Jun Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do

Instructor: Sifu Ron Kosakowski &
Pro MMA Fighter Jesse James Kosakowski

Jun Fan Gung Fu was Bruce Lee’s innovative combination of different martial ideas that occurred between 1964-1967. In 1967. Jun Fan Gung Fu became known as Jeet Kune Do; abbreviated as JKD. Jeet Kune Do. Jeet Kune Do trained properly can to adapt to any type of fighting an opponent is trained in. That also includes street oriented self defense situations. This idea of taking fighting principles from various fighting methods, putting it together as a science. This was done long before MMA gyms/schools were around. The founder of Jeet Kune Do (JKD), Bruce Lee explored different ranges of fighting, which in his time, was unusual to do

Jun Fan Gung Fu

Was Bruce Lee’s innovative combination of different martial ideas that occurred between 1964-1967. In 1967. Jun Fan Gung Fu became known as Jeet Kune Do; abbreviated as JKD. Jeet Kune Do. Jeet Kune Do trained properly can to adapt to any type of fighting an opponent is trained in. That also includes street oriented self defense situations. This idea of taking fighting principles from various fighting methods, putting it together as a science. This was done long before MMA gyms/schools were around. The founder of Jeet Kune Do (JKD), Bruce Lee explored different ranges of fighting, which in his time, was unusual to do.

Jeet Kune Do has now evolved very scientifically through only a few of Bruce Lee’s closest students, such as Larry Hartsell and Dan Inosanto. Jeet Kune Do is the attribute of many different fighting systems with a basic format consisting of intercepting your opponents strikes to potentially hand-trapping if the situation calls for it. The influence of Wing Chun vertical fist, utilizing the mechanics  and evasive footwork of boxing. The fencing principles are the intercepting tactics, the footwork, even the stance is very innovative almost fencing like in the JKD fighting methods. In this day and age it covers a lot of self-defense problems utilizing kicking, boxing, finger jabs, elbows, knees, head butts, takedowns. Also now-a-days, Jeet Kune Do, as it is taught at the Practical Self Defense Training Center, has a very highly evolved standing and ground grappling tactical game consisting of various different grappling styles. This is where we refer to Jeet Kune Do covering kicking, Boxing, Trapping and Grappling range to its fullest and as a martial science.

We offer a very intensive Mixed Martial Art, AKA – MMA program based on Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), Jeet Kune Do and Integrated Grappling Systems. Our fighters have always done very well in Muay Thai bouts since 1991. Our grapplers have also done very well over the years. These various tournaments are the prerequisites for our MMA fighters to get used to fighting in the ring or in the cage. Jeet Kune Do is such a well put together science, it can be adapted to the fighting methods of MMA or for street oriented self defense situations. Blended with Muay Thai and Integrated Grappling Systems, it has been proven to work very well in both…especially in MMA fighting. Please note, you do not have to be a tournament fighter to go all the way to instructor level in Jeet Kune Do. You will be along side fighters anyway so you will be in good fighting condition still.

JUN FAN GUNG FU/JEET KUNE DO -The kicking, boxing and trapping class (i.e., standing fighting aspects of Jeet Kune Do. Then there are the days when the fight training practicing take downs, and ground fighting methods from whats called, Integrated Grappling Systems, a blend of various grappling systems. The class usually starts off with exercises that will develop endurance and to develop joint and ab strength as well as balanced strength throughout the body. Indian Clubs, The Indian Gada and Kettlebells are used often at the PSDTC. Stretching out different parts of the body usually follows right after a good warm up. An equipment workout usually begins the class after warm-ups are done, either on the 125 lb heavy bags, Thai pads and/or focus mitts. Equipment training for tool development is often done for focus speed, power and repetition of movement to enhance natural responses and follow-ups for techniques practiced. Then, technical details that fit accordingly to the level of students are taught in the area of defense to offensive movements we are covering at that particular time.

After details are understood on the subject taught that day along with some alternative variations, isolation sparring or staying within one range to develop that technique to its fullest is part of the normal routine. Random sparring with as much protective equipment as you would like to wear is usually done at the end of the class. Some days, depending on the level of the class, sparring with guidance is done to get the experience on where to pull off all the material you had been learning over the time you had been a member. A coach can observe your fight game and guide you on how to improve movements as well as show you what you are doing very well. This training helps you understand all the technical details of learning to fight by actually fighting…experience is the best teacher. Friday night class at the PSDTC is open time to do stand up fighting, wrestle or both, or to just go over techniques and drills to perfect your skill along with muscle memory.

Jeet Kune Do terminology plays a big part in the way it is taught at the Practical Self Defense Training Center in Waterbury Connecticut. Jeet Kune Do Terminology is important to learn and understand so you learn the historical value behind this Chinese/American born style. See the column to the right to learn more.

