Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973), was a Chinese American martial artist and actor who is widely regarded as among the most influential martial artists of the 20th century. Lee's few movies, especially his performance in the Hollywood-produced Enter the Dragon, elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity, paving the way for future martial artists actors such as Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chuck Norris.

Martial arts training and development

Lee began his formal martial arts training at the age of 13 in Wing Chun Gung Fu under Hong Kong master Yip Man. Like most martial arts schools at that time, Yip Man's classes were often taught by the highest ranking student. Lee didn't finish Yip Man's curriculum.

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It would not be until his arrival in the United States, however, that Lee began the process of creating his own style, which he would later teach at the martial arts schools he opened in Oakland and Los Angeles, California (named the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute). After becoming dissatisfied with existing schools of martial arts, he later modified his style, which consisted mostly of elements of Wing Chun, with elements of Western Boxing and Fencing, and named it Jun Fan Gung Fu. Lee expanded this style over time, stating that he included elements from Muay Thai, Indo-Malay Silat, Panantukan, Sikaran, Bando, Catch Wrestling, Karate, Judo, Jujitsu, Aikido, and other arts. It would be much later that he would come to describe his style as Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist) or JKD.

Related Topics:
United States - Oakland - Los Angeles - Boxing - Fencing - Jun Fan Gung Fu - Muay Thai - Indo-Malay Silat - Panantukan - Sikaran - Bando - Catch Wrestling - Karate - Judo - Jujitsu - Aikido - Jeet Kune Do

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During this time he developed his own combat techniques as well as the famous one inch punch, which comes from Wing Chun, which he demonstrated during a Karate tournament in Long beach.

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Prior to his death, Lee told his then only two living instructors, Dan Inosanto and Taky Kimura (James Yimm Lee had passed away in 1972), to dismantle his schools. He no longer wished to call his art Jeet Kune Do or have his students associate what they were learning as Bruce Lee's style. His last wish was that Dan Inosanto never use the name JKD or Jeet Kune Do again. Though there are many who claim to teach Jeet Kune Do around the globe, Inosanto following Lee's request, still refers to the Bruce Lee curriculum taught at his school as Jun Fan Gung Fu.

Related Topics:
Dan Inosanto - Taky Kimura - James Yimm Lee - Jeet Kune Do

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Today, there is often some controversy between Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu (a.k.a. "original Jeet Kune Do") and "Jeet Kune Do concepts," which explore other styles not previously incorporated into Jeet Kune Do by Lee. Depending on the instructor a person trains under, the name of "the style of JKD" is usually specific to a time period in Lee's process although many of the techniques are often the same. Perhaps a reason why Lee himself later regretted even giving a name to his philosophy/fighting style thereby making it just another "martial art style." Lee saw loyalty to a particular martial arts style as being dogmatic and having limitations. This and Bruce Lee's other ideas about martial arts students gave Bruce Lee many enemies in the martial art community of the 1960s/70s. Yet, much of the dispute about Jeet Kune Do instruction is not so much the names, but the credibility of the instructors teaching these Jeet Kune Do fighting systems.

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There were three certified instructors: Dan Inosanto received the highest certification in Lee's art (notable exception is Taky Kimura, senior most instructor in Jun Fan Gung Fu) is widely regarded as the senior most JKD instructor. All other instructors (again except Taky Kimura and the late James Yimm Lee ) are certified under Inosanto, even Bruce's other original students. Kimura, to date, has certified only one person in Jun Fan Gung Fu, his son and heir, Andy Kimura. James Yimm Lee, a close friend of Bruce, never certified anyone before his untimely passing. Inosanto often serves not only as the leading instructor and historian of Jeet Kune Do Concepts; he also teaches and practices other styles such as Kali, Silat, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jujitsu, some of which were already incorporated into the Jun Fan system.

Related Topics:
Andy Kimura - Jeet Kune Do Concepts - Brazilian Jujitsu

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Another student of Lee's at the Jun Fan Gung Fu institute in Seattle was Joseph Cowles, who was not certified by Lee as a Jun Fan Gung Fu instructor, but was encouraged by him to teach martial arts. Cowles then founded the Wu Wei Gung Fu system.

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