Tag: Combat

Jeet Kune Do had an immense impact on the martial arts world and how practitioners train and view self-defense. It was a precursor to modern MMA and the training philosophies are still used by the world’s top coaches.

Here’s a brief history of everything you need to know about Jeet Kune Do. Read below to learn how Bruce Lee developed this fighting system, its philosophies, principles, and its impact on modern training.

What is Jeet Kune Do? 

JKD or Jeet Kune Do is a martial art, philosophy, and fighting system primarily developed by Bruce Lee. The legendary martial artist took techniques from various martial arts to build what he felt was a complete fighting system.

Jeet Kune Do roughly translates as “The Way of the Intercepting Fist.” The name was inspired by a fencing term, reflecting Lee’s philosophy of intercepting an opponent’s attack rather than blocking it.

The Philosophy of Jeet Kune Do

JKD is not just a set of fighting techniques but also a philosophy by which Lee lived his life. In life, Lee believed that a person should “be like water,” meaning that they must learn to adapt to any situation.

This belief was a radical departure from the philosophies of traditional martial arts, which relied on rigid forms as their defense.

The Origins and Development of JKD 

The origins of JKD begin with the martial arts legend and action film star Bruce Lee. During his teen and early adult years, Lee trained under Wing Chun creator Ip Man.

After learning Wing Chun, Lee set out on his own and began developing his own style. He felt dissatisfied with traditional and rigid styles, which he believed were impractical for real combat situations.

Lee took various techniques from different styles of martial arts from forms of Kung Fu, Karate, boxing, and fencing. In 1965, Bruce formally called his self-defense style “Jeet Kune Do.

As Lee promoted his fighting style, while trying to build his acting career, he was heavily criticized by traditional martial artists. Traditional teachers took exception to everything Lee said from his criticisms of their styles and teaching Westerners.

Despite blowback from martial arts traditionalists, Lee continued to grow JKD and began growing his base of students. His role on the TV show The Green Hornet allowed Lee to put on demonstrations at various martial arts events.

One of his most famous demonstrations took place at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championship. This is where Bruce famously demonstrated the one-inch punch and two-fingered, one-handed push-ups.

JKD Post Bruce Lee

As Bruce Lee’s film career and fighting style were starting to take off, the martial artist tragically passed away in 1973. Despite Lee’s death, his teachings and philosophies continued to be taught through his students and writings.

However, his death left much of JKD’s development to be interpreted by those who trained under him. This created a divergence of Bruce’s teachings which branched into different interpretations. 

There were two bases in particular which included original/Jun Fan JKD and conceptual JKD. 

• Original/Jun Fan JKD: This is the style taught by students who trained directly with Bruce Lee. Famous students, which included Dan Insonato teach Jeet Kune Do, which emphasized Lee’s original teachings.
• Conceptual JKD: Conceptual JKD is another form of the style created y other Lee students and fans of his teachings. They took Lee’s no-fixed form to a broader interpretation and integrated even more styles.

Jeet Kune Do Today

Over the years, JKD has been taught worldwide by many instructors and within many schools. However, there is no single governing body, which has led to various instructors claiming to be under the JKD banner.

Although, having no governing body has allowed Lee’s teachings to evolve and form in new directions. This free form of ideas and fluidity would be something Bruce Lee himself would enjoy seeing.

The Principles of Jeet Kune Do

There are five principles of Bruce Lee’s martial art: simplicity, economy of motion, fluidity, interception, and non-classical movement.

• Simplicity: All self-defense techniques should be simple, direct, and effective.
• Economy of Motion: Every movement should be necessary and aimed at maximum efficiency.
• Fluidity: Adaptability to the situation, opponent, and environment.
• Interception: Instead of waiting for an attack to come. One should intercept it.
• Non-Classical Movement: Freedom from traditional patterns to allow for spontaneous and natural responses.

The Techniques of JKD 

Bruce Lee’s fighting system consists of an array of simple, yet effective hand-to-hand combat techniques. Here are some of the signature techniques used within JKD.

