Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do is a Chinese martial art which was founded in 1967 and developed by the infamous Bruce Lee. The name of this martial art, translated into English, means: “way of the intercepting fist.” This is quite an appropriate description as most of the techniques associated with this martial art because it utilizes many “on guard” positions.

Bruce Lee believed that real combat had to be animated and energetic. The various patterns and techniques associated with jeet kune do are very fluid and lively. Practitioners of jeet kune do are trained to be infinitely flexible “like water.” Many techniques consist of stop hits, stop kicks, parrying and punching, trapping, and grappling.

Practitioners of jeet kune do believe that their techniques should follow three effective properties, including: efficiency, directness, and simplicity. In order for jeet kune do to be efficient, an attack must reach it’s mark. Directness implies that a martial arts technique must come naturally. A practitioner’s thoughts should be clear in order to achieve simplicity. Only then will they meet success.

The five different ways of attack in this martial art are: single angular attacks (SIA), hand immobilization attacks (HIA), Progressive Indirect Attacks (PIA), Attack by Combinations (ABC), and Attack by Drawing (ABD). The latter creates an opening with positioning - resulting in counter attacking.

Bruce Lee's philosophy has been particularly influential and valid in the field of Mixed Martial Arts. Lee's goal was to divide what he claimed were preventive factors in the teaching of the traditional styles, and search for a fighting theory which he thought could only be established within the event of a fight.