Jeet Kune Do/wing chun tapes

[vedder]

I am just getting started in the Jeet Kune do track of martial arts. I have decided that I want to go in the direction of Jeet Kune do concepts. Can anyone tell me what series of tapes would be good to take you from beginner to advanced in the concepts of Jeet Kune Do. Also is there a good wing chun series of tapes anyone recommends?

[Watchman]

Wing Chun video

Hands down, the best beginning Wing Chun video ever made is Wong Shun Leung's "The Science of Infighting", which you can order off of Amazon for around $15.00.

The 70's soundtrack will make you chuckle, but there is a lot of good information and examples of how to apply Wing Chun's basic principles, and would go a long way in helping accelerate your JKD learning.

[vedder]

Wing chun/jkd

Thanks for the response watchman. I just placed the order for the video you recommeded. All the reviews for that tape were favorable. Since I have no wingchun school around my area I have to rely on tapes and books. I know that I may be rushing this but is there any opinion of tapes that my be a followup to this one. Should I be looking at the numerous panther video tapes that offer wing chun instruction. And also what tapes offer a foundation for JKD training as well as advanced. Should I look at the paul vunak tapes or burton richardson or Dan Inosanto.

[mit4]

My recommendations

Vedder,

My favorites:

Matt Thornton's Functional JKD. Hands down probably the best set I have ever watched. Full of information that you can use right away. Available at www.straightblastgym.com. He also has a new series coming out within the month, it rocks.

Burton Richardson's JKD Unlimited series. AWESOME stuff. Burt is true JKD. Also available at www.straightblastgym.com.

Paul Vunak's Street Safe series & Interactive RAT System. IMHO these are better than any of the PFS videos as many of the PFS videos are just a rehash of the same stuff you will find in these. Available at www.trsdirect.com.

Demi Barbito's Killer Instinct and Killing Giants. Great tapes with a lot of cool tactics and training methods. Killing Giants is a shorter tape (and I think, less expensive) and covers *real* weapon on weapon with real aggression, along with some ways to train it safely. Adam Singer wrote on Demi's website : "This tape is hardcore - no nonsense weapons work. This material is the perfect compliment to the RAT. Demi shows the difference between sparring with a weapon and "saving yourself" with a weapon" Available at www.trsdirect.com and www.demibarbito.com.

If you are interested in Jun Fan stuff, I have heard good things about Lamar Davis' series, although I haven't seen them. Same goes for Chris Kent. I have seen Kevin Seaman's Black Belt series and it is a good overview of Jun Fan Gung Fu principles.

Mike Torres
mike@torres.net
(email me if you would like to discuss further)

[Watchman]

Vedder, if you're going the JKD route I'd stick with the reccomendations that mit4 gave you.

Beyond that Wong Shun Leung video there really isn't that much good Wing Chun material out on the video market. I would especially stay away from those Panther tapes you mentioned.

[vedder]

instructional tapes

I agree the panther tapes are pretty weak for the most part. Although I have Paul Vunak's JKD concepts series from them and they provided my foundation for understanding Jun Fan and trapping. I have been a Brazilian Jiujitsu student in the past and gained a good understanding of what that art tries to accomplish. However I have written a couple of the self-defense experts and they warn about relying on Jiujitsu to much. They say that never look to go to the ground in a streetfight, it should always be avoided if possible. And I must agree. And for that reason alone I have really found no other art of method that handles the reality of the stand up game and overall streetfight situation better then JKD. I mean I have a decent foundation in BJJ, since it is my primary art, now I am looking for trapping and stand up skills. Vunak seems to be focused on street survival like kino mutai which in combo with BJJ is awsome. But do you guys still think that trapping has a place in training to fight? Thank you for all your reponses.

[mit4]

Tony Blauer

Vedder,

Check out www.tonyblauer.com. It isn't "JKD" but I think you will find that it is perhaps, just about the closest thing to the street.

Mike

[vedder]

Dan Inosanto

Hey thanks once again for the reply mit4. Have you had the opportunity to view the Dan Inosanto tapes that teach jun fan/ filipino martial arts. And are there any other tapes that stand out in your mind as being just really good tools for the home student?

