STRUCTURE

by Tim Tackett

All martial arts have a specific structure. It is this structure that makes their art work. To understand any martial art you must first look at its structure. You can think of structure as a base of operations from which the attacks and defense of a particular art spring from. Structure is the base from which the art grows from. Structure is the roots from which the branches of the art spring from. To understand any art is to understand its structure. (Photo by Rick Hustead / © Black Belt Communications LLC)

OBSERVING DIFFERENCES

by Tim Tackett

One of the major reasons for forming what is now called The Bruce Lee Educational Foundation was to promote unity and comradeship between the four phases of the evolution of Bruce Lee’s martial art. Unfortunately this may not always be the case. The reason may be a misunderstanding of what Bruce Lee was attempting to do with his personal evolution. Bruce was interested in constant experimentation, but it was not just experimentation for its own sake.

WHAT HAVE YOU MASTERED?

by Tim Tackett

Last year the Bruce Lee Educational Foundation held its annual meeting and seminar in Las Vegas. This meeting is our non-profit organization’s major fundraiser for the year, as the yearly membership fee is barely enough to print and mail our newsletter. During the autograph session in which the various members of the BLEF board of directors (The Nucleus) sign books and photos, a young man handed me a magazine opened to a full-page photo.

THE HAMMER PRINCIPLE

by Tim Tackett & Bob Bremer

The hammer principle is one of the best techniques that Bruce Lee taught. According to his lesson plans, which are published in volume 3 of Bruce Lee’s notes entitled Jeet Kune Do edited by John Little, it was also one of the first things that he taught. Bob Bremer seems to be the only one of Bruce Lee’s students who seems to remember it and teach it. He has been kind enough to share the finer points of the excellent technique.

ATTITUDE: VIEW TO A KILL

by D.M. Blue

Many times have I thought of submitting an article (to Bruce Lee magazine), and often requests are made of me to write a book. Frankly, I feel there is nothing to say; or should I say - that has not already been said or attempted? There is also no way to be of technical benefit to the individual via onedimensional media. I have read numerous articles espousing the many scholars, and the many who exclaim their point-of-view and expertise on this, that, and the other. (Photo by Chrissy Cruz / © Inside Kung Fu)

USING NO WAY AS WAY?

by Jeremy Lynch

One of the most famous Bruce Lee quotes referring to our beloved art of Jeet Kune Do is “Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation”. Unfortunately, this one quote has been the cause of a great deal of confusion. Another quote of Bruce Lee’s that is used frequently is “I don’t believe in styles” and another, “My followers in Jeet Kune Do, do listen to this … all fixed, set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”