Sifu Patrick Strong

[Justthefacts]

The following is a link to an article by Seattle Era student Patrick Strong. I have Sifu Strong's DVD set and he is a great martial artist. Sifu Strong was 61 years old when that DVD set was produced, yet his demonstrations of Bruce Lee's use of non-intention when striking are awesome. His forehand strike is a blur and one can only imagine how fast he was when he trained with Bruce Lee from 1960-1963. Enjoy.

BRUCE LEE UNDERESTIMATED

[Tant01]

No school like the OLD school, eh?

[fire cobra]

Great article,thanks for posting bro.

[Tee Sok]

It was a nice read, thank you.

[Justthefacts]

The following link is for those who are interested in purchasing Sifu Strong's DVD set.

Amazon.com: patrick strong - DVD: Movies & TV

[Justthefacts]

The following is a 2004 post by Sifu Patrick Strong. The man is a martial arts genius. Enjoy.

My statement: “I see the wingchun in almost everything, no matter how different the movement.”

And you ask, "can you please explain this statement.

Answer: The Wing Chun I see in Bruce is the continuity of structure and movement. To structure, it means more than mere body alignment. It means a connectedness, as in one unit and the knowledge of how function as one unit. Unbroken. Unweakened.

It means centralness. With this kind of structure a fighter moves more instantly, and his follow up moves have greater connectivity. It is not easy to jam him up. Stop his motor.

One of Bruce's major complaints having to do with karate tournaments was how the fighters fought like two chickens pecking. Back and forth. First one, pecks, and then the other other. Then a couple of pecks from one, and a peck or to back. In otherwords, the torunament figher was only good for one, two, or three consecutive moves, at best. Rarely four. And then if the other fighter mixed in with him, his motor would stop and he would have to break away to start it again.

When a fighters motor stops he gets momentarily stuck or paused, even jammed up.

In a fight where Adrenal Stress Syndrome has set in, and the muscles feel like lead held back by rubber bands, the motor is even more so getting stopped.

What I see in Bruce is a strength and power of his tools, marked by the keen proprioceptive training that came from his wing chun training in a sensitive based art.

I see someone who can deliver impact without taking rebound that would again stop up his motor. I see a unity that diminishes handle in his body, making it not only more difficult for the opponent to move or interrupt him, but permits him a way to weaken the opponent while, at the same time, virtuall increasing his own strength output, so that he functions in the gap between the difference.

I see his power eminate from his center, through his centralness. This is different than Center line, Centra line, or Mother line.

Most important, I see his mind follow his body, rather than lead it. When the mind leads the body the body gets stuck. The motor stops and has to start again.

If you are having trouble grasping this concept of the motor stopping and starting, just take a few moments to do a little shadow boxing or fighting. As you throw your combinations feel what is happening to your body. If you would like you can up the test. Throw your combinations at your training partner and just have him wade into you, and now feel what is happening to your motor. What you really want is for your motor to continue with all the shock and rebound going into the opponent and so little coming back to you that you keep moving with full speed, power, and constant body loading and position.

By the body leading the mind, we get the "It" Bruce spoke of. As in, I don't hit. "It" hits.

You ask, "related to Sim Lim Tao, what do you mean by hidden knowledge?"

Answer: What I call the "Hidden Knowledge" are the many, many details found in the design and engineering of Sil Lum Tao. Every movement trains a important mechanical advantages based on priniples, some of which are highly unique.

The details involve bone and ligament structure through alingment and connection; as well as compression and expansion principles, drilling, short arcing, listening energy, internal energy, muscle and joint selection (extremely important), secrets to exerting and holding great pressure, body unity, to name some. As a matter of fact there is even some knowledge from sil lum tao that provides amazing, if not unbelievable, results when grappling, and counter grappling.

You ask, "I want to ask do you ever meet any one who is not learning under you or related, but having the 'same' experiences (Hidden) while doing Sil Lim Tao."

Hawkins Cheung.

You asked about Bruce's statement to Hawkins in which he defined JKD as Pak Sao and Hip.

Yes, Bruce fully understood what he was saying. Inerception is much, much more than The Five Ways of Attack. It involves, more than anything else, time and distance. If I intercept your punch by moving a the same time you move, then I intercept you somewhere in the middle distance between us. However, if I move a half-beat ahead of your movment I intercept you in your territory. Likewise, if I move a half beat behind your movement, I intercept you in my territory. Timing and distance. Now think of Pak Sao intercepting. This is simply the way Pak Sao intercepts, as it is the same way a fist intercepts. Timing and distance.

Hip is structure. But a highly unique structure that commands a whole different set of mechanics than found in other arts. And a whole different set of results.