[Watchman]

Vedder,

In answer to your quesitons about "trapping" I thought I would copy over a post I made on another forum that was made in resonse to someone on the JKD/BJJ track wondering about Wing Chun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your Wing-Chun Training???

I got a question does most of your guys classes concentrate on trapping??. Or do they have a more boxing style range to them???


That's actually one of the biggest misconceptions of what chi sau is actually for. Chi Sau isn't necessarily a "trapping" exercise, it's an exercise intended for: developing power, increasing reaction time, gaining sensitivity, and above all to learn how to find openings in the opponent's defense to strike him.

Trapping only has to happen when the opponent doesn't hold a position that covers his center, or protects his balance base. In the case that he doesn't, then no "trap" need happen -- I just bridge (make contact) and hit him (then keep hitting him).

Here's an analogy that help you visualize it: If you execute a double-leg takedown on someone who doesn't know how to draw his legs up into a defense (ie. guard), then you don't have to do a guard pass do you? You just go straight into mount and ground 'n pound.

Same thing applies to Wing Chun. Once I close the gap and bridge the opponent I immediately sense through the contact if he's got any center control, and if not I just blast through and start raining down the destruction (mostly through chain punching, but there are other creative ways to go about dismantling somebody). If he DOES have a modicum of center control (and you don't have to be a Wing Chun guy to have center control -- I fought a Muay Thai practioner once who knew how to cover and gave me some serious difficulty) I feel where I can either wedge through, circle, press, or pull to clear a path to strike.

Anyway, to answer your question, if you have to label a "range" on where the bulk of our training is done, most of our work takes place in the area somewhere between what you would consider "boxing range" and "clinching range".

There is also heavy work done on how to safely close the distance with someone (the MOST dangerous part of the fight), and how to properly position yourself. Wing Chun is more than just a bunch of fancy hand moves used to "trap" a guy -- it's about putting your power in the right place at the right time to shut your opponent down and start remodeling his anatomy.

At the same time, how you position yourself in a fight is pretty much dictated by how and where your opponent moves. Wing Chun gives you alot of options in how you can fight your individual battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Vedder, as far as "trapping" is concerned, it is only necessary in fighting in so far as it gives you the ability to maneuver inside someone's attempts to stop your striking movements.

In my opinion, if you're already traveling the JKD route I would stick to the trapping methodologies taught by noted instructors like Richardson and Vunak because they would already fit into your "fighting model" better. To be successful at applying Wing Chun methodology (trapping, striking, etc) requires learning a unique body structure and delivery of power that may not fit with your "flow".

[vedder]

Thanks for your response that definitely got me thinking. However I was wondering if you happen to remeber a JKD tape series by chris kent. Would you happen to know where I can get a hold of them or who still sells them.

[mit4]

"Have you had the opportunity to view the Dan Inosanto tapes that teach jun fan/ filipino martial arts. And are there any other tapes that stand out in your mind as being just really good tools for the home student?"

I haven't seen Dan's new set, but if they are anything like the old set, they are information overload! Similar to his seminars. Good stuff, but just a lot of it and hard to discern.

My recommendation is to stick with Matt, Burton, Demi and Vu. You will find things you like and things you don't like. But you will be hard pressed to find better authorities. Start with Matt's Functional JKD series and Burton's JKDU series (great training methods, drills, etc) and move into Demi and Vu's (great tactics)

[vedder]

Samoan Streetfighting

Okay I promise this is the last inquiry I will ever make concering instructional tapes. But I was wondering if anyone ever remebers a samoan streetfighting tapes series by Island Warrior Productions that featured an instructor by the name of Kazja and he was teaching the bone breaking Somoan art of Kapu Kuialua, and the trapping art of Kalimalama. I was just wondering if those tapes are still available and where I can get them.

[Watchman]

I remember the ads for those tapes, and think they were produced by Panther. If you call them up the might have some in the archives.

Incidentaly, one of Kaja's students fought Bart Vale in the WCC.

[peppi]

That's actually one of the biggest misconceptions of what chi sau is actually for. Chi Sau isn't necessarily a "trapping" exercise, it's an exercise intended for: developing power, increasing reaction time, gaining sensitivity, and above all to learn how to find openings in the opponent's defense to strike him.

very good point