JKD Straight Lead

Discussion in 'Jeet Kune Do' started by m1k3jobs, Dec 29, 2011.

  1. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    I've got a question for the JKD folks here. I turn 58 next week and I am giving up on my BJJ and boxing training. It has finally gotten to the point where it hurts more than it is fun. I trained at an MMA school. I am in no hurry to start formal training in anything else in the near future.

    So... I have the Teri Tom book on the Straight Lead and would like to begin working on learning how to throw that punch. I have training in boxing so it's not like I don't have some sort of striking background. I am not interested in a full JKD program or anything like that, I would just like to pick up that technique.

    Any suggestions or comments would be welcome. This includes telling me there is no way to do this without and instructor, which of course I will ignore. :hat:

    Thanks,
     
  2. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9kFuNNiG_g"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9kFuNNiG_g[/ame]

    To me it is very similar to a power jab as much as anything else - it is not as special as some make it out
     
  3. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    Hannibal, excluding the politics what did you think of the mechanics of the punch in the Teri Tom book?

    Or for that matter the Dempsey book?

    Thanks,
     
  4. Dizzyj

    Dizzyj Valued Member

    That video talks about locking the elbow at full extension. I always thought that was a good way to damage the joint?
     
  5. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    It is when doing it into "fresh air" - on a target less so
     
  6. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Fundamentally sound on both counts
     
  7. Dillon

    Dillon Valued Member

    I'd highly recommend getting Dempsy's book, Championship Fighting. It goes over the technique that's the foundation of the straight lead in a solid manner. I liked Dempsey's approach much better than Teri Tom's, but that may be a matter of personal taste.
     
  8. fire cobra

    fire cobra Valued Member

    Dempseys book is excellent.

    Muay Thai has the same punch (or similar)its used to get through a forearm cover that a jab may not get through:)
     
  9. Sketco

    Sketco Banned Banned

    I thought it was an excellent book. He does say though that the falling step for jabs has pretty much disappeared and though I do occasionally see it in MMA it does seem quite infrequent. Any ideas on why?
     
  10. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    You'd have to be watching a steady diet of boxing to be able to discern this methinks. It's not any sort of magic kill shot or anything like that all. It's point #8 in his book. There's a lot of things you won't see in boxing anymore that were common back in Dempsey's day. Dempsey himself knew a fair bit of grappling and chokes... not something you see much of in boxing today. He was also known for punching with a vertical fist... not something you're likely to see in boxing these days either. Styles change... rule sets change... not surprising. I can't imagine anyone not working in a full contact environment and training this actually making it work for them.
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2012
  11. Pat g

    Pat g New Member

    i like teri toms aproach. its all about projectig the body foward and torqing the hip at the same time, hand moves first ,push off rear foot, very important
     
  12. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    Slip, I agree with what you said about needing a full contact sparring environment to make the technique work.

    I have a boxing background, never competed but trained at an MMA school with sparring. I'm just taking a break from formal training and I wanted something new to work on on my own. Also, at 58 I'm just not interested in contact sparring any more.

    However I can see this technique being an excellent first strike technique. It can be fired off from the fence with little or no telegraphing of the punch. It would make a great sucker punch.
     
  13. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    That is how I employ it - Bas calls it a "power jab", JKD call it a straight lead, I just call it a front hand shot to my guys so they think about what they want to do with the punch (probe, distract, KO etc) rather than get "tool focused".

    Most JKD guys look awesome with it on the pads, but it turns to crap when they have to land it "live". For me I took more of my lead from pure boxing because no one throws a better front hand than a boxer, and I see no reason to reinvent the wheel
     
  14. Sheever

    Sheever Valued Member

    because jab today its shorter and can be done without drop step.

    if you watch this video you ll get the idea

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tyTSNZ6dVaU&feature=related"]Old School Boxing - strategy - YouTube[/ame]

    and about dropstep with lead straight.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcs5Q4l3ATk&feature=related"]Old School Boxing - two punch combo - YouTube[/ame]
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2012
  15. Sheever

    Sheever Valued Member

    because 80% of JKD guy can not execute the straight lead well.all of them use jab.
     
  16. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    There are two ways of looking at that -

    1) They cannot do the straight lead well so jab

    or

    2) The jab is the better tool

    There is actually a third view which probably holds more weight - "poTaytoes, poTARtoes"

    It's is still basically a power jab no matter how much you try and fart it up as something unique to JKD
     
  17. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    Hannibal, I think the big issue here is that people who are not familiar with boxing, either by being serious fans or better yet having gone out and trained it, see the jab as a single punch.

    They don't understand the different types of jabs and don't even recognize them when they see them.

    There are light jabs used to mess up your opponents space and timing. There is the power jab which is a solid punch and can be used to knock someone out. (George Foreman and Sonny Liston). There is the post as well the jab used as a shield where instead of pulling it back you step in behind it. There are jabs that are used as a stop punch to foil an attack by landing first. And one of my favorites the cork screw jab which has a little bit of hook to it to go around someone's defenses when they cover from your straight jabs.

    Heck, if you learn to throw a decent jab you already know more about how to punch that probably 90% of the people out there.
     
  18. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Spot on my friend!
     
  19. Sheever

    Sheever Valued Member

    there is no problem with the jab.lead straight its distance punch and mean to be non telegraphic to shut you down with it asap.all other stuff closer in the range so there is nothing wrong with any of them.just sayin.
     
  20. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Oh I know - like I said I tend to subscribe to point 3 in that it is the same technique with a different name.

    "Straight lead" as a term has become peculair to JKD, although IMO it was just Bruce's term for a leading hand shot because "jab" suggests boxing ergo a style bias. It is academic largely and really not worth getting too hung up on
     

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