1. Straight Lead: A direct punch aimed at the opponent’s face, often used to keep the distance or set up other attacks.
2. Side Kick: Employed for its speed and reach, often targeting the midsection, lower body, or knees.
3. One-inch punch: The famous one-inch punch is used to create distance during in-close fighting, which is surprisingly powerful.
4. Oblique Kick: A technique used to disrupt an opponent’s approach by targeting the opponent’s knee or thigh. This technique is a favorite technique of MMA legend Jon Jones.
5. Finger Jab: Aimed at the eyes used for close-quarter combat or to create an opening for other attacks.
6. Trapping: Trapping techniques were taken from Wing Chun’s Chi Sao, a close-quarter counter-fighting system.
7. Hook Kick: Circular kick aimed at the head or body, often used in combination with strikes.
8. Shin Kick: Much like the oblique kick, the shin kick is a thrusting strike aimed at an opponent’s shin.
9. Non-Telegraphed Movement: Emphasizing attacks without giving away intent through body language. 
10. Intercepting: The core concept of JKD, intercepting an opponent’s attack with a counter-attack.

Famous Jeet Kune Do Fighters 

There have been many top fighters within combat sports who either trained formally in JKD or adopted its techniques. Here are three of the most known fighters who are known for using Jeet Kune Do techniques.

• Jerome Le Banner: Le Banner is one of the greatest kickboxers in the sport’s history and a student of JKD. He used numerous concepts from martial arts within his fighting style, which helped him win multiple championships.
• Ben Saunders: UFC/Bellator veteran Ben Saunders was one of the most known JKD fighters during his MMA career. He was a great spokesman for the fighting style and often showcased its effectiveness.
• Jon Jones: As previously mentioned, MMA GOAT Jon Jones is known for using his patented JKD oblique kick during his fights.

The Influence and Legacy of JKD

Jeet Kune Do has influenced countless styles and martial arts since it was developed by Bruce Lee. It helped pioneer the development of mixed martial arts and showed that martial artists must have well-rounded skills.

JKD not only helped develop modern martial arts training, but it transcended into a philosophy and tool for personal development. Lee’s fighting system continues to evolve with practitioners and modern times, keeping true to the doctrine of being formless and adaptive.

Catch wrestling has an illustrious history that dates back further than modern BJJ. The history of catch-as-catch-can is full of incredible grapplers who helped shape modern combat sports.

Here is the full history of catch wrestling. Check out the rich history of this wrestling style below and see how it has influenced modern martial arts training.

What is Catch Wrestling? 

Catch wrestling or “Catch-as-Catch-Can” wrestling is a hybrid grappling style that originated in England during the late 19th century. The style combines techniques from several styles of wrestling from the region, including:

• Lancashire Wrestling: A folk style of wrestling that originated in Northwest England within the county of Lancashire.
• Irish-Collar-and-Elbow: A form of jacket wrestling developed within Ireland.
• Cumberland & Westmorland Wrestling: Another historic form of folk-style wrestling practiced in the North Country.

The History of Catch Wrestling

The beginnings of catch wrestling date back to Lancashire County during the 19th century. At this time, Lancashire was known for being home to tough men who worked in the region’s mines.

Many of these Lancashire miners were well-versed wrestlers who wrestled one another after their shifts in the mines. These miners and laborers often competed against one another for wages and entertainment. 

Unlike other styles of wrestling practiced, these Lancashire wrestlers adapted their own rules. Their rules allow for a broader range of holds and submissions compared to earlier folk styles.

This style of wrestling would be called “catch-as-catch-can” or later catch wrestling for short.

John Graham Chambers

Early forms of catch-as-catch-can were crude in nature and didn’t have a strict set of formal rules. Early catch wrestlers of the time would use any type of technique(even dirty techniques) to achieve victory.

That was why there was a need for formal rules for catch wrestling to be developed. The formal rules for the catch-as-catch-can style were originally developed and introduced by John Graham Chambers in 1871. 

Originally, Chambers introduced the rule of “first down to lose,” however, the idea wasn’t widely supported. Instead, wrestlers would start from all fours on the ground.

Top English wrestling promoters, including J. Wannop of New Cross, began promoting this new system of wrestling. It was seen as a combining of the different English folk wrestling styles into one style.

The Cumberland and Westmorland Amateur Wrestling Society was founded, and they held their first Midsomer gathering at the Paddington Recreational Grounds. For spectators, the catch-as-catch-can principle was new, but it was seen as an advancement in the loose-hold system.

Indian Pehlwani Wrestling’s Influence

Catch wrestling’s development would also be influenced by international styles of wrestling, which included Indian Pehlwani wrestling. English wrestling champion Tom Cannon was defeated by Pehlwani wrestler Kareem Bukshduring a trip to British India in 1892.

This defeat allowed other Indian Pehlwani wrestlers, which included The Great Gama, to be invited to compete in London. 

Catch Wrestling at US Carnivals 

Catch became hugely popular in the United States during the late 1800s to early 1900s. Catch-as-catch-can techniques were adopted by American wrestlers who worked on various carnival circuits.