As you can see, Jeet Kune Do is to develop your fighting skills in different ranges. Outside of ground fighting, it takes some protective equipment to be able to go all out and still be able to go to work the next day along with other everyday normal activities. So you will need some of that protective equipment so you will be able to develop your fighting reflexes to it’s fullest. At the Practical Self Defense Training Center, we sell all the training equipment you will need at a much better price than you would see in sport stores and many different training equipment catalogs. When you are ready to join in on the Jeet Kune Do classes, just ask one of the coach/instructors down there and they would be happy to assist you in what you will need to start off with and what you will need as you progress.

At the Practical Self Defense Training Center (PSDTC), there already is a very good setup with a lot of training equipment like wall to wall mats, 125 lb six foot long Thai bags and all kinds of weights and weight training benches. We work often with ropes, kettlebells, Indian Clubs and the Gada for strength conditioning as well as cardio. There is a lot of stuff there to develop the skills in the other styles taught there as well. This is a school you don’t want to miss out on training at…why go anywhere else that has less? This is a real martial art training gym. A literal university of many martial art styles.

For people who like the contact type fighting at the Practical Self Defense Training Center with the fighting methods of Jeet Kune Do for MMA fighting. Fighters over the years at the PSDTC have been successful having these fighting methods as part of their stand-up game.

The late Sifu Larry Hartsell

Worked Ron to death in his Jeet Kune Do, every time he trained with him. Larry Hartsell trained Ron’s form as well as his defensive reactions to be sharp, to hit without being hit.

Sifu Larry Hartsell had passed away back in August 20th, 2007. He was literally a treasure chest of knowledge in Jeet Kune Do, Catch Wrestling, Shoot Wrestling, Dumog, Judo and many styles of Filipino martial arts just to name a few. To find an instructor near you, go to www.LHJKD.com/instructors.html It is hard to find a legitimate Jeet Kune Do instructor now a days. To follow an old Larry Hartsell quote – “you either get it, or you don’t.” All instructors listed will teach you so you get it.

One might wonder…how can an individual get the skill to see a punch, a kick or a submission coming or maybe a slash from a blade ahead of time? Regardless of what style this skill is acquired from, reflex development comes from the training methods from the various drills offered in class. This goes along with guidance while trying it out with live sparring and scenario training. Of course very importantly, the time that an individual puts into the training methods. Whether it be the drilling methods, practice of individual techniques, sparring and/or submission wrestling and of course, self defense scenario training. Time has to be spent in each area of training. Only then, you will see it becomes a 6th sense almost as if you can predict your opponents next move beforehand only if the time is put in for practice. That is why consistency in showing up in class is stressed at the PSDTC so you don’t miss out on anything. There is the secret to becoming a good martial artist all in one paragraph!

By the way, for those looking for fight training for mixed martial arts (MMA), Jeet Kune Do/Grappling/Muay Thai classes are perfect for you. Give us a call to sign up if that appeals to you. We are looking for fighters as well as people who just want to learn.

If you feel you have what it takes to be an MMA fighter, we are always looking for skilled and dedicated athletes to represent us.

Archive Training Photos

These are the most common Chinese words used in the Jeet Kune Do classes at the Practical Self Defense Training Center as I learned it from both Sifu Dan Inosanto and Sifu Larry Hartsell. The terms in Chinese shown below are written the way they learned them from the late Si Jo Bruce Lee. Probably the most controversial part of this list is the spellings of some of the words. These spellings are taken from my personal notes that I have been taking over the many years I have been involved in Jeet Kune Do.

You have to remember, if you speak or write any language outside of the Chinese language, you are taking their method of writing and translating it to mine or your way of writing. And obviously sounding it out to the best of our abilities and writing it down to make it sound the way Bruce Lee pronounced these terms when he taught his students. This is done to keep his Chinese heritage alive in Jeet Kune Do due to the fact that many Chinese martial arts were researched by Bruce Lee at the beginning of the evolution of his ideas that put his Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do fighting method together. All students in the study of Jeet Kune Do at the Practical Self Defense Training Center should know these terms to understand the “style” completely along with its historic value. Here are all the terminology used in Jeet Kune Do classes at the PSDTC in alphabetical order:

