What is Jeet Kune Do?

What is Jeet Kune Do?

by | May 4, 2016 | Martial Arts, Self Defense

Most people know Jeet Kune Do is a martial art that was created by Bruce Lee. From my research, I consider Jeet Kune Do or JKD for short is more of a concept than that of a martial art.  When I looked back at history, there was a time that Bruce named his art is Jun Fan Kickboxing.

Only later he changed the name to JKD.  JKD means ” The Way of Intercepting Fist”. Bruce believes that in order to win fights, the best timing is to intercept your opponent preparation of attack. On the other hand, later in a book called “Bruce Lee Fighting Method”, he wished that he did not named the art JKD because it was too limiting.

Through his writing, I saw there was Bruce Lee quote that said, “If people said that JKD is different from ‘this’ or from ‘that’, let the name JKD be wiped out, for that is what it is, its just a name, please don’t fuss over it”. Taking that into the account, i then see JKD is as a concept of fighting where the goal is totality of fighting where one needs to adapt himself in fighting any types of opponents. Therefore; in order to do that, JKD guy should master the 4 ranges of fighting that is related to particular arts.

To understand JKD, you need to understand the 4 ranges of fighting: kicking range, punching range, trapping or clinch range, grappling range.  One needs to be proficient to fight in any of these 4 ranges so that when he or she faces an opponent, it will not matter on what styles of fighting that the opponents bring, JKD man will simply adapt.

These are arts that will help those ranges: kicking range (Savate and Thai Boxing), punching range (Boxing), trapping range/ clinch (Wing Chun, Kali, Thai Boxing and Wrestling), grappling range (BJJ, Wrestling and Judo).

Those are the arts that I think any JKD person need to invest minimum of 2000 hours on each range before he or she will become functional. If you want to learn more, Call me at +628170116098.

Steps For Boxing Sparring

Steps For Boxing Sparring

by | Feb 18, 2016 | Martial Arts, Self Defense

If you read one of my article about ranges on striking arts, I said that Boxing range is one of the most important range that any martial artist needs to master. From mastering this, it will be easier for he or she to master kicking range and clinch range fighting.
Having that fact, the next thing to do is to be proficient in sparring, but if you are new to this, what are the baby steps to do so that you can spar safely ,efficient and perform well under pressure?
Here are the steps that you need to do:
  1. First range of Boxing that you need to practice is the long range. This is the range where when you punch or get punch, you can only touch their gloves, not their face or their bodies. The purpose of this range is for you to build confidence in sparring. You instincttively will know whether you are in the safe range or dangerous range. This is the range that if you want to hit the target, you need  to move one step ahead. In this range, you need to be very good at parrying straight punches and blocking long hooks and uppercuts.
  2. The next range is the counter punching range. This is still a long range, but the difference with the prior range is that here your intent is to disrupt your opponent straight line punches by hitting right away after you block, or by intercepting his straight line punches with yours. Everytime you counter attack, make sure you throw 2-3 jabs after it as you move our to your safety range.  The reason for this is for safety. It is not a guarantee that when you counter a punch that you will hit your target.  If you happen to miss or he or she blocks and hit you, you will be safe  by throwing those jabs because he will think twice to move in for a hit.
  3. Slipping range. This is the range where you move into the dangerous range. Basically when he jabs or cross, you will move to the outside of that punch for your own counter punches. To develop this skill, you need few tools and training partner to help you. You can use a rope where it is extended in your gym. Then what you do is to duck your head underneath that rope and weave your head from one side of the rope to the other.  You can also let your partner slowly throw jab and cross to your head using focus mitts and you slip those punches.
  4. Slip range and hit. This is exactly the same as previous one, the difference is that you want to hit back with your punching combinations such as uppercuts, hooks and straight punches right after you slip. For safety, you also need to jab like 2-3 times after throwing your combo because if you miss, you will be safe from your opponent who tries to hit you back as you move away to the long range.
  5. Unattached hitting range. This is the clinch range in boxing. The range happens when you move in and try to hit, your opponent stays there and clinch with you. Once this happens, what you need to do is to angle your body so that you can shove his weight toward his shoulder to disrupt his balance before you hit him with uppercut or overhand.  If hes too heavy for you to push, you want to move away in an angle so you can hit him easily.
I hope these steps are easy for you to understand and follow. Please look at the video below for better explanation.  If you want to learn more, Call me at +628170116098.

Ranges in Striking Arts

Ranges in Striking Arts

by | Feb 9, 2016 | Martial Arts, Self Defense

In my experience training and learning about striking arts such as Boxing, Thai Boxing, Jun Fan Kickboxing and Tae Kwon Do for more than 10 years, I realize that it is very important to understand and managing ranges effectively in a fight.

The easiest way for me to explain is to use Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do’s methodology. Bruce breaks down ranges into four: kicking, punching, trapping or clinching range and lastly grappling.

Within striking range, I usually experience three ranges: kicking, punching and clinch. In teaching others and myself, the best way i know is to get good at punching range because it is the most realistic range for fighting. From boxing, one can flow to kicking and clinching range easily and steal opportunity to strike successfully among the ranges.

Punching range can be a good parameter to apply the kicking range. When you punch and the guy step away from your punch, thats a kicking range, so you kick. If for example from punching range you or he moves closer to clinch range, you can knee kick, elbow strikes, head butt and short punches such as uppercuts and hooks.

Therefore; its good to get good at long range boxing first. This way you will earn evasive and attacking skills and gain confidence that way.  Once you can do this, it will be easier for you to start developing your kicking and striking from clinch skills. This way you get to know the trigger on when to capitalize on timing to hit successfully.