At these carnivals, these wrestlers would take open challenges from the toughest men in each town. To prepare for these challenges, these carnival wrestlers learned different “hooking techniques” that were often used within forms of catch.

The wrestlers would quickly hook the challengers and submit them in seconds. Many of these challenges were also “fixed” which would later go on to create professional wrestling.

Catch Nearly Becoming an Olympic Sport 

As the 19th century began, catch wrestling was widely popular and practiced within Europe and North America. During this time, catch wrestling was set to pick an official Olympic event for the 1904 Games.

Unfortunately, catch-as-catch-can would be removed at the last minute. The inclusion of submissions was seen as a potential injury risk and made event organizers nervous.

The newly created Greco-Roman style replaced catch wrestling and became one of the world’s most popular forms of wrestling.

The Snake Pit

English wrestler Billy Riley is arguably the most influential figure in the development of catch wrestling. The Wigan, Lancashire native, was known as the best wrestler in the area during his era. 

During Riley’s wrestling career, he won various wrestling titles and is often revered as the country’s best wrestler. When Billy retired from competition, he turned to coaching in his hometown of Wigan.

Riley opened the world-famous Snake Pit Catch Wrestling School. For decades, Riley helped train numerous wrestling world champions from across the world. 

The best wrestlers in the world would travel to Wigan to learn directly under Riley. Everyone from Billy Robinson, Karl Gotch, and Bert Assirati all learned under the great Billy Riley at the Snake Pit.

Modern Catch Wrestling

Today, catch wrestling is still taught and practiced globally. Some of the top modern catch wrestlers include Erik Paulson, Josh Barnett, and Tony Ceccine.

The Rules of Catch Wrestling

The catch wrestling rules and guidelines listed below were taken from the official Snake-Pit-USA/ICWF website.

• Permitted Techniques: Nearly all submissions are permitted, except small joint manipulation, striking, and eye gouging
• Best of Three Match System
• 5-Min Rounds
• Ways to Win: Submission or Pin
• Five-Points System: Each competitor starts the round with 5-points. Matches will go to points if each round does not have a pin or submission.
• Ways to Lose Points: Being Thrown, pulling guard/butt scooting, or 3 passivity warnings.

Men’s Weight Classes

• Heavyweight: 200 lbs(90.7 kg) & Up
• Middleweight: 175 to 199 lbs(79 to 90.2 kg)
• Lightweight: 174 lbs and Under(78.9 kg)

Women’s Weight Classes

• Absolute/Open Weight

Does Catch Wrestling Have a Belt System

Traditionally, catch wrestling has never used a formal belt system within its teachings. However, there are some modern catch wrestling schools that may have introduced their own belt systems.

Modern Catch Wrestling Training

Modern-day catch wrestling training is very similar to the training of No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu. However, catch-as-catch-can is more heavily based in wrestling and generally permits novice students to use more advanced techniques.

Impact on Modern Combat Sports

Catch wrestling’s legacy is evident in various combat sports, which includes MMA, Sambo, and No-Gi Jiu Jitsu. Catch techniques have been highly effective within MMA, with top practitioners like Josh Barnett and Kazushi Sakuraba being revered as legends.

The effectiveness and adaptability of catch wrestling have ensured its continued practice within the world’s biggest combat sports.

In every form of wrestling, all of the techniques are connected together through chain wrestling. These connections are what make the link from getting an opponent to the ground and into a pinning position. 

Below are fifty examples of chain wrestling, with descriptions provided. Check out these chain wrestling techniques and be sure to add any to your arsenal that you may not know.

What is Chain Wrestling?

Chain wrestling is the connecting of different techniques for the goal of landing a takedown, pin, or submission. There are nearly infinite examples of chain wrestling, with variations taught by different coaches.

Standing Transitions 

Many chain wrestling transitions begin from stranding and connect techniques in order to secure a takedown. Here are ten examples of stranding transitions using chain wrestling.

1. Collar-and-Elbow Tie-Up to Arm Drag

An arm drag is a common setup from a collar-and-elbow tie-up. Take your collar tie hand off your opponent’s neck and grab above their elbow as you step in. 

2. Duck Under to Back Control 

From a bicep control, raise your opponent’s arm up to give you space to duck under and go to their back.

3. Snap Down to Front Headlock 

Using a collar tie, break your opponent’s posture by snapping their head down and secure a front headlock.