Pat Strong

[fire cobra]

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

The following is a 2004 post by Sifu Patrick Strong. The man is a martial arts genius. Enjoy.

My statement: “I see the wingchun in almost everything, no matter how different the movement.”

And you ask, "can you please explain this statement.

Answer: The Wing Chun I see in Bruce is the continuity of structure and movement. To structure, it means more than mere body alignment. It means a connectedness, as in one unit and the knowledge of how function as one unit. Unbroken. Unweakened.

It means centralness. With this kind of structure a fighter moves more instantly, and his follow up moves have greater connectivity. It is not easy to jam him up. Stop his motor.

One of Bruce's major complaints having to do with karate tournaments was how the fighters fought like two chickens pecking. Back and forth. First one, pecks, and then the other other. Then a couple of pecks from one, and a peck or to back. In otherwords, the torunament figher was only good for one, two, or three consecutive moves, at best. Rarely four. And then if the other fighter mixed in with him, his motor would stop and he would have to break away to start it again.

When a fighters motor stops he gets momentarily stuck or paused, even jammed up.

In a fight where Adrenal Stress Syndrome has set in, and the muscles feel like lead held back by rubber bands, the motor is even more so getting stopped.

What I see in Bruce is a strength and power of his tools, marked by the keen proprioceptive training that came from his wing chun training in a sensitive based art.

I see someone who can deliver impact without taking rebound that would again stop up his motor. I see a unity that diminishes handle in his body, making it not only more difficult for the opponent to move or interrupt him, but permits him a way to weaken the opponent while, at the same time, virtuall increasing his own strength output, so that he functions in the gap between the difference.

I see his power eminate from his center, through his centralness. This is different than Center line, Centra line, or Mother line.

Most important, I see his mind follow his body, rather than lead it. When the mind leads the body the body gets stuck. The motor stops and has to start again.

If you are having trouble grasping this concept of the motor stopping and starting, just take a few moments to do a little shadow boxing or fighting. As you throw your combinations feel what is happening to your body. If you would like you can up the test. Throw your combinations at your training partner and just have him wade into you, and now feel what is happening to your motor. What you really want is for your motor to continue with all the shock and rebound going into the opponent and so little coming back to you that you keep moving with full speed, power, and constant body loading and position.

By the body leading the mind, we get the "It" Bruce spoke of. As in, I don't hit. "It" hits.

You ask, "related to Sim Lim Tao, what do you mean by hidden knowledge?"

Answer: What I call the "Hidden Knowledge" are the many, many details found in the design and engineering of Sil Lum Tao. Every movement trains a important mechanical advantages based on priniples, some of which are highly unique.

The details involve bone and ligament structure through alingment and connection; as well as compression and expansion principles, drilling, short arcing, listening energy, internal energy, muscle and joint selection (extremely important), secrets to exerting and holding great pressure, body unity, to name some. As a matter of fact there is even some knowledge from sil lum tao that provides amazing, if not unbelievable, results when grappling, and counter grappling.

You ask, "I want to ask do you ever meet any one who is not learning under you or related, but having the 'same' experiences (Hidden) while doing Sil Lim Tao."

Hawkins Cheung.

You asked about Bruce's statement to Hawkins in which he defined JKD as Pak Sao and Hip.

Yes, Bruce fully understood what he was saying. Inerception is much, much more than The Five Ways of Attack. It involves, more than anything else, time and distance. If I intercept your punch by moving a the same time you move, then I intercept you somewhere in the middle distance between us. However, if I move a half-beat ahead of your movment I intercept you in your territory. Likewise, if I move a half beat behind your movement, I intercept you in my territory. Timing and distance. Now think of Pak Sao intercepting. This is simply the way Pak Sao intercepts, as it is the same way a fist intercepts. Timing and distance.

Hip is structure. But a highly unique structure that commands a whole different set of mechanics than found in other arts. And a whole different set of results.

Pat Strong

Excellent Justthefacts thanks.

[lasikeye]

thanks
No school like the OLD school, eh?

[Justthefacts]

Absolutely. IMO, Patrick Strong has surpassed Jesse Glover as Bruce Lee's best student from the Seattle Era. Sifu Strong is currently 66 years old, yet few people would want to mess with him. The following is a Youtube link to some of Patrick Strong's cutting edge techniques.

YouTube - Soft and Invisible Power - Energetics #3

[Michael Wright]

Patrick Strong. Yes, this has always confused me:

An original Bruce Lee student from the Seattle period, who is keeping the flame of Bruce Lee's original teaching alive. Good for him, nothing wrong with that. The Seattle period of Jun Fan Gung Fu, at the time Mr Strong studied with Bruce Lee, was modified Wing Chun.

