JKD is SLC.

[Garland]

So...up until last night, I thought that Khuen Khru Will Bernales was the ONE and ONLY JKD instructor in the state...then last night I get a phone call from a friend who says that he's starting classes with some JKD guy (not Khuen Khru Bernales) who is a "second degree" blackbelt in Jeet Kune Do.

Khuen Khru Bernales is straight Inosanto lineage, trained under Guro Dan, Adjarn Chai for TBA, and a really long list of other greats in a plethora of other arts and sources, most recently recieving a BJJ blackbelt from Prof. Pedro Sauer. Undoubtably one of the best instructors ANYONE could even WISH for.

This other guy, however...seems a little fishy. I don't think he's a Guro Dan guy...so what are the chances the guy training my pal is a fraud?
What other lineages would be okay for him to claim to be an instructor in JKD???


Salt Lake is SMALL...but our martial arts community includes some top names and is pretty tight knit...news gets around quickly. We have Kalista with Khuen Khru Bernales, Utah Kali Federation (Pekiti&Dekiti Tirsia) with Jared Wihongi, Mushin Self Defense with Brian Yamasaki and Coach Brandon Kiser (teachning Muay Thai & Erik Paulson's CSW), MTIK with Khru Sakasem "Punisher" Kwathawong, Pedro Sauer's Academy, Jeremy Horn has a gym here now, Walt Bayeless Jiu Jitsu, UCTC for the UCE (see www.ucombat.com )...and we used to have a Janjira gym here too. A very close knit community with some big names...and all of these places are top notch...but for some reason...
this new guy...
I haven't ever heard of him...
I might go in next friday to see if he's legit...if not, I'm taking my friend back and, if need be, drag him kicking and screaming to somebody REAL...like Khuen Khru Bernales or Mushin...or Sem.

[BoarSpear]

Have your friend show you what he is being taught..you know what it should be... also you nailed it, pay the school a visit. It would take pretty big balls to open a bogus school with that much talent and lineage in town though...

[Garland]

It would take pretty big balls to open a bogus school with that much talent and lineage in town though...

We have a great deal of TMA guys who know nothing about the other schools in town, and the state is literally filled with many ignorant people who wouldn't know the difference between Tai Chi, Thai boxing, or Tae Bo.

I have to check this guy out...I hope he's for real, because if not...I might have to call him on it in front of his students. (I'll make sure to bring along some copies of my seminar attendance slips, and pictures of me with some big names to give my argument more credance.)* should I do this...I have respect for the art, so...I feel obligated if this guys a fraud to, at the VERY least, expose him.

Who knows...maybe he's some guy who's taken one or two classes and is now trying to present himself as an instructor, while teaching out of a book or something...
Regardless...I want to see his credentials before I say anything one way or the other.

...
So, other than Guro Dan's lineage...what would be credible for a Jeet Kune Do line? (other than if he produces a picture of him with Sigung Lee in one of the schools with some of the other O.G.'s?)

[BoarSpear]

pictures and credentials can be faked...Talent and skill cant...if he cant run trapping drills/ sensitivity drills or execute clean techniques he shouldnt be teaching ...

[Garland]

So...what should I look for...
Wing chun type stuff, sil lum tao, chi sao, don chi sao???
Jun Fan Gung Fu kickboxing progressions? PIA, ABC, ABD...???
Don't most JKD guys have to take Muay Thai to be qualified as instructors by Guro Dan?

IF he has fake credentials...is there anybody who I should contact?

[Freedom]

Thats a very good point mike, about whether or not he has had training, that if he can improve you as a student, then that makes him a good instructor. I never thought of it that way. Very novel!

[Garland]

I've met Gerald on a number of occassions. He used to work our occassionally at Kalista with Brian Yamasaki, Brandon Kiser, and a few other people including myself.

I think I'll just go...check it out...and if the guy is a joker...invite him and his students to come train with the other guys around town, who knows...if this guy really does want to become a JKD instructor....he could get the connections to do it for real. (with a LOT of hard work and time.)

I might try and co-opt his students to a legit gym...God knows if he has a bunch of people willing to learn...why should they suffer under a fraud?

[thtackett]

I didn't know that JKD gave out black belts.
Tim Tackett

[BoarSpear]

I didn't know that JKD gave out black belts.
Tim Tackett

HEHEHE i was wondering how long it was gonna take for someone with actual lineage in JKD to mention that...

[Garland]

HEHEHE i was wondering how long it was gonna take for someone with actual lineage in JKD to mention that...

why do you thing I put black belt in quotations?
I thought the philosophy was; belt are only good to hold up your pants.
By the way...isn't JKD taught as concepts and philosophies???
Jun Fan Gung Fu kickboxing is taught though, as part of it...right???

By the way, Mr. Tackett...I'm a big fan. Thank you for replying to my thread, sir.

[BoarSpear]

i knew you knew thats why you mentioned it! i was just waiting on one of our more distinguished members to take it up...

[Garland]

I think I have a date next Friday.....

Problem is...homeboy is charging $30 a lesson.
Oh...well, money well spent in my eyes.

[Garland]

Okay...I now know who this guy is...he's a third generation JKD guy, but he's a direct BJJ guy under Prof. Sauer, so...he's for real...and he teaches out of MTIK.
BJJ seems to be his strong suit, and up until now, I thought he only taught BJJ.

http://www.fusionbjj.com/instructor.htm

so...it looks like I'll have to shut up...
he's still REALLY expensive relative to even Pedro's place. $30 for an hour lesson???

I want to see what he's teaching as far as JKD...doesn't he have to be directly under Guro Inosanto to teach it???