block it

[french fri25]

hey guys... i have a few questions about JKD with blocking, defensive strategies and open hand techniques. i mean i know that JKD was highly based on wing chun, which was became well known for its open hand strikes. my school hasnt taught many onpen hand strikes at all. blocking... UGLY... my school dont teach any blocks. defensive strategies...learned a few but none of em were realistic. one defensive tactic is in case 2 people come side to side and put one of their hands on your shoulder... lol... unbelievable... how many of u have ever had 2 guys come up next to u and put their hands on your shoulders. lol.... wen you taking a family photo maybe... but wen the hell will that help me on the street? there is a more pathetic thing about the technique that just completely disses the name of my skool so i think i'll just keep it to myself... lol... but i just wanted to know if there was a curriculum that all JKD intructors must teach. WILL MY SKOOL EVER TEACH ME ANY OF THIS STUFF THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP ME IN LIFE???!!! blocks, open hand strikes, joint manipulations???? anything???

please let me know about anything that u might think about my skool

will i ever learn real martial arts!!!!!!!???????

french fri25

[m_calingo]

Without getting into the debate as to what JKD instructors "should teach," is it possible for you to shop around and see if there are any other instructors in your local area that teach JKD?

If so, I suggest you drop by, check out the class and see if they teach the sort of material you want to learn.

This may be easier said than done, depending on where you live. If this is not the case, the only other suggestion I have is for you to check out the seminars conducted by JKD teachers you are interested in learning from, and going to those seminars close to you when they become available.

My teacher taught Jun Fan JKD, and he studied from both Dan Inosanto and Ted Wong. The primary tool I learned was the lead vertical fist, followed by the cross, and hook punch. These were not "open hand" techniques, per se. We did learn the knife hand to the throat, and palm heel strikes, but that was pretty much it.

As far as blocks go, a key tenet in JKD is the use of a simultaneous block and strike. The block itself isn't so much a block, but more of a parry or deflection. In some cases, the arm that you use to deflect the blow is the same one that you use to throw the counter punch.

The idea behind this is that while your opponent may throw the first blow, yours is the one that lands first.

Was this the kind of material you expect to learn?

[french fri25]

hey... thanx 4 the info... first off there r no other JKD schools around me... i live on long island, NY and there r only like 4 dojos that teach JKD. i actually took someones advice on this forum (forget exactly who said it but thanx, it worked!) and talked to my Sifu about the material we will cover. he assured me that we will learn exactly wat i wanted to learn. it just takes time.

everybody, thanx a lot 4 the advice, it really helped a lot to hear wat all u martial artists had to say. i think im gonna like my skool better now that my Sifu will try to teach a little more about wat i was looking for, which was a more defensive art with more joint manipulations, throws, and grappling

once again, i appreciate u all taking time from your schedule in order to help me out. if any of u need help, i will try to answer your questions to the best of my knoweledge

french fri25