In this issue of Real Combat Online, I will conclude my discussion of some of the most important principles of combat from Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do. I will start this off by explaining what we refer to as the theory of facing. When engaged in combat with an opponent, you assume the bai jong by lining up your centerline with their central line, also sometimes referred to as the motherline. The term central line is used to describe where their center of mass is located, as they might not face you with their centerline exposed. This method of facing the opponent enables you to place yourself in position to protect your centerline from any attack they might attempt. This also assists you with getting the proper foot alignment in relation to the opponent’s position. This is extremely important, as improper stance alignment can offset your balance and take away your torque capability, rendering your footwork and attacks useless!
Next I will discuss the four corner theory. This is another theory from wing chun. The four corner theory is basically a way of simplifying defense of the upper body. One you understand the four corners and the accompanying defensive movements, defense of the upper body becomes a much easier task! To define the four corners, we split the upper body into four sections. To do this, we use the centerline and a horizontal line going right through the solar plexus. The top of the head is the highest point and the groin is the lowest point. Now we go two inches outside either shoulder and this defines the outer range of movement for defensive maneuvers. Now we clearly have four corners! They are the upper right side of the chest, shoulder and face, the upper left side of the chest, shoulder and face, the right side abdomen and hip and the left side abdomen and hip.
The specific definition of each corner is based on the side that is closest to the opponent. If you are facing the opponent in a right lead, your right upper corner is referred to as the outside high corner. Your right lower corner would be the outside low corner. Your left upper corner would be the inside high corner. Your left lower corner would be the inside low corner. Thus, the four corners are outside high, outside low, inside high and inside low. The next step is to learn the specific defensive movements designed to protect each corner. As you can see by now, this greatly simplifies your defensive strategy!
Although attack is preferred in Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do, sometimes defensive maneuvers become necessary. While other methods train to block an incoming attack, the Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do practitioner prefers to intercept, evade or parry the attack. Let’s examine each of these defensive strategies.
The block is the least preferred method of defense, and is only used as a last resort! Why, you ask? Because blocking is the least efficient! When you block, you are using physical force of your own to stop physical force from the opponent. Not only is this a waste of your energy, but often also causes injury to a limb. Conserve your energy for the attack. Block only if it is the last resort to avoid being hit in a vital spot!
Interception is the preferred method of defense! You can intercept on intention (before their attack), on initiation (as they start their attack) or during execution (after the attack is on the way). Interception on intention is the ultimate, but usually requires years of training to develop almost a “sixth sense”! It is not an easy task to “read” when an opponent is about to attack! One of my instructors, Sifu Steve Golden, is a master of this!
There are several ways to intercept an opponent. With the upper body, the most common interception tools are the leading straight punch and the leading finger jab. With the lower body, the most common interception tools are the leading side kick, leading straight kick, rear leg oblique kick, inside angular stop kick and outside angular stop kick. What is a stop kick? Any kick used to stop an opponent’s aggression toward you is a stop kick. Some have erroneously believed that it is a kick used to stop a kick, but it is a kick used to stop any part of the opponent’s anatomy!
Evasion is simply avoiding an attack. Evasion is extremely economical, as no contact whatsoever occurs with the opponent. Evasive movements can involve footwork of just body movement. Examples of evasion using footwork are the sidestep and the rear pendulum. Evasive movements using just the body or combining footwork with body movement are the duck, the snapback, the slip and the bob and weave.
A parry is a redirection of incoming force. The parry is very efficient, as you can attack simultaneously with the parry, or the parry itself can become the attack. When the parry becomes the attack, it is referred to as a riposte. This is a term from fencing, which Bruce Lee drew heavily from when developing Jeet Kune Do. When one hand parries as the other attacks, it is referred to as lin sil die dar, which is Chinese for simultaneous defense and attack. In lin sil die dar, the parry can make contact just before, right as or just after you land the strike. This is another highly effective skill that requires much training to develop.
The principle of the immovable elbow comes from wing chun gung fu. This principle states that the lead elbow should be at least a fist’s distance (four to six inches) in front of the lead side ribs at all times. Never should you allow it to be resting against the body or out to the side of the body. Against the body it is in what we refer to as a pre-pinned position, making it easier for someone to trap your lead arm. If the elbow is out to the side the lead side ribs are left wide open and it is much harder to protect the centerline. It is also easier to deliver a non-telegraphic strike with the lead hand if the elbow is leading the body.
