The Way Of The Intercepting Fist

[georgie]

i was considering taking JKD with my boxing but im having trouble finding a school here in Calgary , Canada.........the thing about JKD that i question is JKD teaches fighting with your strong side as your lead which goes against western boxing...as an orthodox fighter i would have to convert to southpaw....does this mean you cant have power from both sides?....im forever working on my jab's speed and power from an orthodox's stance ...i see Lee's point on having your strongest and fastest weapons up front but boxing also teaches me to have an effective left jab as my lead.......mike brewer as a competitive boxer and practising JKD artist which side would you use as your lead? and anyone else who studies boxing with JKD also in their arsenal.....i do switch up my stance on the heavy bag and in shadowboxing as ive noticed a dramatic improvement in my left hand's power and speed as well overall versatility but to fight like that in an altercation? ..........

[Tant01]

Do not consider me a "reputable" source but here's a little trick you may already know...

Stand in a normal posture, balanced, like you were waiting in line or getting a mugshot. Relax. Feet about shoulder width apart. Now from the front have someone simply push you directly rearward untill you must step back to catch your balance. STOP. You are now in the correct fighting stance...For you. Gaurd up? "Ready"?

Don't get caught up in the stance too much. Moving is where it's at!

[CLM]

The theory behind strong side lead is to have your strongest weapon closest to your opponent. However, I'm pretty sure he bagan advocating practicing off both sides later in his life. I've seen a couple of Dan Inosanto videos and he also advocates everything should be practice off both sides.

[SifuUga]

but to fight like that in an altercation? .......... [/QUOTE]

What you might have missed is that this is not going to be ten rounds of duking it out. JKD intercepts with these fast weapons in a way (such as an eye attack) that ends a fight. Yes you need to train both sides. Also, a stance is only a momentary means of delivery. After the first movement stance goes out the window. Don't dwell on it. Just train both ways and modify techniques as needed.

[georgie]

thanks ...wasnt sure if the strong side forward stance mattered....practise using both sides....got it...now i found a school ....how do i find out if hes a certified JKD instructor and not a back alley Martial Artist? i have a list from inosantos website but he aint on there...his name is Andrew Carine and heres the website and association he belongs too...any suggestions?http://www.jkd-garydill.com/instructors.htm

[blitz]

Hm there are other bruce lee students who give lessons you know. I'm not sure about how to make sure though, I remember my Arnis instructor showed me his certification on paper. He had 3 signed papers saying that he is certified for teaching it.

[Tant01]

...his name is Andrew Carine and heres the website and association he belongs too...any suggestions...?

Sure, ask him yourself...



Andrew Carine
101 Panamount Grove
NW Calgary, Alberta t3k5v3 Canada
phone: 1-403-567-9308
email: acarine@shaw.ca

[georgie]

just emailed him asking who he trained under....were they affiliated with the inosanto organization and if they were on the instructor list......waiting for his reply.....is it important to study under an inosanto trained instructor though?.....or is JKD broken down like other systems into different sects where instructors approach the system with different ideas?....should JKD maintain the same ideas no matter who teaches it?....if its all good i will commute 2 hrs a day for this system so i just want ot be SURE.....thanx for the help by the way

[georgie]

i guess this man sifu andrew carnine is the real deal...trained under prof. gary dill( who was under james lee) and Taky Kimura (whoever that is) ...not sure if you guys know who they are but im starting his classes this week and am looking forward to it...has a class of only 8 people and will be teaching me stand up JKD , filipino sticks , grappling and knife defense......PUMPED.

[Tant01]

Good enough.

Enjoy.


In JKD it's always good to take the most direct route. Straight to the source. Simple, direct... Good kung fu...

[RZZZA]

Sorry, but I thought that stance was very important? When you throw a punch, you invariably want to come back to your natural and comfortable stance...so stance IS important, isnt it? Its the default, its where you want to come back to after your attack/parry/block/wahtever.

[Tant01]

Think of your legs as a mobile weapon(s) platform. They are always where they need to be to keep you in position to attack or counterattack. Stance implies static thinking. It's a momentary position you pass through on your way to where you are going... Are you posing for a photograph? No, you are moving in a constantly evolving (fluid) and dynamic situation. There is no stance.

[RZZZA]

But its also true that an attack that is thrown whilst you are offbalance is an attack that is devoid of its full power, and youll leave yourself open to counterattack. Balance is very important, that is part of the point of stances, they are supposed to feel fluid, natural, flexible and they are supposed to protect you from attacks (which is why boxers are told to keep their arms up all the time). Stances help keep your legs set and your balance natural so you can throw those devestating kicks, punches, elbows, knees, etc.

[Tant01]

.... Balance is very important, that is part of the point of stances, they are supposed to feel fluid, natural, flexible and they are supposed to protect you from attacks (which is why boxers are told to keep their arms up all the time). Stances help keep your legs set and your balance natural so you can throw those devestating kicks, punches, elbows, knees, etc.

I respectfully disagree. This is my main complaint about "stance" training. You are set in an upright position. No, you are MOVING in an upright position. The platform (hips legs feet) keeps you balanced by constantly adjusting to the forces of gravity, momentum or initiating an action with some mass.
You do not stand (still) during the conflict or the practice for the conflict. You must be moving your "platform" constantly to evade the attack, you move the platform into (a) position to counter attack etc, the platform is never stationary for more than a moment. Stance implies a static position in preparation for a movement. Balance is the act of keeping yourself upright. In a stance your balance is easily manipulated. By moving you maintain balance even if it is subtle movement it is not a "stance"...

Perhaps you mean the naturally mobile position of your feet relative to each other? That is a good way to keep your balance but only if they move to maintain it.

[RZZZA]

Right, I definetly agree with you up to a point....even boxers, fighters that really only punch with their fists, are told that their legs are very important and to keep them moving, keep looking for openings in your opponents guard, keep hustling to lead your enemy into a trap or a corner perhaps...so I agree that movement is very important, but when you think about boxers, they are not moving excesively for the sake of moving...no, and when they throw heir punches, the most effective punches are thrown from a set stance, not whilst moving. When boxers are exchanging, theyre not doing so whilst moving their legs, they stand toe to toe and move their upper bodies around more than they do their feet. Its only when you have to adjust your position, or when you need to back off, that legs come into use. I dont mean to underestate the importance of movement, but I also dont want people to understate the importance of a default comfortable stance, or two or perhaps many more if you know what youre doing, stances can help you defend, they can help you gain the advantage in attack, and they can also do subtle things like confuse or mislead your opponent.