On Health, Fitness & Jeet Kune Do

The Wednesday Night Group in Redlands has been producing short videos for World of Martial Arts TV. Here is a short clip demonstrating an "aggressive defense". I appear in the background holding Muay Thai pads and focus mitts.

Enjoy!

Watch Garage Training - Pad Drills on World of Martial Arts

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

Here’s a great short clip of original Bruce Lee student, Bob Bremer demonstrating some gap bridging skills using the hammer principle.

Enjoy!

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

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

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

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

The human body is covered with potentially useful striking surfaces, making it an incredibly adaptable potential living weapon.

Does having so many choices, however, really benefit the user? I suppose it depends.

I recently overheard a veteran martial artist explain to a novice the difference in the side kick using the heel versus the knife foot. He went on to explain that the main difference is in the type of damage caused. The heel kick is more “crushing” whereas the outer edge of the foot is more “cutting”. Giving numerous examples, he also showed how the knife foot allows for more surgical precision reaching smaller targets like the throat or individual ribs.

As I listened, memories of my childhood training in Tang Soo Do came to mind. It seems that this explanation is pretty standard in traditional martial arts. It also seems to be common to teach proper knife foot positioning by practicing walking on the edges of one’s feet.

In my own classes, however, I never teach the side kick utilizing the knife foot. The structure of the foot and ankle simply does not allow safe execution of a strike with the foot in a supinated position. The foot and ankle are essentially a very complex support system designed for strength, mobility, shock absorption and stability just to name a few. Extending the the delicate foot muscles, tendons, and ligaments to the end of their range of motion, as in pronation or suponation, weakens the foot and increases the likelihood of a sprain.

In my acupuncture practice, I have treated numerous ankle sprains with over ninety percent of those coming from foot supination, much like the knife foot position except that the ankle was pushed just a tiny bit further than it wanted to go.

Kicking with the heel, on the other hand, places the shock of striking on the strongest part of the foot; the part designed to withstand high impact.

Admittedly, the knife foot side kick does look nice . . . which is probably why Bruce Lee is seen utilizing it for the camera.

Just remember, that the knife foot looks nice in the movies, but it is about as effective for kicking as it is for running.

Keep it simple and just use your heel.

Happy Training!

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

1. Jeet Kune Do is a concept that does not have tangible techniques.

This is a very prevalent myth that is largely kept alive by “JKD Concepts” and the misinterpretation of “Using no way as way.” Bruce Lee’s JKD does, in fact, utilize specific concepts and value sets in the art of combat. The approach emphasizes liberation from the confines of “style”, however one must keep in mind that it was Bruce Lee’s martial art and therefore, the specific techniques he was practicing and developing provide the tangible foundation of his fighting method.

The idea of creating a hodgepodge of techniques from various martial arts and deciding that “this is what works for me”, then calling it JKD is absolutely preposterous. It is true that my Jeet Kune Do will look different from your Jeet Kune Do, but this is not necessarily due to any difference in technique, but rather to a difference in the way that those techniques are utilized. For example, someone with a longer reach may prefer to stay at a distance using long range weapons and elusive footwork whereas a person with a stockier build may prefer to close the gap and blast away at short range.

Giving credit to the founder’s efforts, there is a certain universality of human biomechanics and combative psychology that keep the JKD techniques and strategies from requiring much further, if any, modification.

2. Jeet Kune Do is a form of modified Wing Chun.

Much like the first myth, this misunderstanding of JKD is largely based on Bruce Lee’s early Jun Fan Gung Fu days when his fighting methodology was primarily based on his Wing Chun background. As his understanding and experience increased, Bruce Lee continued to shave away at the Wing Chung base of his approach, evolving his martial art into something entirely different keeping only very simplified vestiges of the Wing Chun influence.

