Tao of JKD

[Gary Crawford]

The Tao is an incredibly interesting book.When I first read it,I found many fascinating things in it,but as far as Jeet Kune Do was concerned,I found it extremely vague.After training for a couple years,I picked it up again and actually pick up a few things I hadn't noticed before.I kept on training,and after a couple more years,I read it again.This time I actually understood most of it(except for most of the eastern philosephy parts).I know finally understand the basic truth about the book.It's just a collection of Bruce Lee's notes that his students put together and published after his death and nothing more.It was never meant to be a "how to" book of Jeet Kune Do for beginer or interneadiate students,but it works out to be a nice reference for those of us who continue to train and search for more understanding.Of course,this not the only book.I used to be a OJKD student,but learning only that is definatly not what Bruce Lee wanted.The best JKD systems have still yet to be developed.For those of us who are "seasonded" martial artists",sometimes one wonders how much more those of us with two arms,two legs,and one head can learn about using them there possibly can be left to learn.Then I realize how long martial arts have been in existance and how things have progressed and how many styles now exist in the world now.It's Awe inspireing.THEN I get it!That's what Bruce Lee was trying to do and said so.Taking what works from everyone and trimming away what is useless.Bruce only scratched the surface of a few styles,the rest of the work is left to the rest of us.

 

[Aikia]

Gary,
You may recall that after Bruce died in 1973 publishers were scrambeling to get something on the market. Linda had stacks of notes Bruce had made so she gave them to an editor who formulated them into a book. The Tao came out in 1975. After publication it was discovered that perhaps 1/3 of the book was copied from notes that Bruce had taken from other books. Imagine taking a class in college and writting down notes. You die and someone publishes your notes that you wrote down for the course. Vert little original thought. Mostly just jotting down ideas. That's the Tao. Ideas loosley jotted down and information coppied from books on fencing and boxing. And it's the top selling JKD/martial arts book of all time!

For four or five years I used the Tao as a textbook in a college class I taught at Radford University. Like most of the 700,000 or more people that own the book I had never read it. Looked at it often but never actually read it until I taught the class and then I spent much time cross referencing Bruce's thoughts. There a few very original JKD pages in the text. My 1975 edition is somewhat worn now. Like you said you must consider your own martial arts experience in light of the concepts Bruce offers.
The best JKD series is the "Bruce Lee Fighting Methods" books. I say this because Bruce uses the same simle techniques to illustrate JKD. JKD is after all a simple idea. Rather than limit my thinking to beleive there is only one way, or only one best way to solve a self defense equation, I must understand that are many ways to answer the attack. Being free to choose is the thesis of JKD. Seems you are headed in that direction.
Jerry Beasley

 

[Flatlander]

Actually, the Eastern philosophic references were the points that brought me clarity. He was able to lure me down a path of paradoxical ideas, teasing out the point he was trying to make. I got it. Just don't ask me to explain. The best that I could do is - raking when the leaves fall. If I get tired, I should nap.

 

[Aikia]

Funny. In my earlier post I mentioned that my Tao was worn and tattered. I haven't had it out in a few years. After reading the post I went back and opened it. Inside was my original 1984 certificate from Dan Inosanto. I had posted a copy on my web site www.aikia.net. And now, thanks to this thread I have located the original.
My notes from teaching the class are everywhere. Of particular interest to me was page 11 "The Path to Truth". And here is an old college exam I found sandwiched in between the pages. Please do not answer and ask me to grade/read your answer. See how you do. Most answers can be found in the Tao of JKD.

ESHE 361 World Martial Arts Fall 1995

Short Answer

1. Please write the 4 step formula for seeking the truth in combat.

2. How do we master the truth in combat?

3. What is the carrier of the truth? Give 3 examples.

4.Why must we forget the carrier of the truth?

5. How do we "Repose in the Nothing"?

6.Discuss the view of JKD held by the Original Art.

7. Describe the view promoted by the concepts group.

8. In original JKD how would you describe "Formlessness"?

9. In JKD concepts how would you describe "Formlessness"?

10. How do we "Float in Totality"?

Extra Credit: Putting everything together discuss the manner in which you can "Use no way as way". Build a personal JKD matrix to formulate your answer.


If you make 100 on the exam you must know a lot about JKD.

Jerry Beasley, Ed.D.
Professor Radford University

 

[achilles]

The fighting method books are okay, but they were not structured in a very logical manner and contain a few inaccuracies. One such inaccuracy is what is labled as a defense against a stomping technique, which appears to resemble an attempted arm bar upon closer examination (i.e. the way the top man is holding the bottom man's wrist, how the top man's foot steps over the bottom man's head while he lies back, etc.) With that in mind, as well as other observations, I think the fighting method books show a fair ammount of influence from the editor. The way the books are structured is also very strange to me. Self Defense is the first in the series, but the techniques used are all taught in subsequent books. It would make more sense to me if the application were placed at the end of the series (wich was the case in the fighting method tape made by Ted Wong and Richard Bustillo). Also, some techniques are repeated needlessly throughout the volumes for no apparant reason except as filler. Another example of strange progression is that the hook punch is discussed later than the spin kick; a strange juxtaposition considering that the theme for most of the book is the introduction of simple, direct fundamentals before more complicated, advanced techniques. I think its a good series to analyze Bruce Lee's form in the photos, and that some of the explanations are very good (eventhough certain subjects received little more than a cursory mention), but the editing left a lot to be desired.


Even if approximately one third of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do were notes copied from other sources, that still leaves two thirds chalked full of Bruce Lee's original insights as well as a sample of what things were influencing him when he wrote those notes. While the the text as a whole does not always give a clear representation of what JKD is, it is an invaluable resourse for JKD practitioners who wish to understand Bruce Lee's thought process.

 

[Aikia]

Good response Achilles. One could argue that the essence of JKD can be seen in the techniques displayed by the founder Bruce Lee. The Tao does have much information. Take the test and see how you do. Just don't provide the answers to students at RU.
JB
www.aikia.net

 

[Mark Lynn]

A question

Has anyone read John Little's books on JKD? Early on in my martial arts training I bought and read the Tao of JKD, but at an seminar with Dan Inosanto back in the 80's, he expressed the same point about it being a collection of Bruce Lee's notes and such (no wonder I was confused :idunno: ) and I put it aside. But I've read reviews which say the little series is pretty good. Anyone read these books?

Just wondering.
Mark

 

[Aikia]

The John Littel book on JKD is very good. He covers much of the material/notes from the Tao. Others in the collection are less interesting to me. I found several volumns of the series at discounted bookstores.
JB

 

[achilles]

The books that Little edited are okay, but they have a lot of the same drawbacks as The Tao of Jeet Kune Do. It's more like a conceptual catalog, which if you have the knowledge already is good, but is still not a coherent complete view of the art of jeet kune do. I think both books really are geared towards people further along on their martial path who are turning inward for answers more than looking to authority figures (not a complete disregard for one's instructor, but a more independent and mature stage of development). As far as nuts and bolts knowledge of JKD, I think that Kevin Seaman's book is very good as well as the book co-authored by Ted Wong and William Cheung. Rich Tucci's videos are pretty good as well. However, The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, more than any other martial arts book I own, leads me to new understanding even after many reads.

 

[Mark Lynn]

Dr. Beasley and achilles

Thanks for the input. Not being a JKD player/student (whatever) I haven't picked up Mr. Little's books although I have browsed through some of them at one time or another. I was just wondering how good they are. But what I'll probably try and do is see if my copy of the Tao of JKD is still around (I think it is packed up with a bunch of my other MA books) and re-read it. It's probably been 10 or more years since I've looked at it much less trying to really read it.

One book I thought was pretty good on the different view points of JKD from serveal of the people that Bruce Lee knew was "JKD Conversations" by Jose Fraguas. It was just his interviews with several JKD old and new instructors and students of Bruce Lee.

It wasn't a nuts and bolts books just really for info about JKD and Bruce Lee. I actually picked it up for a friend of mine but he still hasn't gotten it yet .

Mark