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 Attributes
Jeet
Kune Do is the name for the martial concepts and philosophy developed by
the late Bruce Lee.
JKD is a
highly effective way of developing the physical and mental attributes
needed for street reality based fighting and
self-defense. JKD is very scientific, practical, simple and direct in its
approach.
What are
attributes to a martial artist? Attributes are what make technical
knowledge work in real self-defense and fighting situations.
Attributes are the inner qualities that shape technique; that provide the
ground from which technique springs, and are the primary focus of Jeet
Kune Do training!
Jeet
Kune Do Attributes Training
Speed
The quality of speed can be broken down into two main categories. They are
Reaction speed
and Movement speed.
Each of these types of speed can be broken down into many minor variations
such as visual awareness, alteration speed, footwork speed, hand trapping
speed, etc. However, these are subcategories of either:
1.
Speed
of your motor reaction.
2.
Speed
of your movement.
It is also very diverse. A fighter may have fast hand motions butt slow
footwork. Likewise, another may have slower reaction speed but compensates
for it with faster perceptual speed. Thus to say an individual is fast and
another slow is an oversimplified generalization. A lot of one’s speed is
also inherent. However, various aspects of speed can be increased in
everyone to some degree. Let’s take a look at each type of speed in-depth.
Movement speed
Movement speed can be defined as the ability to generate bodily movements
in the shortest possible time – be it a simple movement or a complex
movement. Motor speed can be a deciding factor in one’s fighting
abilities.
Some of the prerequisites are:
* Mobility of Nervous Processes – Fine-tuned neuromuscular skill and
abilities.
* Power Performance - The ability to explode from one’s neutral position.
* Muscle Flexibility and Elasticity – Necessary for full range of motion
and to cut down muscular resistance which can slow a movement.
* Proper Focus of One’s Attention.
* Willpower.
Many factors other than basic speed abilities also condition movement
speed. These are such things as strength, endurance, coordination,
technical skill, etc.
Any punching or kicking movement is basically a ballistic motion (like a
bullet). On the way to it’s target the weapon is being acted on by
inertia. Even as your arm or leg is extending on it’s way outward the
antagonistic muscles are preparing to fire and slow the movement to stop
it in order to prevent you from injuring yourself. If it doesn’t then you
may end up hyper extending the joint. Even so you must keep the
antagonistic muscles as relaxed as possible to truly "explode" a punch. In
this case, the more powerful the explosion of your initial movement is,
the faster the punch or kick will travel.
Reaction Speed
Reaction speed, like movement speed, is also conditioned by other factors.
These include proper focus and concentration on the subject to be
responded to; fatigue (physical or mental); awareness (visual, aural,
tactile), etc. It can also be divided into: 1- simple motor reaction; and
2- complex motor reactions. A simple motor reaction may be all that is
required against a single attacking motion, whereas a complex one may be
necessary against a combination attacking motion.
Most of the reactions prevalent in the martial arts are complex in that,
due to constant and sudden changes in situations or actions, the martial
artist has to select from several possible actions the one adequate to the
situation.
Power
Power is the ability to exert strength quickly. In fact, in Europe it is
often referred to as speed-strength. The primary key is to develop the
greatest amount of force in the shortest amount of time. The initial
concentric contraction of the prime mover is literally an "explosion"
within the muscle and incorporation of all the body parts to impact
maximum torque (proper body mechanics).
As an example, when the hook punch lands we want the entire body behind it
to maximize the power; thus the term "hitting with the whole body" and not
merely the arm or leg. Russian studies have proven that approximately one
third of the power in a punch comes from the feet and the lower body, one
third comes from the waist, and one third comes from the shoulder and arm.
To express power while moving forward we need to make sure that the punch
(or kick) lands just a fraction of a second before our lead foot touches
the ground, allowing the person’s total weight to be projected into the
opponent instead of downward into the floor.
Endurance
Endurance can be defined as the capacity to
resist fatigue. High levels of endurance facilitate the mastery of a lot
of hard work during training and allow high quality movement and perfect
solutions to both technical and tactical problems for the entire training
session. There is an old saying that "when endurance goes out the window
everything else usually follows." Well-developed endurance abilities are
also important for a quick recovery following a hard workout.
