KMS-KMS Article-Evolution

I�ve been intimately involved with Bruce Lee�s art and philosophy of Jeet Kune Do for almost three-quarters of my entire life. I�ve spent over 31 years in dedicated pursuit of the ideals espoused by Lee. And as one of the pre-eminent torchbearers of Lee�s martial legacy, I have always believed it is incumbent upon me to continue the pioneering work Lee started in his process of self-actualization, not only as a martial artist but in all capacities as a human being.

Over the years I�ve witnessed firsthand the myriad of changes that have occurred with regard to both the teaching of the art, and the dissemination of information concerning it. Some it has been good. Much of it has not. On countless occasions through the years I�ve seen clarity of understanding obscured by clouds of misperception, misunderstanding, and misrepresentation, up to and including some instructors even giving their students colored belt rankings in JKD. I�ve seen all sorts of prefixes and suffixes such as �original�, �concepts�, �functional�, �core�, etc. added to the name Jeet Kune Do.

As one of the founding members of the Bruce Lee Educational Foundation, I was involved in helping to educate people about Lee�s art and philosophy, with the objective of offering them the clearest and most accurate picture of Lee�s process of personal development and self-actualization. While I felt this was vital for the perpetuation of Lee�s martial legacy, at the same time I strove to maintain the original freedom Lee envisioned with regard to the art, and prevent dogma from slipping in to choke out genuine understanding and squelch intellectual growth. And I am the first to admit that at certain times throughout the years even I had fallen into the trap.

In recent years I�ve seen legal issues and ramifications with regard to the use of Bruce Lee�s name, likeness, the use of his logo, even the name itself, increase to the point where some magazine publications have been placed in the position whereby they currently will no longer print articles dealing with Jeet Kune Do. On a personal level, I have been on the receiving end of having the publication and distribution of materials I created to educate people about Jeet Kune Do stopped by the publishers due to potential legal problems with the Lee estate.

Over the past several years I had begun to feel a sense of discontent with regard to Jeet Kune Do. Something was bothering me, but I couldn�t place my finger on what it was. Here I was doing what I loved, perpetuating Bruce Lee�s art and philosophy and sharing with as many people as possible the incredible benefits it had to offer, not only from a combative perspective, but also as a process to actualize one�s true potential in all aspects of life. What could possibly be wrong? Was it something to do with the art? Was it something to do with me? Was it both? I didn�t know, but realized that the only way to find the answer was to take a long, hard look at what I was doing. So in late 2003, I took the first step on what was to become an extensive and sometimes difficult yet necessary journey of self-examination, both of myself and of the art. This journey forced me to ask some fundamental questions with regard to Jeet Kune Do, its purpose, training methods, etc. It took a lot of time and emotional energy, but after much soul-searching, the answer finally came to me. And the shock was like being on the receiving end of an unexpected punch in the face.

I came to the realization that, over the years since it came into existence, the name or term �Jeet Kune Do� had now become its own form of limitation. That�s right, the very name of the art that I had spent most of my life perpetuating had become, not from my personal understanding of it, but rather, due to the public�s varied perceptions (or perhaps misperceptions would be a better word), restrictive and limiting. How? Let me give you a few examples of some of the different perceptions regarding what Jeet Kune Do is that I�ve run across.

When some people ask me what I teach and I tell them Jeet Kune Do, their immediate response is, �Oh, yeah, I�ve heard of that. It�s mixed martial arts.� The reason for this perception is that, in the martial art world, for many people the term Jeet Kune Do has become synonymous with a person simply doing whatever they want, grabbing whatever techniques or whatever they want from this style or that, and tossing them together to create a kind of generalized martial art system that�s supposedly �free�. The problem with the term �mixed martial arts� is that it violates one of JKD�s fundamental tenets, which views �martial art� as a single, unified �whole�, a �totality� without separation, and not a bunch of different arts which are separate from each other. JKD is not about a person taking what they consider to be the �best� of each style and building their own style. It�s about removing the whole notion of �style�.

Other people believe that if it�s not about �kicking ass� or �all-out street combat�, then it�s not Jeet Kune Do. This perception completely ignores Bruce�s belief that, at the highest level, the art should serve as a prescription for personal growth physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. While functionality in combat is an integral and important component of the overall Jeet Kune Do training, to say that JKD is merely about fighting is like holding up a single grain of sand and saying, �This is the beach.�

Some JKD people, who like to think of themselves as �purists�, believe that if it�s not written in Bruce Lee�s notes, or if he did not specifically use a particular technique or action, then it cannot be Jeet Kune Do. But this is a form of �fundamentalism� that goes against the very philosophical principles Lee used in creating the art.

