Here is a question I was recently asked that points toward a very prevalent issue in the JKD world.

Question:

“Recently when I was training at my JKD school, one of my instructors told me that Wing Chun and trapping pretty much don’t have a place in street fighting. He says that he doesn’t teach it and Bruce Lee pretty much did away with Wing Chun and trapping as JKD evolved. I find that pill hard to swallow and wanted to get a second opinion. What is your take on what he says?”

Response:

This is a much debated topic in the JKD community.  The root of the issue lies in that Bruce Lee did not leave explicit and definitive instructions on Jeet Kune Do.

The fact of the matter is that Bruce Lee’s fighting method was evolving and he taught various aspects of his developing skills to different people at different times of his personal progression.

In most cases he was probably not focusing on teaching, but rather testing, developing, and evolving ideas.

To say that he did away with trapping and Wing Chun is ludicrous because one cannot simply throw away something that is a part of you.  It would be more appropriate to say that he de-emphasized, simplified, or simply modified it to a degree that it no longer appeared to be what he was originally doing.

It’s true that in the later stages of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee seemed to be focusing his efforts on ideas inspired by fencing as opposed to Wing Chun.  Concepts revolving around efficiency, interception and deceptive entry seemed to take precedence over the complex and often passive maneuvers in typical compound trapping.

Furthermore, the material that Bruce Lee was teaching or experimenting with was not necessarily the extent of what he was personally practicing.  For example, although he was no longer teaching many of the Wing Chun techniques, he was known to have still practiced the Wing Chun wooden dummy forms.

As a teacher and martial artist myself I can relate because my own approach is also constantly evolving.  I began with Tang Soo Do 25 years ago, and although I no longer use most of the techniques and approaches, there are fundamental skills that have proven valuable to me with much positive carryover into my JKD.  As such, I do incorporate some simplified and highly modified training elements into my teaching methodology.  The same goes with my background in boxing, grappling, and everything else that is a part of me.

In any case, Bruce Lee died before I was born, so all of my information is second hand at best.  The reality is that no one really knows what Bruce Lee was thinking.  We can only extrapolate based on his writings, films, family, friends, and his first generation students, very few of whom seem to really agree with one another.  Go figure!

As for the effectiveness of Wing Chun and trapping in street fighting, I’ll say this: anything has the potential to work given enough of the right kind of training.  The real issue in commercial martial arts is: what works most effectively for the average person who is unwilling to put the time and energy into REAL skill development.

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

I am frequently asked where I have fought, how many fights I’ve had, etc.  It seems natural to many people that a martial artist would compete and test his or her metal in the fires of the combat sports arena.

Although I suppose this is not unusual, I feel that I should clarify my stand point on the subject.

Firstly, I have not competed in any spectator driven combat sport event.

Secondly, I do not plan on competing in any spectator driven combat sport event.

I can certainly appreciate the skill, passion, work, and shear gumption required to prepare for and compete in such an event.  In fact, I even enjoy watching and studying some of the fighters in action.

Conversely, I find it rather sad that so many follow the sport for the sole pleasure of watching one man beat up and dominate another.  I just don’t see the true spirit of martial arts represented in any combat sports event.

If and when I watch a combat sports match, my focus is on learning and adding to my own understanding of fight science.

Martial Arts training is one of those things that continues to fascinate and challenge me.  Combat Sports players are individuals willing to take pugilism to the next level at a far greater potential long term cost.  As I hold health and vitality as a priority, I prefer to study those who are willing to take fighting where I am not.

To me, Martial Arts is about personal growth.  It’s about self development, empowerment, realization, and ultimately joy and fulfillment.  As such, I simply don’t see how competition in cage fighting and other such events would enrich my life or help me achieve my goals, so I’ll leave that to those who don’t mind being entertainment for the blood thirsty masses.

If you want to learn how to harness and cultivate your ultimate potential through martial arts training, look me up and we’ll walk the path together.

See you in class!

