KMS-JKD Article-Self-Expression

When you read many articles written about Jeet Kune Do, you see statements such as, �JKD is all about self-expression,� or, �You�ve got to express yourself.� But what exactly does the term �express yourself� really mean? And how can a person learn to truly express his or her �self�? The definition of �express oneself� in Webster�s dictionary is �to give expression to one�s feelings, imagination, etc., in a creative or artistic activity.� The word �express� means �to make known, to reveal�� Through your actions as a martial artist, you �make known� or �reveal� certain things about yourself: your strengths and weaknesses, your likes and dislikes, your fears, your anger, etc. A person�s nature, their character, their essence is revealed through what they do. An old fencing axiom states, �As you are, so you will fence. You can conceal nothing.� Bruce Lee echoed the same sentiment when he wrote, �An artist�s expression is his soul made apparent, his schooling, as well as his �cool� being exhibited. Behind every motion, the music of his soul is made visible.�

In order for you to be able to express yourself to the highest degree of which you are capable, three things are necessary:
You must know yourself.
You must have a good foundation.
You have to �make it your own.�

Know Yourself
Before you can express yourself, you must know your �self.� By this I don�t mean just on the surface, but inside out; physically, mentally and emotionally. What are your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, etc.? What frightens you? What makes you angry? The next question then becomes how you can gain such self-knowledge? The answer is by studying yourself in action. In this way you�re able to discover what your strong points are and what your weak points are. You can learn what you like and what you don�t like, as well as how you react in different situations and under various conditions. Self-knowledge is a vital and essential component of self-expression.

Have a Strong Foundation
You are a martial �artist.� But like any other type of artist, no matter how inventive your genius, you still need to possess a technical foundation that should be continuously improved. This means that the first thing you have to do is learn the basics or fundamentals out of which you can progress, and which you can then use as a basis for your own improvisation and creativity. Your technical foundation should function as a launching platform that encourages growth, not a ceiling that limits it. So remember, while the techniques you learn play an important role in the early stage, don�t cling stubbornly to them or you will become bound by their limitations and cease to grow. Also, make sure that your striving for mechanical perfection doesn�t cause you to develop a rigidity that will prevent full self-expression.

Make It Your Own
To �make it your own� that you�ve got to take whatever it is that you do, integrate it completely with your personality, and add your own personal modifications. Take writing for example. You no longer write the way you originally learned as a small child. You no longer have to wrack your brain over the mode of writing, the formulation of the individual letters, or how to link the words together. Through experience you have made your own personal modifications and developed your own style of writing, your �signature,� if you will. In other words, you�ve �made it your own.� In the same way, when you study martial arts, you first learn simple movement details that are then linked into complex actions. A specific mode or form of technical expression emerges only after considerable time and training.

I feel it�s important at this point to discuss the difference between �influence� and �imitation.� In numerous articles written about JKD, you read statements such as, �If you�re doing a shin-knee side kick, followed by a finger jab, then you are not being yourself, but merely imitating Bruce Lee,� and �If you do what Bruce Lee did then you�re not expressing yourself.� It�s obvious from these and other statements that many of these people confuse being influenced by someone with imitating them. There is a huge distinction between the two. Each and every one of us has been influenced in some way by various people that we�ve either met or read about during our lives. Usually such people are those we have respect or admiration for. My instructor, Dan Inosanto, influenced me greatly. So has Bruce Lee. But I don�t want to imitate either of them. You�ve seen people who copy or imitate other people. They wear the identical clothes, copy their mannerisms, gestures, facial expressions, etc. They are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts; copiers. But if a particular motion or action is efficient and effective, and if I choose to use that same motion or action, does it mean that because another person happened to use the same motion before me that I am not expressing myself? When Michael Jordan plays basketball, is he expressing himself, or is he merely imitating other players who have gone before him? When world-champion track athlete Michael Johnson runs, is he expressing himself as an athlete, or is he merely imitating Jesse Ownes because their running styles are similar? Both of the above mentioned people are doing the same thing that countless people have done before them, yet I think it�s safe to say that neither of these people could possibly be labeled as �imitators.� On the contrary, each is a qualified artist of self-expression.

Expressing one�s self requires the harmonious integration of an individual�s personality with their physical characteristics and attributes. In the martial arts, as in any form of creative expression, all of the sources of skill and inspiration that you have drawn upon throughout your lifetime will emerge in a unique form that is your own personal expression. In this way, the art merely becomes the release trigger for the outpouring of your personality, temperament, and self. And you become �an artist of self-expression.