Reflection On My Personal Path

When I began treading the Jeet Kune Do path I did back in March/April of 2005, I had prepared myself to be loyal to it; and the instructor(s) under whom I'd train the material.  Throughout the first couple of years, I've been privileged to be in consistent contact with my instructor in the art.  To him, I owe a great deal of thanks, and credit for paving the way to the level of mental understanding I have, now.  Additionally, he paved the way in thinking about bigger things - a bigger picture in the greater scheme of things in, and out of, Martial Arts.  He would often promote our personal growth as Martial Artists - not just Jeet Kune Do (JKD) guys.  Most importantly, he reminded us of being honest, giving credit where it's due.

Fast forward to a point around three, to four years ago: one thing led to another, and I find my instructor removing himself from the JKD world.  By extension, I removed myself from it, as well.  I still maintain associations, and friendships with some individuals within; but, for the most part, I didn't need the cronyism; and drama queen antics I've grown accustomed through various encounters - whether online; in person; or through the telephone.

At the same time, my instructor - by virtue of schedule change, had to remove himself from teaching on Sundays, and focused on being a student, again.  During that time, I was able to sneak in whatever time I could in corresponding with him, updating me with what he's been training.  Amid those conversations, I came away with ideas.  But, there was one thing sticking out at the time, as he was explaining his reasoning: context. 

Of particular interest, is the context of a criminal assault, should I EVER find myself in one.   Because the dynamics of such are wholly different from the various means by which people prepare for "self-defense"; or sparring - as one would find in boxing, BJJ; or anything resembling a "duel," it really forces one to put his, or her training into proper perspective. 

Moreover, my loyalty has seemingly shifted over time - from my instructor, to my personal direction (though, this is something he encourages, having explained to me the art(s) will end up teaching me more than the teacher).  With this said, putting things into proper perspective, as it pertains to the "big picture," I've had to reflect on certain things.

1. Where my JKD training fits in with respect to the areas of ambushes; managing unknown contacts; environmental considerations; legal ramifications (striking vs. control/restraint), etc.  
2. How to fill the glaring holes in my personal "game," with respect to my height and (now) weight.  
1. clinching 
2. Addressing; and escaping from the ground position 
3. Gaining clear positions of advantage

These are only a few of the considerations on which I'll reflect for the coming days.  To avoid being long-winded, I'll breaking these, and other points into chunks. 

For my personal inspiration(s) along the way, please refer to the following

• Prevail Training 
• Shivworks
• GreyGroup Training Video(s)

More later.