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Jeet Kune Do Drills & Conditioning Class for JKD fundamentals and Martial Arts Fitness

Late last year, we began “beta testing” our newest class, designed to supplement the semi-private JKD Martial Arts and Self Defense classes.  As a result of positive feedback and tangible results, this drills and fitness oriented class has been modified and refined to deliver a solid basis in Jeet Kune Do fundamentals and develop functional strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular conditioning.

As of February, this class has been relocated to Victory Park in Pasadena.  The “al fresco” training format offers plenty fresh air, green grass, ample space, and much needed health-promoting sunshine as an excellent backdrop for fun, high powered martial arts and fitness training.

Additional Jeet Kune Do Drills & Conditioning classes will be opened in the near future.  Possible locations include Glendora, Covina, and other parks in the San Gabriel Valley.

If you’re looking for an introduction to Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do and want to develop a solid foundation in fitness, this is the perfect springboard.

If you’re a veteran martial artist looking to improve your skills by strengthening the fundamentals of real urban combat through technical skill refinement and cultivation of raw physical ability this is the place.

Check us out at http://www.meetup.com/Los-Angeles-Jeet-Kune-Do

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

There is an interesting phenomenon in the Martial Arts / Self Defense world that is worth discussing for those interested in developing truly effective civilian self defense/combat skills.

This phenomenon is generally seen as a result of the dichotomy of scenario training versus sparring.

On the one side, scenario training simulates specific situations common to self defense encounters.  On the other side, sparring creates a dynamic venue from which to practice application of skill sets with a resisting opponent for preset period of time.

It’s true that sparring is not really self defense.  You wouldn’t want to start sparring with an assailant.  By nature, sparring is a situation where two individuals give and take with a certain understanding of rules and sportsmanship.  In a physical self defense situation, the mindset should be focused purely on giving (focused, high intensity, neutralizing force), followed by fleeing.

Self defense without sparring and scenario training, is simply not real self defense.

But what happens what training only focuses on scenario training or sparring?

Those who only spar, tend to develop habits common to combat sports that do not lend themselves to dirty fighting on the street.  Those who strictly use scenario training as the primary form of practice tend to lack a certain form of combative athleticism and body awareness/physical intelligence that is developed through extended duration combat in sparring.

It has been my experience (both personal and through observation), that
a combination of the two or hybrid sparring/scenario training is best.

With this mind, it’s also important to note that the pure combat sport player will generally have a significant advantage over the purist scenario training martial artist.  This is most likely due to the lack of REAL resistance in most scenario training as recreating a self defense scenario involves certain risks for injury that are mush less of an issue in sparring.

In any case, sparring is an invaluable tool to learning self defense, yet for the training to truly be effective there must be a bridge between sparring with a fully resisting opponent and scenario training with a  minimally resisting dummy.

The key is in modified, hybrid scenario/sparring and controlled resistance.

If there is little resistance and no danger of retaliation from your opponent, then the training will have little if any real world self defense translation.  Just remember to keep it as real as possible and with safety always in mind.

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Does cheese make inner thighs fat?

How much protein should I be eating?

Is whole grain bread fattening?

Will eggs raise cholesterol?

What is the best pre and post workout meal for muscle building?

Is Hoodia a good way to control appetite and lose fat?

Is being a vegetarian healthier than eating animal products?

Should I not be taking foods with sodium if I have high blood pressure?

As valid as the questions are, they are also endless and generally do not have one-size-fits-all answer.

Some of these questions have been answered in the various nutrition posts and articles I have written in the past, but today I would like to address this from a more holistic perspective pointing towards the root cause of most nutrition issues, or any health issue.

Most animals, in fact all animals aside from humans, do not worry or give any thought whatsoever about fat, calories, weight loss, muscle gain, performance, etc.  Why is that?

As evolved as human beings are, we also seem to be limited by the very thing that helps us to excel beyond that of most creatures on earth . . . the mind.

Most animals are naturally driven by an internal guidance system.  A system that clearly informs when, what, how, where, and how much of a particular thing to eat.  People have this same guidance system, however certain elements throughout our socialization create interference and ultimately malfunction in this perfect system.

