I need JKD Guidance..

[Jeet_Tek]

Hi, I'm the resident newbie (well, at time of post, anyways), and for the past few years I've been interested in JKD, but I've never had the resources or guidance that I needed to pursue it. Recently I've gotten resources (scored birthday money. ^_^), and now I need guidance...so I've decided to come to all of you for help.

I've been scanning around the internet for quite some time now, and this forum has caught my eye a few times. Today is when I decided that I really really need help.

As for background, I went up to Red Belt in Taekwondo until I got out of it, realized that the style didn't help me all that much, and I haven't been near a martial arts school ever since. I've read up a little on Tai Chi, Jiu Jitsu, Wing Chun, and I read the Tao of JKD. I remember reading the part in ToJKD (if I remember correctly) where Bruce talks about finding an instructor...that you shouldn't be impressed if he can break bricks and the like...and I'm very wary about joining a dojo.

Even if I wasn't, I don't have a job, and I wouldn't be able to pay monthly to go to a school and learn. Parents aren't exactly helpful in that matter. I was thinking about going towards videos, but I didn't want to buy videos that wouldn't teach me what I really needed to know, and I didn't want to get the wrong interpritation of JKD. I know there are techinques that have been taught in JKD (like stop-kick, for instance. ), but after all, JKD is about "Absorbing what is useful and getting rid of what isn't", and it confuses me a little...like this quote, for instance:

"To float in totality, to have no technique, is to have all technique."

Also, I need work on physical conditioning training...if the tools aren't sharp, then you can't use them efficiently, y'know?

If anyone could point me in some direction that would help me out in furthering my studies (or starting me out) in JKD, I would really apprieciate it. Recommend a video series, books, exercise and dieting tips, anything at all that works...would be very apprieciated.

I'm sorry that this post was long, and I'm sorry if I'm sounding like an uber-n00b...I know that it can get annoying to the regs.

Later.

-Tek-

[Hunter P]

Your running into the no.1 problem people have with JKD. Finding a good school.
Bruce was quite correct don't be impressed with an instructor who can break breeze blocks or anything as they are tricks... Punch a breeze block yourself you'll see.

Anyway I do the newest form of JKD called Keysi Fighting Method. If your lucky enough to have a class around you I'd join it. Takes the basic principles of JKD and adds the newer forms of fighting like Myai Thai, Brazillian Ju Jutzu into the fold. Much more devestating technique and something I enjoy using on a saturday night booze up

Also the U.S. Marines train in Keysi so you know it's good

Anyway hope this helps you narrow your search and I hope you find a school where you can express yourself naturally.

[shasan]

from my experience, a good JKD school is usually 'affiliated' with a well-known JKD guru (i use the term loosely). Like Dan Inosanto, Larry Hartsell, Paul Vunak, Tom Cruse etc...

The club that I will soon be training at (i just moved) has instructors that have earned instructorships under Larry Hartsell (that's just for JKD).

So that's something you want to look for, since there really is no other way for a JKD newbie to tell if the instructor's any good other than who do their instructors learn from?

Also, if you're looking on the internet, search for something like "JKD your city" or "Progressive Fighting Systems your city" (PFS is the Paul Vunak brand of JKD), you get the idea.

In the yellow pages, you can narrow down the choices to clubs that are named Joe Schmo's Mixed Martial Arts, or Combat Training, of Fighting Systems, or something like that... and just call them and ask what kind of instructorships they have and from whom.

hope that helps.

[lssanjose]

yeah what shasan said. What area are you located in? There is the inosanto instructor list that is quite extensive, paul vunak has his own list of instructors, very extensive. Tim Tackett has some instructors on his website, sifu lamar davis has his website with full of instructors.

they can be reached via the following :

inosanto : inosanto.com

vunak : fighting.net

tim tackett : www.jkdwednite.com

lamar davis: www.hardcorejkd.com

these are only a few

oh yeah

chris kent : chriskentjkd.org

[budoman]

Hi, I know the feeling. I was like that too. But from experience i can tell you, with JKD it's all about your goal in MA. If you want to learn just basic JKD streetfighting and will not in it for life, I suggest you go with Paul Vunak, but if you love it and will be in it for life, try Burton Richardson (www.jkdunlimited.com) or Matt Thornton (www.straightblastgym.com).
For videos, get Straight Blast Gym series either Matt Thornton series 1 or 2 or Burton Richardson's Straight Blast series and Budo International series. I happen to sell JKD and other videos if you're interested. I sell bootleg tapes as well as legitimate original tapes. If you're interested, send me an email and I will send you my list. Good luck.