What is Real Jeet Kune Do and What NOT?

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  Over the years, the question has been continuously asked, "What is Jeet Kune Do?" The problem with getting a straight answer is that you tend to get other's interpretation of what they think Jeet Kune Do is, and attitudes and answers vary from the excellent to the totally ridiculous. Unfortunately, most lean towards the totally ridiculous side of the fence!
  
  Much of the problem comes from those who are not certified and have never had any REAL training, attempting to justify what they are doing by falsely presenting themselves as "experts" on Jeet Kune Do, making BOLD statements as to what they think Jeet Kune Do is, when the fact is that they still really have NO CLUE! They have usually chosen one recognized instructor, and jumped on their bandwagon, thinking that makes them more legitimate! They usually echo the exact statements of that instructor, attempting to gain favor from that individual. Bottom line, however, is that they are still "wannabe's" trying to pass themselves off as "somebody" and their opinion plus $5.00 can get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks!
  
  I have been training in this art for most of my life (almost 36 years of just Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do), and have Full/Senior Instructor certification from FIVE original students of Bruce Lee, and have spent time with many, many more First Generation Bruce Lee students. My opinion as to what Jeet Kune Do is has influence from many sources, including the original source (Bruce Lee). I consider myself to be on the Original Jeet Kune Do (aka Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do) side of the fence, as opposed to the "JKD is whatever you want it to be" side of the fence. The main difference between me and some other instructors out there is that (1) I do know what I am talking about when I speak/write about Bruce Lee's methods and (2) I really do not care much for the "philosophical" side of the art. I am all about the nitty gritty REAL WORLD fighting applications of the art, and the scientific principles that make it so devastatingly effective! I believe in the "Scientific Streetfighting" art of Bruce Lee!
  
  So, back to "What is Jeet Kune Do?" Bruce Lee once wrote that he was creating a fighting system that would consist primarily of (1) Wing Chun gung fu, (2) fencing and (3) boxing. He said that once he had this process completed, this new art (Jeet Kune Do) would be, in his own words ... "IT"! OK, there we have the Founder of the art saying that Jeet Kune Do consists primarily of Wing Chun gung fu, fencing and boxing. Does this mean that if you go out and learn Wing Chun, fencing and boxing that you will have Jeet Kune Do? NO, it does not! What makes it unique, and what makes it Jeet Kune Do, is the way that Bruce Lee put everything together, and his original personal innovations to the formula. There were some influences from other arts, and some things that Bruce Lee himself developed.
  
  The problem today is that some try to leave major elements out, yet they still want to call what they are doing Jeet Kune Do. The main trend right now seems to be some trying to leave the Wing Chun elements out! I'm sorry, but you CANNOT have Jeet Kune Do without the Wing Chun structural foundation! Wing Chun gung fu is the single most important part of the structure of the art. Some are trying to leave the fencing out, saying that JKD is just Wing Chun gung fu and boxing! Well, guess what, the fencing elements are far more important to the structure than the boxing elements!
  
  It amazes me how so many are willing to neglect what should be obvious to them, in a search for an "easier way" to claim to be a Jeet Kune Do practitioner, and that is exactly what they are doing! They are of the "all you need is what Bruce Lee was doing in the last six months of his life" attitude. Without the structural foundation and the neural pathways developed by a logical progression through the framework of the system, they still will not really have Jeet Kune Do! They may have some good physical attributes, but without the proper structural / neurological / neuromuscular knowledge of the art, they will still just have a "partial" picture of what Bruce Lee was doing, and are basically painting a portrait of ignorance!
  
  From what I have observed and experienced in my almost forty-seven years in the martial arts is that if I had to come up with an exact equation as to what Jeet Kune Do consists of, it would look something like this:
  
  Wing Chun Gung Fu - 50%
  Fencing - 25%
  Boxing - 15%
  Other Elements - 10%
  
  Like I said, that is just my opinion, and as we all know opinions vary! But, I can honestly say that my opinion is an educated opinion! Some will disagree with this, and that is OK! Everyone has a right to their opinion! Just don't try to leave out major elements of the Founder's original foundation structure and say that you are doing Jeet Kune Do, because you are NOT! It's just that simple!

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  Sifu Lamar M. Davis (Author)