Jeet Kune Do Basics. David Cheng

that someone will know of a Jeet Kune Do instructor in a certain area.

      A few Jeet Kune Do instructors and schools advertise in martial arts magazines, so it is worth the effort to check out those publications. Also, martial arts supply stores will sometimes have brochures or flyers advertising the services of a local Jeet Kune Do teacher.

      Even after you have found a Jeet Kune Do instructor, you must evaluate whether that instructor offers what you want to learn. Because of the myriad of interpretations of Jeet Kune Do, what a particular Jeet Kune Do instructor teaches may or may not be what you want to learn. Different instructors vary significantly in terms of the material that they teach. Some teachers offer training in the curriculum that Lee practiced before he formally developed Jeet Kune Do. Some emphasize Original Jeet Kune Do, the art that Lee taught and practiced when he was still alive. Still others offer training in Jeet Kune Do Concepts, sometimes teaching other arts separately or blended with some of the Jeet Kune Do techniques. There are those who offer limited training in Lee’s original art and emphasize other arts that they like better.

      The decision to train with a particular teacher or at a specific school should not be taken lightly, because the teacher or school will greatly influence your understanding of Jeet Kune Do. You should take certain steps in deciding whether or not to train. You should have in mind whether you are interested specifically in studying the actual training methods, techniques, and principles that Lee taught. If so, then you need to make sure that the teacher has sufficient background in the original art and can teach it. You should visit an actual class or training session to see how the teacher relates to students. You should talk to current students to determine what they like and do not like about the training. If one is available, take an introductory class or commit to a trial period to experience the training firsthand. You should also gather information about the instructor’s background, experience, lineage, and certification. Most importantly, you should define your training goals and evaluate whether the school or instructor can effectively assist you in meeting those goals.

      IN ONE SENSE, there is no such thing as a typical Jeet Kune Do class, because students must train in a variety of elements. The art has no set curriculum, no set number of techniques, and no required number of drills. Lee recognized that no two students are alike, so when he taught, every session was different.

      Individual instructors, even within the same school, have different teaching styles and approach the material differently. One instructor may emphasize kickboxing, for example, while another may stress trapping. Moreover, the particular interpretation of Jeet Kune Do that an instructor embraces will influence the material taught.

       An Original Jeet Kune Do Class

      That being said, in a class that focuses on Original Jeet Kune Do, there are some common elements that students will often see. Usually students will open the class with the Jeet Kune Do salutation, paying respect to the founder of the art. They may shadowbox and skip rope to help get their blood flowing. Then the instructor, often addressed as sifu, will lead the class through stretches and warm-up exercises. Typically, students will do static and dynamic leg stretches to prepare for kicking drills. Also, students will frequently execute stomach exercises, such as crunches.

      When the warm-up is finished, the instructor will teach students punches and kicks. Students will divide into pairs and practice a specific punch or kick that the instructor shows them. The teacher will carefully monitor the students and correct them individually. Drills can involve single or multiple strikes, depending upon what is being covered. Students use this time to develop their tools and to refine their execution. This part of the class is typically the most challenging from a conditioning standpoint.

      The teacher may also teach defensive maneuvers to the students. One student may throw punches or kicks at another student, who practices a specific defensive move against the strike. Counterattack drills may be trained as well, so that students learn to strike or kick in response to being attacked.

      Next, the instructor may instruct in close-quarters techniques such as trapping or stand-up grappling. Again, students work in pairs, taking turns practicing the techniques. The instructor will correct students as needed.

      At more advanced levels, students may spar. Typically, the instructor will teach drills that emphasize qualities such as timing, rhythm, and distance. Students might be allowed to spar using only certain tools, such as lead hand against lead hand, or lead hand against lead foot. Only when they have sufficient experience will an instructor let students use all of their tools in a freestyle manner.

       Gear, Equipment, and Clothing

      In Jeet Kune Do students do not practice kata, forms, or strikes in the air. Instead, they strike and kick resistance equipment. To improve speed and accuracy, a student punches and kicks a focus mitt held by a training partner. Focus mitts are superb pieces of equipment that can be utilized in many different ways by an experienced trainer. Students frequently wear bag gloves or open-finger gloves to protect their hands when they strike the focus mitts.

      To strengthen power in kicking, trainers hold kicking shields against their bodies so that students can apply their kicks full force without fear of hurting their partner. Some schools also make use of Muay Thai pads, which are heavily reinfoced and can take punishment from hard kicks, elbow strikes, and knee strikes.

      For sparring the equipment worn varies according to the intensity of the training. Students must wear a mouthpiece to protect their jaw from the occasional hits to the face. For more intense sparring, protective headgear should

       Lee believed that learning one or two techniques was enough for a single training session. He thought that once a student began to spar, he would cease trying to accumulate techniques. Instead, the student would devote his time to practicing simple techniques for correct execution.

      be worn. Students also must wear boxing gloves, with or without hand wraps, both to protect their own hands and to soften any blows that they inflict on their partner. If kicking is allowed during the sparring, then shin guards are recommended. Students may also wear chest armor to protect their upper body from hard punches and kicks. Male students should wear a cup to protect the groin area.

      Boxing gloves tend to be unwieldy for trapping training because students need to use their hands and fingers. Open-finger Kempo gloves are better suited for trapping because they allow the fingers to trap and grab. A slight drawback is that they do not have as much padding as boxing gloves for punching. In these situations students should also wear protective headgear, mouthpieces, and perhaps body armor to protect themselves from the punches.

      Other types of equipment used for solo training include heavy bags for developing powerful kicks and punches, top and bottom bags that students can use for striking and practicing ducking and slipping, and the mook jong, or wooden dummy, employed for trapping and forearm conditioning.

      Because Jeet Kune Do training is different from classical martial arts training, students do not wear gi, uniforms, or colored belts. Instead, students generally wear loose clothing such as T-shirts, tank tops, sweatpants, and shorts. Some schools will require students to wear official school clothing, but the emphasis is still on casual, comfortable clothing. Men are encouraged to wear athletic supporters, while women should wear protective bras.