By Burton Richardson

www.jkdunlimited.com

One of the basic premises of Bruce Lee's philosophy of martial arts is to constantly search for new tactics, techniques, and training methods that will make the practitioner more efficient in a fighting situation. One of Lee's mottoes was to "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." This is a great guideline for anyone who wants to improve in any area of life, be it martial arts or neuro-surgery. But, as always, there are pitfalls that we must avoid when we apply any strategy, however simple it may seem. 

Absorb what is useful. That phrase has caused a major rift between the two camps of JKD enthusiasts, namely the infamous "original vs. concepts" debate. The key element here is the word "useful". If you are to add to your repertoire, you should be adding those things that will actually be of use to you in a combative situation. Some people seem to think that Bruce Lee, or any founder of a martial arts style, had it perfect. There is nothing to add to a perfect system, so no need to do research or to absorb anything new. Bruce Lee wrote extensively about the fact that everything evolves, and that everything can be improved including his method of martial arts. This is why it changed from year to year as he progressed, so it should obviously continue to progress as time goes on. If it isn't growing in some way, it must be dead. Those who agree with the notion of constant growth sometimes forget that word "useful". Often people will add arbitrarily to their personal expression of JKD without distinguishing between the functional and the fantastic. Some instructors may do this purposely to give each student the freedom to choose between the stage art and the fighting art, but many just accumulate blindly. I should know, because I did this for many years. 

I got caught in the "more is better" mentality. Even worse, I was simultaneously in the grips of "the more complicated and impressive the better" type of thinking. I would research very diligently, studying with anyone I could. I was always looking for different ways to do things, especially if it was more intricate and involved. I would then break these things down and teach them at my school and on seminars. Most people enjoyed the training, and everything seemed to be going well, but something was not quite right. I was noticing that what I taught in class and what I used in sparring were two different things. If I trained a student or myself for a competition, the approach was totally different than the teaching methods I used in class or seminars. It was as though there were two totally different arts. One was for the traditional and cultural aspect of the martial arts style, while the other consisted of techniques that worked in the sparring sessions. This approach didn't jive well with the idea of using what works, so I decided that I had to change. It was a gradual process, I had the help and support of some of my friends and instructors, and I eventually got back to the "using what works" principle. 

If we are to use what works, and we understand that there are always ways to improve your performance, we must embrace the concept of absorbing. To be able to "absorb", one must have resources to draw from. This is why each JKD practitioner should be learning from multiple sources. Constantly researching from different fighting disciplines will give new ideas that can improve our efficiency. It is also important to train with different instructors from the same art. I have worked with close to twenty Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belts, and each one has a unique approach. Certain principles may remain the same, but the application of techniques and the training methods tend to vary with the instructor. This shortcuts the training time, as many more facets of the art are revealed. The same holds true for boxing, Thai boxing, wrestling, or stick fighting. Exposure to more experienced coaches will enhance the student's ability to perform, and that what the training is all about! 

Now that we are training with an open mind from various instructors, how do we know what is useful and what is useless? Some martial artists will look at a technique and then compare it to what was taught in their primary style. If it matches up well, then it is good. If it is unfamiliar, or goes against one of the dogmas of the primary style, it is declared to be useless and is sent to the recycle bin. We should keep an open mind, but testing the techniques and strategies for yourself is the only way that you will ever develop real self-confidence. If I know my instructor has performed a move in a fight, then I will have confidence that the technique works. The problem is that deep down inside I don't know if I have the timing or sensitivity to pull it off myself. If I get into a fight, my teacher is not going to step in and take my place. I have to fend for myself, so the only way that I will be able to have confidence is to earn it through sparring. When I have made some technique work a number of times against aggressive, resisting opponents who are trained in the fighting arts, I have confidence that I can do the same technique against a street fighter who is aggressive, but may not be very well-rounded. Because I have researched well, then practiced well, I have earned the right to be confident.

What if I try a technique in sparring and can never get it to work? Does that mean that it is not a good technique? Not necessarily. The problem can lie in a few different places. Maybe I am not doing to the technique correctly. I may be attempting a controlling procedure without attention to detail. It is often the small details that make the difference between a success and failure. I might know how to do the technique correctly, but I don't have enough experience in a "live" situation to execute the move with proper timing. What if I am scared, or anxious? If I can't control my emotions, I will not be able to fight efficiently. Maybe my opponent is better than I am. If my opponent's defense in a particular area is better than my offense, my technique is not going to work. The great thing is that each of the above situations can be overcome through proper practice over time. The scenario that we are constantly looking out for is where a particular technique doesn't work when everything is in my favor.

There are techniques that will rarely work in a real situation. If I try a technique in sparring for a long period of time and can never get it to work, there is a problem. If I am doing the move correctly, with proper details, I have good timing, and am in control of my emotions, I have to start looking at the validity of the technique. I have to start wondering if anyone has ever pulled off the technique in a realistic situation. This is where we need to start rejecting or modifying the move. We don't have time to practice everything, so we must be discerning martial artists if we want to be our best.