Читать книгу Jeet Kune Do Basics - David Cheng - Страница 13

STUDENTS WHO WANT TO STUDY Jeet Kune Do will learn best by training directly with a knowledgeable instructor. The challenge for many prospective students is to find such a person. While it is relatively easy to locate a school that teaches a traditional art, such as karate or taekwondo, there are not many Jeet Kune Do teachers around. The majority of those who teach some form of Jeet Kune Do reside in the United States and Europe, so individuals who live in other countries will have a difficult time finding an instructor.

To complicate matters, many of those who instruct in Jeet Kune Do do not publicize that fact. They maintain a low profile, quietly teaching small groups of students in garages and backyards. One usually hears about them only through word of mouth. So, while you can easily pinpoint a school that offers traditional martial arts training in the telephone book, you are not likely to come across a Jeet Kune Do instructor that way.

Someone looking for a local school that teaches a traditional art can easily identify a large organization or association that governs that style. These groups can refer individuals who are interested in learning their art to member schools in their area. However, there is no wide-ranging group that oversees the various Jeet Kune Do schools and instructors that a prospective student can contact.

Given these difficulties, you must possess a strong commitment to learning Jeet Kune Do in order to find the right school or instructor. So how can you find out who is teaching, and where? One place to start is the Internet. A number of Jeet Kune Do teachers and schools have Web sites that can be accessed easily through the various search engines. Another source is Web sites devoted to the subject of Jeet Kune Do or Bruce Lee. These sometimes have links to various Jeet Kune Do schools.

Some well-known Jeet Kune Do instructors have their own associations and students who are authorized to teach. They maintain lists and contact information for these students as part of their own Web sites. There are also other individuals who, as a service to prospective students, keep lists of Jeet Kune Do instructors as part of their Web sites.

Another way that a prospective student can use the Internet to find a Jeet Kune Do instructor is to post a message on a Jeet Kune Do discussion forum. Because these forums attract a large number of people from all over the world, there is a good chance that someone will know of a Jeet Kune Do instructor in a certain area.

A few Jeet Kune Do instructors and schools advertise in martial arts magazines, so it is worth the effort to check out those publications. Also, martial arts supply stores will sometimes have brochures or flyers advertising the services of a local Jeet Kune Do teacher.

Even after you have found a Jeet Kune Do instructor, you must evaluate whether that instructor offers what you want to learn. Because of the myriad of interpretations of Jeet Kune Do, what a particular Jeet Kune Do instructor teaches may or may not be what you want to learn. Different instructors vary significantly in terms of the material that they teach. Some teachers offer training in the curriculum that Lee practiced before he formally developed Jeet Kune Do. Some emphasize Original Jeet Kune Do, the art that Lee taught and practiced when he was still alive. Still others offer training in Jeet Kune Do Concepts, sometimes teaching other arts separately or blended with some of the Jeet Kune Do techniques. There are those who offer limited training in Lee’s original art and emphasize other arts that they like better.

The decision to train with a particular teacher or at a specific school should not be taken lightly, because the teacher or school will greatly influence your understanding of Jeet Kune Do. You should take certain steps in deciding whether or not to train. You should have in mind whether you are interested specifically in studying the actual training methods, techniques, and principles that Lee taught. If so, then you need to make sure that the teacher has sufficient background in the original art and can teach it. You should visit an actual class or training session to see how the teacher relates to students. You should talk to current students to determine what they like and do not like about the training. If one is available, take an introductory class or commit to a trial period to experience the training firsthand. You should also gather information about the instructor’s background, experience, lineage, and certification. Most importantly, you should define your training goals and evaluate whether the school or instructor can effectively assist you in meeting those goals.