A brief outlook on some JKD Punches and Kicks as expounded by
Bruce Lee
Note:
1)Purpose of all martial arts is basically
self-defence.
2)Put 100% effort in target contact. When working
on punching bag, imagine it to be your opponent and express yourself
accordingly.
3)There is seldom a direct attack in JKD.
4)Guard your centreline at all times.
5)In a real life-threatening scenario, be prepared
to do anything… including but not
limited to: distracting, maiming, tickling, spitting, biting, scratching,
licking, gouging, pinching and screaming. Hence train every part of your body
and be aware at all times!
Punches
Lead finger jab:
ØLongest reach (upper body).
ØTargets: eyes, temple, groin, armpit, throat.
ØExecution: Feint before jabbing or use jab
itself to feint and counter attack.
ØMaintain centreline defence.
Lead straight (right):
ØTarget: Nose.
ØMaintain rear-guard.
Lead body level attack:
ØTarget: Solar plexus.
ØExecution: Bend and attack.
ØMaintain rear-guard.
Lead straight (left):
ØUsed as a counter or as a combination.
ØMore powerful than lead straight (right).
Safety triple:
ØFirst and last punch lands on the same target
(e.g. 1 head\1 chest\1 head).
Straight left to body:
ØExecution: Feint, crouch, attack.
ØOne of the best counters. Good to use against
taller opponents.
Lead jab:
ØNot powerful but used to keep opponent
off-balance.
ØExecution: Snap (not push).
Back-fist:
ØOne of the most surprising punches; fast,
accurate and non-telegraphic.
ØBest target: temples on the head.
ØOpen rear hand for parrying.
Hook-punch:
ØEasy, snappy, loose like a whip.
ØComplemented by footwork, shoulder leverage and
rear guard.
ØSharply bent elbow delivers explosive hook.
ØHook punch is effective when moving in/moving
out. Body control is equally important. This punch comes naturally when
combined with sidestep.
ØEffective against strong defence.
Upper Cut:
ØExecution: Bent knees, weight on toes and
leaning slightly backward.
Kicks
Leading shin and knee kick:
ØFirst encounter.
ØCombined with feinting.
ØEyes on the face and not on the target.
Leading side kick:
ØMost powerful blow (especially when coupled with
stepping motion).
ØDefence from it: Move away far enough >>
Side step >> Parry + grab leg.
Hook kick:
ØMost dominating kick in JKD.
ØEasier to use against someone in the same stance
as yours.
Spin kick:
ØMost difficult kick in JKD.
ØBalance may be affected.
ØRisk of exposing the back during spinning +
focus may get difficult.
ØMostly used as a counter / surprise attack.
Works best against an unwary, aggressive type of fighter. In JKD, the thrust is
preferred to sweeping/slapping motion.
Sweep kick:
ØSeldom used as it is not that powerful and can
be easily intercepted.
ØBest used against the opponent who tends to
guard disproportionately (e.g. left side only).
ØTarget: Mostly head; sometimes legs (during gap
in opponent’s awareness).
This is an article I had written a couple of years back as a tribute to the one who has inspired me and with whom I feel I share an eternal connection that transcends the barrier of time-space:
BRUCE LEE...!
In one of my posts, BRUCE LEE'S ENLIGHTENMENT AND JEET KUNE DO, I had promised my readers that I would dedicate a separate post on Jeet Kune do which would describe in detail Bruce Lee's 'ENLIGHTENMENT'. So here is that article which took me more than a year to search and deliver:
JEET KUNE-DO: A Spiritual Mirror
Every martial arts master emphasizes the spiritual significance of martial arts as a means of attaining self-realization. Has it ever occurred to you - how can a warrior (fighter) indulging a fighter, speak of self-realization or enlightenment... when the essence of the latter is purely peace and harmony? If this thought has ever struck to you, then you are taking the 'first step on the journey of a thousand miles' as stated by the great Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu.
When you talk about self-realization or enlightenment, who is it that wants this? The reply is swift - I ! When you say 'I', what is that you are referring to? You are not what you think you are!
Take a look at any part of your body say, the palm of your hand.You are sure that it is of a certain shape with five fingers (thumb included) along with all the associated features. Now if you were to take the most sophisticated technology to enable your vision to penetrate deeper, what would you observe? Cluster of cells; further deeper - molecules, atoms and even clearly sub-atomic particles that denote nothing but vibration of energy. Upon the deepest examination, one will find space/emptiness in which this vibration takes place.
