Everybody wants a piece of the Bruce Lee legacy.

The man was amazing on so many levels and it is only natural that a following would develop as a result of his achievements. In that following, it is the martial science of Jeet Kune Do that has developed the most debate and controversy. There seem to be endless mutations and interpretations of JKD including modified Wing Chun, grappling, stick fighting, knife fighting, MMA, and so on. All of these different variations may or may not be effective, and they probably do contain JKD elements in varying amounts, but they are subject to the interpretation/modification/development of someone other than Bruce Lee. Discovering authenticity can be a challenge with all the different so-called JKD experts, so here are a few references you can use as a comparison when looking for a solid source of authentic Jeet Kune Do training.

Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Although this is not the end phase of JKD, it is the best written representation available of Bruce Lee’s original martial ideas. The text can be a confusing read as it is a compilation of notes that were not originally written with the intention of publication. However, just by browsing through Bruce Lee’s own hand drawn sketches, and insights, you should get a good sense of what JKD looks like.

Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method Series
This series of books was published posthumously without final approval from Bruce Lee. Keep in mind that these books are actually an early representation of Bruce Lee’s ideas as they were compiled in 1966 but not published until 1978. The actual text is not written by Bruce Lee, but again, the pictures of the founder in action will give you a good idea of what his fighting approach looks like.

Return of the Dragon
This movie has the best visual demonstration of the later stages of Jeet Kune Do performed by the founder himself. More specifically, the fight sequence between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in the coliseum after Bree Lee is knocked down for the third time. As Jeet Kune Do rich as this scene is, just keep in mind that it is also mixed with movie theatrics.

Learning Jeet Kune Do from Bruce Lee’s books and movies is simply not practical as none of it was intended to teach it. So in your search for expanded JKD material, whether an instructor a video or book, do your research and compare to authentic sources.

Happy Training!

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