above all, learn the art of detachment.’
Ip Man told Lee to stay home from class and reflect on why he couldn’t stay in the moment. Lee thought about it, but eventually gave up in frustration. He decided to get away by sailing in a boat in the Hong Kong harbor. In that boat he had one of the most important revelations of his life when he realized that he needed to be like water which reacts naturally to any force acted upon it.
After spending many hours in meditation and practice, I gave up and went sailing alone in a junk. On the sea, I thought of my past training and got mad at myself and punched at the water. Right then at that moment, a thought suddenly struck me: Wasn’t this water the essence of kung fu? I struck it just now, but it did not suffer hurt. Although it seemed weak, it could penetrate the hardest substance in the world. That was it! I wanted to be like the nature of water.
Fluidity, Simplicity, Trapping
Wing Chun continued to influence Bruce Lee’s martial arts for the rest of his life. He took three major principles from it. First, to be fluid like water and react to the opponent without thought. This was trained with a form of sparring called “chi sao” (sticky hands) where opponents faced each other with forearms touching and tried to “uproot” each other. This toughened the forearms and developed sensitivity. Secondly, to strive for simplicity which involved economy of motion where every action was done in the most direct way. Strikes should be completed in a straight line and attacks and blocks should be done simultaneously. Third, the mastery of the close range of trapping. Lee built upon the foundation of pak sao (slapping hand), bong sao (deflection hand), and lap sao (pulling hand) (JKD Art, page 23, 99).
Part 3: Jun Fan Gung Fu (1959-1965)
The United States
Lee left Hong Kong on May 17, 1959 to attend Edison Technical High School in Seattle, Washington. His parents wanted to get him out of Hong Kong to avoid the ever increasing number of street fights. Lee never completed the entire Wing Chun curriculum but began to modify it when he arrived in the United States (Letters, page 15).
I admit that it’s good to practice Wing Chun. To be perfectly frank, I practice quite a lot on it nowadays (the wooden dummy has been shipped to me from Hong Kong already).
Modified Wing Chun
When he moved to the United States he started to form his own style of fighting called “Jun Fan” Gung Fu. Wing Chun was the nucleus with trapping hands, Chi Sao, and the Sil Lim Tao form. However, he added techniques from other Gung Fu styles including Northern Praying Mantis, Southern Praying Mantis, Choy Li Fut, Eagle Claw, and Hung Gar. Lee found that Wing Chun focused too much on the close range at the detriment of the longer kicking range. He adopted some of the kicks of the northern Chinese styles. Lee also incorporated techniques from non-Chinese styles including western boxing, Thai boxing, wrestling, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. (JKD Art, pages 67, 23).
When I enrolled in the University of Washington and enlightened by philosophy, I regretted all my previous immature assumptions.
I am going to take up judo in the University for the physical education requirement.
Fight with Wong Jack-Man
Lee would have continued to develop Jan Fan Gung Fu except he experienced the second major revelation of his life. It came in the form of an Oakland martial artist named Wong Jack-Man who challenged Lee to a fight because Lee taught Chinese Gung Fu to non-Chinese students. While Lee won the fight, he was despondent because it was such an ugly win. The fight should have lasted only seconds but took over 3 minutes. Wong Jack-Man ran away during the fight which forced Lee to chase him (JKD Art, pages 40, 42; Life page 156-157).
It really bugged me after the fight. It was the first time I felt something wrong with the way I was fighting. The fight took too long and I didn’t know what to do when he ran. Getting my fists bruised from punching the sonavabitch’s head was kinda stupid. I knew right then, I had to do something about my fighting.
Lee came to two important realizations. First, he was not in good enough shape and would need to rededicate himself to conditioning. Second, Wing Chun was not a complete style. This would begin Lee’s quest for the “ultimate reality in combat” (JKD Art, pages 40, 42; Life, pages 160-161).
Part 4: Jun Fan Method (1965-1967)
New System of Martial Arts
After the Wong Jack-Man fight, Lee searched for a new system of martial arts that would be simple and address the totality of martial arts. This system focused on timing and distance along with the different ways of attack (Letters, page 82).
My mind is made up to start a system of my own – I mean a system of totality, embracing all but yet guided with simplicity. It will concentrate on the root of things – rhythm, timing, distance – and embrace the five ways of attack. This is by far the most effective method I’ve encountered or will encounter. Anything beyond this has to be super-fantastic. Wing Chun is the starting point, Chi Sao is the nucleus, and supplemented by the FIVE WAYS. The whole system will concentrate on irregular rhythm and how to disturb and intercept the opponent’s rhythm the fastest and most efficient way. Above all, this system is not confined to straight line or curved line, but is content to stand in the middle of the circle without attachment.
