Jeet Kune Do literally translated ‘Way of the exploding fist’in its simplest form it means to intercept any attack at its conception for example pre-empting a strike and hitting first or stop hitting by striking into the line of an attack. JKD is also a set of principles or theology / methodology used to analyse Martial Art and to assimilate a technique and or theory into the Artists own blend.

Sijo Lee said ‘Absorb what is useful & reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own..’ it would therefore be a mistake to think that JKD as an art could be simply created by an individual experimenting but rather this would be the concept of JKD. JKD is given a structure by the underlying Art and principles found in Jun Jan Gung Fu.

However, there appears to be a popular misconception that anyone can make up their own system from mixed martial arts and that this would be JKD. This is not correct ,JKD has a basis or foundation in Jun Fan Gung Fu which is a system and as such has core components which must be learnt in order to appreciate the concepts encapsulated within the JKD.

JKD is probably a better way to analyse and deconstruct / construct arts but is not an Art of itself. Possibly this is the reason why it is said that Sijo Lee did not want to give it a name as by sheer definition people begin to label it and restrict its growth and development, for example would Bruce Lee be teaching and training the same way today as he did in the 1960’s or would the Art have moved on and changed with time?

Martial Arts should be in a state of flux and move with the times. For example when Bruce Lee was talking about JKD, the reference point was a ‘Street Fight’ however by using this term we immediately impose certain assumptions and restrictions by the definition. For example a ‘Street fight’ in 1960 would be different to what we may believe a street fight to be today. The definition also depends on culture and location ie. a street fight in Brazil, London or New York may prove very different. Further does it involve Weapons and/or multiple opponents the definition and the Art therefore can be greatly influenced by the myriad of factors by which one chooses to analyse it.

For example I would contend that a street fight is not a controlled and supervised competition between 2 conditioned and trained athletes in a padded ring or octagon but that this is simply a sport no matter how tough and physically demanding. JKD concepts as taught by Guru Inosanto have a particular format and structure but within a flexible framework and which means that there are is room for development and analysis despite the underlying principles.