Dan Inosanto

[Burton]

Many of you may know that I train in a way that is very different than many of the training methods that I learned from Sifu Inosanto. There are many techniques that I learned that I no longer use either, in the empty-hand ranges and with weapons. I have been hearing that people somehow think that I don't have respect for Sifu Inosanto, or that we have had some sort of falling out. Let me clarify my views, in case it is of interest to any of you.
If it weren't for Dan Inosanto, I would have probably started with one martial art, trained for many years, then just taught it or gone on to another hobby. It is because of Sifu Inosanto's work ethic and leading by example that I acquired the habit of training with different people and looking into what various arts have to offer. Some years ago, I just chose to only pursue those techniques and training methods that were reasonably effective against an aggressive, resisting opponent. This has taken me in a certain direction, but I do not feel that everyone has to go my way to be "correct". If you want to be effective in fighting, there are definitely certain ways you must train, and you must become competent in all the ranges. But if your goal is understand the historical, cultural, physical fitness, or beauty of the martial arts, then you will go in a different direction. Sifu Inosanto likes to provide all aspects for his students so that they can choose for themselves. I respect him so much, and am so grateful for his guidance. He constantly changes, and I am glad that he was such a good role model for me. I am very happy and content on my path, and I know that he is happy for me. Any questions or comments are welcome.

[Pancrase]

Sounds like true JKD to me!

[Watchdog]

How'd You Get There?

Sifu Richardson,
I'm curious about what led you to change your way of thinking to the path that you have now chosen. Was it an encounter with a particular instructor, or getting into some type of altercation, etc. that provided an epiphany? Thanks.

[filippo]

hi Sifu!!

"Sometimes things are too much simple, that people don't understand it!"

[MikeJKD]

For what it's worth Burton, I think that anyone who assumes that you have anything less than total respect for Guro Dan has just not been paying attention. Guro Inosanto has always encouraged his students to find their own path, and in my own personal experience with him, it would seem as though he takes more pride in those who are willing to go out on a limb and test themselves than those who are content to stay in the box. JKD has never been about memorizing techniques and drills. It's about what works best for you and your own purposes. If that's combativeness, then keep on doing what you're doing. I think it's good for all of us, and I'm pretty sure Guro Dan would probably say the same.
Mike

[Burton]

Thanks for the supportive comments. To answer Watchdog, there was no "epiphany", but a slow realization of the facts. I was very attached to many of the impressive elements of the arts, and it was a difficult process to let them go. The factors that led to the change was simply more and more sparring with different fighters. I changed some things due to training and sparring in the boxing gyms of L.A. I made a change when I started entering stick-fighting tournaments. I made a big change when I started sparring with Eric Knauss a few times a month before it was called Dog Brother Stickfighting. I sparred with Savate champs from Europe, I fought in a San Shao event in Beijing, China. These events changed my training. I started at the Machado Academy. Things changed again. I started training NHB with Egan and Enson Inoue, the Carlson Gracie fight team, and others. My friendship with Matt Thornton has been liberating, as we shared insights. Little by little I changed, and I am very happy that I did. It has been great for mental growth as well, learning how to put that ego away in order to better myself.
I know for sure that things will continue to evolve, but the main training method that has helped me is to spar with people I don't know in their environment.

[Chopstix]

Hi Burton, how are you doing? i must say that i am really impressed with your material, especially the recent training tapes and fighting tapes that you have produced as of late. They are a big departure from your earlier works and really set you apart from the rset of the tapes out their. to be honest, back a few years ago, your tapes looked a bit, "flashy", with the kicking to the head as self defense stuff..
but you have obviously done a lot of research and fighting to change your training methods, as your thai, grappling and stick fighting videos are awesome..
just a quick question, you have had a lot of experience with top level martial artists, could you share some experiences while competing in san shou and training in france? how do the chinese kickboxers compare to other world class competitors? thanks, any comments greatly appreciated..

p.s, I do not mean to try and offend you about your old tapes, just saying that your new ones are infinitely better, imo..

[Burton]

No offense taken, Chopstix. The truth is the truth and my old tapes are full of flash. Even my book, which was written and photographed nearly 6 years ago, is totally outdated.
The Chinese San Shao fighters use Thai kicks and front kicks, but their forte is throwing. The Savate guys are very powerful, and incredibly accurate with the toe of the shoe. The Chinese fighters would often turn to face a roundhouse kick to the midsection, absorbing most of the punishment so that they could catch the lower leg then bend forward into the knee. The kicker would feel the leg hyperextending and fall to the mat to alleviate the pressure.
I have been very fortunate to get to spar or fight with many top athletes, and I plan to continue this so that I can improve and help others improve. This is my way of expressing the JKD concept.

[Chad W. Getz]

Awesome Burton. And Aloha as well (for those of us so lucky)... I really like your last statement:

"but the main training method that has helped me is to spar with people I don't know in their environment. "

When we started real contact stickfighting because of the DB tapes, it turned our whole MA world upside down. It was very hard to practice certain things and then go out every Wednesday and Sundays to stickfight in a whole different fashion. For anyone that hasn't stickfought with minimal gear, after the first time, all you can practice all week long and think about is how you are going to get the guy next week. At least, that is the way it was with us. James and Stuart know. I would talk with Stuart on what was the best way to get James, and talk with James on what he thought was the best way to get Stuart, etc.