Bai Jong – Ready Position
Biu Gee – Thrusting Fingers
Biu Sao – Thrusting Hand
Boang Sao – Deflecting Hand (Raised Elbow)
Chi – Has a Few Definitions such as “Energy,” “Spirit” or “Breath,”
Chi Sao – Energy Hands also called sticky hands
Chop Choi – extended knuckle punch
Chung Choi – Vertical Fist
Cup Sao – Scooping hand
Doan Chi Sao – one hand Energy hands training
Da – Hit or strike
Do – or “Tao” Meaning “Way”
Dum Tek – Stomp Kick
Fon Sao – Trapping Hands
Fook Sao – Horizontal deflecting hand
Gin Lai – Salute
Go Da – High Hit
Gon Sao – Outer Wrist Block
Gua Choi – Back Fist
Gua Tek – Inverted Hook Kick
Gum Sao – Pinning Hand
Ha Da – Low Hit
Ha Pak – Low Slap
Hay – begin
Hou Juk Tek – Back Side Kick
Hou Tek – Back Kick
Huen Sao – Circling Hand
Jang – Elbow
Jao Sao – Running Hand
Joap Hop – Line Up or Group Together,
Jeet – Stop or Intercept
Jeet Gurk – Shin Block
Jeet Kune Do – Way Of The Intercepting Fist
Jeet Sao – Intercepting Hand, as used in the shoulder or bicep stop
Jeet Tek – Intercepting Kick
Jern – vertical Palm strike
Jik Chung Choi – Commonly Known as the Straight Blast Meaning Straight Vertical Fist. Used For Overwhelming an Opponent With Vertical Fists Down His Center to Find the Opening Using Forward Energy
Jik Tek – Straight kick or Front Kick With Toe
Jin Choi – Uppercut
Jong Sao – Dummy Hand
Juen So Tek – Spinning Heel Kick
Juen Tek – Spin Kick
Juk Tek – Side Kick
Jung Da – Middle Hit
Jut Sao – Jerking Hand
Kow Tao – Head butt
Kune (Kun) – Fist
Kwoon – School
Lao Sing Choi – Lateral Hammer Fist Strike or a Chop With a Closed Fist
Lee Jun Fan – Bruce Lee’s Chinese Name
Lie Sao – palm up pulling deflection using the edge of the thumb/wrist area (sometimes confused with Tahn Sao, though they do look similar) to redirect the force of a linear strike always done from the outside line.
Lin Sil Da – Simultaneously defend and hit (Lin Sil Die Dar)
Lok Sao – Rolling Hands
Lop Sao – Pulling Hand
Maun Choi – Jab (lead punch)
Maun Sao – Front Hand, Inquisitive hand or asking hand
Mook Jong – Wing Chung Dummy
Na – Locking or submission
O’ou Choi – Hook Punch
O’ou Tek – (sometimes spelled “now tek” due to the sound of the word with an almost silent “N”) – Hook Kick (commonly known as a round house kick in other martial art styles) Bruce Lee referred to the round kicks as Hook kicks
Pak Sao – Slapping Hand
Ping Choi – Horizontal Fist
Saat Da – Knee Strike
Si Bak – Your Instructor’s Senior
Si Dai – Your Junior
Si Fu – Teacher or Instructor
Si Gung – Your Instructor’s Instructor
Si Hing – Your Senior
Si Jo – Founder Of The System
Sil Lim Tao – First Wing Chun Form Called “The Little Idea”
Si Mo – Wife of Your Instructor or Female Instructor
Si Sook – Your Instructor’s Junior
So Tek – Heel Kick
Sut Sao – Slicing hand or commonly known as to Chop
Tahn Sao – Palm Up Deflecting Hand
Tek – Kick
Tok Sao – Lifting arm or lifting hand (lifting under the elbow(s) like you would see in the way the Mook Jong forms end)
Tow Dai – Student
Tow Suen – Student’s Student
Wong Pak – Outside Cross Slap
Wu Choi – Cross (as in Jab, cross)
Wu Sao – Rear Hand or Protective hand
Wu Tek – Rear leg
Yu Bay – Ready
I will be putting a better description with pictures soon; just be patient! You will really enjoy this information that much more when that is done.

If you are going to copy and paste this on your web page at least have the courtesy to give me credit for it by putting my link in your web page. There is no other web page so far to cover this much information on Jeet Kune Do terminology that I know of so far. I have done a lot of work by going through many years of notes from many note books to put this all together…thank you!

Ranking System for Jun Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts
Ron’s ranking system for Jeet Kune Do as well as the Filipino martial arts, out of the Practical Self Defense Training Center is basically a combination of the ways his teachers rank their students. Jun Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do should be understood to the fullest, within the different era’s of Bruce Lee’s fighting methods as seen in the evolution of it’s development. ASurachai “Ajarn Chai” Sirisute – Thai Boxing , Sifu Francis Fong – Wing Chun, Guro Dan Inosanto _ Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, Filipino martial arts and Maphilindo Silat, Sifu Larry Hartsell Jeet Kune do trapping to grappling and submission wrestling all taught at the North East Training Camp back in 1990. They still look as young as they did back then 🙂 These people are a BIG influence on the material taught at the Practical Self Defense Training Center comprehensive combination of , Thai Boxing, Boxing, Wing Chun along with different grappling styles (Integrated Grappling Systems) will also be completely understood to develop certain attributes needed to be a good well rounded Jeet Kune Do player.