The real secret (which really isn’t a secret, as we just tend to forget), is to pay attention to the way we feel physically and emotionally.

Let’s take for example, one of the most common modern issues surrounding food and health — weight loss, weight gain, obesity — anything having to do with an excess accumulation of stored energy on the body and the resulting consequences.

This is largely an emotionally/spiritually based issue.  When eating is not driven by nutritional/energetic needs (ie. you are hungry/thirsty), it is driven by an emotional need.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, for example, the property of a food or herb as tasting “sweet” is understood as calming and nourishing the spirit.  The translation to eating habits is obvious, albeit oversimplified as eating sweet foods will not actually solve anything beyond the immediate feeling, and will actually lead to greater imbalance in the long run.

With this in mind, one can see that good nutrition goes well beyond the typical Western model of a “proper” balance between macro and micro nutrients and the relationship between calories in and calories out.

Eating well requires feeling well and feeling well requires eating well (among other things).  Food provides nourishment on all levels including the body, mind, and spirit.  Knowing this can be a powerful tool in reactivating and tuning up your internal guidance system

Having a basic knowledge of sensible nutrition is always valuable, but getting caught up with all the fads, numbers, tricks, miracle cures, trends, etc, only leads away from the truth, which can only be found within yourself.

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Typically, the New Year is a time to set new goals or revise old ones.

In reality there really isn’t anything that is more new on the first of January than the 2nd of January or any other day for that matter.  Every day and every moment in every day is a new and refreshing opportunity to set new goals and accomplish bigger and better things.

So why is it that most New Year resolutions tend to go unfulfilled?

The reasons are numerous and varied, ranging from the conventionally accepted “legitimate” reasons to poor attempts at convincing oneself and others that those resolutions cannot be achieved.  Ultimately they are all self imposed limitations . . . even the supposed “legitimate” excuses.

In my case, a short term goal I had set mid last year, was to achieve a full side split, although it wasn’t a new years resolution, I convinced myself that I would have to postpone the training due to a slight knee injury.  Although the knee injury seemed a legitimate excuse, it was only that, an excuse.  There is always a way and always something to work on that will continue a forward momentum towards a goal.

In any case, I’ll take this opportunity to announce a couple of my own personal fitness goals for this year.

1. I will achieve a full side split by the end of the year.

2. I will perform at least one single arm pullup by the end of the year.

3. I will achieve a full and stable V-sit for at least 10 seconds supported only by my hands on the floor.

For the record, at this time my I able to lower myself into a side split that leaves my center line about 11 inches from the floor.  I am able to perform roughly 17 two arm pullups and hold a stable L-sit for roughly 10 seconds.  These are exercises that I do not perform regularly, my current ability is the result of martial arts oriented functional fitness training structured towards functional martial arts ability as opposed to achieving side splits, pullups, V-sits, etc.  I rarely perform isolated movements and when I do, it usually incorporates an unstable element.

Many of the excersises prescribed in our martial arts and fitness classes are variations and progressions of what I normally do.  In class, I do incorporate stable, isolated movements in order to lay a foundation of basic strength.

For those of you who are local and also interested achieving some health fitness goals, check out our martial arts classes in West Covina, and Pasadena.

We have recently established regular Jeet Kune Do Martial Arts Drills & Conditioning classes designed to supplement our semi-private classes.

Currently classes are being held in an outdoor, bootcamp style fitness and martial arts class at Victory Park in Pasadena and Covina Park near downtown Covina.

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Here’s a sneak peak at some of the elements in the San Gabriel Valley Jeet Kune Do Instructor Certification Program.  More info coming soon.

Our martial arts and fitness programs are based out of Pasadena and West Covina, focusing on holistic training designed to produce results on all levels.  Health and fitness is a dynamic process with constant evolution in the mind, body, and spirit.

In addition to our results oriented martial arts classes and fitness programs, we are now offering a unique opportunity to join our family and make extraordinary changes in your own life and the lives of others through a career in fitness and martial arts.