Another Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do principle that makes maximum use of the immovable elbow principle is the hammer principle. Application of the hammer principle greatly increases your non-telegraphic striking capability. The hammer principle is actually quite simple, though not often simple to apply. Most people still telegraph when trying it, even though the idea is to eliminate all telegraphic signs that a strike is on the way. The two most common strikes that this principle is applied to are the leading finger jab and the leading straight punch, both highly effective strikes when properly executed. You just have to really work at it a lot to get it down. Once you’ve got it down, though, you’ve really got something!
In explaining how this principle works, I will start from the beginning. Have you ever noticed that when you use a hammer to drive a nail, all or most of your arm movement is from the elbow out? This is what keeps the hammer accurate, right? If you don’t believe this, try hammering with the whole arm and you will notice a sudden decrease in accuracy, especially if you hit your thumb! This motion from the elbow out only is where the term “hammer” principle comes from. When applying this principle, the arm movement is basically the same, from the elbow out.
If you are an experienced martial artist or boxer, usually when you are in your stance you keep your lead arm moving constantly. This will usually be small circling, rising/falling or weaving motions, right? I’m sure that you also realize that these small motions go a long way toward concealing the initiation of your punch. If the arm is already moving, there is no “start-up” movement for the opponent to see.
Now, this is where the “hammer principle” comes into play. When you are making these small motions, keep your lead elbow in the same spot. In other words, nothing is moving except for the forearm, wrist and hand. Think of the immovable elbow theory that was covered in the previous section. The lead elbow is approximately four to six inches in front of the lead side ribs. This is the position where the “hammering” type movement comes from.
Now to execute the strike, drop the lead arm to a level where the forearm is pointing straight at the opponent’s nose and let it fly. If done properly, this motion will completely conceal your intentions to strike. This is what is referred to as “dropping the hammer”. I witnessed Bob Bremer, who is one of the original L. A. Chinatown students, get in repeatedly on a much younger opponent with this maneuver! And that was after Bob had recently suffered a heart attack! Another thing that has to be considered here is that the opponent knew exactly what Bob was going to do, yet Bob repeatedly got in and touched his forehead with a bil jee before he could do anything about it! This proves the effectiveness of the hammer principle! Of course it also helps that Bob learned it directly from Bruce Lee!
I like to use this analogy. Think of yourself standing on the sidelines watching an archery match. When the archer releases the arrow, you can follow it all the way to the target. Now imagine that same scenario, except for this time you are the target. The arrow would go through your face before you even realized that it had been released! Directness is the key here!
I have also referred to this principle as “aiming the gun” to help my students better understand it. Imagine that the forearm is the barrel of the gun. The fist or finger jab is the bullet. Wherever you aim the gun, the bullet goes, right? If the gun is already aimed, it is ready to fire. I teach my students to “track” the opponent’s nose with their lead hand. This greatly simplifies interception! You are like the archer waiting for the proper time to release your arrow! Although it takes much work to get it down, mastery of the hammer principle is well worth the effort! Now you can see why it is such an important part of Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do strategy!
Although many of these principles are unique to Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do, they can be adapted to almost any martial art to improve the effectiveness of the practitioner! After reading about these principles it is easy to understand why Bruce Lee was such an effective martial artist. As Bruce Lee would say, “Learn the principle, abide by the principle, then dissolve the principle!” In other words, the principle becomes a part of you! Until next time, train hard and keep it real!
About Sifu Lamar M. Davis II:
Sifu Lamar M. Davis II has been involved in the martial arts for thirty-six years. He has trained with many First Generation students of the late Bruce Lee, and is certified as a Full Instructor by five of them. He is the Founder/Head Instructor of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do approach to training in Bruce Lee’s fighting methods, and is the Executive Director of the Hardcore Jeet Kune Do Chinese Gung Fu Association. Sifu Davis currently offers instruction through videos, classes, seminars and training camps. For more information on Sifu Davis and his organization/training programs, please visit his website at www.HardcoreJKD.com
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