The basic breakdown of how it is taught at the PSDTC goes as follows:

Getting yourself into fair physical condition is a good foundation to being able to start to contend with a serious self-defense situation and survive.

Foot work for being evasive which leads to the development of skills for proper response in kicking, boxing and trapping range (Jun Fan Gung Fu or Panantukin)

Boxing mechanics (Jun Fan Gung Fu or Panantukin)

Kicking mechanics (Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do)

Bobbing, weaving, slipping, ducking (Jun Fan Gung Fu or Panantukin)

Faking and feinting (Jun Fan Gung Fu or Panantukin)

Kicking mechanics from Thai boxing or Pananjakman

Wing Chun concepts and theories (Jeet Kune Do)

Trapping along with entering into trapping (the use and understanding of head-butts, elbows, attacking the eyes and knees within this range also for self-defense purposes)

Intercepting methods (Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do)

Functional use of all tools done with all the different training equipment such as striking apparatus and protective gear for a realistic feel along with timing rhythm and power (Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do)

Use of when and where to utilize the straight blast (jik chun choi) and all possible follow ups (Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do)

Nerve and joint destructions as it is done from Panantukin

Grappling take downs to good positions, riding, submissions and escapes with skillful sensitivity (for self defense purposes, wrestling with and without a stick or a blade with an armed partner is part of this curriculum). All this is to be learned to do without the use of strength so techniques work for anyone (The grappling range of Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jeet Kune Do)

For PSDTC MMA fighters, your rank goes by how many wins you get in the ring or the cage.
There are Fight Coach certifications offered to those who are interested.

Kali empty hands and weapons:
Long range, mid range, what is considered to be trapping range and not surprisingly, clench range drills along with the understanding of the interpretations of all drills for a good understanding of Filipino Martial Arts as a combat discipline. A constant progression is accomplished and that will be noticed right away if all these different ranges are practiced with the empty hands aspects of Kali and needless to say, with weapons. You learn and evolve with different types of sparring drills in all ranges, with and without weapons to help you to attain the skill that will get you to each level. Below are the weapons areas to start with in all the before mentioned ranges to understand for Kali, Arnis, Eskrima as it is taught at the PSDTC:

Stick Vs Stick

Double stick Vs Double stick

Knife Vs Knife

Double knife Vs Double knife

Flexible weapons Vs Flexible Weapons

Flexible Weapons Vs Knife

Flexible Weapons Vs Empty hand

Flexible Weapons Vs Stick

Empty hand Vs Empty hand

Empty hand Vs Stick

Empty hand Vs Knife

Stick Vs Double stick

Stick Vs Knife

Knife Vs Double knife

Double knife Vs Stick

Testing in Jeet Kune Do or Kali is done while you are training in class, being observed all the time, especially when it comes around the time to achieve your next level. For private students Ron occasionally brings in local students to train and do different drilling and sparring exercises with you. Ron looks for proper form, relaxation (especially in tight situations), explosiveness, and proper response with proper form together with the proper attitude a responsible martial artist should have.

“Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”

A note to remember for a more complete self defense skill level

*Kali stick and knife fighting as well as flexible weapons, in all ranges the way it is taught at the Practical Self-Defense Training Center, is a very good additive for Jeet Kune Do student to have a good weapons base understanding to add to your empty hand skill, especially for self defense purposes. Which in turn makes the combination of the two a more complete self defense oriented martial science (please note that Kali weapons as well as the empty hand portion are separate fighting methods or “styles” taught from Jeet Kune Do and carry two separate rank certificates with separate curriculums. That is a very common misunderstanding about Jeet Kune Do now a days). The Kali fighting system taught by Ron, although he had learned ideas from different Filipino martial arts instructors, is based mainly on the Lecosta / Inosanto and Lameco system of Kali, Arnis and Eskrima. Ron teaches it the way it was taught to him by Sifu/Guro Larry Hartsell, Paul Vunak, the late Guru Edgar Sulite, Grand Supreme Tuhon Leo Gaje and of coarse, Tuhon Guru Dan Inosanto.

Ranking system for Jeet Kune Do and/or Kali goes as follows:
Beginning Level Student

Intermediate Level Student

Advance Level Student

Apprentice Instructor

Associate Instructor Level 1

Associate Instructor Level 2

Associate Instructor Level 3

Associate Instructor Level 4

Full Instructor

Senior instructor – No one at the PSDTC is here as of yet