1) Absorb what is practical, discard the rest.

2) You know I can pull out some fancy hand-movements and stunts. I can be cocky but that is not the truth. To be true to yourself, not lying to oneself, is the expression of human body. To be true to yourself is hardest thing to do my friend.

These words were spoken by Bruce Lee himself. You can listen to the “Bruce Lee – The Lost Interview” on YouTube.

Now I have also found the same thing, before I heard Bruce Lee and these 2 things came from my own personal experience as a growing man in this life. But from where these words are getting generated, what is the source of this thinking. The source is being Natural. You don’t be true to yourself just because Bruce Lee said it or your JKD instructor told you so. You follow it because you believe in Nature, you believe in the path that follows Natural Laws. When you learn JKD (or any Martial-Art) you don’t duplicate Bruce Lee, you try to be true to yourself. Why you try to be true because you found that following the true you, the Natural you, removes any arrogance and self-glorification, any anger from you, being the Natural you, being true to yourself, liberates you from this artificial world and its phenomenon and puts you in one with Nature itself. And when you find this truth, you no longer bound to any form or anyone but to true you only.

Now what I explained is what I have experinced myself but this is also explained in ancient Chinese thought as “The Dao”, so I guess Bruce Lee took it from there and put it in real-life perpective along with his own experience in Martial-Arts and result was JKD.

I really wonder why Bruce Lee did not adapt any of the animal techniques in JKD. May be this was because of his background in Wing-Chun (not in Black Tiger Kung-Fu, of which I am impressed very much). Bruce Lee adapted ideas from western boxing and fencing instead. If you look at how Tommy Carruthers practices JKD, all you will see are these words “Pure and Practical Practice” and nothing else. Try these 2 videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV6JdzCbXFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBTM6_l-Gdk&feature=related

It seems that you aspire to be a complete martial artist as Lee advocates. Considering his open minded approach to all systems, it is interesting that he never adapted any animal techniques common to Cantonese styles that he was exposed to.

Have you ever explored animal techniques to augment boxing and grappling?

TanDao

Sincerely,
Scott Buendia
Certified:
Jeet Kune Do instructor
Filipino Martial Arts instructor
Shamrock Submission Fighting Instructor
http://www.realistictrainingworks.com