It is thus, the great scientist Einstein shook the world of science by declaring that matter and energy are the same.
Whatever is observed and experienced is purely relative using time and space.
Thus for an object to exist, a subject must necessarily be pre-existing.Otherwise there is no question of existence or non-existence in that state of void. That void is nothingness or emptiness (in fact, cannot be described by words, but only by experiencing this truth) and yet from this nothingness springs forth everything. Thus energy - at - rest (nothingness) experiences a stirring within (energy in movement) and splits into 'seemingly' opposite forces: subject/object, man/woman, good/bad, yin/yang, push/pull, attack/defence and so on.
Upon this split, the opposite forces continue existing unaware of their true non-dual nature. It is consciousness that works through all the animated and non-animated objects. Humans are said to be made in God's own image because humans are the epitome of evolution known to us, as only humans have the ability to transcend the barrier of ego and experience this transcendence consciously. 'Ego' is the sum total of all thoughts and experiences of a living identity, which, is governed by genes and conditioning - genes obtained at birth and which activate at different stages in one's lifetime; conditioning is of the body and mind by the self and the 'others' depending on the environment of existence. The real YOU is what you were prior to your ego. Thus you are what you were prior to your birth (prior to the birth of your body and your consciousness of existence). This state, when meditated upon sincerely, will give you the glimpse of the eternal truth devoid of space and time - THERE IS NO 'I' - the state of void from wherein everything has generated. This is the state prior to the very feeling I AM or AHAM BRAHMASAMI (I AM ALL).
Jeet Kune-Do is a mirror to this self-realization as it embraces all forms of martial arts and yet is bound by none. There is no opposing of Karate, Tae Kwon-Do, Judo or any other form. Rather, Jeet Kune Do utilizes form from every possible source and yet remains unconditioned and non-crystallized by the form. It is ever-flowing as water ('Be water my friend!'). This is the true non-dual philosophy of Jeet Kune Do- non opposing, non-conceptualized, all embracing. It takes the individual to his her true source.
When Bruce Lee stated in the movie Enter the Dragon: 'I DO NOT HIT... IT HITS ALL BY ITSELF!'; he is a master pointing to the truth that there is no 'I'; there is no 'You'. There are no opponents. Energy is playing against energy. Through opposing forces of attack and defence, finally balance and harmony will be restored.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed. Only forms change, but the end result is equilibrium. Hence, your opponent is not different from you but is in fact your mirror who simply reflects your inner self. As the Taoist philosophy expounds: Everything is for the Tao!
*****
Below: Bruce Lee's favourite reminder to himself: WALK ON !
This was an article I had written for one of my martial artist comrade's blog a few years back:
If you ask our average Indian citizen, “what is martial arts ?”, he/she imagines either a kung fu film or video arcade game containing loud and heroic elements with plenty of arm waving and aggressive gestures. Sadly, many such folks do not even know that martial arts, arguably, took birth in ancient India, a country that now worships Cricket. A vast majority believes martial arts to be an export from the Orient. It appears that in our country, martial arts is like a tourist wandering with passport problems. The truth is, it is the long lost child of India that has not been given its due recognition.
Wrestling and boxing are considered the earliest forms of fighting for survival or sport. The oldest fighting records date back to over 5000 years in Indian epics (Ramayana, Mahabharata) and illustrated in scrolls in Egyptian tombs over 4000 years ago.
Martial arts evolved in ancient India. Two good examples are Vajramukti (thunderbolt fist) and Kalaripayattu (meaning fight school in Malayalam). The former was developed by the warrior caste or Kshatriyas. It consists of grappling, boxing, gymnastics, weaponry and the study of vital point striking. The latter developed in Kerala and is popular to this day. It is complemented by ‘nature-cure’ techniques and bone setting practices to treat those who get hurt while learning or practising this art. Also called ‘mother of all martial arts’, it involves 7 levels of physical agility, weapons handling and hand-to-hand combat.
Later, along with Buddhism, martial arts spread to Tibet as ‘Lions Roar’ and to China as Tai chi chuan, qigong, kung fu, shaolin boxing Xingyiquan, Baguazhang and Kempo; crossed over to Japan as aikido, karate, judo and ju-jitsu. In Taiwan, judo was developed. Reaching Korea, martial arts developed as Tae-kwon do.
