Jeet Kune Do is the name of the martial art developed by Bruce Lee. Jeet Kune Do literally translates to ‘the way of the intercepting fist’. Contrary to what many people think, it is not a sport but a highly advanced and extremely effective self-defense training. Because Jeet Kune Do takes into account what suits someone best, the student can always achieve the best results.
After the basic techniques and technical aspects have been covered, Jeet Kune Do allows the student to combine and further develop the best elements on their own.
Lee believed that Wing Chun had several major limitations and that confrontations lasted unnecessarily long. He began adapting the style, improving the techniques, and adding other fighting styles. Lee ensured the movements became smoother and more focused on the fight itself. He incorporated techniques from boxing and fencing. Bruce Lee believed that once you were attacked, you had to complement the attacker’s action. In this way, for example, the small, fast defender is not at a disadvantage. The extraordinary aspect of Jeet Kune Do lies in its simplicity.
It is the simple and direct expression of personal feelings, with minimal use of movements and energy. Every movement ‘is’. It exists without artificiality and complexity, elements that people often add unnecessarily. Jeet Kune Do is not special. The closer you get to the truth of Jeet Kune Do, the more the honesty of personal expression emerges.
Contrary to the traditional Chinese view that Chinese martial arts such as Kung Fu, with all its secrets, should remain exclusive to the Chinese, Bruce Lee brought the teaching back to his birthplace, the United States.
