DJ : ""Beasley did train with Joe Louis and while Louis is a great Martial Artist it is asinine to refer to him as a JKD guy. I know Lewis has referred to himself as such from time to time (hey, I would too if it sold seminar tickets) but what certifications or even recorded REGULAR training did Joe Louis have with Bruce Lee.
The truth is that Joe Lewis made no claim to a JKD lineage until Beasley founded his own JKD organization and recruited Lewis to back up his (Beasley's) claim to authenticity.""
DJ: ""Additionally, Training with Joe Lewis does not make him a JKD guy. Joe Lewis is recognizably one of the greatest Karate Fighters of the 20th century, but he is not a JKD instructor. Where is the evidence that Bruce Lee ever certified Lewis to teach in the first place?""
m, Brewer: ""
true. Joe Lewis may fight very well. He may have trained with Bruce Lee on a few occasions. But he is not a certified JKD instructor under anyone recognized by Bruce Lee. Therefore, it's hard to say how he's authorized to certify others.""
DJ: ""So what? Where did Joe Lewis receive the right to certify anyone in JKD? Hey, Kareem Abdul Jabar trained with Bruce Lee, If I get him to certify me would it really mean anything""
MB" "" but even great karate is not Jeet Kune Do. That's my fundamental problem with Joe Lewis. He's a great fighter, true enough. But does being a great fighter give a person the right to simply name themselves a representative of someone else's work? It's a marketing scheme, plain and simple. ""
DJ: ""
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The question is completely moot in regards to this discussion. The discussion is focused on Dr. Beasely's credentials, or his qualifications to teach JKD which he claims to have received certification from Joe Lewis who has never received any certification in JKD or JFGF. Its a simple fact, there is no arguing that.
I can fix quite a few things on my car, it doesn't make me a certified mechanic. I can tell someone to do a push up and run a little but it doesn't make me a certified physical trainer. I can even set a broken bone but that doesn't certify me as a paramedic let alone a doctor.
Having ability doesn't mean you are a certified (the key word being certified) anything. Joe Lewis is not a JKD instructor, he may have all of the technique in the world but if someone hasn't handed him that certification then he isn't an instructor.
Joe Lewis is one of the best EVER in American Karate, but that and some training with Bruce Lee doesn't make him a JKD instructor or give him the right to award intructorships. If Bruce Lee didn't see fit to award an instructorship to Joe Lewis and Joe Lewis never saw fit to pursue said instructorship with someone else then what justifies claiming it so many years after training with Bruce Lee? And if he doesn't have the certification to instruct or award others a certification then where does that leave Jerry Beasley""
Mr. Brewer and DJColdFusion: These are some of your quotes on Joe Lewis. I have never met or seen Dr. Beasley, and I have no personal knowledge of his teaching, But if Joe Lewis thinks he has skill I would guess he does. NOW to the meat of my problem with your Posts on Joe Lewis, I trained a small amount with Joe, starting with some private lessons in 1970, then working out twice a week at a Tracy's karate school in Hollywood through the late 70,'s and then seeing Joe now and then at seminars into the 80's. The last time I saw Joe was in the mid 80's. And what Joe taught me consisted of 2 phases, karate sparring, because thats something I enjoy, and self defense fighting. The fighting was 90 % jkd, AND YES I KNOW WHAT JKD FIGHTING IS, Both of you have stated that in your opinion the pinnacle of JKD teaching is Dan Inasanto, DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF BRUCE LEE WAS ALIVE HIS TEACHING WOULD LOOK LIKE MR. INOSANTO'S, From everything I've ever heard, seen or read Mr. Inosanto is a fine gentleman and a good, no, make that a great martial artist, But he is not a fighter,nor does he teach with a fighters mindset. But Mr. Inosanto is an educator with a great thirst for knowledge. For that reason, instead of concentrating on how to most quickly and destroying an opponent, he trys to add to his knowledge. Bruce Lee also believed learning and adding to his knowledge base, while Mr. Inosanto learns and maintains his knowledge, Bruce learned, decided if it was of value to him, and if not discarded anything that did not help him in archiving his goal, TOTAL AND IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION OF HIS ENEMY.
sorry, I know this is rambling, but my point is that Joe is the most quilified to teach Bruce Lee's FIGHTING system.
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good luck,train hard, train smart.
Yours In Martial Arts.
Bob Rosenbaum
TOTAL COMMITMENT |