Committed to teaching Original Jeet Kune Do - its foundational principles, training, and application tactics - in a world of confusion.
Cornerstone Jeet Kune Do isn’t about copying Bruce Lee, but understanding the principles and foundation of his method.
In JKD we favor the interception as the most direct form of self-defense. But this isn’t always possible. In that event, footwork, evasion and, as seen here, parrying can be used. The idea is to avoid needless complication and only use elements, like the parry, which is nearly a lost art these days, that integrate seamlessly into the interception systematic.
06/20/2026
“There are numerous counters which may be used for every lead, but for each particular occasion, there is one counter that is most effective in that situation. Action must be instantaneous and where there is a wide choice of action, instant action is difficult, if not impossible, unless the right action has been previously conditioned. Conditioning (guided by overall awareness), then, becomes the keystone of the counterattack.” Bruce Lee: Tao of Jeet Kune Do
The wooden dummy is an incredible tool for integration - especially for the leading low kicks and trapping.
Don’t be confused: the small knife is an extremely effective self-defense tool. Many of you out there are fully aware that JKD is very much influenced by fencing and yet think that use of a blade has to be done Kali style. We believe that the same principles that guide western fencing work very well for the small knife too. To learn more:
https://greenville-academy.teachable.com/p/jeet-kune-do-s-way-of-the-blade
Oversimplication is the process of leaving out relevant detail and this is exactly what some well-meaning but misguided JKD instructors do when they say there’s no trapping. We can’t always intercept straightaway and at long range. This happens a lot to you if your opponent is taller. To solve this, we don’t need to complicate things. We merely need to understand the simplicity principle of the Jeet and apply it to close-range interception.
The JKD dummy sets give you a chance to train highly likely combat scenarios. The leading shin/knee kick to a trap and eye jab, for instance. Unlike the Wing Chun Mook Jong form which develops structure and footwork, the JKD sets give you countless reps for your most common attack sequences. Check out Sifu Jason’s latest article in Wing Chun Illustrated. Available now.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1185526147032770/?fs=e&fs=e
Though our goal is to intercept the enemy’s attack at the earliest possible moment, that’s not always possible. The other guy gets a say in the matter. For this reason, we must not neglect using the Jeet concept even at close-range.
Sifu Tony explains the critical “two exit strategy” that can keep you both out of fights and/or out of jail too.
If you’re forced to defend yourself, footwork and angles are your best friend. This is especially true if you’re smaller than your enemy…and odds are you will be. As for intercepting…we’d love to. That’s our goal, of course. But sometimes, especially if you find yourself against someone much taller (a common problem for women) you can use footwork to sidestep and get off the line.
We live in a nation of laws. And the laws governing self-defense say that a favorite MMA tactic, ground and pound, isn’t self-defense. It’s assault. Be careful what you train because you have to have a legal and moral reason for everything you do if you’re ever in a fight. In this clip from an interview with Sifu Tony, my Wing Chun instructor, he tells you what, as a former police officer, he thinks of MMA. It’s worth a listen.