The main objective of martial arts, Lee discovered, is not necessarily
learning how to fight better, but understanding yourself better so that you
can express yourself. He argued, “To me, ultimately, martial arts means
honestly expressing yourself” (Little 1999, 11). Lee wanted one to be self-
sufficient, searching deep within one’s self to find what works best for one.
No longer need one be dependent on the teachings of various styles or
teachers. By taking an honest assessment of one’s strengths and weak-
nesses, one can improve one’s skill as well as one’s daily living. With this
freedom to improve oneself in any way that one likes, one is able to hon-
estly express one’s self.Jeet Kune Do: It’s An Individual Experience
Since Lee is highly recognized for his martial arts, it would have been sim-
ple for his followers to blindly take his art as the ultimate truth. Because of
his great success, martial artists are often encouraged to “be like Bruce.”
However, Lee said that if people were to differentiate JKD from other
styles, then the name should be eliminated, since it serves only as a label.
Bruce Lee felt that it was more important for martial artists to discover
their own truths in combat, and subsequently discover themselves: “Re-
member that I seek neither your approval nor to influence you toward my
way of thinking. I will be more than satisfied if you begin to investigate
everything for yourself and cease to uncritically accept prescribed formulas
that dictate ‘this is this’ or ‘this is that’”(Lee 1986, 63).Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do
Following Lee’s death in 1973, his students began to pass on their knowl-
edge in Jeet Kune Do in their own individual ways. Some operated com-
mercial schools or taught seminars around the world, while others chose to
teach a few students in the backyard. More importantly, the students taught
their own interpretations of what Lee taught them. Typically, traditional
martial arts teachers teach the same material or emphasize the same princi-
ples to all students, because styles are steeped in traditions and formalities.
But the fluid nature of JKD, along with Lee’s dynamic evolution in the mar-
tial arts, caused diverse and contrary viewpoints among Lee’s students, since
the individual is most important. While there were those who chose to teach
Lee’s art as it was taught to them, others chose to teach key principles and
concepts Lee espoused, along with additional research into other martial
arts in an attempt to further or advance the art. The first group was accused
of turning Lee’s art into a style, precisely what Lee was against. At the same
time, the latter group was criticized for passing off an art as coming from
Lee that bore little to no resemblance to Lee’s movements and genius,
thereby risking that Lee’s martial arts contributions would be lost forever.208 Jeet Kune Do