3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jeet Kune Do Basics, January 31, 2006
This review is from: Jeet Kune Do Basics (Tuttle Martial Arts Basics) (Paperback)
Exellent book. Mr.Cheng has researched the original/JunFan version of jeet kune do as taught by Bruce Lee and has masterfully organized the information into an easy to understand format. The Tuttle "Basics" series is well designed. This book is already in second printing. I beleive it will be a standard in the field of Bruce Lee/JKD texts.
Unfortunately there exists much political bias in the JKD field. Lines are typically drawn between those who practice the original JKD (when Bruce Lee taught and encouraged others to practice JKD as a martial art from late 1967 through 1970) and those who practice the JKD concept which Bruce Lee promoted after 1971 ( see for example the famous 1971 Black Belt article in which Bruce Lee states "I have not created a new martial art).Mr Cheng, who is schooled in both versions sticks to presenting the original 'Jeet kune Do as a martial art' version in this book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Exactly what it says, the basics of JKD, August 9, 2008
This review is from: Jeet Kune Do Basics (Tuttle Martial Arts Basics) (Paperback)
This was a very nice, informative book. The author credits a number of first- and second-generation JKD students in his acknowledgement page, and it's clear that he's tried to present a balanced view of JKD by taking advantage of these multiple inputs.
Part 1, the "Introduction" section, is a scant fifteen pages or so. However, this space is used well, and the history, underlying philosophy, and different branches of JKD are explained briefly, but very well.
The second part, on "Getting Started", includes chapters on safety, choosing the right school, what a typical "Original" JKD class is like, and what the student may expect in the first three months.
Though the first two parts are informative and lay the foundation for the book, Part 3, "Learning the Basics", is really where the fun begins. Cheng covers stance and footwork, basic strikes, and some very basic grappling. While I was impressed with how thorough the footwork section was, I have to say that illustrations from this point onward would have been very helpful. As an experienced martial artists, there was very little I was unfamiliar with, but since this book was designed for beginners, I feel that simple text descriptions of the techniques wasn't quite enough.
Part 4, on the "Five Ways of Attack", was done pretty well. Most importantly the philosophy behind the attacks was presented. Again, though, illustrations would have helped. Other than that, I thought this part was organized pretty well. The chapter on "Simple Direct/Angular Attack" was presented first, with more complex chapters following. Several examples of each method of attack were described.
The fifth part, "Tactical Considerations", had some nice info in it. Organizationally, it first included a chapter on defense, then one on counterattack. These were followed by a chapter on "Distance, Timing, and Rhythm", which few martial arts books address. The final chapter in Part 5 was about how to apply the principles and techniques of JKD in sparring, and listed a number of drills.
Part 6, "Advancing in Jeet Kune Do", wrapped things up pretty nicely. It talked about setting training goals, and also addressed competitions and demonstrations.
I found this book to be a nice bridge between your basic how-to book and a more advanced fighting strategy/philosophy book. Cheng's overall presentation seemed very balanced, and the basics were given very thorough attention. However, due to the lack of illustrations at critical points in the text, I have to settle for giving this book only four stars. Please don't let that deter readers too much, though. The principles and strategies addressed in this book are things that aren't normally taught for years in most martial arts programs. For that, and for the concise and well-done general JKD overview, I highly recomend this to all JKD students, if for nothing else than a good, quick reference book.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect partner for the first 6 months training !!, January 15, 2008
This review is from: Jeet Kune Do Basics (Tuttle Martial Arts Basics) (Paperback)
Excellent book !
In depth coverage of everything a beginner should know, learn and practice in the first 6 to 12 months JKD training.
From the very very basics techniques, to tactics and combination, this book will amaze the reader with its semplicity yet detail.
Step by step instructions, drills, exercises which will accompany for many months.
i really feel that, when I will have practiced all the book, I will really be a "pretty good" beginner.
Amazing !
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