Ultimate Dan Inosanto tapes series reviewed (part1)

[LabanB]

Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Volume 1: Kickboxing (47mins approx)

The tape is split into technique and interview sections with each part being mixed in between the others.

Guro Inosanto begins the tape with a discussion about how the basics taught within Jun Fan Gung Fu lead the student to their own Jeet Kune Do.

"Jeet Kune Do can be taught, but it cannot be standardised.

Interview

Guro Dan talks about how boxing was an important base art for the JFJKD players. They were involved in Full-contact Karate and gradually reduced the amount of protective gear they wore.

Technical

Footwork:
Step and slide
Slide and step
Push, step and slide
Side step
Heel and toe sway

Posture
Stances
Body Motion
Partner work - Mirror drill

Focus Gloves
Basic drills
ABD - follow up with combination strikes
Defend and attack (simultaneously) - follow up with 3 count combo and kick
Hau Pak

Counters to jab
Slip and hit - follow up with 3 count combo


Interview

Guro Inosanto discusses the development of Jun Fan Kickboxing.
Bruce Lee observed various systems and passed comment ie. Muay Thai's rear roundhouse kick was very effective and the elbows were good. The jab, hook and uppercut were not much in evidence (the foot was used to jab and the elbow was used in place of the hook). Now Muay Thai has evolved by using the jab, hook, and uppercut.
Bruce Lee said the French "box with their feet" when discussing Savate. He also liked the headbutts from the Burmese boxing system.

Technical

ABC
Hook counter series
Cross counter series

Interview

Guro Inosanto discusses how Jun Fan is the base system, which has a curriculum, for the Kickboxing phase of JKD. JKD stems from Jun Fan, but JKD was Bruce Lee's personal system. Guro Dan discusses Bruce Lee's speed and says that Bruce Lee could do things because of his attributes that others still cannot do.
Students must take Jun Fan Gung Fu and make it their own (JKD).

Technical

Punch combinations
ABD:
High kick - respond with hand tools only/respond with kick then hand tools.
Low kick
Counters to low and high kicks
Counters to lead side kick
Counters to spinning kicks

Interview

Bruce Lee organised kickboxing i.e. "box with your feet", put strongest hand forward
Bruce Lee's 3" punch was phenomenal

Technical

Target recognition and responding drills
Co-ordination drills
Sparring drill for beginners ("gun shy")

Interview

Guro Dan says that Bruce Lee drew from both East and West in his development of JFGF Kickboxing.
Others have made statements about how Lee developed his system - they weren't there, they don't really know what he did. Guro Dan was.


End

Overall view: The quality of the production is excellent, the material is based around the curriculum as taught by Lee at the end of the '60's ('66-'67) and once again will give mainly beginners a great deal to work with, advanced students may find the technical aspects basic. The interview sections give an indication as to how strongly Dan Inosanto feels about people who claim knowledge of Lee and their depth of involvement in the creation of JKD, as well as how thorough Lee was in researching his subject matter.
Worth buying? Yes!, but for a more in-depth analysis of the subject I think that Paul Vunak’s two set tape covers more ground.

Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Volume 2: Trapping (57mins approx)

The tape is split into technique and interview sections with each part being mixed in between the others.

Guro Inosanto begins the describing how Bruce Lee organised his art into five ways of attack: SAA (Single Angular Attack)/HIA (Hand Imobilisation Attack) - the subject of this tape i.e. trapping/PIA (Progressive Indirect Attack)/ABC (Attack By Combination)/ABD (Attack By Drawing).

In 1964 Bruce Lee stressed hand trapping from Wing Chun. In time this developed from the kickboxing mode.

Technical

Progression
Reference points - 1st low point: trap then any tool to attack i.e. backfist/hammerfist/verticalfist/finger thrust.
2nd high point: Pak Da i.e. parry/trap/backfist either the front or the rear hand.
Attach, trap 1st barrier/2nd barrier etc
Kicking range:
1) Kick, step in - trap
2) Fake, kick, trap

Interview

Initially Wing Chun trapping was used (to trap the arms/head/body/legs)
Moved into Western grappling and Sombo.
Bruce Lee did research Silat to some extent, but Guro Dan doesn't know how deep.

Technical

Trap from both right and left leads.
Trap from kicking and inside range.
Bridge between the two ranges.
Loy Da series
Wedge series.

Interview

Bruce Lee didn't complete Wing Chun training i.e. only got to section seven in the WC Dummy Form (developed his own from there). He was a great fighter nevertheless.
Sifu Hawkins Cheung said "1st generation Yip Man students were fighters.
2nd generation were technicians
3rd lived off the reputations of the preceding two generations"
Hawkins Cheung could not tell how good Bruce Lee's second and third strikes were, as his 1st strike was always enough to finish the job!

Many Black Belts studied with Bruce Lee. Some wanted to, but did not due to the fear for their reputation of training with someone who was not recognised by their own system.

Technical

Jow Sau series.
Drills from Bruce Lee: basics for beginners
Trap to takedown.
Wedge and Pak Sau drill.
Wedge, Lop Sau and Pak Sau drill.
Wedge, slap and pull slap.
Trapping with Focus Mitts.