Join the Jeet Kune Do - Los Angeles mailing list at the bottom of the page for updates.  Also review the Jeet Kune Do Instructor Certification page frequently as we add more information.

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Sorry for the dramatic title.

It seems that soy is still being touted as a healthy food, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.  Another example of savvy marketing and a disregard for health on the part of manufacturers.  I simply cannot believe that the companies manufacturing most of the soy products on the market are not aware of the all the studies.

I’m going to keep this as short as possible, considering how there is so much information out there regarding the danger of soy.

Here is a list (from the FDA no less) of studies that indicate soy toxicity:

Soy is Toxic: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edjw/pltx.cgi?QUERY=soy

Here is a quick list describing the dangers of soy (complements of the West Price Foundation)

• High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
• Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
• Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
• Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
• Vitamin B₁₂ analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body’s requirement for B₁₂.
• Soy foods increase the body’s requirement for vitamin D.
• Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
• Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
• Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
• Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

The only soy products that are actually healthy are fermented.  I talk about this in part II of the Jeet Kune Do Nutrition Plan if you have not already read this.

Those of you drinking soy milk, better to switch to unsweetened rice or almond milk.  Even better to make your own nut milk fresh from whatever nuts you like (assuming you don’t have nut allergies).  The best option (for many people) would be to drink organic raw milk  from green pasture fed cows(refer to the raw milk post for more info).

Stay healthy,

In Health,

–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com

I mentioned raw milk in the Jeet Kune Do Nutrition Plan several months ago, and have been asked many questions since then.  There is a surprisingly small amount of information regarding milk, the dairy industry, and health that is not tainted by power and politics.

So, this post is my effort to offer some clarity and perhaps a solution for those who have found it difficult to obtain clean, natural, raw milk.

“Regular Milk” : This is the stuff you find in most stores.  If you have ever taken the time to look at the ingredients list on a milk container, you’ll often find that it doesn’t just say “milk”.  This really isn’t surprising considering all the bizarre things that can be found on store shelves that are considered food.

In any case, my point is that “regular milk” is a highly processed product that is designed to be profitable, not healthy.  Here are a few major selling points in milk advertising and their fallacies.

• Natural source of calcium:  this is true, but only if it is not pasteurized, as the high heat treatment interferes with the body’s ability to assimilate milk calcium.
• Good source of vitamin D:  this is also true, but only if the milk is from green pasture fed cows.  Vitamin D from “regular milk” is actually added in later, is synthetic, and potentially toxic.
• High quality protein: very true for raw milk, however pasteurization alters fragile milk proteins and forms highly allergenic byproducts that are usually the cause of most supposed milk allergies.
• Low fat:  why would anyone want low fat milk?  If you haven’t read up on my comments regarding healthy fats, this might be a good time.

Aside from the above issues, here are a few more things to consider:

• Organic milk:  the term “organic” is something that is being thrown around a lot in the food industry because it’s trendy, but it’s meaning is rather vague.  Although many brands of “organic” milk might be better than “regular milk” they are still low quality foods.  Organic milk may come from grain fed cows raised indoors and rarely see sunlight.  Unless it says “from grass fed cows”, it’s not good.  Cows are designed to eat grass, not corn and soy.
• Pasteurized:  I mentioned this already, but this is a big factor.  Keep in mind that most dairies do, in fact need to pasteurize their milk.  The poor health of many commercial dairy cows leads to infected milk (yes, that means pus, slime, and other nasty things, from mastitis suffering cows), so processing removes bacterial pathogens through heat and centrifugation.  Often times you will also see “ultra pasteurized” as though this was a good thing.  This just means it is processed with extremely high heat to extend shelf life.
• Homogenization: this is a commercial process that has no value whatsoever aside from the aesthetic.  This is a process of destroying the natural structures within milk so that it does not separate into milk and cream.  Milk is a highly complex fluid that is perfectly designed to deliver nutrition and protective immune factors to calves.  Homogenization, is a final slap in the face of nutrition by neutralizing beneficial substances and creating harmful byproducts.