4. Arm Drag to Single-Leg Takedown 

One of the many transitions from an arm drag is to a basic single-leg takedown. As you step into your arm drag, change levels, and grab a single leg on your opponent.

5. Russian Tie to Fireman’s Carry 

When your opponent goes for a collar tie, counter the grab with a Russian tie. With both hands controlling their arm, take one grip off, dive between their legs, and secure the fireman’s carry.

6. Double-Leg Takedown to Bodylock 

In case of an opponent sprawling your double-leg, fake the attempt and come up into a bodylock.

7. Waist Lock to Standing Switch 

When your opponent has a back waist lock, counter the grip by exploding up and counter into a standing switch.

8. Head-and Arm Tie-Up to Arm Spin 

From a collar tie, fake a single-leg on your opponent to set up an arm spin and go to their back.

9. Shuck to Side Body Lock 

When you attempt a go behind transition, your opponent will often follow you. In this case, use a shuck to throw their head to the side and take a side body lock.

10. Snap Down to Go-Behind

From head-and-arm control, snap your opponent down and go behind their back.

Ground Transitions

11. Single-Leg Takedown to Ankle Pick 

From a collar-tie, a single leg set up is common, but your opponent might take their front leg away. If they do that, you can go to a nice ankle pick on the opposite side.

12. Front Headlock to Cradle 

Front headlock to any cradle variation you like, from the inside of outside depending on the situation.

13. Switch Armbar Half Nelson

Use an armbar to break down your opponent’s posture as you switch to a half nelson for a pin attempt.

14. Knee Tap to Side Control 

From an underhook, pull your opponent forward to hit the knee tap and land in side-control.

15. Sprawl to Back Control 

Sprawl on top of your opponent as they come in for a takedown attempt and transition around to back control.

16. Cross Wrist Release to Cross Face Cradle

Let go of a cross wrist grip to hit a cross face cradle variation.

17. Snap Down to Gut Wrench

Snap your opponent’s head down, rotate to their side, grab a bodylock, and roll into a gut wrench.

18. Hip Heist Escape From Tight Waist

A hip heist escape is the most common escape from when your opponent has a tight waist. 

19. Granby to Peterson Roll

Escape out of a tight waist lock using a Granby roll and transitioning into a Peterson roll.

20. Leg Ride to Power Half-Nelson

Leg riding and transitioning your opponent to their back using a power half-nelson.

Submission Transitions(Submission Wrestling)

Chain wrestling becomes even more diverse once submissions are added to the equation. Here are some examples of chains from submission wrestling.

21. Side-Control to Kimura Lock(Double Wrist Lock) 

In side-control-isolate your opponents far arm and lock-on a kimura or double wrist lock.

22. Side-Control to Arm Triangle Choke 

From side-control, push your opponent’s far arm across their neck as you lock your hands together. Hop to the other side, sprawl to the mat, and lock in your submission.

23. Front Head Control to Guillotine Choke 

Snap your opponent’s head down into front head control, and lock in a guillotine choke.

24. Single-Leg Attempt to Heel Hook 

Fake a single-leg takedown attempt and fall back on your opponent’s leg and lock in a heel hook.

25. Arm Drag to Rear Naked Choke 

Use an arm drag to get all the way to your opponent’s back and lock in a rear naked choke.

26. Mount to Armbar 

From the mount, hug your opponent’s arm to your chest and transition into an armlock.

27. Mount to Triangle Choke 

From the mount, control both of your opponent’s arms. Push one arm to their chest as you bring your leg up and lift their neck off their mat. Triangle your legs together and either stay mounted or go to your back.

28. Americana to Arm Triangle 

Your opponent may react to an Americana attempt by keeping their arm in tight. If they defend this way, use the opportunity to set up an arm triangle submission.

29. Guillotine Choke to Anaconda Choke

If your opponent defends your guillotine attempt, use it as a setup to go into a tight anaconda choke. 

30. Triangle Choke to Omoplata

If your opponent is defending your triangle choke attempt by hooking their arm around your leg, use this to hit an omoplata.

Reversal and Counter Transitions

There’s a whole other set of chain wrestling maneuvers to either reverse or counter out of a bad spot. Here are ten examples of these moves.

31. Granby Roll to Escape 

Just like mentioned above, you can Granby roll to roll out of a tight waist grab.

32. Exploding Sit Out Switch

When your opponent is chasing you, a normal sit out may not work. Another option is a exploding variation where you shoot your hips forward before going into your switch,

33. The Hurdler

When your opponent is on top with a leg ride, straighten your leg, and pivot hard into your opponent.