UNFORTUNATELY, many individuals who take up martial arts tend to drop out within the first three months. There are many reasons why a student may quit, including lack of money, change in circumstances, unmet expectations, frustration, boredom, decline in enthusiasm, and distractions. Students initially get excited about becoming good fighters, but when they discover how much work, sweat, and effort is required, they decide the price is too high to pay.
Beginning Jeet Kune Do training is no different; in fact, it is probably harder than training in other styles. While other arts may involve having students work on just a few things during the first three months, Jeet Kune Do training requires simultaneous attention to numerous things. For instance, a taekwondo student will typically focus on learning a few kicks during the first three months. In contrast, a Jeet Kune Do student may learn basic punches, kicks, traps, and perhaps grappling during that time. In addition, while other schools primarily stress physical aspects of technique, Jeet Kune Do schools will expect students to understand not only how a technique is executed, but also why and when it is used.
Even though there is no set curriculum in Jeet Kune Do, there is a definite training progression from the basics to more advanced work. As with any other type of athletic endeavor, without strong basics, you will have difficulty understanding and doing the more sophisticated parts of the art. So it is extremely important for you, as a new student in Jeet Kune Do, to establish a firm foundation in the art that will enable you to make solid progress.
Beginners can expect conditioning to be part of their introduction to Jeet Kune Do. Most classes will introduce students to basic warmup and stretching exercises to help their muscles become more limber. This not only reduces the risk of injury, but also makes the execution of techniques less difficult. Students will skip rope or shadowbox so that they can increase their endurance.
Formal training will start with learning the bai-jong, or ready stance. This is the basis for all the footwork, punching, kicking, striking, trapping, and stand-up grappling that make up the art. It also provides the structure from which you can effectively defend yourself against an opponent’s attacks.
From the bai-jong, you will learn fundamental footwork and mobility. You must develop the ability to advance toward an opponent to land a strike and to retreat from an opponent who is attacking. Through footwork training you will begin to understand how to utilize distance against an opponent.
As mentioned, the parts of the body used for striking, primarily the hands and the feet, are known as “tools” in Jeet Kune Do. A very important aspect of initial training is developing these tools so that they can be used with proper form, speed, power, accuracy, and efficiency. Thus, you can expect to devote a great deal of time to focus mitt drills designed to bring forth these skills. You will also practice kicks on kicking shields so that you learn to kick with power. Schools equipped with heavy bags, top and bottom bags, and speed bags will encourage students to train on these, either during class or on their own time.
As a new student you will pay much attention to form and mechanics to instill the proper feeling in your neuromuscular paths. In that way you will learn to move your body correctly, without having to think about it. Understanding the reasons why the body is moved in a certain way, along with repetitive practice, will help instill the movements in your muscle memory, so that they become second nature.
Basic kicks, such as the front snap kick, lead hook kick, and lead side kick, will be introduced as staples of the lower-body tools. Basic punches, such as the lead finger jab, lead jab, lead straight punch, lead hook punch, and rear cross, will also be emphasized. Students will concentrate on executing these techniques as single strikes.
Depending upon the preference of the instructor, you may also start to learn simple traps as a beginning student. These may include the pak sao, or slapping hand; lop sao, or grabbing hand; jao sao, or running hand; and jut sao, or jerking hand. You will work with a partner and learn how to trap from a reference point, where your arms are already touching.
Finally, you may be introduced to some basic grappling techniques such as neck chokes, locks, or strangleholds.
So, as you can see, within your first few months as a Jeet Kune Do student, you will likely be exposed to many new ideas and techniques that will stimulate your mind and challenge your body.
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT for students learning Jeet Kune Do to train safely in order to minimize the risk of injury. Depending upon the nature and severity of the injury, a student who gets hurt may have to stop training altogether until he or she adequately recovers. Also, a constant threat of injury can discourage students from continuing their training.
Years ago, martial arts instructors did not concern themselves much with safety or student health. It was not uncommon, for example, for students to train barefoot on hard, wooden floors. Students were expected to work out for long periods of time without water breaks. They often sparred hard without much, if any, equipment. They often came away with bruises and cuts, and sometimes with broken bones. Training was what some might consider brutal, and it only appealed to those who were willing to take risks.
Since then, the martial arts industry has made great strides in terms of safety. Today, the owners and instructors of martial arts schools, including those offering Jeet Kune Do training, are more aware of the need to keep their students healthy and happy. Many schools now have padded floors and mats for their classes. Students are encouraged—indeed, sometimes required—to wear protective gear for more intensive drills or sparring.
More high-quality equipment is available than ever before for Jeet Kune Do training. Furthermore, improvements in design and manufacturing have made equipment more durable and easier to use. The hard, flat, leather focus mitt used in Bruce Lee’s day has given way to scientifically contoured punch mitts with thick padding. While Lee had to practice side kicks on a large shield with a wood backing, nowadays students utilize heavy foam kicking shields shaped to readily absorb kicks. Muay Thai pads have also made it possible for Jeet Kune Do students to execute their kicks with full power without hurting their partners.
For regular sparring, in addition to boxing gloves, students can wear highquality head protectors, padded chest armor, padded groin protectors, and shin protectors. For full-contact, hard combat, thick padded suits and helmets are now available that enable the wearers to take strong punishment without much risk of injury. Indeed, there is almost no excuse for the modern Jeet Kune Do practitioner not to use at least some safety equipment and gear, given the wide variety that is readily available.
However, merely having and using high-quality equipment and gear is not enough. In order to have a safe training experience, you must also follow good safety habits. For example, two-person drills should be done slowly in the beginning, to ensure proper form, body feel,