Jeet Kune Do Basics. David Cheng

it is too close, it will take longer to reach your opponent; if it is extended too far, it cannot generate sufficient power and the arm can tire easily.

      Your rear hand is generally held up at chin level and is used mainly for defending against your opponent’s attacks. Your rear elbow should be down and pressed close to your body, to protect your left side and kidneys. You do not want to have your rear elbow held out because that would expose your body to your opponent’s attack. You use your rear hand to catch or parry strikes that are aimed at your head. If any strikes are thrown at mid-level, you can also drop your rear hand to parry those, or use your rear elbow to cover and protect your midsection. The rear hand can be lowered to protect against low kicks as well.

      You can also use your rear hand to throw rear punches, such as a cross or a straight punch. Further, you can use it to trap, or immobilize, your opponent’s limbs, or to shoulder-stop your opponent when he or she tries to throw a circular punch. By having your weaker hand in the back, you generate more power when you throw a rear punch, because it has to travel a longer distance to the target. In this way you end up with two strong tools, your forward tool and your back tool, rather than just one strong tool.

       One of the reasons that Lee changed to the more mobile bai-jong stance is that he did not think classical gung fu’s “horse stance” and “moving the horse” were helpful. He called them “unnatural rhythmic messes.”

      With your right hand and right leg nearest to your opponent, the right side of your torso will also face your opponent. You should raise your lead shoulder about an inch or two and tuck in your chin about an inch or two, to help protect your neck from being targeted. Your rear shoulder should be back, but not completely back; if you have it too far back, you cannot use your rear hand for defensive purposes. Having the rear shoulder back presents a smaller target space and also allows longer reach for the front tools to strike their targets. Your upper body should lean forward slightly from the waist to enable you to more easily pull back from an attack. This also gives your opponent’s view a false perspective, making your body look closer than it actually is.

      While in the bai-jong, you should remain relaxed and calm, avoiding any tension. This will allow you to move and to strike with more power and speed. You will be able to throw punches, kicks, elbow strikes, and knee strikes quickly and efficiently and to return to the ready position rapidly.

      The bai-jong can resemble an unorthodox, or left-handed, Western boxing stance, but there are important differences. First, boxers tend to square up more, because they use their rear hands more frequently. In contrast, the Jeet Kune Do stance turns the rear side slightly more toward the back, because the emphasis is on using the lead hands. Also, in squaring up, boxers can remain in punching range, and they do not have to worry about being kicked by their opponent. The Jeet Kune Do fighter, on the other hand, is concerned with staying out of range of an opponent’s kicks, and must be able to move forward and backwards like a fencer.

      Another reason why boxers square up more is that they do no have to worry about being punched or kicked in the groin, because those shots are illegal in the sport. However, in the street the groin is a potential target. Thus, the Jeet Kune Do fighter puts one side forward more and turns the front leg in slightly in order to protect the groin. Boxers can also square up more because they are not allowed to kick. In contrast, the Jeet Kune Do fighters use front kicks as part of their weapons arsenal.

      The other major difference is that Western boxers place their weaker side forward and their stronger side in back. Hence, a right-handed boxer will have the left side toward the opponent, while a left-handed boxer will have the right side facing forward. This is because the front hand in boxing is used mostly to probe or to set up for a strong rear-hand punch. In contrast, the Jeet Kune Do fighter places the stronger side forward so that the stronger weapons, which do most of the striking and most of the damage, can reach the opponent more frequently and more quickly.

      I N A REAL FIGHT , the participants do not simply stand in one place waiting to be hit. They also do not remain in a single position, believing that they will be able to strike their opponent with impunity. In real fighting the participants are moving about, either trying to inflict strikes on each other, or trying to avoid being hit. Moreover, when they do move around, it is usually not from the low, crouching stance that is often associated with traditional martial arts. They are usually standing up, like boxers, running around quickly, chasing each another, or evading each other.

      As Bruce Lee matured in his understanding of the true nature of combat, he came to realize the importance of mobility in fighting. So, when he developed the Jeet Kune Do bai-jong, or onguard stance, he designed it so that the fighter could move quickly in response to the actions of the opponent. He liked the way that fencers were able to advance and retreat rapidly, so he incorporated some of their footwork into his empty-hand method of fighting. Similarly, he appreciated the way that boxers could move around, keeping up on their toes, and staying light on their feet. So Lee also absorbed some of their footwork into Jeet Kune Do.

      To be an effective fighter, you must move close enough to the opponent to be able to strike him or her with an appropriate tool, for example, a kick or a punch. Moreover, you must be able to deliver the strike with power, speed, and accuracy, or it will fall short of its intended purpose. Without proper footwork and mobility, you cannot advance toward your opponent in order to accomplish this.

      However, being able to advance so that you can attack your opponent is not enough. Your opponent is also going to be attacking you. You need to use footwork and mobility to move away from your opponent so that his or her strikes fall short of landing on you. Not only does this keep you safe, but the failure to connect with you frustrates your opponent psychologically. Emotionally upset opponents are, in some ways, much easier to defend against because they are apt to make more mistakes that you can exploit to your own advantage.

       Lee’s private student, Ted Wong, has made it his mission to teach proper Jeet Kune Do footwork. Indeed, he spends more time than any of the other disciples of Lee training students in that aspect of Jeet Kune Do. He considers footwork very important in Jeet Kune Do.

      Proper footwork and mobility can also put you into position to counterattack when your opponent tries to strike you. So, rather than going back and forth trading kicks and punches with your opponent, you can strike in the midst of your opponent’s attack. This is a more efficient and effective way to deal with an opponent.

      In employing any kind of footwork, there are certain qualities that are essential to efficiency and speed. First, you must ensure that you maintain a good sense of balance. You begin with a properly balanced bai-jong stance. As you move into the next position, make sure that you end up in a balanced bai-jong stance. If you lose your balance during your transition, you will not be able to strike from a strong position. Also, from an awkward position, you will not be able to defend well against your opponent’s attack. Your opponent can more easily take you to the ground, where you will be more vulnerable.

      Second, make sure that your footwork movements are as smooth as possible. That does not necessarily mean that you must move gracefully, because you may occasionally use quick, jerky movements, in what is known as broken rhythm. However, when you move, it should be without clumsiness and without stumbling. You should move without hesitation, unless the hesitation is deliberate. For the most part you should keep your head at an even level as you move, not bobbing up and down, which makes your transition time longer.

      Third, when you take steps, make them short and quick. That way, you can move rapidly from one position to the next, ready to go. Avoid lengthy steps that