It was an Indian monk Bodhidharma (also known as Da Mo in China) who started it all. Born around 440 CE in Kanchi( the then capital of southern Indian kingdom of Pallava) into the warrior caste, he received Buddhist teachings from a young age and was also said to be proficient in Kalaripayattu, which he took across the Himalayas to Tibet and then to China and started what became known as Chan(or Zen) Buddhism. In the shaolin temple, he taught zen principles and yogic martial arts exercises to strengthen the weak and sickly monks who, after years of static meditation, lacked physical strength and vigour. Qigong and Shaolin kung fu developed thereafter.
To support the fact that Indian martial arts is the source of all others, let us look at two other aspects, namely "Lion’s roar" and "Internal energy". Tibetan Buddhist lamas for self-protection developed Lion’s roar. It uses the anatomy of the body both for defence and attack. It does not kill but makes the attacker temporarily incapable of action by clutching or striking such part of the attacker’s body to make it numb. This is exactly similar to the south Indian combat form Marma Adi(vital point strike) and Japanese Dim-mak(death-touch). Chi kung or Qigong which implies the use and development of internal energy called chi or qi is no different from the prana of Pranayam in Yoga. Chi isn’t something martial arts discovered. The gentle art (qigong or tai chi) is just a reference to its roots in Yoga and meditation.
Having said this, shouldn’t we be proud of our great culture and heritage? If we compare martial arts to Lord Krishna, China to Yashoda and India to Devaki- then yes; Yashoda did raise Krishna, but Devaki remains the original mother. Unfortunately some of the things that originated in India is not as appreciated in India as is revered elsewhere- be it Ayurveda, Yoga or Buddhism. Martial arts need good support and encouragement in India. A sense of awareness must prevail about the holistic benefit of learning martial arts, and not confining its significance to just self-defence, or a form of exercise. Every Indian woman must be encouraged to learn keeping in mind the need for self-defence and preserving one’s honour and dignity.
Bruce Lee learnt and practised Wing chun which was conceptualized by two Chinese women some centuries back. Martial arts is a never-ending learning process, wherein at a philosophical or spiritual level, becomes a quest for self-realization. So Mother India – embrace your child and nurture it !
Choice of martial arts and understanding the unifying concept of all forms
Key words: North Star (Polaris), Soft vs. hard forms, awareness, concentration, Judo, Aikido, Harmony with universe
The North Star ( Polaris) has been a guiding star for many wanderers as we may have read in literature or geography in school. It is nature's way of guiding you with the direction of North in the absence of compass or map and may have saved many lives known and unknown with its guiding direction.
Just like a north star helps one in finding the right direction, I maintain the desire to give some inputs from my own experience and understanding of martial arts - especially for parents and young talents who are puzzled with the choices they have in this field.
I classify people who take in martial arts into the following categories:
1. Fitness lovers: Martial arts provides a holistic fitness regimen. Easy to lose weight and gives a healthy appearance and tones the shape of the body in a balanced way.
2. Energy acrobats: Some folks send their children to martial arts classes so that their energy can be properly channeled and keeps them physically and mentally engaged, whilst cultivating a sense of discipline. The young enthusiasts, after watching some special effects action scenes in the movies, wish to learn some acrobatics to impress folks around with impressive stunts and showing off flexibility or breaking boards and bricks.
3. Survivors, Victims and Avengers: Victims of bully, rape, physical/mental abuse, kidnap, robbery, terrorist attack, etc.. who have suffered immense trauma from such incidents, feel the need to take this art. They take it seriously in order to protect themselves from hurt once again; even ensuring the protection of their near and dear ones. Self-defence combined with exercises prepares the body, mind and spirit to face the challenges in their lives. On the other hand, it is a compulsory field of knowledge for the outlaws and the protectors of the Laws alike - terrorists, defence personnel, etc.
4. Inheritors and Seekers: Those born in the family of martial artists undoubtedly end up learning the arts as a way of preserving the heritage. They inherit this skills wantingly or unwantingly and may or may not continue this legacy. The Seekers are those, who most often than not accidentally land up learning the forms, on their spiritual journey - to know more about mind-body-spirit or through some karmic connection they are drawn towards this field. These seekers are not satisfied with just one form. They may go from school-to-school , until they find 'the Way' for themselves.This category of people take martial arts as a life-long pursuit and devote their lives solely to cultivate themselves in this field and serve the society through their skills and experience.