Still others will tell you that Jeet Kune Do is just a �concept� or an �idea�. But that�s a very vague and nebulous perspective. What exactly does that mean? A concept is an intellectual abstraction. You and I may have very differing concepts of what gravity is, and we could probably debate it forever. But the fact remains that gravity is the same for you as it is for me.

Each of these various groups believe that they truly know what Jeet Kune Do really is, and their members simply repeat the party line espoused by their faction. Remember now, the people I am talking about are people who are educated in the field of martial arts. I�m not talking about the average person you might meet at a party or run into out on the street. You could take a hundred people you meet on the street and ask them who Bruce Lee was, and probably at least 95 will know. Ask the same people if they know what Jeet Kune Do is, and you�ll be lucky if 2 of them will be able tell you. The majority of the general public don�t the difference between Jeet Kune Do, Tae Kwon Do, or Tang Soo Do, Hapkido, etc. Even in China, if the person you are talking to doesn�t speak Cantonese, the name Jeet Kune Do doesn�t mean anything to them.

My point is that the �name� Jeet Kune Do has, by its numerous and varied perceptions, in many ways become a limiting factor. It�s the fact that, due to the way the public perceives Jeet Kune Do and places it into certain categories with certain predictabilities, that the name has become restrictive. It is viewed as simply �this� and thus, �not that.�

It�s a known fact that, although Bruce Lee was reluctant to put a name on his personal philosophy, he christened the martial expression of his philosophy Jeet Kune Do. This was because he understood that he had to call it something. But he also knew that names could become potentially restrictive agents, limiting the scope of a person�s thoughts to only those areas that fall within the general definition of the words used to describe it. Words are always poor symbols for what they represent. Which is why in his notes about Jeet Kune Do he wrote, �The title is not important. It�s only a symbol for the kind of martial art we study. The emphasis should not be put on its title.�

I was forced to recognize the fact that, due to the many perceptions that abound with regard to the name Jeet Kune Do, to continue to simply refer to what I was doing as Jeet Kune Do, or add my own name to it and call it �Chris Kent�s Jeet Kune Do�, was inadequate and also limiting. It automatically put me in a position that allowed people to place me in one or more of the above-mentioned categories. I found myself faced with a major dilemma. What was I supposed to do? Abandon the art I had put so much time and effort into? Stop using the name Jeet Kune Do? How could I maintain the original freedom Lee envisioned when he created Jeet Kune Do to be a method of �no method�, a �style-less style� that results in unrestricted athletic and spiritual freedom for the individual practitioner?

My own approach to both training in and teaching Bruce�s art and philosophy had always been simple. It�s been built upon two statements made by Lee himself. The first was, �Basically we have two arms and two legs. So the question becomes, how can we use our body to the maximum?� The second was, �How, in the process of learning to use my body, can I come to understand myself?� My study of Lee�s martial philosophy led me to the understanding that martial art is a combination of both �science� and �art�. Knowledge of the underlying principles is the �science�, and the physical expression of those principles is the �art� This way of thinking directed me to search for the fundamental truth or �essence� underlying efficient human movement in combat. Over the last thirty-two years I�ve spent countless thousands of hours conducting extensive research into all forms of unarmed combat, not for the sake of stockpiling techniques, but rather looking for the common denominators that exist and have application to all individuals. At the same time I�ve also researched the human sciences of anatomy, exercise physiology, and kinesiology in order to apply their principles to martial art requisites such as proper body alignment, balance, strength, speed, power, coordination, etc.

I concluded that what I needed to do was find a term I could use that more accurately reflected what I personally was doing. In the midst of my process of self-examination, a single word kept popping into my head. The word was �SCIENCE�. As I mused over it I suddenly remembered the numerous times Bruce used the word �science� when discussing Jeet Kune Do. So I researched the word. And here is what I discovered. The word �science� is defined in the dictionary as, �Systematized knowledge derived from observation, study and experimentation carried on in order to determine the nature or principles of what is being studied.� The essence of science consists of setting up plausible hypotheses and then experimenting and checking to uphold or disprove them. It is not merely the use of logic and facts to verify or falsify a theory. Rather, science consists of continually revising and changing theories, actions, etc., and trying to replace them with more valid and/or useful ideas, concepts, and principles, It constantly strives for greater truth. The primary characteristics of science are:

Science is flexible, non-rigid, and non-dogmatic. It is skeptical of all ideas that hold that anything is absolutely, unconditionally, or certainly true under all conditions for all time.
Science sticks to facts and to reality (which can always change) and to logical thinking It willingly revises and changes its theories, techniques, etc. as new information arises.
Science avoids rigid all-or-none and either/or thinking.
Science sees that reality is often two-sided and includes contradictory events and characteristics.

