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| General Information |
Jeet kune do is founded by legendary martial artist and movie star Bruce Lee (1941-1973). Jeet kune do does not describe a fighting style with a set of rules, but it rather serves as a label, in line with Bruce Lee’s philosophy. Jeet kune do is defined by the fact it does not have a style. It is rather a philosophy based on Bruce Lee’s knowledge and experience. The philosophy encourages individuality and free development of techniques (Gong 2001: 202-210).His fighting style is generally very direct and minimalistic, leaving no space for wasting energy. |
| History/Development |
Lee started to practise martial arts in Hong Kong. He studied yongchun under master Yip Man and experimented with other martial arts like Western boxing and other Chinese martial arts (Gong 2001: 203).After moving to the United States Bruce Lee started jeet kune do. A legendary fight with Wong Jack Man in 1965 forced Lee to revise everything and turn the art he knew into a hybrid martial art (Jennings 2019: 63). The fight was a challenge to prevent Lee from teaching non-Chinese students, which was found problematic in the 1960’s. Although he won from his opponent he was unhappy with the execution of the fight (Gong 2001: 203).The term jeet kune do was first used by Lee in 1967 as a name for his martial expression. Naming his art was problematic for him since he didn’t want to crystalize, define and thereby limit its essence (Bruce Lee Education Foundation, s.d.).Jeet kune do is a direct reflection of Bruce Lee’s environment, circumstances and individuality. His influence in the martial arts world was enormous, and not only that, having become a cult figure he also left his impression on pop culture and inspired a new movie genre, the martial arts action movie. |
Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
The Bruce Lee Foundation, founded in 2002 by Linda Lee Cadwell and Shannon Lee, aims to pass on Bruce Lee’s art and philosophy through educational and social initiatives (Bruce Lee Education Foundation, s.d.).Since “jeet kune do” essentially refers to one’s personal martial expression, without any boundaries, style or method, it is technically impossible to pass it on as a fixed martial art with specific rules and techniques. |
| Relevant Organisations |
- Bruce Lee Education Foundation
- World Jeet Kune Do Federation (WJKDF)
https://www.worldjeetkunedofederation.org/ |
| Additional Materials |
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| References |
- Gong, T. (2001). “Jeet Kune Do”. In Green, T. and Svinth, J. (eds.) Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.
- Jennings, G. (2019). “Bruce Lee and the Invention of Jeet Kune Do: The Theory of Martial Creation”. In Martial Arts Studies 8, 60-72.
- Bruce Lee Education Foundation
https://bruceleefoundation.org/jeetkunedo/ | | |