Let it be clear, that no martial arts is complete.. and yet any martial arts form can be considered complete. It doesnt matter what tool you are using. If you know the right way to use the tool, you have found the right tool.
Although, I would hate to categorize martial arts, but in essence - there are two main ways of fighting - the soft way and the hard way. All martial arts revolve around these concepts, yet the fundamental principle remains : MARTIAL ARTS KEEPS YOU STEADY FOR DEFENCE, AND KEEPS YOU READY FOR OFFENCE.
Basic Classification by nature of form:
1. The Hard Way: Boxing, Karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, etc. Use of hard force is predominant here.
2. The Soft Way: Judo, Wrestling, Tai-Chi, Aikido, Hypnotism ('Nokku-varmam' in Kalaripayattu) are some of the popular ways. The way is in expending the least energy, by using the opponent's energy against him.
3. Fighting with weapons.
4.Fighting without weapons.
Basic teachings prevalent in most if not all martial arts:
1. Cultivation of strength - physical and mental endurance ( conditioning through exercises)
2. Speed and power
3. Flexibility and agility 4. Discipline and constant practice, improvement and development ( 'kaizen' in Japanese )
5. Concentration, relaxation and meditation.
6. Balance
7. Knowledge and Awareness
8. Values of respect, truth, honour and courage
9. Understanding the way of warrior spirit and applying to daily living
10. Finding a worthy successor (student/disciple).
There are many sources to choose any style of martial arts available today. In my opinion, it helps to understand the ways of the universe and be in harmony with it.
Martial arts can be taught to a child as young as 8-10 years old and there is no age-limit to learn. However, learning at an older age has its limitations by way of limited flexibility, agility and energy. What one loses on this account, one can take advantage of strength and size or inner energy and discipline with focus.
We:
1. are born soft and weak
2. grow and mature in strength and flexibility
3. age and decline, going back to being soft and ultimately weak at a ripe age.
This is a well-known fact of life.
Respecting this truth of cosmos governing our bodies, it makes sense to start a small child with soft and easier forms like Yoga, Judo combined with light exercises gradually increasing the strength and endurance training well into the child's adolescence - where hard forms can be done easily and safely.
If started with hard forms at too small an age, the child may develop aggression, may not connect with the seriousness involved in these forms and there is a good chance of physical injuries. Before the age of 8, even 6, the body is just growing and needs to be in flow with the nature with the least human intervention possible. Yoga and Judo are pefectly suited for such a tender age to begin with. Yoga teaches relaxation, flexibility and breath-control and Judo also teaches discipline, balance, and most important of all the art of falling !
Yes, everybody falls, but if you develop an awareness of HOW to fall, you shall injure yourself to the minimum or not injure yourself at all. Getting trained into falling, put's one's ego in check - a sharp reality check! And that reality is check is that no matter how strong you are, you are not immune to a fall ! And when you fall, you realize what it means to get hurt, to get dropped.. You learn to pick yourself up and regain balance.
Coming back to HOW TO FALL, in Judo and Aikido, the practitioner is trained on how to fall by ensuring that the head never touches the ground. This is done by reaching the open palm to the ground as the first point of contact to the surface upon falling. By doing so, not only do you reduce the impact of the fall, you also learn to avoid head injuries as head is the most important part to be protected in self defence. This is why boxers are trained to deliver a knock-out punch to the head.
Watch the following video on Aikido - from scratch to perfection - one of the very good aikido training videos I have come across, as each maneuver is repeatedly demonstrated atleast 4 times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHbfP1pPAAY&playnext=1&list=PL8138BE821388EB12&feature=results_video
In the second stage of growth - where youth blossoms and heads towards maturity, more hard training can be incorporated and this is the right stage for toning and shaping the body. Hard forms are most suitable here. The essence of this stage is that the student picks up on all basics and starts developing skills with constant training and discipline. Those in Karate for example, shall relate this to preparation to attain Black Belt. All the katas (forms & sequences) are taken one by one to examine, analyze and understand the secret power behind each move.