Interview

Bruce Lee said "know the principle; follow the principle; dissolve the principle".
Chi Sau should be used at the appropriate time.

Technical

Counters to Pak Sau/Lop Sau/Gwa Choy.

Interview

Trapping led to grappling. There was a subtle evolution of technique.

End

Overall view: The quality of the production is excellent, the material covers the basic traps with JKD, and as before will give beginners material to play with. The interview sections give a good idea about how the trapping fits into the entire framework of JKD.
Worth buying? Yes!, again the Steve Grody four tape series naturally covers more ground.

Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Volume 3: Grappling (59mins approx)

The tape is split into technique and interview sections with each part being mixed in between the others.

Guro Inosanto begins the tape describing how the information will cover what Bruce Lee taught bewteen the years 1966-1967.

ABD/HIA (trapping to grappling)/PIA/ABC

Interview

Guro Dan talks about how Bruce Lee did not teach grappling at the China Town School - he was researching the subject by testing techniques on Dan Inosanto!
He got his finger locks from Wally Jay and takedowns from Judo and wrestling.
Guro Dan covers the background arts that make up Shootwrestling. He also talks about how some people have questioned how he has 'muddied the waters of JKD' by teaching other arts. He says that he teaches JFJKD as Bruce Lee taught it. He teaches the other arts because of his love of teaching.

Technical

PIA.
Wrist lock series.
Practice both right and left lead.
Practice to deal with both lead and rear hands.
ABD.

Interview

Guro Inosanto discusses how many camps of JKD have evolved due to the different teachers of the system.
Some teach Original JKD, but don't know the full OJKD curriculum. This is also against the philosophy of JKD, i.e. eveolution and development.
Some people study different arts and call it JKD. It is for them but it is not Bruce Lee's JKD.

Technical

In '66-'67 people who grappled did not punch and kick; those who punched and kicked did not grapple.
JKD curriculum of the time integrated both.
Fingerlocks.

Interview

Guro Inosanto says he doen't know what the future holds for JKD but in his opinion JGJKD people are the most open minded.
Bruce Lee had three certificates for the systems he taught (Jun Fan Gung Fu/Chinese Gung Fu/JKD), which had ranks for those who were personal students. Dan Inosanto has all three certificates.
Guro Inosanto explains how his ranking system ahs evolved and how it takes 23 years to go from compleet beginner to Full Instructor.

Technical

Face lock/front choke
Year 2000 drills variations
ABC/ABD

End Piece

technique is imprtant - conditioning is more important.

Interview

No one expected Bruce Lee to die - at the time he had three instructor who were certified; Taky Kimura; James Lee (now deceased); and Dan Inosanto.
When he returned to Hong Kong Bruce Lee had told Dan Inosanto "You are in charge of JKD"
Dan Inosanto says that he is not Bruce Lee because he does not have BL's attributes.
The burden of JKD is heavey.
There are two faction within JKD; Those who wish to expand JKD to make it more public (and commercial) and those who wished to keep it as Bruce Lee wanted, a small private gathering of friends.
When more and more people began to claim to be instructor of JKD, but were not legitimate, Dan Inosanto decided to teach openly.

End

Overall view: The quality of the production is excellent, the material is based around the curriculum as taught by Lee at the end of the '60's ('66-'67) and once again will give mainly beginners a great deal to work with, advanced students may find the technical aspects basic. The interview sections give an indication as to how strongly Dan Inosanto feels about people who claim knowledge of Lee and their depth of involvement in the creation of JKD, as well as how thorough Lee was in researching his subject matter.
Worth buying? Yes!, as to the technical aspects of the tape I cannot really comment. Grappling is not an area I have looked into too deeply, but I will say that I have some drills to practice!


Bill

[itchyfeet]

This post must have slipped past me. Can't believe all this good work has gone unnoticed. Let me be the first to say thank you.

[LabanB]

Hi IF,

Cheers for that. I actually reviewed all five tapes when they first came out, and for the life of me I cannot find the reviews of the two FMA tapes.

Anyone find them on line, please drop me a copy.

Cheers

Bill

[itchyfeet]

Bill,
I'm looking at purchasing a copy of Guro Dan's Pangamut tape - tape 4 I believe. What's your opinion on it? Do you recommend any other source for Pangamut / Panantukan?

cheers
itchyfeet

[LabanB]

Hi IF,

Goforit!! Guro I's Panantukan video is excellent, and unlike the JKD series, the FMA information is timeless.

Also look at the following:

Steve Grody - Flow of Filipino Kali Empty hands (3 tape set)

Harley Elmore - Panantukan (this briefly covers Guro I's empty hand element of his system).

I'll look through my collection later and give you some other ideas, but these are the ones I'd reccommend immediately.

Bill

[itchyfeet]

Thanks very much Bill. It's on my Xmas wish list

[Vigilance]

Nice reviews Bill. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[Taff]

I'm pretty sure that I've seen Inosanto's Dumog tape in the past.

A lot of it is dedicated to the stick, not empty hand.

I don't remember much, but I far preferred Vunak's Dumog tape.