If you saw Ronda Rousey fight vs Holly Holm or Mayweather vs Pacquiao, you would see how both Holm and Mayweather manage their distance successfully to win.  For Holm she kicked Ronda face just when the distance moved from clinch to kicking range.  As for Mayweather, he frustrated Manny for guessing the right ranges while he dominated he fight.

Please give me feedback on your experience after training this.

PS: I have a course on this, if you want, please email me at yuriamadin@gmail.com or contact me at +628170116098 (Whatsapp available).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E63aZKtMcE

The 80/20 of Clinch Skills

The 80/20 of Clinch Skills

by | Jan 18, 2016 | Grappling/BJJ, Martial Arts, Self Defense

In realizing that learning to fight empty hand against resisting opponent I need to be proficient in 3 areas, namely stand up fighting, clinch fighting and ground fighting, acquiring skills in a functional art is a must.

In doing this, i found that Greco Roman wrestling is the answer I have been looking for after seeing my favorite fighter at that time, Vitor Belfort, was destroyed by Randy Couture using clinch fighting skills.

In this video, i will show you what I use when i have to clinch my way out of stand up fighting. Its almost all come from Greco and I just left out Thai Boxing neck clinch in it.

The 80/20 principle says that the 80% of outcome comes from the 20% essential info and efforts or materials that you focus on. You can say in this video, 80% of my attention in clinch fighting techniques and training methods are in this video. Have fun watching and put some time to train them.

BTW, I have a course for this, if interested, please email me at yuriamadin@gmail.com or go to contact page and contact me.

 

Training Methods that Work

Training Methods that Work

by | Dec 16, 2015 | Martial Arts

Training Method that Works

How to train efficiently has always been my concern for a long time. I always try to find the best way to train efficiently knowing that I only have several hours to train per week.

That is why the 80/20 Paretto principle is very important for me to use. In this article I will reveal 2 training methods that I think it will be useful for you to apply.

The first one is called “Progressive Resistance” and the second is called ” I Method”. I got ” progressive resistance” concept from Paul Vunak, one of the JKD instructor. Basically it is like learning how to write.

In writing, you first learn the alphabet before words. Then you learn how to create a sentences before paragraphs. Only later with enough flight time, you then can write stories, novels, etc.

Same thing with martial arts techniques. Lets use boxing.  You first learn the stance and footwork. Even that, there are many footworks, you will probably use one style of footwork.  Then, you will learn how to punch and it usually starts with the Jab punch. You learn the mechanics and you practice to hit the mitts and heavy bag. Right after that, you learn how to defend against it with slips and parry.

Once you start to spar, progressive resistance will make you to isolate sparring like jab vs jab, instead of using all punches. The sparring is alive, you get to perfect your techniques and performance in a live environment. Only then you add the cross like jab vs jab cross, and without you knowing it, you’ll be boxing full blast.

This “progressive resistance” format can be used in any type of fight training: kickboxing, clinch wrestling, grappling, weaponry, multiple opponents, etc.

The other is called “I Method”.  I also found this method from Matt Thornton, Straight Blast Gym Founder. Alhough similar, i found this method is simpler to apply by anybody to improve their performance. The “I” stands for 3 “I”s: Introduction, Isolation and Integration. I will use the example of grappling to explain.

Introduction part is where you first learn the technique. You learn it well, retain the information and repeat the technique well, even with your eyes closed so that you get it good to your reflex.

Isolation sparring is where you spar in a particular position and try to pull of your techniques against resisting opponent. For example if you learn how to bent arm lock from mount, now try to do it when your opponent escape the mount and resist your efforts.

Integration is where you integrate everything into a sparring match. This is last process after he or she is comfortable in many different isolation sparring. After getting good flight time in many different positions of isolation sparring, one will already understands then game and the outcome that he or she tries to achieve. Integration sparring is like a testing laboratory of your fight performance. Your results from here will give you right feedback on what to work next and improve.

I hope these two training methods are useful for you as they have been useful for me.

Awareness in Martial Arts.

Awareness in Martial Arts.

by | Dec 8, 2015 | Martial Arts

When you have been training martial arts for decades like I do, you realize that as you age, your speed, strength and explosiveness will probably go down.
As you spar others who give you good resistance, you realize that to overcome that challenge, more techniques might not be the answer. So if that is not the answer, what is?

Awareness, that is the answer to overcome challenges in sparring and fighting. I can only speak from experience and I hope it is useful.  Flight time in praticing, drilling and sparring a particular art in a right way consistently over a long period of time will build awareness at the very high level.

In the beginning, I always think off adding more techniques to be better than my opponent. Evertime I try to do something and I failed, I would always look for a new answer, usually new technique to overcome that problem. This is very common for a beginner. What I realize after 2 decades of training, my focus shrink on not just adding techniques, but I am more interested in going deep, understanding the techniques I already own and know, so that I can pull them off more efficiently without facing any new obstacles.

I am not saying that it is not important to learn and add new techniques.  What I am saying is when you have a high level awareness, you can most of the time avoid common problems in executing your techniques successfully.

So how do you build high awareness in fighting? Master the basics at the deeper level. Learn the technique correcly, drill them hundreds of times, isolate spar them on many different fighting scenarios, integrate the scenarios. You also need to tape yourself in sparring, jot down notes on what to work on. Most importantly, be patient and don’t give up. Without you knowing it, your awareness will skyrocket.