There are various types of endurance as well, such as strength-endurance
and speed-endurance, basic endurance and specific-endurance. In training,
the so-called basic endurance is the functional base for all the other
various kinds of endurance. It is during this basic endurance training
that one’s personality traits such as self-discipline and willpower are
developed. Motivation and willingness to take pain are two psychological
elements involved in such training.
Coordination
Coordination is the quality, which enables the martial artist to integrate
all the powers, and capacities he has into the effective doing of an act.
It is the ability to move and organize yourself around your own physical
body. Coordination abilities differ from technical skills in that they
exist as prerequisites for subsequent motor actions.
Seven coordinative abilities can be differentiated by their
characteristics, and while all seven are fundamental to martial arts as a
whole they may appear in quite different values in each person.
These abilities are:
Combinatory Ability
– The ability to coordinate parts of body movements and single movements
with one another in relation to a total movement of the body towards a
given action. In contests between individuals where there is confrontation
with a moving opponent, numerous complicated and rapid adjustments are
necessary (combining lower body action with
Orientation –
Knowing where you are at any given moment. It is the ability to analyze
and change the position and movement of the body in space and at the same
time relate to the area in which the action is taking place (a boxing
ring, for instance)
Differential Ability
– The ability to achieve a high degree of accuracy and fine adjustment of
separate body movements and mechanical phases of a total body movement.
This is related to the perfecting and stabilizing of technical skills and
their actual application in bouts between individuals where there is a
high precision in various situations despite the actions of opponents.
Agility would be included in this category. Agility is the ability to
exercise a fine coordination of the movements of various parts of the body
as well as the ability to relax the muscles which produces a conscious
tuning of the muscle tone.
Balance – The
ability to maintain the whole body in dynamic equilibrium.
Reactive Ability
(Good Reactions) – The ability to initiate quickly and to perform rapid
and well-directed actions following a signal.
Adaptive Ability
– The ability to modify a sequence of actions to new conditions, or
observing anticipated changes in the situation, or to continue the
sequence in another way.
Rhythmic Sense –
The ability to observe the characteristic uniform recurrence of a beat
within measured movement.
Precision
Precision can be defined as accuracy in a particular movement or
projection of force. It means being able to place your weapon of attack
exactly on the desired location. It is one thing to have the ability to
hit a stationary target precisely, but much more difficult to place that
hit perfectly on a target that is not only moving but also trying to score
on you.
As it is a fine skill, precision work should be practiced when you are
freshest for the maximum benefit. It can be trained simultaneously with
speed work, for it is better to concentrate on speed and accuracy first
before working the same action with speed and power.
Balance
Balance is the quality of achieving an inner relationship between all the
points of your body. It is an active state, constantly going on and
continually shifting. Thus the balance you seek is dynamic balance, or
balance in motion, nor in stillness (stances). Sometimes it is even
possible to use a momentary loss of balance to facilitate faster movement.
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"JKD is like
an iceberg. The tip is technique, while lurking below the surface is the
great mass of the berg, which represents attributes. Any experienced seaman
well knows, it’s the hidden mass of an iceberg that constitutes the greatest
danger!"
Paul Vunak
Jeet
Kune Do Attributes
Awareness
To see the opponent's intentions.
Line Familiarization
To be familiar with the angle of attack that an opponent launches.
Sensitivity
To feel the opponent's intentions.
Proper Mental Attitude
Combination of calm,
Killer
Instinct,
and confidence.
Body Mechanics
Knowing how and where to position the body at all times; using no wasted
motion.
Strength
Ability to overwhelm an opponent through manipulation.
Footwork
Putting oneself where one needs to be at all times by shuffling forward
and back, sidestepping and circling.
Speed
Perception of initiation and performance of an action.
Power
Combination of strength and speed (ability to use your strength quickly).
Timing
Ability to launch an attack at the proper moment.
Coordination
Performing a movement with efficiency, ease and balance.
Balance
Correct body alignment during motion (controlling one's center of
gravity).
Spatial Relationships
Control over distance (range).
Agility
Being light on one's feet with limberness and quickness.
Stamina
Combined endurance and wind.
Conditioning
Taking punishment to hands, stomach, thighs and shins.
Rhythm
Deals with faking, cadence breaks, changing tempos, etc.
Precision
Accuracy and exactness in the projection of force.
Explosiveness
Relaying destructiveness in a sudden manner.
Flow
Combination of awareness and sensitivity; uninterrupted concentration.
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