On Health, Fitness & Jeet Kune Do

The shovel hook is one of those punches that gets very little publicity in the world of pugilism, yet is extraordinarily useful.

I generally don’t teach the shovel hook until later on in training due to its tendency to throw the balance and guard off when executed by a novice. Once incorporated into the arsenal of short range punches, however, it is highly deceptive and powerful.

Having said this, it seems that there is a bit of variation along with some confusion about how the shovel hook is executed.

The two main variations I’ve seen from boxers are essentially hybrid hook/uppercuts. One being more of an uppercut that is thrown into the body rather than upwards towards the face, and the other being simply a hooking punch that is thrown at a 45 degree angle towards the face.

These two variations seem to be the predominant modern versions of the shovel, although there do appear to be more.

In Jeet Kune Do, Bruce Lee seemed to have preferred the mechanics of the classic shovel hook as described by old time boxing champion Jack Dempsey. In fact, the description of the shovel found in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do is nearly identical to Dempsey’s except for the right stancer’s modification.

So, for the record, the JKD shovel hook is thrown with the elbow starting tight against the body and in front of the hip.  The fist then travels in a 45 degree angle, generally toward the solar plexus or chin, landing on the bottom three knuckles. Most of the power is actually being generated from a deep shoveling/upward thrusting of the punching side hip. It really is more of a straight punch than a hook as the shoulder whirl is not emphasized, the elbow is not necessarily fixed, and the body weight is kept in the lead side.

Hope this helps,

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

This isn’t exactly Jeet Kune Do, but it’s one of those things that just needs to be shared.

After all, Bruce Lee did say that “you better train every part of your body,” right?

Hmm, this is definitely one to think about.

Check out this Iron Crotch news article

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

Self defense is one of the those subjects that truly is far from easy to establish a definitive, proven, method.

Earlier, I wrote a post (that included a few videos) about knife defense that was mainly humorous but in a serious kind of way . . . if you know what I mean. You can see it here http://nkhuong.com/blog/knife-defense/

The main idea behind that post really applies to all aspects of self defense, not just knife defense.

Most self defense courses / methods, are based on a very specific understanding of what is needed to defend one’s self. These notions and understandings are as varied as there are people thinking about it.

Almost all of these ideas have value in them and add to the whole. Very few people, however, take into account the totality of the self defense world.

The reality is, that there simply is not enough research and unbiased evidence that points towards a clear path. Self defense and the art of fighting, are not simply about hurting and/or defending against getting hurt. The real challenge is not in the physical aspect of self defense, but rather in the mental and psychological elements.

Most of the information we know about self defense comes from the military and law enforcement. As valuable as the information is, one must consider the context from which it was gathered. Generally, this means war and very specific crime settings.

In war, the psychology of soldiers is very different from that of civilians in self defense situations during peace. Similarly, the mindset of a law enforcement officer apprehending a criminal will also be very different.

Even within the civilian self defense scene, we should consider the difference between a road rage based assault and the sexual predator. We should know the difference between the petty thief lurking in the dark and the religious zealot hidden in broad daylight. This is really only the tip of the self defense iceberg.

As with all skills, self defense also requires practice.

There is no such thing as the ultimate street fighting weekend crash course seminar that will leave you prepared for the worst.

Cultivation and maintenance are essential.

In Health,

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

This morning, I read an article from Science News entitled ” New Discoveries Get to the Heart of Cardiovascular Disease“.

Science and technology are absolutely amazing resources, but I was somewhat taken aback when I realized that the article ultimately points towards new drugs for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.  Cardiovascular diseases are lifestyle diseases that are generally avoidable and largely reversible if caught in time.

So why does the vast majority of medical research point us toward drug manufacture instead of lifestyle changes? — Money.

If you don’t already know, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest and most profitable industries in the world.

Something is wrong when prominent medical doctors such as Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal,
make statements like “Even if we delay the process by exercise and rabbit food, sooner or later our blood vessels rot.”

It’s good to have the treatments available to help people, but I believe the focus should really be on improving overall health, wellness, longevity, and quality of life through natural sources first.

In Health,

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

Health and fitness should be interesting and enjoyable.

It always amazes me how this aura of suffering and discipline combined with large doses of blood and sweat seems to have encased the fitness industry.

There are tons of new programs out there that are upbeat, innovative, and exciting, yet the default images that come to mind still seem to be grueling and bleak where only the strong survive.

I have to admire the self discipline that the people must develop who go to the gym everyday to pump iron and run on the treadmill.  I did it for a few years until I realized that I could utilize all the time spent, on my rat on a wheel routine, to learn something and develop usable skills, or at least have fun.  So, instead of spending hours per week strapped into a machine repeating two dimensional motions, I focused on sports, martial arts, and just trying new things.