Free Flowing Style
He went a long way in creating this style while visiting family in Hong Kong. He named it the “Jun Fan Method” and focused on free flowing movements. This should not be confused with the earlier style of “Jun Fan Gung Fu” (Letters, page 82).
In the meantime I’ve been teaching my brothers and some friends gung fu at my house. They are very enthused over the whole deal. I, too, am working on my transformation of simplicity to yet another more free-flowing movements of no limit limitation.
Simplicity, Directness, and Efficiency
As the Jun Fan Method evolved it focused on simplicity, directness, and efficiency. Martial arts was for self defense and not sport. He added kicks to the shin for the long range and counted anything that worked as efficient. This including finger jabs to the eyes and elbow strikes to the body. Lee described the Jun Fan Method as a combination of Wing Chun trapping, fencing, and boxing (Words, page 70; Letters, page 59-60).
I teach the Jun Fan Method. I stress simplicity, directness and non-classical instruction. It isn’t ritual and it isn’t sport. It’s self defense. At long range, you use a kick to the shins in the same way a boxer uses his left jab. At closer range, you use a finger jab to the eyes or throat. Even closer, you employ a curved arm blow to the head, the ribs or the solar plexus. When you’re in a clinch you use your elbow, knee and the instep kick.
Commitment to Fitness
Lee also rededicated himself to fitness and exercised the waist, leg, shoulder, arm, and wrists. He practiced punching on sandbags or paper and practiced various kicking techniques. By 1965 he was working out three times a week and doing two finger push ups on one hand. His friend George Lee made new equipment including a grip machine, wrist roller, head guards, and dip bar (Letters, page 58, 61, 66).
George,
I must thank you once more for the grip machine (not to mention the dip bar, the name plate and others..). When you make something it’s always professional-like. My gripping power and forearms have improved greatly – thanks for your wrist roller. I’m drawing the following diagram to show you a naval head guard looks like.
The protective equipment is the most important invention in gung fu. It will raise the standard of gung fu to unbelievable heights. In order for gung fu to remain supreme over the other systems, the protective equipment is a must.
Fluidity
George Lee also built a red and orange Ying Yang sign. On it was the phrase, “fluidity – the two halves of one whole.” He also had a miniature gravestone that said, “In Memory of a Once Fluid Man crammed and distorted by the Classical Mess” (Letters, page 61, 87).
Exact Ying Yang symbol like the sign you made for me except there is no Chinese characters around the symbol. Of course, the phrase – FLUIDITY – THE TWO HALVES OF ONE WHOLE will be on the black board.
The second gadget I have in mind is used to dramatize the not too alive way of the classical so called kung fu styles. What I have in mind is a miniature “tombstone”…
Part 5: Jeet Kune Do (1967-1973)
Jeet Kune Do
In 1967, Lee renamed his Jun Fan Method, “Jeet Kune Do” which means the way of the stopping fist. He thought he had discovered the ultimate reality of combat which emphasized efficient blocking and hitting at the same time. It was alive and in the moment and continually adapted to the opponent. It could look like western boxing, Thai kickboxing, fencing, Judo, Escrima, or wrestling (JKD Art, page 8, 28).
I’ve named my style jeet kune do – reason for my not sticking to Wing Chun because I sincerely feel that this style has more to offer regarding efficiency.
Training Equipment
By 1968 Lee would train up to 2 1/2 hours a day 6 days a week. This included hand, leg, and stomach exercises along with isometrics and running up to six miles a day. He used innovative training equipment including kicking and punching boards as well as throwing bags (Letters, pages 105-106, 108, 110-111; Words, page 123).
Your wall punching bags have definitely helped in my daily training. I’ve started the training on Christmas eve – my 1968 resolution. I now train an average of two-and-a-half hours a day, including hand exercises, leg exercises, running, isometrics, stomach exercises, sparring exercises, free-hand exercises. Your training equipment all helps in my program. I did it this way. I trained my hands every Monday, Wednesday and Friday – and my legs on the alternate days.
Realistic Sparring
Lee trained to fight by engaging in realistic sparring. He used protective training equipment such as head gear, gloves, chest guards, and knee guards. He criticized other martial arts for training through ritualized forms. He said that this was like teaching someone to swim without going into the water (Letters, page 110-111).
I’ve lost faith in the Chinese classical arts – though I still call mine Chinese – because basically all styles are products of land swimming, even the Wing Chun school. So my line of training is more toward efficient street fighting with every goes, wearing head gear, gloves, chest guard, skin/knee guards, etc.
