Starting JKD from a Wing Chun background

[swan104]

I've never said I was a sifu???

[Largo_Mano]

Hello all,

I'm a newbee on this site and I have no idea how I ended up here. However, this is very interesting thread.


I'm currently a student of Cass Magda. Last year I had the pleasure of meeting Sifu Carnell and let me tell you guys his JKD is some of the best I've seen. I've attended seminars from Guru Dan, Tim Tackett, Richard Bustillo, and Sifu Ted Wong. I think it's safe for me to say that Sifu Carnell's JKD ranks up there with those guys.

I personally think Sifu Cass takes an different more traditional approach to teaching JKD. There's just so many people that teach JKD under Guro Dan umbrella now. Go on his website and do a search under instructors, itll pull up literally hundreds of names. I'm not quick to judge and I'm sure theres good and bad instructors out there. I've been taught that classical JKD has bascially three rules.

1. keeps it simple
2. direct
3. and non-classical.

I think the confusion or mix-up started happening when teachers started adding other elements to their JKD and calling it JKD. Or adding some JKD elements to their existing martial art. I think this is ok to do, but you have to remember the difference.

You know there's a joke I once heard at a JKD seminar, goes something like this:

"How many JKD guys does it take to change a light-bulb?"

Answer: "100+ cause they all can't agree on how to change it"

[lssanjose]

nice of you to chime in largo mano. I 've heard nothing but good things about sifu cass. I'm glad you decided to learn from him as I've enjoyed reading his insights regarding the structure of JKD and along with other things.

[swan104]

Hi Largo Mano. Welcome to the forum. Do you train in Buka Jalan Silat then? Any background on that would be useful!

[nogard1980]

my 1/2 a cent on this topic, I am taking wing chun and my sifu has stated and started to teach some jkd concepts. Some one stated that wing chung was bruces master art, correct to a degree. He did train the longest in that art, around 4 years, but from what I researched he never became a master or even learned the complete system ( which kinda makes me wonder how he could question it if he never fully learned it.....anyway). so due to the fact that jkd was evolved from the limited training bruce lee had of the wing chun system I would say, yes good place to start. Me personally I would like to learn the complete system first and then move to jkd concepts so that I would at least have a good base art before I start modifying it. I am in no way complaining about my sifu's methods he is an excillent teacher and the jkd conceptes he is throwing in really spices up the group.

[koguy]

Re: Starting JKD from a Wing Chun background

Originally posted by pseudoswitch
Hi All,

I was wondering if anyone here had studied Wing Chun before moving on to study Jun Fan/JKD? I am curious as to how comfortable the transition is, especially regarding footwork. As i understand it, JF/JKD footwork is mainly based on boxing and fencing footwork, and although there are minor similarities with Wing Chun footwork, it seems like a dramatic change to me. Should a Wing Chun person learn some basic boxing before moving on to JF/JKD?

Please excuse me ignorance

Cheers,

pseudo

Hi Pseudo,
Bruce only got that perfect in his art because he got in depth instruction in WC by the clan`s leader Yip Man. All his successor didn´t. That is why there´s no JKD fighter who comes close to him, even today when the trainings methods are better, there are more steroids around and techniques are avaible where ever you go.

[ultraphine]

Any prior training will help

Im assuming uve learned modified wing chun ie 70/30 weigtht distribution low guard etc.

I trained in quite a few different versions of wing chun both from yip mans and others lineage and i see alot of similarities in the jkd concepts ive read about. I think they cant help but give u some help in ur jkd journey, i remember when i was first starting out an old chinese guy i used to do ba gua with in the park told me that u must learn everything u can, he said it was the sign of a true martial artist rather than just a fighter who could analyse everything he was being taught and take what was truly useful for him/or her

[Nutz]

Re: Any prior training will help

Originally posted by ultraphine
....told me that u must learn everything u can, he said it was the sign of a true martial artist rather than just a fighter who could analyse everything he was being taught and take what was truly useful for him/or her

No offence, but being able to take what you're taught and make it functional in a realworld encounter is exactly what I define as being a "good martial artist". The advice this guy gave you is in direct opposite of what many of us profess: Knowledge is useless if you cannot apply it. Furthermore, simply having knowledge does not by itself make a good martial artist.

[ultraphine]

i think my grammar was misleading

Sorry mate, i think the way i wrote it was confusing,

I mean the same thing as u, he meant that u should learn as many different things as u can but be able to take what is useful from each and use them.

for example i find that if ive been training flat out for a while then take a break i naturally use the things that are the most useful in a fight, especially in bei mo where u dont have time to analyse the different things u may have learned but u naturally use that which u have let sink in completely.