Anyway, it has been a gradual change, but one that has been affected by some of your recent articles, weaponry video tape and Matt and the SBG philosophy. what really did it for me though was a little story about "park fu" on the SBG web site. It sounded like Matt was describing us. We had such a good idea that started out with a bunch of guys out at a park seeking the truth about stickfighting and ourselves, and slowly but surely politics and a hiearchy started to creep in. After reading Matt's web site, I realized that we had a great idea but we had just begun to turn it bad with a bunch of other stuff that wasn't really important to training. I am so glad that I came across that site and that story. It was pivitol in my opening my eyes to look at myself honestly and completely. While not the only event, I feel that that was the point in me completely opening my eyes. After reading it, I felt like I had looked in a mirror and now knew what my goals would be. Instead of working on boxing and pondering, I would box. Than see if I could add things in against a boxer. Same with the clinch and grappling, etc. Seems like a fool proof plan to me.

Anyway, like Burton stated earlier, my plans at getting better involve me fighting with with people in their game that are better than me. If there ever comes to mind a scenario that I am uncomfortable with, I have learned that I might as well ask a friend to do it to me so that I can be familiar with it, at the least. I can not say how many times I have "thought" or "knew" what I would do in a situation without actually experiencing it. I believe that was the cause of my ignorance.

to anyone more interested, you should check out Matt's site or Burton's site and e-mail them. They have helped me so much even though they may not realize it...thanks guys.

[Edited by Chad W. Getz on 02-15-2001 at 02:02 AM]

[Burton]

Great post Chad,
This is the deal. Want to learn how to fight? Then fight. Not all-out the first time, unless you are up to it, but with progressive resistance. Add more and more resistance as you adapt, just as a weightlifter adds more resistance as his or her body adapts. If you just work on form with the bar and no weight for the next 10 years, you will have great form, but no strength and minimal muscle mass. In other words, your lift will look good, but will have no power.
Power is the ability to move or change something. Change a fight into a victory. Change a bad habit into a new impowering one. One of my favorite sayings is "Knowledge is not power, the ability to apply your knowledge, especially under pressure, is power."
Matt and I had talked about the way a great group of people getting together to fight can turn into a group full of hierarchy and rituals that lead people away from the original idea of the group. Matt's expression of this as "Park-Fu" is genius.
To everyone, enjoy your training and aloha!

[Edited by Burton on 02-15-2001 at 03:55 PM]

[Pancrase]

the same experience

I know I expressed this before, I started in JKD/Kali in 1981 and I was very attached to the "impressive flashy elements", when you got good at the Hu-bud and Kali drills it looked damn impressive.
The whole time I was doing it though in the back of my mind I knew I should be boxing and grappling more, etc. but I was too caught up in the elements.
Now after 9 years of exploring other "real time" elements I am much more content with my new path.

[Monkey]

We are lucky to have smart people like Burton who haven't forgotten what JKD was made for, cleaning up a mess!
I think its so much better to forget it and get down to what its about, being able to fight. I wish there was more of that type of thinking.

Chad. I was thinking about ur three truths thing while I was training in my back yard yesterday, and Ive formed my own little way of thinking about it:

There is only ONE truth. But because of differences between the experiences and lives and individualities of people, or fighters, they see it differently, because of where they are, who they are fighting, whatever. They interpret it differently and so they become partial and fragmented and cannot express themselves honestly.

I think its possible to say that a goal in JKD should be to avoid this totally, so that the truth can be viewed as it is , i.e. simply and think and act freely. And then the name JKD can be forgotten and we can concentrate on ourselves and others.

What do you think?

Thats why I like Burton's approach as opposed to this sort of approach:

"In order to be a Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do practitioner, you have to have the complete Art. Knowing the techniques of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do and not understanding the concepts behind them or understanding the concepts of the Art but not know the techniques (Jun Fan Gung Fu) is missing the point."
- Sean Madigan

...which just perpetuates the fancy mess and makes JKD part of it!

[Demi Barbito]

Burton,

I would think that you have done exactly as he would have wanted you to. Those who think differently may be used to living under a regime, where people "quote" instead of thinking for themselves.

When I consider others from your particular historical period of training, Vunak, Denny, Magda, etc. I see a tremendous amount of diversity, as well as I should. Imagine me standing back and looking at three (many) carbon copies... Even worse, imagine Dan Inosanto wanting this from each of you...

[BIG Sean Madigan]

Sean Madigan's approach

Hi Monkey,

Well, I see that you chosen to determine 'my approach' to training by one paragraph off of my 450 page website. To be fair, I have to tell you that I wrote that after reading a quote by Guro Dan that said in part; "You can not have Jeet Kune Do without Jun Fan" Gung Fu."

Anyway, before you make a judgement about me, or the way I train/teach, maybe you should get to know me. You may be plesently surprised, then again, maybe not. However, your judgement would be much more valid...don't you think?

All the best,

BIG Sean Madigan

http://www.bigjkd.com

[phillyman]

Question

Im just curious as to why other instructors dont adapt. I listen to Burtons comments and im looking at how people train and looking at PFS web sites why dont other instructors just padd up and go for it. Someone like me cant learn to defend myself ( 5'7" and 140 pounds) unless i get down and dirty so to speak. Im fast but when sparring and someone bigger than me, which is everyone, comes ruching at me i tend to tense up and assume the fetal position. I dont want to do any more katas i just want to defend myself if the moment should arise god for bid. Im just not getting the training i need to realistic training.