The final issue I will cover is the safety of raw milk.

Raw milk has many built in protective factors that prevent contamination and even destroy pathogens.  Yes, milk is a living substance complete with enzymes, leukocytes, macrophages, symbiotic flora, and more, that protect it.  Studies have shown that healthy raw milk that is intentionally infected with harmful bacteria will actually attack and neutralize the invading pathogens.

I get my milk from Organic Pastures, who not only pasture feed their cows, but also use a proprietary mobile barn milking process so that cows are free to roam without having to be moved back to unsanitary conditions for processing.  They also test their milk daily for safety.

Milk from Organic pastures can be purchased and shipped directly from their dairy in Fresno, from some specialty retailers (like Whole Foods) and from the Milk Hub Sale in San Fernando.

Those of you in the San Gabriel Valley and especially Pasadena who would like to have easy access to Organic Pastures’ products may contact me through this blog regarding a local milk coop in January.  I can also be reached via the Jeet Kune Do contact page at http://www.sgvjeetkunedo.com/contact.html

In Health,

-
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
Jeet Kune Do Los Angeles

Jeet Kune Do Nutrition Plan Part I
Jeet Kune Do Nutrition Plan Part II
Jeet Kune Do Nutrition Plan Part III
Our Misunderstood Friends: Cholesterol and Saturated Fat

In Part I of this post, I described briefly the emotional component of sparring endurance.

The natural followup, of course, is the physical component.

There is actually quite a lot of material available on physical conditioning for combat sports and martial arts, especially with the rise of Mixed Martial Arts.  The truly professional MMA fighters are some of most well conditioned functional athletes out there, and the imagination that is going into training these guys is tremendous.

For this post, I’m going to talk about a few concepts that can go a long way in your own training.

1. Flexibility
2. Selective tension
3. Technique specific endurance
4. Body Mechanics

This is by no means, an exhaustive exploration into the development of endurance and stamina, but it does cover some lesser known aspects.

Flexibility: Everyone knows that stretching is good right? But what does flexibility have to do with endurance and stamina?  Basically, if your body is tight, your muscles have to work against that resistance to execute any movement.  There is actually a lot more to it, but in simplified terms this is pretty direct.  Keep in mind, however that flexibility training should have a significant strength development component.  Being a flexible but limp noodle will not help your sparring!

Selective Tension: Have you ever wondered why a movement that requires extreme strength will generally result in the flexion of unrelated muscles?  This is probably due to a hardwired neurological protective mechanism, but it doesn’t really help with “scientific” combat.  The Hulk can probably get away with it, but the technical fighter that wants to economize energy expenditure would benefit from a reduction in this “bulk” system-wide tension.  This is trained primarily via awareness and conscious effort.

Technique Specific Endurance: Just is as the term implies, developing endurance specific to an movement is important.  There is a reason someone who throws lots of kicks on a regular basis can probably kick for a longer period of time than someone who doesn’t.  Of course, there is more involved that just endurance, but this is a crucial factor.  Basically, rigorously train all the things that you would normally do in sparring.  This could mean kicks, punches, evasions, footwork, etc.

Body Mechanics:  A punch is just a punch, and a kick is just a kick, but a technical punch is so much better than a “natural” punch.  When fatigue sets in, biomechanics become king.  As such, internalizing good technique for efficient force transfer really pays off when your muscles are screaming for a break.   A good way to develop this is by focusing on good form when you are already fatigued.  This really forces efficient use what strength and explosiveness is left.

These are some good guidlines that can be easily added to an existing training regimen for real a boost in performance.  Keep in mind however, that endurance and stamina are very complex subjects when placed in such a dynamic environment as sparring.

In any case, the best thing to do is simply to get going! . . . or better yet, come join us at one of the SGV Jeet Kune Do Drills & Conditioning classes in Pasadena.  If that doesn’t improve your strength, endurance, stamina, and overall fitness, I don’t know what will!

See you in class,

–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com