i agree with you. bruce did intend for it to be like a stepping stone. my problem with it is that many people don't use it like that. they take what bruce taught originally and just stick with that, thinking that it is the only true jkd. they think in the "ultimate martial art" mentality. the best instructors teach open-mindedness and try to take the best of everything that works for them. unfortunately, most the the jkd instructors i have run into, do not do this. jkd is often best left to the person rather than an instructor. if you don't have any outside "do it this way, don't do it that way," you will find what works for you. nobody practices something that doesn't work unless there is outside pressure to do it.
someone wrote this in another post on this subject:
who is the better jkd man? the student who becomes attached to the strong side forward stance and always tries to intercept with a finger jab, or the judoka who studies boxing to gain a greater understanding of himself as a fighter. he'd say the second person was doing jkd, and the first was a traditionalist. it's not your toolbox that matters, but the way you approach the the arts.
ryan
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