I've noticed something....

[masterdan]

Is it normal, or what? when I go to look for dojos for FMA's, alot of them also seem to teach JKD concepts. whats up with this?

[m.artist]

that's thanks to dan inasonto. i think it's a good idea. but thats' why...

[William]

Is it normal, or what? when I go to look for dojos for FMA's, alot of them also seem to teach JKD concepts. whats up with this?

It's not unusual for JKD/JKDC to intergrate elements of Filipino Martial Arts into their training. Guro Dan started the trend and the world is better for it. With that being said, you will find large variations from school to school on how much of the FMA's they know or practice. Some just use bits and pieces because it's part of what Guro Dan teaches, others get very in-depth or already have a heavy Filipino background before they trained JKD/JKDC. The only way to really find out is go to the school and check it out. A couple of things to look for to see if it's more than just "stick & knife"...

*Proper striking mechanics and power generation.
*Heavy emphasis on footwork (beyond the basic male & female triangle).
*Inergrating the two above.
*Ranging and bridging tactics (not just standing in medium range playing patty-cake).
*Open hand component that flows from weaponry technique that stands on it's own (Filipino).
*Dumog/Ground fighting.
*Emphasis on counter-offense, not defense (my opinion).
*At least occasional full-contact (minimal gear) sparring to test your tools and keep you grounded in reality as to what is effective and what isn't.
*Improvised weaponry.

If they don't have these (or some of these) components, it doesn't necesarily mean it's a bad school....maybe just not a great school to learn real FMA from. They may still have good BJJ, JKD...etc...

Anyway, just a few things to look for.

William

[masterdan]

Alright, because I talked to this guy that teached JKD, BJJ, FMA, and CQC. I guess so far, we're gonna meet up next monday. Right now he lives in south Bend In. His name is Paul Godines. And he's gonna have an office right in my town next week! Yea, it seems like I may finally start my martial arts journey...