In the last stage of life, or as goes with the proverbial Black Belt - one has reached a level of gaining as much knowledge, skills as possible. From here, one needs to start perfecting what one has learnt. Perfection simply signifies that one starts using the art to suit one's natural abilities. This means, a lot of unsuitable forms need to be discarded. It is like a sculptor, who gives the final touch to his work by chiselling out the flaws bit by bit. Leonardo Da Vinci called simplicity as the epitome of perfection. The lesser you have, the lighter you are, the more you are ready to flow than sink in the flow of life - as simple as that. This means you are faster because you are lighter. This means you are more powerful because speed is proportionate to power.
In the last stages of life, wisdom then dawns upon the body when it knows that it does not have the same strength and toughness as it declines with time. Hence, one then develops inner strength, conserves as much energy as possible. From the thousands of techniques, the veteran may use one or two of the most suitable yet deadly ones that he/she has been perfecting over time.
Here is when soft forms never cease to be handy. In fact, at any point in life soft forms are very suitable to learn. But the great masters know that only when you have been through the hard, do you really begin to appreciate the soft - for the understanding then becomes profound.
Aikido and Tai-chi hone the body and spirit with the right exercises as well as rely more on inner power in harmony with nature's course and instead of wasting one's own energy, develops the ability to accept the opponent's force and deflect or use it against the opponent itself.
The miracle of enlightenment happens in a warrior's life is when he comes to a brilliant realization - that from the science of consistent conscious practice, flowers the art of spontaneous action - almost as if that the body-mind-spirit are in one flow, simply adjusting itself automatically to each movement in the heat of attack. It is as if the warrior's spirit is a calm and silent observer, centred like the eye of the hurricane, letting the force be as it may like to be in the periphery. No more separated by hard form-soft form, attack-defence.. the warrior gets the flash of understanding - to quote Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon: I DO NOT HIT.. IT HITS ALL BY ITSELF.
The warrior understands that there are no opponents - only action is ! Only forces of energy in their respective opposite-yet-complementary forms: battling out to preserve the universal balance. This is represented well by the Yin-Yang symbol, a representation of the oriental wisdom:
Whatever art one chooses, the techniques may vary, but core values remain same. The teachings of the spirit remains the same.
Victory does not depend on what weapon you use. But how well you know to use the weapon that you possess.
All fights start with the mind. Mind governs action. Hence in the Art of War - Sun Tzu makes it very clear that the greatest victory is that which is gained without a battle.
One of the nuggets of martial arts wisdom states that the greatest opponent is one's own self - one's ego. There remains a path for each warrior - You and I - to tread upon relentlessly and persevere to perfect ourselves each day with each passing moment.
Ending on a thankful note and by paying my respects to the legendary great warrior-sage Parashurama.
Kung fu meaning ( source: wikipedia) : In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any skill achieved through hard work and practice, not necessarily martial. The Chinese literal equivalent of "Chinese martial art" would be 中國武術zhōngguó wǔshù.
Thus kung-fu simply means work in progress/ in development/ in enhancement.. always a flow and never stagnant. This applies to any skill. This is why i prefer to use the term learning instead of knowledge. The former is present-continous and the other is a corpse of the past.
To live, one must work. To live happily, one must perform work, that is suited to one's natural capabilities and inclinations; as only such work would give satisfaction.
Any skill begins with conscious effort i.e. undivided attention, constant practice, dedication, perfection and ultimately, the skill translates into action without effort. Take the example of typing with the keyboard. Initially, it requires patiently searching for letters, symbols, numbers, etc.. With good experience, the mind simply chooses what to type and the fingers do the magic instantly as you would notice expert steno-typists and secretaries in action.
When that work/skill is to your satisfaction, the work done gradually progresses from effort to effortlessness. Thus from the level of doer, you reach the acme of excellence... a state of bliss in non-doership. Here, only awareness remains upon the background of which life flows in natural harmony. In the words of Gautam Buddha: " Events happen, deeds are done, but there is no doer."
This is why you would hear martial artists say, 'I DO NOT HIT.. IT HITS ALL BY ITSELF'; LEARN THE FORM, BECOME THE FORMLESS; FOR THE SAMURAI, THE WIELDER OF THE SWORD AND THE SWORD FORGE INTO ONE SPIRIT.
