What does your JKD training consist of?

[Bystander]

For those training in the philosophies of Jeet Kune Do, I was wondering what your typical training sessions consist of.

How much of one session's time is devoted to body conditioning, drills for mind conditioning, and actual sparring?

I'm just curious because I am just beginning my training in Jeet Kun Do philosophies under a Jun Fan and kickboxing context. Since Jeet Kun Do is not a style, but a way, I'd like to know what form your training takes as you train in the ways of Jeet Kun Do.

[JKogas]

Training instead of learning! Do you understand the difference? SO many people want to get together and "learn some new techniques" (especially in JKD) to the extent that they never end up actually training.

Remember that perhaps one of the most profound things that Bruce Lee tried to get across was to seek for daily decrease instead of daily increase. I like to work my stand up game, clinch and groundfighting games without adding a lot in each session.

Don't seek to learn as many techniques as possible. Learn the basics of each game and SPAR as much as is possible. Sparring should be the goal -- not accumulated learning. DO this and you'll grow as a fighter.

I personally like to work conditioning outside of class/training. If I am training, I want to be there to improve as a fighter and work on my weaknessess. If I only have an hour's class, I'd rather spend that time sparring, hitting pads, bags or whatever. Save the cardio/roadwork and weight training for later. Use the training session for what it's for -- learning to FIGHT!

-John

[omgitsroy326]

i'm glad some people here think it's a philosophy.

[JKD_Jay]

Good point about JKD being a philosophy, omgitsroy326. I also agree with JKogas about PT in class, although there are some classes (Muay Thai) where it's a much bigger part, of course. Also, hitting the focus mitts for an hour, then stick and knife sparring for a while kinda qualifies as PT, doesn't it? If you disagree, you should try it.

[omgitsroy326]

Seriously anythin that trains in a mixture of art that covers punch, kick, lock, take down, and ground fight could be considered JKD. I mean all it is like a real all around workout. Because many martial arts tend to focus on one area.

Example would be : Boxing : ONly punch

Tae Kwon do: Mostly kick

[pcarney]

Well, the whole JKD philosophy/art/whatever aside, we usually do the following in a class-

Start off with footwork drills- mostly the 'mirror drill' (one person follows the other person as they move around the floor- add kick evasions, stop kicks, etc)

Hit the pads - kicks, punches, etc. Work bob and weave, etc. End with 2-3 'freestyle' rounds.

Hand Speed drills - straightblast drills, bong sao drills, lop sao drills.

Then we work on a particular attribute or range, such as trapping, grappeling, or stop hitting, or the five ways of attack.

Finally, we end up (2-3 times) doing sparring.

All said, its a great workout, and the variation keeps me interested.

[isot777]

I think one thing that is very important during training is the "core" or the basic principals that make jkd , jkd, for example footwork, trapping (using the wingchun dummy if possible), dynamics of the punch etc.. I don't mean doing the same routine everytime you train ,but keeping the core principals in mind . I do think it is important to learn new techniques, but techniques don't make a fighter good, flawless performance of the techniques already known makes a good fighter, as everyone else has said "strip away" less is more. And always remember this is a system of thought/philosophy no one can tell you how you should do it we can only tell you how we do it .

hope this helps

isot777

[mushinmaster]

Variation to stay interested?Westernization...

[pcarney]

Originally posted by mushinmaster
Variation to stay interested?Westernization...

Oh, that's right, lots of variation! Hell, we never repeat a single drill, technique, etc. Some people think repition is key to learning a martial art- me, I think if you can't get it right the first time, why bother doing it again?

And did I mention we all wear red, white and blue gis at my school! What- you guys don't?!

[Hapkidodude]

JKD is "Westernization".

[mushinmaster]

In Eastern thought, its pretty old.

I hope you're joking there bigfella, if not its pretty sad

[Hapkidodude]

One of the core beliefs that Bruce incorporated into JKD was to not conform to "styles" in the traditional sense. He taught to break free from being fit into a style. The style should fit the individual, should be created by the individual. This breaks free from the "Eastern" way that the martial arts were percieved and taught. That in my opinion is "Westernization". I view that to be a good thing too. That means that the training methods used just might be "Westernized" in addition. Just because something was developed in the "East" does not make it the best. Now this is not to say that "Eastern" elements are not there. There are many. But a "Western " approach is , "use what works for the sake of its usefullness". Dont conform to it because that is the way it has been done for years.

[mushinmaster]

Actually this concept is very old in the East. I don't think I can put it better, so here's an excerpt from Living the Martial Way, by Forest E. Morgan:

The second thing to understand is that where Western religious doctrines are exclusive, Eastern religious and philisophical thought is inclusive. Westerners believe they can only practice one faith, follow only one path to salvation. That means that a Roman Catholic cannot worship in a Jewish Temple, nor could a Lutheran join the Greek Orthodox Church and remain Lutheran. Most Asians, on the other hand, don't believe any one doctrine holds a monopoly on truth. Subsequently, a Japenese might very well be married in a Buddhist Temple one day and take part in a Shinto ritual the next. He wouldn't feel any moral conflict in that behavior, nor would the clergy of either faith object.

What you view Westernization I see as common sense. What I see as Westernization is commercialization, "watering down the wine," and a general decline in the lessons of life and the martial arts.

[Hapkidodude]

I can see where you are coming from now Mushinmaster. To me the term Westernization means to take something that is "foreign" and make it familiar in an American sense . I do think that in todays times that the Western and Eastern schools of thought are starting to come closer together.

[mushinmaster]

They are. Slowly but surely. Unfortunatly, in making something familliar in the American sense, you loose a lot of the original parts of something.