Individual Over Style
By 1969, Lee had rejected all martial art “styles.” He believed the individual was above the style. A style should not be imposed on the student, because they will become a product of that style. Instead, the person should evaluate what techniques work for them in realistic sparring. Everyone has different body characteristics, agility, and strength. This of course begs the question if Jeet Kune Do was no longer a style, than what was it?
The main thing is teaching a man to do his thing, just be himself. The individual is more important than the style. If a person is awkward he should not try to be agile. I’m against trying to impose a style on a man. This is an art, an expression of a man’s own self.
JKD is a Rhythm of Attack
JKD taught rhythmic attack. He believed martial artists should fight without patterns and move like a boxer guided by freedom and self-expression.
It’s really a smooth rhythmic expression of smashing the guy before he hits you, with any method available.
Karate has become patternized, organized. I favor moving like a boxer; Jeet Kune Do offers more freedom, more self-expression. As for these people who chop boards in two…what a waste of time. I’ve yet to see a board hit back.
Evaluate All Martial Art Techniques
Even though he no longer believed in styles, Lee evaluated each martial arts tradition to find which techniques worked best for him.
As a matter of fact, they each have their strong points and weak points. The all need self-evaluation and improvement. They are too narrow-minded. They can only see their strong points, but not their weak points and other’s strong points. A man confined in thought and scope will not be able to speak freely. Therefore, if he wants to seek for truth, he should not be confined by the dead forms.
JKD is a Philosophy for All Martial Arts
Lee no longer saw JKD as a style but rather as a philosophy addressing the totality of martial arts. He wanted to learn the root of martial arts and not just the branches.
I stress again, I have not created or invented any kind of martial art. Jeet kune do is derived from what I have learned, plus my evaluation of it. Thus, my JKD is not confined by any kind of martial arts. On the contrary, I welcome those who like JKD to study and improve it.
What we are after in JKD is the root and not the branches. The root is the real knowledge; the branches are surface knowledge.
Part 6: Final Analysis
JKD is a Philosophy for all Martial Arts
While J.K.D. started as a style based on Wing Chun it became much more than that. It evolved to a philosophy that addressed the totality of martial arts and rejected all specific styles. It incorporated techniques from many styles including boxing, fencing, wrestling, karate, and judo. It required the individual to evaluate techniques through realistic sparring. The individual should keep any technique that was effective. However, it was more than simply a composite of different styles. It had a “central theme – preserving the centerline, a constant rhythmic flow and the ability to ‘fit in’ the opponent’s techniques.” One should have the ultimate freedom to be flexible and in the moment like water and use simple, direct, and efficient techniques. Efficient techniques included an intercepting hit that was both offensive and defensive (JKD Art, page 10, 56, 57, 77).
I don’t believe that there is such thing like a Chinese way of fighting or Japanese way of fighting or whatever way of fighting because, unless human beings have three arms and four legs, we will have a different form of fighting. But basically, we have only two hands and two feet. So styles tends to not only separate men – because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won’t create a style, because style is a crystallization . That way, it’s a process of continuing growth.
Resources:
Words of the Dragon: Interviews, 1958-1973, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1997, 2017. Volume 1 of the Bruce Lee Library, commissioned by the Bruce Lee Estate. Interview transcripts of Bruce Lee on a variety of topics including philosophy, martial arts, and his personal life. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
Bruce Lee: A Life, Matthew Polly, Author, Simon & Schuster Publishing, 2019. Highly rated biography of Bruce Lee.
Letters of the Dragon: The Original 1958-1973 Correspondence, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1998, 2016. Volume 5 of the Bruce Lee Library, commissioned by the Bruce Lee Estate. Letters to friends, family, and business associates. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
Jeet Kune Do, The Art and Philosophy of Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Know Now Publishing Company, 1980.
Jeet Kune Do: A Comprehensive Guide to Bruce Lee’s Martial Way, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1997, 2020. Volume 3 of the Bruce Lee Library. Excellent and detailed description of Bruce Lee’s martial art before he passed. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
The Pierre Berton Show (aka The Lost Interview), aired December 9, 1971. Very important interview of Bruce Lee in Hong Kong. Lee talks about his life, philosophy, and martial arts. This episode was thought lost but was later found. This is difficult to get in its entirety. It was released on VHS tape and is available on DVD from Australia. Parts can be found on the excellent documentary, I am Bruce Lee. 25m (IMDB).
JKD Base Image, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
3 Stages of Cultivation image, brucelee.com.
Ying Yang Icon, Iconfinder.
Wing Chun Icon, Iconfinder.
Jeet Kune Do Icon, Wikimedia.
Red Gold Ying Yang Icon, Deposit photos.
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