Jeet Kune Do

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In Volume III of Fitness & Sports we explained the “On Guard Stance” which is the foundation of the practice of Jeet Kune Do (JKD). In this Volume we progress to the execution of the “Straight Lead” which is the backbone of all punching in JKD as described by its founder, Bruce Lee.

The Straight Lead is an accurate and fast punch, which makes it a very dependable and lethal weapon. According to Bruce Lee, the leading straight punch involves minimum movements in delivery, balance is not disturbed, and because it goes straight toward the target, it has a better chance of landing.

“In Jeet Kune Do, you never strike your opponent with your fist only; you strike him with your whole body. In other words, you should not hit with just arm power; the arms are there as a means to transmit great force with the correct timing of feet, waist, shoulder and wrist motion at great speed.” Bruce Lee (The Tao of Jeet Kune Do)You can either lead with your right hand and right leg or your left hand and left leg. However it is best to practice fighting from both stances.

Instructions

• The Straight Leads begins from the On Guard Stance as in the photo.
• Your hand that is leading moves in a straight line directly in front of your nose targeting the opponents face.
• Keep your fist relaxed for faster and more powerful punching. Clench your fist tightly (thumb always wrapped around your fingers) only upon impact.
• The wrist is slightly turned downwards before delivery and is immediately straightened upwards upon impact to add a corkscrew effect to the opponent. Strike with the last three knuckles of your fist (Do not let your fist drop when your strike). Remember your knuckles remain vertical (no turning of the fist). Striking with the last three knuckles gives the fist a slight jerk upwards. This causes both internal damage as well as external damage to the opponent.
• When striking with your lead hand your rear hand should remain in the guard position. Do not make the mistake of dropping your rear hand. The rear hand is there to protect you from a counter attack and to secure a strategic position for a follow up.
• Remember to punch through the opponent instead of at him.
• After punching bring back you lead hand along the same path and keep your rear hand high to guard against any counters.

Points to Keep in Mind

To perform this simple yet highly effective strike, there are a number of things you should keep in mind.

• Always maintain the On Guard Stance as this give you the perfect balance to generate the maximum power to strike. Power is generated from your hip movement. Your hip movement must be quick to ensure maximum power.
• The power for your hip movement comes from the earth that travels through your legs into your hips which drives the punch and transfers the power into your opponent. Bruce Lee stated that the power of the universe is channeled via this punch as long as you maintain the proper On Guard Stance.
• When you punch your weight moves to your lead/front foot.
• When you are in the On Guard Stance your fist is already half way between you and the opponent so it has to travel a shorter distance allowing maximum speed.
• The whole punch is one fluid motion.

“Longest weapon to the closest target”

This means that when we are standing in the On Guard Position, the lead hand and the lead leg has to travel the shortest distance to strike the opponent. Your lead hand and lead leg become the main offensive weapons because of their advanced position according to Bruce Lee.

The JKD philosophy places an imaginary vertical centre line on the body. The vital points to attack lie on this centre line. The Straight Lead applied to certain vital points that lie on this centre line of the opponent’s body could result in death.

The Straight Lead is effective because it is very difficult for the opponent to see it coming hence difficult to avoid its strike. In delivering the straight lead there is no motion that warns the opponent that the punch is coming.\

It is very important to strike fast with the Straight Lead to neutralize the attack. Remember to realize the power of this punch you must practice and keep practicing. The philosophy of JKD lies in mastering the basics. Bruce Lee said “The Leading straight punch is the backbone of all punching in Jeet Kune Do”.

From the Straight Lead came Bruce Lee’s famous “1 inch punch” that rocked the martial arts world (Check Youtube to see Bruce Lee demonstrate). From the On Guard Stance you can vary the distance of the Straight Lead i.e.: 1 inch, 2 inches, 6 inches from the opponent. Even though the distance may be very short, great power is generated to your opponent that will allow you to get away from the situation or attack more if needed.