Over the years, many
people have made claims regarding the proper definition of Bruce Lee's
art. Some have defined it as a process of "change;" others
have labeled it as simply "modified Wing Chun;" others, with
the best of intentions have stated that it is simply an eclectic
jumble of various styles and arts that hopefully will, at some
unspecified point in the future, gestalt into something meaningful for
the individual practitioner.
With the formation of
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, however, there no longer exists any need for
such contradictory and confusing definitions. There is but one
definition for Jun fan Jeet Kune Do and here it is: Jun fan Jeet Kune
Do is the complete body of technical (physical and scientific) and
philosophical (mental, social, spiritual) knowledge that was studied
and taught by Bruce Lee during his lifetime. In other words, Jun fan
Jeet Kune Do (with, as its core, the combative principles, physical
techniques, training methods, and philosophical ideas synthesized by
Bruce Lee during his lifetime) is concerned solely and exclusively
with Bruce Lee's personal evolution and process of self-discovery
through martial art as indicated and supported by the written record
(Bruce Lee's personal papers and library) and oral history
(recollections of those who spent time with and/or studied under Bruce
Lee). That's it. Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do concerns itself with presenting
Bruce Lee's ideas and opinions - and not anyone else's interpretation
of them - with regard to:
- The
history and development of his art
- The
philosophy that supports and extends from the art
- The
training and conditioning methods necessary to realize the
physical (and mental/spiritual) aspects of the art
- The
scientific principles underlying the foundation of the techniques
Bruce Lee emphasized and held to be significant
- The
life, art and career of Bruce Lee
A distinction is made
between this body of work (i.e., Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do) and an
individual student's own personal process of self-discovery through
martial art, in that each student is free to utilize all, some or none
of Bruce Lee's teachings to assist him in this respect. Jun
Fan Jeet Kune Do is not about setting up restrictions or
"Ways" of doing things. It has no interest in trying to mold
or shape you. It accepts you as you are. Much like when a
bubbling spring flows out from the mountains, it is simply there for a
thirsty traveler should he wish to partake of it.
When a bird sings, it
does not sing for the advancement of music, but if somebody stops to
listen and is delighted, that is fine. And Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do seeks
likewise to be a source of inspiration and delight solely for those
who posses an interest in Bruce Lee and the martial viewpoint that he
created. Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do should be considered the base that Bruce
Lee established and not the ultimate goal of the individual who
studies it. Individuals may, and if fact are expected to, modify, add
and delete until they have transcended the need for any
"way" or "system" at all - including Jun Fan Jeet
Kune Do. But once into this process, what they arrive at should not be
called Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do.
We should welcome
change, but the person changing should claim responsibility for his
own innovations. Nor should Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do be called obsolete
after a martial artist evokes these changes into a personal
interpretation. In holding true to Bruce Lee's philosophy of personal
liberation, it works on the principle of a physician rather than a
patent. A physician is always trying to get rid of his patients and
send them away healthy enough to stand on their own two feet. Bruce
Lee's ultimate objective as a teacher was to get rid of his students
so that they wouldn't need him or any other teacher. Jun Fan Jeet Kune
Do can be viewed as a guide to reach the highest peak of personal
liberation through the study of martial arts.
You, the individual
become, through this process of self-discovery, your own best teacher.
What we really need to know about ourselves and how we perform
throughout our daily life should not end when graduating from school.
Throughout our JFJKD journey, the martial arts trials and tribulations
we experience result in a never-ending gain in self-knowledge and
growth. While it is true that Bruce Lee was constantly searching for a
better way ("To utilize all ways be bound by none"), we
must, for historical and philosophical reasons, use the term Jun Fan
Jeet Kune Do only for the art that Bruce Lee taught. While it is true
that he would have continued to grow and explore, we cannot know with
infallible certainty what direction this exploration would have taken.
Our objective with Jun
Fan Jeet Kune Do is simply to remove some of the misconceptions that
have arisen over the years concerning what Bruce Lee and his art were
about, and to show the world a better picture of what is preserved in
his legacy. For the sake of the future of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do, we
must also emphasize that when instructors claim to teach Jun Fan Jeet
Kune Do, they will only teach from the body of knowledge attributed to
Bruce Lee. Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do is concerned solely with Bruce Lee's
body of work - as he taught it - and with the preservation and
perpetuation of this body of work.
In
the Spirit of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do,
The
Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus.