Economy of form
plus the ability to disturb same
The on-guard stance, footwork, relaying force, balance, economy of form, efficient mechanics. Remember the roots, for they are the foundation of all JKD techniques—not just the straight lead—and they are the guiding principles of this book. When we speak of simplicity and refinement, we are talking about the roots. When you are lost, confused, or unsure of your technique, go back to them. They are your roadmap.
A F E W W O R D S O F E N C O U R A G E M E N T
Straight hitting is no simple task. Bruce said so, as did all his major boxing influences— Edwin Haislet, Jim Driscoll, and Jack Dempsey. “The ability to hit straight from the shoulder is not a natural act,” wrote Haislet. “It cannot be learned by chance and experience does not teach it. Straight hitting, with body behind each blow, is an art that takes years of study and practice to perfect.”6 Years. You do not learn the straight lead overnight. Beginners often try it for a few weeks, become discouraged by their lack of power, and give up, reverting to their old ways. They later wonder why their progress plateaus, but as the saying goes, the definition of insanity is repeating the same action, over and over, expecting different results. Learning the straight lead may require you to step out of your comfort zone for a little while.
Yes, swinging punches look spectacular. Yes, that modern boxing jab feels more natural. But as you’ll soon see, there’s a difference between natural and scientifically effective. With this volume, I hope to present enough scientific evidence and strategic arguments to convince you to stick with the straight lead. Weigh the evidence yourself. As you progress through the various stages of learning—from awkward baby steps of neuromuscular programming to the advanced stages of combative application—I ask that you take a small leap of faith. Trust in the instruction presented here. Stay with it. The secrets that are hidden now will someday reveal themselves to you.
Finally, given that we live in a fast-paced world of instant gratification, it’s easy to see why straight punching, which takes years to cultivate, has become something of a lost art. It’s nice to know, however, that there are still some things that money cannot buy. The straight lead is one of them. There is just no substitute for time invested in any endeavor—for patience, hard work, experience, sweat, and, in this case, probably a little blood! So while other arts may focus on the accumulation of endless techniques, may stress the flashy over the efficient, or even allow the buying of belts, remember that you are on a different path. Stay on it. Use the roots as your roadmap, and the rewards will pay off big, in ways you cannot imagine.
At times you may be discouraged, as others on the quick and easy road seem to pass you by. You may be tempted to follow the crowd. To this, I offer the following from Jack Dempsey:
Let me emphasize again that you will feel very awkward when you first try the moves in long-range punching. I stress that awkwardness for two reasons: (1) so that you won’t figure you’re a hopeless palooka, and (2) so that you’ll pay no attention to wisecracks of friends or sideline experts who watch your early flounderings. Remember: He laughs last who hits hardest.7
In the seventeenth-century martial arts classic The Unfettered Mind —a book, by the way, that resides in Bruce Lee’s personal library—Takuan Soho had a similar message:
If you follow the present day world, you will turn your back on the Way; if you would not turn your back on the Way, do not follow the world.8
So with these words in mind, let’s begin our exploration of the Jeet Kune Do straight lead.
N O T E S
1 Bruce Lee, ed. John Little, Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee’s Commentaries on the Martial Way (Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 1997), p. 21.
2 Ibid., p. 59.
3 In conversation with Ted Wong, June 8, 2004.
4 See the Ted Wong interview in this book for his Jeet Kune Do credentials.
5 Lee, ed. John Little, Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee’s Commentaries on the Martial Way, pp. 385–386.
6 Edwin L. Haislet, Boxing (New York: A.S. Barnes & Noble Company, 1940), p. 7.
7 Jack Dempsey, Championship Fighting: Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defence (New York: Prentice Hall, Inc., 1950), p. 25.
8 Takuan Soho, trans. William Scott Wilson (New York: Kodansha International Ltd., 2002), p. 14.
C H A P T E R O N E
A B R I E F H I S T O R Y O F
S T R A I G H T P U N C H I N G
E verything comes from something, and the straight lead is no exception. In 1964, Bruce Lee wrote, “The art of straight hitting (punching in a straight and direct line) is the foundation of scientific skill. It is the end result of thousands of years of careful analysis and thought.”1 Indeed, the straight punch is not something that “just happens.” Its origins can be traced to the pre-Olympic era (1500 to 1000 B. C.).
Judging from artwork and pictures, it is believed that blows were originally delivered by swinging and hooking. This is a primitive fighting method and is actually observed in bears and cats—hence, Jim Driscoll’s reference to swinging, uneducated fighters as “Bear-Cats.”2 Images from Minoan and Greek vases, friezes, and statues from the pre-Olympic era provide evidence that the Greeks were starting to utilize the left, or lead, hand. The position of the lead hand in these pictures suggests the development of straight punching.
The caestus, the original boxing glove, provides further evidence of straight punching. The caestus was really nothing more than a leather hand wrap, which covered almost the same areas that its modern-day cotton descendant does. In particular, the caestus provided protection over all four fingers, between the second joint and knuckle, the hitting surface of straight punches.3
Hand protection for straight hitters was later reinforced during the Olympic period with the introduction of the “hard glove,” a thick leather glove that, again, covered the four fingers between the second joint and knuckle, the surface of all straight hitting. Even though fighters of this era were still swinging, the hard glove’s hitting surface is evidence that those swings were now shortening into more scientific hooks.
Along with the prominence of straight hitting came the boxing stance that very much resembles the modern boxing stance.