JKD vs MMA

[Yessir]

This is not a "who would win thread".

I think that the core philosophy of JKD is pretty similar to MMA, and what most MMA fighters, shootfighters, Vale Tudo fighters, NHB etc. etc. are training in the spirit of JKD, especially is they add a little bit of selfdefence training in their game.

I read an article that said that Bruce was turning away from Chi sau and trapping, is this total BS or is there something to it?

When I practiced PFS JKD, back when they where still affiliated, the training was pretty similar to MMA or shootfighting, with the only exception that there were a little more dirty tricks, and FMA training, and the strong side was forward, of course.

What do you guys think?

I MMA/Shootfighting/NHB what Bruce was moving towards? I read some guy saying that he was becoming a Neo Muay Thai Fighter.

[Mike Brewer]

I think the philosophies are very similar, with the focal points being the major difference. MMA is interested in using what is useful for the purposes of being effective across all ranges in the sport setting. JKD is interested in using what is useful for the purposes of being effective across all ranges of a streetfight. Where MMA has no need for things like multiple attacker training drills, weapons, and other such specialized training, JKD (should) uses it as its core. Once you get past the idea that one is for sport and the other for self-protection, the theories are very similar.

[Yessir]

That's what I thought. My english is still a little lacking, what are focal points?

[Thai Bri]

The focal point is the direction - in this case being sport or street.

I disagree when people say MMA is like JKD...... JKD is like all kinds of things, depending on the background of the instructor.

MMA was born out of the so called "no rules" competitions, with all kinds of weird and wonderful techniques being removed until a small nucleus of effective techniques were left behind.

I feel a bit embarrassed on behalf of JKD people when they try to afilliate themselves to MMA. It's like a desperate bid for credibility.

Precious few MMA guys spins sticks or does the Hubud drill.

[Michael Wright]

Bri. Your views remind me a lot of Matt Thornton, in that I agree with and support the vast majority of them, until the point where you drop into negative generalisations.

To support you, I don’t personally see a great deal of comparison between the JKD of today and the MMA arena. From my training I feel that the JKD taught in the latter day Chinatown era was more comparable to the concepts of MMA, i.e. a very stripped down approach to technique where conditioning and all out sparring were the focus. The JKD matrix today is one that draws from a vast myriad of arts, where the scope of knowledge takes more than a lifetime to absorb, and in many cases ownership comes down to the sheer talent of the individual. When an individual from JKD has moved into the MMA arena, this hasn’t proved that JKD can cut it in MMA, because these people have become MMA fighters, not JKDr’s. They have done so under their own ability, and they have been exceptional athletes that I believe would have succeeded without JKD. A few people that spring to mind are Erik Paulson, Shaun Sherk and Neil Mcleod here in the UK.

However, to go over some old ground for us Bri, every intelligent fighter knows that to train for sport your training has to be sport-specific. Therefore the drills from the Filipino Martial Arts are a totally different entity, and have nothing to do with whether a fighter with a JKD background will succeed or fail in MMA. Let the hubud thing go mate, let it go.

Moreover, all of the people I train with and surround myself with, have absolutely no need for “a desperate bid for credibility”. Have they proved it in the MMA arena? Some have, some haven't, so what.

[Mike Brewer]

Bri,
I don't think JKD needs to lean on anything for credibility. it is what it is, and if it wanted to go that way (many people have, after all) JKD would be chanting Bruce Lee from the rooftops. In terms of bringing people to martial arts, there's still nothing - not even MMA - that gets people's attention like Bruce Lee.

It's not about trying to tie one to another. It's about acknowledging a common idea that really does exist. MMA people do - in the sportive arena and the competitive sense - what JKD people do in the street arena. Or at least, what they ought to do. JKD people should be looking for what works across the full spectrum of real-world combat regardless of the source of information or the ties to anything traditionally recognized. In other words, if guns become the most prevalent streetfighting tool in the world, JKD people should learn how to use them. If multiple attackers are prdominant, a good JKD person should be looking at how to deal with them. If grapplers become more prevalent, look for JKD people to get good on the ground. It's about keeping up with the times, and with the reality of fighting without rules or restrictions.

MMA is a sport, and nothing more. Like boxing, the participants are athletes that function under an agreed-upon set of rules. They have the advantage of knowing that they will only be fighting one person, and that the opponent across the ring will have had the same amount of time to train and get ready as they have. They'll agree by prohibitions to use the same sets of tools, to work under a time frame, and to leave the determination of victory in the hands of a subjective panel of judges should no one dominate. However, in the scope of what they do, you will see MMA athletes looking to use whatever they can to gain an advantage. They will train with anyone from any style if they think it will better prepare them for the cometition ahead. That's a very JKD idea. Not unique to JKD, and not started by JKD, but certainly a core tenet of the "system."

What I really don't understand is why so many people get all pissy and whiny when people point out what really ought to be an obvious connection in philosophy.