�Science�. That was it. The word fit perfectly with not only my approach to perpetuating Lee�s art, but also with what I felt were the highest ideals of JKD. Furthermore, Martial Science as a term is a lot more comprehensible to most people than Jeet Kune Do. By using Martial Science I could remain true to the spirit of Bruce�s art and philosophy without being constrained by the name of Jeet Kune Do. So I decided to use the term �Kent Martial Science� to represent what I am doing.

So in what ways does Kent Martial Science^TM differ from Jeet Kune Do?

Well, again, the first thing you have to do is look beyond the name, because that is what it is, simply a title. Understand that I have in no way separated from the philosophical tenets or foundations of Jeet Kune Do. Lee�s martial art philosophy still serves as the template of what we�re doing with Kent Martial Science^TM.

The fundamental difference is philosophical in nature. Jeet Kune Do was originally created as the result of one individual�s search for truth. It might upset some people to hear this, but the fact is that Lee�s interest was in his own personal development, period. If someone else got something out of what he was doing, that was fine. Jeet Kune Do, as Lee envisioned it, was, by its very nature, highly individualized and not designed for mass consumption. Whereas, with Kent Martial Science^TM I�m interested in helping as many people as possible to develop themselves not only as martial artists, but even more importantly, as human beings. Kent Martial Science^TM deals with the art of expressing the body, but more important, the art of expressing the potential inherent in the body. And building upon the template laid down by Lee, I�ve developed a martial art training process that will help guide each individual towards his or her own personal liberation.

Kent Martial Science^TM is my own avenue. It is a systematic progression of training uniquely mine. Systematic, not in terms of techniques and principles and their application, but with regard to teaching and training methodology. Kent Martial Science^TM reflects my over 34 years development as a martial artist and instructor, and what has developed from my personal growth and refinement. I�ve taken the cutting-edge information I have been exposed to by my association with some of the world�s top martial artists, athletes, fitness pioneers, medical professionals, elite law enforcement officers and soldiers, as well as my own extensive research, and synthesized the material into specific, targeted training protocols that will help every martial artist from the Elite, Sub-elite, Novice, and Beginner. Kent Martial Science^TM is complete both in terms of functionality (ranges, weapons, etc.) and the ultimate goal of personal development (physical, mental, spiritual).

While Lee felt that Jeet Kune Do could serve as a boat to get an individual from the shores of ignorance to the shore of self-knowledge, through Kent Martial Science^TM we�ve designed and built a superhighway bridge to help as many people get across as possible. Each individual can make the trip at their own speed, but they still have to take the journey themselves. Whereas Bruce Lee�s Jeet Kune Do was basically a research system designed for one individual, Kent Martial Science^TM is a �research and education system� designed for everyone who wants to utilize it, regardless of style.. At the Kent Martial Science^TM Association, we believe that the goal of a true martial artist should be to fully actualize his or her true potential as a human being. Not merely physical potential, but intellectual and spiritual development as well. We are dedicated to perpetuating the ideals espoused by Bruce Lee, and educating others to find and experience the truth for themselves.

Finally, Kent Martial Science^TM is not about the abandonment or mere modification of Jeet Kune Do, but a whole new thought process and approach to individual martial art training.

Am I concerned that by using the name Kent Martial Science^TM it will lead to more confusion in the world of Jeet Kune Do? No. There are numerous members of the JKD upper echelon besides me that use other names to represent themselves and what they do. Am I worried that by using the name Kent Martial Science^TM that people will no longer wish to train with me? No. For those who truly understand that, as Bruce Lee so succinctly put it, �Jeet Kune Do is just a name. Please don�t fuss over it�, it won�t matter a bit. They recognize the medicine is important, not the container it comes in. And for the others, well, there�s nothing I can do about it.

I believe that I have a distinctive position in the world of Jeet Kune Do. I believe in what I�m doing and I�m not worried that not everyone will agree with my ideas. I�m not going to try to convince everyone that they have to see things my way. I understand that there are those who feel comfortable and secure with their own ideas and beliefs. That�s fine. I wish them well on their journey... I�m going to focus my energy on those people who can look beyond a name and who are sincerely interested in becoming the best they can be. If you are one of these individuals, welcome to the world of Kent Martial Science^TM!