Academy of Jeet Kune Do Fighting Technology

Athens

Greece

Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Instructor

Vagelis Zorbas

Dan Inosanto (right) faces Erik Paulson (1). Inosanto feints low (2) before striking high, but the opponent stops the attack (3). Inosanto counters by firing a lead-leg kick into the other man’s groin (4). He then follows with an eye jab (5), a trap (6) and a backfist (7).

Phases of Jeet Kune Do

Learn the concepts, techniques, training and fighting methods of Bruce Lee. Four (4) phases of training will cover range familiarization, progressive training methods, simplicity, directness and economy of motion, non-telegraphic motion, centerline theory, 5 ways of attack, environmental considerations and the development of personal attributes.

When you are forced to confront violence, you will have no choice as to the time of day, weather, environmental conditions, who the assailant(s) will be, whether or not weapons will be involved, nor location. The confrontation could be in a deserted parking lot, on a slippery stairwell or crowded dance floor, in your car at the grocery store, elevator at work or in your bed at home. The confrontation may involve weapons, it may go to the ground or have multiple assailants. Each situation demands a different type of response.

The Jeet Kune Do Concepts class will give you the confidence to handle a violent confrontation. There are two aspects of training in Jeet Kune Do (JKD). The first is self-preservation and the second is self-perfection. In the self-preservation method of learning, one learns how to preserve themselves during physical confrontations.

There are four (4) phases of self-preservation training:

Phase One - A general conditioning and general awareness phase. 70% of the training is Jun Fan Kick boxing (Bruce's kick boxing methods). The other 30% is divided between trapping, standing grappling, ground grappling, single stick and single knife training, basic self-defense, mass attack training (two on one, three on one) and environmental training. The goal during this phase of training is to develop the student's overall awareness of each aspect of street fighting. The major focus of the training will be to develop the student's overall awareness. There is a lot of light contact sparring in this phase. Students will spar every class. This phase of training lasts 12 to 18 months.

Phase Two - This phase of training focuses specifically on Jun Fan trapping methods and various close quarter fighting methods. Numerous drills from Wing Chun, Kali, Eskrima, Silat and several forms of Kung fu are incorporated into various trapping drills and combinations. Students learn specific trapping methods for boxers and kick boxers, as well as karate and kung fu practitioners. Eventually, the training session lead up to a point where students will spar in the trapping range with bag gloves and headgear. Students will still practice Jun Fan kick boxing. However, the students spar more intensively.

Additionally, the students will learn how to set up their kick and punches through the use of strategy (What Bruce Lee called the five methods of attack: Single Direct Attack, Attack by Combinations, Attack by Drawing, Progressive Indirect Attack and Hand and Foot Immobilization Attack). Add to the physical portion of the training, student will also learn how to control their emotions during this phase. They will learn how to turn on and turn off certain emotions specific to trapping. The trapping phase of training is the heart and soul of JKD. It is a range at which most trained and untrained people feel uncomfortable. They either want to push away and go back to kick boxing, or close the gap and go to the grappling range. Trapping range is HOME for the JKD practitioner!!! Phase Two training will last 18 and 24 months.

Phase Three - This phase of training focuses on the stick and knife fighting methods of Filipino Kali and Eskrima. The training curriculum involves single and double stick training, single and double knife training, espada y daga (long and short) training, long pole training, the use of the olisi palad (short stick) and the balisong knife. Students will spar stick to stick, stick to knife, knife to knife, empty hand to stick and empty hand to knife. Students will continue practice Jun Fan kick boxing and trapping. However, the intensity of the drills and sparring will increase. This phase of training will last 12 to 18 months.

Phase Four - This phase of training focuses on standing grappling and ground grappling, as well as the integration of all ranges. Once proficiency is achieved in each range of fighting (long weapon, short weapon, kicking, boxing, trapping, standing grappling and ground grappling), the student must now integrate the different ranges:

·         kicking against boxing

·         boxing against trapping

·         trapping against grappling

·         grappling against stick fighting

·         stick fighting against knife fighting

·         knife fighting against kick boxing

·         kina mutai (pinching, biting, slapping, spitting, poking, gouging, jerking, etc..) against grappling

The students must also incorporate environmental training into the matrix. Students will grapple on concrete and asphalt, and they will kick box on a staircase or on slippery grass after it has rained, etc.. In this phase, students will learn how to flow from one range to the next without thought. This is where it all comes together. This phase of training should last 18 months to 24 months (two years).

By the end of the four phases of training, each student has hundreds of hours sparring in each range of fighting. They have sparred against partners who were bigger, stronger, faster, more explosive, weaker, slower, some who had awkward timing and rhythm, some who were uncoordinated, some who were more experienced and some who were less experienced than themselves. Now they have this broad base of experience upon which they can confidently say, "I know by experience what works for me and what does not! Because of my experience, I can now apply what Bruce said about, 'Absorbing what is useful, rejecting what is useless and taking what is specifically' mine"

The Jeet Kune Do classes are structured as follows:

·         Two (2) hours of instruction

·         Each hour the students train practical techniques, drills and spar

In Jeet Kune Do, we employ hundreds of different drills in the following ranges:

·         projectile range

·         long weapon range (usually a blunt weapon)

·         short weapon range (usually an edged weapon)

·         kick boxing range

·         boxing range

·         trapping range

·         standing grappling range

·         ground grappling range

The goal in Jeet Kune Do is to develop the ability (or skill) to adapt to any situation. Once the student has learned and practiced a variety of techniques and drills in each range, has performed them live in a series of progressive drills and sparring, and has trained the transitions between the ranges as well as performed them in a variety of different environments, he/she now has the experience to be able to adapt!