An additional point of confusion here can be seen in the corroborated reports of his private students, in that the material being taught to his “backyard” class was quite different from the heavily Wing Chun based training at his schools. Although we may never know why he did this, I presume it is because he was using his private students as part of his Jeet Kune Do laboratory and therefore chose not to publicly teach his prototypical stuff that was still in development.

3. Jeet Kune Do is a blend of Western Boxing, Fencing, Wing Chun and other martial arts.

This myth stems from the fact that Bruce Lee was researching and analyzing different martial arts in order to broaden his own understanding. The Tao of Jeet Kune Do along with his other posthumously published works make numerous references to various fighting systems. Bruce Lee was very methodical and to say that JKD is an early mixed martial art is like saying that humans are a blend of various apes. Sure, humans may share a large amount of genetic material and a prehistoric ancestry with apes, but we evolved separately much like JKD shares certain elements with other fighting arts, but evolved separately.–
Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
www.SGVJeetKuneDo.com

The one inch punch concept has been around for some time, however it was Bruce Lee’s presentation that seems to have made it so popular.

This is one of those techniques that has achieved “secret weapon” status via multiple sources including, but not limited to:

- Bruce Lee’s super stardom and deification

- Showbiz

- The Chinese (and most Asian cultures) cultural tendency to harbor “secret this-and-that”

- The human desire for something greater

All the hype aside, Bruce Lee’s one inch punch is an excellent example of Jeet Kune Do biomechanics at their best. It is the synergistic culmination of optimal body angles, leverage, timing, coordination, speed, strength, and control at a very short distance.

It’s important to keep in mind however, that the punching speed in Bruce Lee’s demonstrations is significantly lower than would be used in actual application, for the safety of the volunteer. Furthermore, his technique is quite different from the “traditional” version in his use of the power line and the lead hand.

Here is an excellent video presentation on the one inch punch produced by a San Francisco film student as a school project.

Enjoy!

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

The harsh reality is that self defense situations involving knives exist

With this in mind, there are tons of knife defense techniques out there; some of the stuff is coming from reputable sources while the grand majority comes from martial artists regurgitating the same old defense and disarm techniques that only work if the attacker initiates in a very specific predetermined way.

Despite the comedic emphasis in this video, there is an important lesson to be learned.

Enjoy!

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

Bruce Lee, according to to Jesse Glover ( Bruce Lee’s first student), was concerned with losing speed and power with increased flexibility.

This is a common issue among martial artists who wish to have greater range of motion but do not want to sacrifice their current physical attributes to achieve it. Improper stretching regimens can lead to joint destabilization, reduced muscular strength, and injuries to the tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. Yet, it is common knowledge that stretching can help reduce injuries and increase performance. So, how can you increase functional flexibility without the potential dangers and adverse effects?

The key to functional flexibility (flexibility that is actually useful in real life) is incorporating a program of strength training with stretching in the form of dynamic, active, and isometric type of stretching exercises.

Unfortunately, the common understanding of “stretching” and “flexibility” is actually “passive flexibility” which also happens to be the least useful and most dangerous. A passive stretch, for example would be trying to force yourself into the splits as you hold yourself up with your hands, or having a partner force you past your normal range of motion as you try to work past the pain. These methods are a surefire way to injury for the untrained athlete.

More constructive stretching (to train high side kicks for example) would include something like this:

1. Warm up for 5 - 10 minutes with light cardio such as skipping rope.
2. Continue the warm up with two sets of 10 straight leg side swings that take you just before you reach your range limit.
2. Perform two sets of 10 deeps squats using a wide horse stance and slow pace ( at least 5 seconds per squat)
3. Perform two sets of side lunges concentrating on using your adductors (inner thigh muscles) to help bring you back to a standing position.
4. Finish up with two sets of 10 slow motion high side kicks.

Alternate this routine with high speed/power sidekicks at a heavy bag after a warm up.

This is one of many functional strength and flexibility routines that can help you reach your desired range of motion while maintaining, or even increasing functional strength.

Happy training!

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