Jun Fan Gung Fu

Seeking the Path of Jeet Kune Do

By BIG Sean Madigan @ www.BIGJKD.com

I've recently had the pleasure of reading a fantastic new book dealing with Bruce Lee's martial art of Jeet Kune Do. "Jun Fan Gung Fu Seeking the path of Jeet Kune Do" by Kevin R. Seaman acts as an excellent resource to this little understood art. One of the first things that caught my eye that told me that this book was different was that Sifu Kevin included many drills in his book. Many books will show you ideas as to how Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do can be expressed, they site techniques and quote Bruce Lee, but just about all of them don't tell you how to drill it, Kevin Seaman does! The book starts off with Sifu Kevin's description as to what exactly Jeet Kune Do is. Once you look at the book's index you will see that the first chapter is on Footwork, and then the second chapter is on how to drill that footwork. As most will realize is that without drills, techniques are near meaningless.

Next is a fantastically illustrated section of the hand tools of Jun Fan Gung Fu. Sifu Kevin covers the Striaghtblast, the Jab, the Cross, Uppercut and much, much more. Each and every technique shown is described in meticulous detail, and again, you will see plenty of drill throughout the book showing you ways of training these tools so that they can become an effective part of your fighting repertoire. One thing that many practitioners of our art will find very interesting is that Sifu Kevin has taken time to not only give you the English name for each technique, he also gives you the Chinese names as well.

One of my favorite sections of the book dealt with a fighting principle called Lin Sil Die Da, the art of Simultaneous hit and defend. In this section the author covered the basic four cornors, and there relation to self-defense. He also spoke about the theories and principles that help make this 'concept' work. The idea of using timing was covered in great fashion, it was not just left there as a 'buzz word' rather, the author showed how important it is to use timing. It is clear that great pains were taken to to capture the essence of each movement within the techniques shown throughout the book, and the section on Jun Fan Kicking is no different. Sifu Kevin shows each kick that Bruce Lee taught, and the application of that kick. Of course he again shows a number of great drills that were designed to bring your level of kicking to the point were you can use these techniques when need be.

After reading this book it will come as no shock that Sifu Kevin has tons of training in Wing Chun as well as in Jeet Kune Do. He knowledge of the finer point of Trapping come across in a clear, concise manner, and the author covers the many different energies that are used and dealt with in this aspect of Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do.

Explicit detail and care was taken in the trapping section of this book. The pictures are easy to follow (a problem in many other books) and I've found the explanations given of each movement to be some of the finest in print. Many different reference points are covered as well as the traps that you will use from those reference points. Sifu Kevin takes you though many of the trapping series' that are taught in Jun Fan Trapping such as the Loy Pak Series, the Jao Sau Series and more.

Now, what would a book on Jun Fan Gung Fu or Jeet Kune Do be without a section dedicated to the Five Ways of Attack. Sifu Kevin gives an explanation of each of the Five Ways, and then, through pictures shows in detail their application in combat. I feel that the chapters on the Five Ways of Attack and on Trapping are really great indicators of the level of Sifu Kevin's understanding of Bruce Lee's art. He doesn't just describe the principles, he shows you how to try and use them.

This book has some unique and thought provoking quotes that run through out it. At the end of each chapter, the author created a "Question & Answer" section to deal with some of the common problems the reader may run into. This was a great idea, and I found it refreshing the see that the author keep in mind that the reader may not understand everything with the first explanation so these Q & A areas at the end of each chapter pull together many of the ideas expressed earlier.

To order this book please contact Sifu Kevin R. Seaman at the EAST WEST MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY in Cortland, NY at 800-343-WEST. Or you can find them on the net at: www.ewmaa.com.
BIG Sean Madigan

ORDER JUN FAN GUNG FU, SEEKING THE PATH OF JEET KUNE DO

Combat Magazine Review U.K. May 2001

"Jun Fan Gung Fu: Seeking the Path Of Jeet Kune Do" is also endorsed by Sifu Dan Inosanto but Kevin Seaman takes a slightly different approach to Ron Balicki ("Principles of the Complete Fighter"), in that he focuses more on general concepts rather than specific techniques. Thus his book concentrates on the basic blocking techniques. Thus his book concentrates on the basic building block of footwork, body motion, offensive and defensive hand and foot techniques and drills, giving a far more rounded overview to the art for someone originally ignorant to the of the principles of Jeet Kune Do. Of the two books, Seaman's strikes a far better balance between prose and photographic illustartion and thus works more effectively as an introduction for the Jeet Kune Do novice. As a result Seaman guides us through such core techniques as "simultaneous block and strike", "double time hit counters", "progressive indirect attack", and "attack by drawing", and JKD terminology is referenced far more throughout the book's 180 pages.

"Seeking the Path of Jeet Kune Do" is a comprehensive guide, thoughtfully structured, with each chapter striking a balance between clear photography and clarity of detailed text. The book is broken down into lessons that concentrate on the fundamental structure of JKD, be it basic hand techniques, kicks, or combinations, to a total of ten lessons. Each chapter is brought to a conclusion with key points to remember or key questions answered, andthe phrasing is succinct and technical without becoming long winded or boring.For example- "Footwork and mobility are an essential part of the foundation of Jun Fan.Good footwork means having good balance in action. It allows you the mobility to close the distance effectively, avoid punishment and develop explosive hitting power. The one who controls the distance, can better control his opponent."

Those of you with some money to spare will find that the books compliment each other and that purchasing both would be the ideal option......