So anyhoo, amongst my DVD collection there is the Patrick Strong series: "Lord of Speed - The principles of Bruce Lee that have been kept alive for 40 years". Several years ago I sat down to watch.

I sat, rather bemused, as what played out in front of me was, on the whole, a (terribly demonstrated) version of the Inosanto Martial Arts. The content consisted of entries and takedowns from Penjak Silat, single stick and knife defence methods from the Filipino Martial Arts, and ground skills from Japanese Shooto and BJJ. Having studied the Jun Fan method from the Seattle period, I did wonder if the only kind of "Lord" Patrick Strong could be is actually a Timelord, like Doctor Who.

No agenda here, I'm just making an honest observation. You are welcome to watch the trailer of this DVD series for yourself on Youtube, and by all means tell me if I am imagining things:

YouTube Video

When shortly after this he released his DVDs on "Invisible Power", which consisted of him taking on all comers using the energy from the tip of his finger..........I kind of made my mind up.

[John McNabney]

Originally Posted by Justthefacts

Absolutely. IMO, Patrick Strong has surpassed Jesse Glover as Bruce Lee's best student from the Seattle Era. Sifu Strong is currently 66 years old, yet few people would want to mess with him. The following is a Youtube link to some of Patrick Strong's cutting edge techniques.

YouTube - Soft and Invisible Power - Energetics #3

Are you kidding me? Since your name suggest (just the fact), maybe you need to learn the histury of facts of BLS.... Jesse Glover was before the "Seattle Era".... He train with BL well before the Seattle school open.


Also, this thread is already starting to sound like "my Dad is better than your Dad" Bullshit..... Get over your own limitations guys, geez! (o_0)


Keep "IT" Real,

[Justthefacts]

John: If you had read my post instead of simply reacting to my OPINION, you would have noticed that I defined that period of Bruce Lee's life as the SEATTLE ERA. Sifu Strong trained with Bruce Lee from 1960-1963. Sifu Jesse Glover trained with Bruce Lee from 1959-1964. In my OPINION, Patrick Strong has taken Bruce Lee's core principles to another level.

Michael: A few thoughts...

"So anyhoo, amongst my DVD collection there is the Patrick Strong series: "Lord of Speed - The principles of Bruce Lee that have been kept alive for 40 years". Several years ago I sat down to watch. I sat, rather bemused, as what played out in front of me was, on the whole, a (terribly demonstrated) version of the Inosanto Martial Arts. The content consisted of entries and takedowns from Penjak Silat, single stick and knife defence methods from the Filipino Martial Arts, and ground skills from Japanese Shooto and BJJ."

I have the 4 part DVD series and Sifu Strong does NOT demonstrate any single stick/knife defense methods and there are only a few BRIEF ground fighting demonstrations which have little to do with Japanese Shooto or BJJ. The context of the takedowns was to demonstrate how chain punching/trapping techniques can be used on the ground. The Youtube snippet that you include in your post is simply an introductory piece to 1 of the 4 DVDs and the person demonstrating the knife/stick techniques is Patrick Strong's student.

"Having studied the Jun Fan method from the Seattle period, I did wonder if the only kind of "Lord" Patrick Strong could be is actually a Timelord, like Doctor Who."

Jeez, you can't even get the context of the DVD title right. The title clearly states that BRUCE LEE, not Patrick Strong is the Lord of Speed.

"No agenda here,"

Really? Could have fooled me.

"I'm just making an honest observation."

Unfortunately, your observations are inaccurate.

"You are welcome to watch the trailer of this DVD series for yourself on Youtube, and by all means tell me if I am imagining things."

I have the entire DVD set, so any "observations" regarding a trailer of 4 one hour DVD's are meaningless.

"When shortly after this he released his DVDs on "Invisible Power", which consisted of him taking on all comers using the energy from the tip of his finger..........I kind of made my mind up."

Huh? The links that I provided are Youtube clips and to my knowledge, the 4 DVD set is the only set that Patrick Strong has released to the general public. Your sarcasm aside, Sifu Strong is an incredible martial artist who has the distinction of training with BOTH Bruce Lee and the Gracies/BJJ. In terms of his knoweldge of post-Seattle JFJKD, he did get together with Bruce Lee several times between 1963-1966 to discuss the things his Sifu was working on. Ergo, Sifu Strong's adoption of the JKD Bai Jong stance into his fighting method. Anybody who has ever trained with Sifu Strong will tell you that he is the real deal.

[Michael Wright]

Rest assured, it is never my intention to try and convince you of anything. A username of "justthefacts" represents your single minded devotion to your own point of view, and you are more welcome to it.

