martialartsbelts.org

Most followers of mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting often forget that the origins of this popular martial art are ultimately rooted in the creative fighting genius of Bruce Lee and the revolution he precipitated in the martial arts world. His movies exemplified the beauty of his techniques, but only demonstrated the refined technique.  

Bruce Lee’s various books including Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: Self-Defense Techniques and Tao of Jeet Kune Do provide an insight into not simply the training and practical implementation of his fighting style known as Jeet Kune Do, but a review of the philosophy of combat in general.   The only downside of the Tao of Jeet Kune Do book is that it was never actually intended to be written in book form and instead should instead be viewed as a compilation of his notes and drawings.

After intensively studying various martial arts styles and theories, Lee developed his concept that he later called the way of the intercepting fist. Jeet Kune do was born not only out of his physical training and personal research and even incorporated this philosophical training as well.

Trained in Wing Chun, boxing and fencing, and even dance, Bruce Lee sought to create a realistic hybrid that incorporated the most useful elements of the former without restricting himself to age old conventions that might inhibit the practical needs of combat.  As shown in the various martial arts books written by or inspired by him, Bruce Lee realized that the most effective methods for retaliating against surprise attacks, grabs, chokes, multiple attackers often the most simple and effective.  The series seeks to explains how Lee’s view that of the importance of controlling your opponent is and explains the techniques on how to accomplish this , by proper timing, speed and execution.

Conventional notions of what was appropriate decorum were disregarded. Counters like eye gouges, groin kicks, heads butts and other techniques crossed the lines of most dojo curriculum. Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method embodies these foundational views and provides detailed illustrations of Bruce Lee. The Fighting Method is part of the series compiled by Mito Uyehara. As a collector of martial arts books,  this volume series is a critical part of the Bruce Lee canon.

The series makes note of how Lee began his martial arts studies with Wing Chun, under the tutelage of the renown Yip Man. Lee’s intense training and study enabled him to refine the martial arts under his own unique philosophical perspective.