MISINFORMATION ANNIHILATION

The jeet kune do conversations one sees on social media are reminiscent of the Los Angeles freeway system: They lead all over the place.

Everyone who posts has his or her own “true” interpretation of what constitutes JKD. Unfortunately, most of it is not based on mastery — or even solid comprehension — of the subject. Instead, it’s based on simple understanding and hearsay. Yet plenty of people out there think what they read is correct.

Among the dubious claims one comes across is this: “JKD is an amalgam of a number of different martial arts, and Bruce Lee picked whatever was useful, discarded what was not and called it his own style.” It’s time someone debunked this myth and then explained what JKD actually is.

FROM THE SOURCE

Initial guidance on the subject comes from an episode of the James Franciscus/Bruce Lee TV series that was titled “The Way of the Intercepting Fist.” To anyone who knows the meaning of “jeet kune do,” it should come as no surprise that Lee saw the show as an opportunity to explain to American audiences what the name of his system signified. This happened way back in the early 1970s. As a 30-year-old American-born Chinese who previously had played Kato on the popular TV series, Lee had enough clout to influence writer Sterling Silliphant to create a screenplay about JKD. To that end, “The Way of the Intercepting Fist” shows Lee’s character giving a blind