Mr Strong's DVD series does contain a large portion of material that has nothing to do with the original teaching of Bruce Lee during his Seattle period, or during his lifetime. Many of the techniques shown in the series are taken from the teachings of Guro Inosanto. All DVDs have students or assistants to the instructor demonstrating their techniques, are you saying those demonstrations are to be ignored as not part of the DVD? Give me a break. I'm not interested in going tit for tat trying to prove that, if anyone on here wants to have my Patrick Strong DVDs to see for themselves, they are more than welcome to them.

In terms of your views on the trailer, they do represent the DVDs, so don't try to mislead people. Patrick Strong and his production company will have chosen the footage that appears in that trailer, so please don't try to tell a Marketing person that is bares no relation to the DVD series. It does, and it's deliberate, all advertising is.

You are, I'm sorry to say, the target audience for every form of martial arts bullshit on offer - because your common sense and natural cynicism as a consumer are overidden by your loving devotion to a fictional ideal. I will always be, and am happy to be, the unpopular and realistic conscience to your ideals. After all of your many posts on here, I still have never seen one substantiated FACT of your own, I only ever read the same stuff I could read on any Bruce Lee website. You don't present facts, you just sing Bruce Lee hymns, and I've heard them a thousand times before.

I have trained first hand for nearly 20 years with all of the people you talk about on here. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Martial Arts, more than any other industry in the world, is full of bullshit. Whether you like it or not, if I see it then I'm going to point it out.

And if you want a copy of Patrick Strong's "Invisible Power" DVD then drop me a PM, and I'll send it to you. Just don't concentrate on the finger

[Justthefacts]

"A username of "justthefacts" represents your single minded devotion to your own point of view, and you are more welcome to it."

So, would it be fair to say that your username represents your single minded devotion to the notion that trapping doesn't work or that JKD is no longer a functional fighting method?

"Many of the techniques shown in the series are taken from the teachings of Guro Inosanto. All DVDs have students or assistants to the instructor demonstrating their techniques, are you saying those demonstrations are to be ignored as not part of the DVD?"

As I stated in my prior post, none of what you describe is part of Patrick Strong's DVD set. Period. The 4 part DVD set includes...

Lord of Speed
Lord of Power
Lord of Shock
The Inner Game

"Give me a break. I'm not interested in going tit for tat trying to prove that, if anyone on here wants to have my Patrick Strong DVDs to see for themselves, they are more than welcome to them."

As I stated in my prior post, as far as I know, this is the only DVD set available to the general public. If Sifu Strong has provided martial arts instructors with videotaped footage of other demonstrations, cool, but don't expect other posters to be able to comment on footage they've never seen.

"In terms of your views on the trailer, they do represent the DVDs, so don't try to mislead people."

I'm not misleading anyone. The ENTIRE trailer was used in the opening credits of the Inner Game DVD. That footage is NOT included in the Lord of Speed, Power, or Shock DVDs. As I stated in my prior post, the trailer does NOT represent the content of the 4 DVD set in any way, shape, or form.

"You are, I'm sorry to say, the target audience for every form of martial arts bullshit on offer - because your common sense and natural cynicism as a consumer are overidden by your loving devotion to a fictional ideal. I will always be, and am happy to be, the unpopular and realistic conscience to your ideals. After all of your many posts on here, I still have never seen one substantiated FACT of your own,"

Opinions vary.

"I have trained first hand for nearly 20 years with all of the people you talk about on here. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Martial Arts, more than any other industry in the world, is full of bullshit. Whether you like it or not, if I see it then I'm going to point it out."

I don't want to put words in your mouth, but what I'm hearing you say is that Sifu Patrick Strong is full of shit and that people who believe that JKD is a functional art need to get a life. If the latter is true, why waste your precious time commenting on an art that you feel is out of date? The mind boggles.

[Michael Wright]

My username is.....my name. I'm not sure what else to say on that comment.

I tell you what, I'll just leave other people to watch the trailer and, if they choose, the DVDs. If they know anything about martial arts or JKD they can tell me if they see the content I am referring to. I'm sure people are able to make up their own minds.

I love JKD, and there are parts of it that are very functional. However, perhaps more than any other art, I feel that some instructors thrive on the public's love and devotion of Bruce Lee, and misuse that devotion to teach content labelled as his original methods but its quite clear that they are not. Just be honest about what you teach, that's all I look for, and thats the only reason I comment on the art.

And yes, if I see an intelligent, experienced grown man in this day and age still trying to convince people that fights can be won using the energy from the tip of your finger - I'm going to have an opinion on that.