Since I made the switch, I enjoy working out much more, my body is more defined, my strength is more functional, my martial arts skill level has increased significantly, and I know a lot more about how the body works.

Now, if you’re a competitive athlete or even just a weekend warrior who wants to improve his/her game, then a sport specific conditioning routine outside of game play would be appropriate.  Keep in mind that this still does not mean hitting the gym with the old “C’mon, c’mon . . . one more rep!” routine, it should be a varied and dynamic series of holistic movements that are specifically designed to increase, your speed, strength, agility, flexibility, etc.  What I mean by holistic is multi-planar, multi-joint, and utilizing a rate of movement and control that would be needed in real life.

In any case, if you’ve reached the stage where you want to improve your game, then you have probably already incorporated a level of regularly performed exercise that you enjoy.

For those of you who are still challenged by the “regular exercise” stage, I recommend getting out there and trying something new.  Go for a Yoga or Pilates class.  Try swimming, or a team sport.  Learn Boxing.  Go hiking or rock climbing. Go kayaking or learn to surf.  Join a bootcamp (they’re tough but fun!).  Landscape your yard.  The possibilities are endless.  In my case, I like honing my martial arts and self defense skills.  I also enjoy boxing, kickboxing, and submission wrestling among other less combative things like racquetball, hiking, ocean kayaking, body surfing, mountain biking, etc.

It’s true that classes tend to be more expensive than gym memberships, but here is a little known fact that I found out as a personal trainer:  most people sign two or three year contracts at large chain gym, then quit within the first three months.  Basically, the gym is making money over the course of three years despite the fact that their facilities were only used for a few months.  If your gym offers classes, that’s great!  It has been my experience, however, that class instructors at large gyms tend to be overworked, underpaid, and rather unenthusiastic about what they are teaching.

Most fitness studios that offer classes, on the other hand, charge monthly tuition without contracts, will often times give you a degree of personal attention that is largely absent of commercial gyms, and are generally passionate about their craft.

The take home message:  If you want a change from the traditional gym routine, go shop around for an interesting class and just do it.  If you’re on a budget, just get some friends together, go to the park, and use your imagination!

In Health,

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

Here are a couple of rare interviews with Bob Bremer, an original Bruce Lee student.


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

In a previous post (The Lost Art of Straight Punching), I talked about the decline of straight punching, here is another interesting tidbit.

Chuck Liddell’s signature punch is the infamous overhand right . . . aka the Haymaker.

As a former light heavyweight UFC champion, there is no doubt that the man has skill and serious knockout power. Yet Chuck Liddell has been putting away some of the toughest fighters in MMA with the sloppiest punch in existence. Why is that?

The haymaker obviously works as it has been knocking people out in boxing, kickboxing, MMA, street fights, and anywhere else where punches are thrown.

So is it technically efficient? . . . . Absolutely not!

Using a haymaker is like using a rock instead of a hammer to drive a nail. Sure, the rock works but it’s crude, inefficient, unreliable, and hazardous to the user.

It seems that many fighters today are using rocks instead of hammers because the experts are teaching this.

Here’s a little clip I never expected to see.

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

The long awaited San Gabriel Valley JKD demo / trailer is now up on YouTube!

Please check it out, rate it, and post some feedback.

I’ll be producing more videos in the coming months so stay tuned.

Enjoy!

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

Ted Wong was Bruce Lee’s Last private student and one of only two living people to receive ranks in Jeet Kune Do directly from the founder.

Sifu Wong has been relatively low key over the years, maintaining a small number of private students in the traditional “Backyard” style of training that Bruce Lee preferred, generally only being publicly available at his occasional seminars around the world.

There are a few other important original students avidly promoting the preservation of Bruce Lee’s philosophy and martial way such as Tachy Kimura and Jerry Poteet, but it is important to note that Ted Wong had access to the latest stage of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. Considering how quickly Bruce Lee was evolving, the training that Ted Wong received is critical to understanding JKD

Here is a rare glimpse at Sifu Ted Wong and Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do. For anyone interested learning JKD, refer to this previous article Recognizing Authentic Jeet Kune Do

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

For you MMA fans, Randy Couture will be making an appearance at the OTM Fight Shop in West Covina, CA this Friday from 3:30 to 5:50pm.

Randy Couture is a living legend in the MMA scene. He held a championship title in two different divisions including heavyweight and light heavyweight while fighting in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as well as being the only five-time champion in UFC history.

While you’re there, you’ll also want to check out all the On The Mat (OTM) gear. They pretty much have everything you could ever want for training.

See you there!

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