What makes you a good martial artist?

The topic what make you a good martial artist is the mostly overlooked among the martial arts community. There are many good martial artists out there, who are uniquely different from each other. Some are strong, some are fast, some are technical while some are out of control and uses brute force. If I am going to name few then I would disrespect all the great martial artists, who were legends who kept legacy to follow , and legend who lives up to date.

If I ask you what makes a good martial artists you may give me many answers. In the back of your head you will make countless list of qualities, attributes that a perfect martial artist may have. But actually are those qualities and attributes the good martial artist? That is the point I'm going to elaborate to you now. Following are few  attributes that makes a good martial artist according to many of you.

• Well reputed school
• Well reputed instructor with many qualifications
• Heavy training
• Dedication
• Fighting capability
• Well executed techniques

Yes ! You are correct there are the attributes that make a good martial artist. It's like robots make robots. But there are another few key factors that defines "good" martial artists from others. These things cannot be taught.

• Intellect
• Moral qualities 
• Compassion
• Research context out of their expertise and  adopt it
• Philosopher
• Selfless 

Unfortunately most of the time widely recognized fighters are not good martial artists. As I mentioned earlier they are byproduct of former list. Good martial artists embrace the truth and develop themselves, as they grow with others. Hope this will make a good discussion. Comments are always welcome.

Be water my friend ! ~ Sijo Bruce Lee

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. 

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” 
― Bruce Lee

 Sijo Bruce Lee not only told about mentioned water properties. He also intentionally hidden its true meaning. Being water is the most ultimate thing ; because in this world, in earth, water is the base of life. So if you can be the base of meaning of living , within the human society it would be another aspect. Be a person who is not only seeks his personal gain , but to uplift others. Who wish to grow with others , not alone. Be like water in a huge reservoir, that many depend on it, but you never give up on your dependants.

As a martial artist our ultimate goal is to train our minds to be empty. Its a equivalent  version of "Moksha" or "Nirvana". Detach from worldly needs , but to involve in worldly matters. I think this is what taoism is described about. But in bushido (warriors way) we believe we must master our outer hard part to reach for our most inner soft part; the soul.  And to look at world also as what it is and see it as not existing thing. If you can see this truth, that nothing in this world exist permanently, you can give up your ego, but win every battle, externally and internally.

Jeet for life! 

The ranges of fighting and ground fighting

As humans we learn to fight for survival. Some does it for profession or some does it for a sport just to keep in fit. Anyways there are only four ranges in fighting , except we are fighting with 6 legged , 5 arms and two headed monster. :)

The longest range is the KICKING RANGE : 

This range is the best range you can relax and fight. Most fighters are comfortable with this range. because you see things moving on the patterns , cadence and everything.

Then PUNCHING RANGE: 

This is much more severe than kicking range , because the fighter can use his whole body mechanism with the power of the floor to hit the target. Believe me this is not the most severe range because its the next two ranges are the worst.

The TRAPPING, HEAD BUTT , KNEE , ELBOW range,

As you can see most of the deadly arts are mastering this range, as in JKD's base is Wing Chun it masters this, also Muay Thai plus etc. You have to be very keen to escape or to survive in this range. Because all your vital organs and knockout points and weak points are easily access in this range . As in throat, eyes, jaw , neck, heart, spleen , liver, groin, floating ribs. etc etc.

The last but not the least GRAPPLING RANGE,

This is the range that most of the GRAPPLING base fighters are comfortable with. Today MMA fighters are practicing Jui jitsu for there ground fighting because with the MMA rules its the most effective range to pass out or submit your opponent.

But in here MMA fighters or any other fighters can use the JKD methods to fight. But I'm talking about the real survival. scratching, biting , eye poking , nerve pressing , ear slapping, groin attacks and much more filthy things. now a days PFS (Sigung Paul Vunak fighting system) uses most of them. Its better to use ground fighting from BJJ or JJ or Judo or Aikido. But when you are in ground you have many options rather than drilling out. No one can stand and choke you when he got a hit to his groin, or his eyes are poked.

This is the real concept behind JKD to intercept and finish as soon as possible. I am open for any comments.

Bruce Lee the mastermind of modern MMA

After Sijo Bruce Lee get injured in his spine by overexercising weight training , he had time to plan and build up the , best suitable martial way for a average person. He already had experience with Grand Master Ip Man's wing chun , and Karate from Taky Kimura and etc.. He then combine the spirit of each martial systems to his arsenal. Fencing theories and foot movements, boxing theries and foot and body movements , strategies, Mui tai and Savate to cover long range techniques , and wing chun for close range and jui justsu, ikido,judo,wrestling for grappling and ground fighting.



Sijo Bruce Lee created a new concept of hybrid system and he experimented those theories with world famous Karateka Joe Lewis and found out that these theories are practically usable. Also Bruce studied Kali, Nanchaku and Knife techniques form  one of his closest friend ,  Dan Inosantho, who is famous for getting full instructor level of JKD while Bruce Lee is alive. Anyway JKD or "way of intercepting fist (or kick) " has been famous via Bruce Lee's films. As far as I can see Sijo Bruce Lee did show his way of expressing himself in those movies. As in Grappling, long range techniques, short range techniques, Wing chun applications, Kali and knife fightings and etc.

Now Many descendants of Bruce Lee such as Ted Wong, Dan Inosantho, Tim Tacket, Jerry Potteet, Richard Bustillo,late Larry Hartset,  , and the 2nd generation such as Paul Vunak, Tommy Carruthers, Octavio Quintero  and many are developing and evolving Concepts of JKD and keeping the Sijo Bruce Lee alive.