Reddit reviews Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition

bruce lee mentions this in his book. to truly achieve mastery of something you need to reach a point where there is no longer conscious thought of the action

Here is most of my library, broken down, with links and some thoughts on each.

Karate Specific

• The Bubishi by Patrick McCarty (Amazon) - I think this book needs to be in every library.
  
• Classical Kata of Okinawan Karate by Patrick McCarthy (Amazon) - One of the first books I purchased by McCarthy. Details older version of classic kata found in a lot of traditional styles.
  
• Karatedo by My Way of Life - Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Great read! I really nice view at the life of Funakoshi.
  
• The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Another great read. While I'm no longer a practitioner of Shotokan, I believe the teachings of Funakoshi should be tought to every karateka.
  
• Okinawan Karate : Teachers, styles and secret techniques by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Great amount of historical content, and helped link a few things together for me.
  
• The Study of China Hand Techniques by Morinobu Itoman (Lulu.com) - The only known publication by Itoman, this book detains original Okinawan Te, how it was taught, practiced, and some history. This was one of my best finds.
  
• The Essence of Okinawan Karate-do by Shoshin Nagamine (Amazon) - Great details on Matsubayashi Shorin-ryu kata, and some nice historical content.
  
• The Way of Kata by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book on diving deeper into kata to find the application of the techniques.
  
• Classic Kata of Shorinji Ryu: Okinawan Karate Forms of Richard 'Biggie' Kim by Leroy Rodrigues (Amazon) - Not quite accurate as to the title, this book details the versions of shorinji-ryu kata as if they were taught by a Japanese school. Still able to use, as long as you understand what stances and techniques have changed between Okinawa and Japan.
  
• Black Belt Karate by Jordan Roth (Amazon) - This was a gift from a friend. I have a First Edition hard cover. Shotokan specific, and has some nice details on the kata.
  
• Karate-do Kyohan: The Master Text by Gichin Funakoshi (Amazon) - Love this book, especially for the historical content.
  
• Kempo Karate-do by Tsuyoshi Chitose (Shindokanbooks.com) - The only known book from Chitose, highlights his history, his thoughts and ideas for practicing karate-do as a way of life, and contains steps for practicing Henshu-Ho. Chitose is the creator of the style I study. I have this book for obvious reasons. Your mileage may vary.
  
  Kobujutsu Specific
  
  
• Okinawan Weaponry: Hidden methods, ancient myths of Kobudo & Te by Mark Bishop (Amazon) - Really great detail into the history of some of the weapons and the people who taught them from Okinawa.
  
• Okinawan Kobudo Vol 1 & 2 (Lulu.com) - Fantastic books detailing the kihon and kata of Okinawan Kobudo. Anyone who takes Ryukyu Kobujutsu, and doesn't want to spend hundreds of dollars on the original texts by Motokatsu Inoue, this is the next best thing.
  
• Bo: Karate Weapon of Self-Defense by Fumio Demura (Amazon) - Purchased it for the historical content. Doesn't actually apply to anything in Ryukyu Kobujutsu, but still a decent read. I also have his Nunchaku and Tonfa books.
  
  Other Martial Arts
  
  
• Applied Tai Chi Chuan by Nigel Sutton (Amazon) - A great introduction to Cheng Style Tai Chi, detailing some of the fundamentals and philosophy behind the teachings.
  
• Tai Chi Handbook by Herman Kauz (Amazon) - More Cheng Style Tai Chi, but this one has more emphasis on teaching the shortened form (37 steps).
  
• Tai Chi Chuan: Classical Yang Style: The Complete Long Form and Qigong by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming (Amazon) - Just received this for Chirstmas, and looking forward to diving in. Includes some history of Tai Chi Chuan, Yang style Tai Chi, philosophy, and has instruction on the complete long form (108 steps)
  
• The Text-book of Ju-Jutsu as Practiced in Japan by Sadakazu Uyenishi (Amazon) - I have a very old version of this book (1930ish). Picked it up for the historical content, but still a great read.
  
• Tao of Jeet Kun Do by Bruce Lee (Amazon) - Notes on technique, form, and philosophy from Bruce Lee. Another must read for every martial artist, regardless of discipline.
  
• Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: The Ultimate Guide to Dominating Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts Combat by Alexandrew Paiva (Amazon) - Excellent step by step illustrations on performing the basic techniques in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Easy to understand and follow. Contains several tips on what to watch out for with each technique as well.
  
  Health and Anatomy
  
  
• The Anatomy of Martial Arts by Dr. Norman Link and Lily Chou (Amazon) - Decent book on the muscle groups used to perform specific techniques in martial arts. On it's own, not totally useful (but not useless), but with the next book, becomes gold!
  
• Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy by Bret Contraris (Amazon) - Brilliant book that details what muscles are use for what type of action, and gives examples on body weight exercises that pin-point those specific muscle groups. My best purchase of 2014, especially when paired with the previous book.
  
• Martial Mechanics by Phillip Starr (Amazon) - Slightly Chinese Martial Arts specific, but contains great material on how to strengthen stances and fine-tune technique for striking arts.
  
  EDIT: I can't believe I forgot this one...
  
  
• The Little Black Book of Violence by Lawrence Kane & Kris Wilder (Amazon) - Fantastic book about situational awareness, what happens during fights, and the aftermath. LOVED this book.
  

Sorry for the long post, I didn't realize it was going to be this big as I started writing. Hopefully it's not too rambling as it's now 1am and I'm tired. I am not going to put a TL:DR because I think the information is good. :)


Krav Maga would be a great foundation for a self defense course. It's practical in its usage. You remove the threat. I am unsure if there are any decent instructors of that in the area, others may have input on that.

The absolute best self defense is being aware. I helped teach a self defense class a few times back home. It was a pretty informal deal (like something you expressed no interest in), but the thing we stressed the most was being aware of...EVERYTHING.

A couple of things to consider while taking input from everyone:

1. The style they are suggesting may not be the best style for self defense, but that does not mean it's worthless. I am a big fan of Bruce Lee, and I think all martial artists should own a copy of The Toa of Jeet Kune Do. The reason being is that Bruce Lee studied many, many art forms and took the good and used it. He ignored the rest.
   
   
2. Training in martial arts can and will build your confidence. This is a benefit and a detriment. The reason it is a benefit is because you get the feeling you can handle yourself in many situations with practice and time. While you may have that feeling, you may not be able to handle yourself in all situations and that confidence can bring some bad with it because you put yourself in situations that you can not handle.
   
   
3. Getting a CCW or carry concealed weapons may be an option for you as well. However, it is legal to open carry in Kentucky. There are certain places you can't carry a weapon, but you are legally allowed to carry a weapon openly. A caveat with either open or concealed carry is that if you are put in a stressful situation, can you handle a weapon? If someone has a knife and they are within 21 feet of you and your weapon isn't drawn. You are probably getting stabbed. There have been lots of studies done on this. If your weapon is concealed in a purse or ankle holster, you are almost definitely getting stabbed. If someone has a gun and you aren't super comfortable with it and they are close, there is a chance they will take it from you and use it on you. The motion to do this is quick. Very quick. It's something you would learn in Krav Maga.
   
   
4. Carrying a knife is much like the conealed/open weapon. Can you handle it in a stressful situation? A knife is a close quarter combat weapon. You have to be super close to use it on someone. Hypothetically, if I was attacking you, the chances of a knife doing much good would be slim if I meant you harm. The reason being is that I am a big guy. I'm 6'1, ~360. It would be tough to get a critical or fatal stab in on a guy my size. There is a chance that I could, again, use it on you.
   
   
5. The awareness I mentioned earlier is the most important skill and attribute you can have for self defense. By awareness as a skill, you teach yourself to pay attention to your surroundings. If you have a couple of guys walking your way on an empty street at night you would do the following: Change the side of the street you are walking on, paying attention to any escape route you may need. Maybe they would be insulted if they aren't a threat...but you shouldn't care. As you change the side fo the street, look for weapons. Maybe they are carrying something for a weapon, but you should look for a way to arm yourself. As I sit in my living room, I look around and I see probably 30 make-shift weapons. A glass with lemonaide, a lamp, a speaker, a vaccuum, this laptop and it's powercable, etc.
   
   
   My guess for the cost would probably be anywhere from 5-15 dollars a class, or 100 bucks per month-ish.
   
   I just retook the CCDW class (carry concealed deadly weapons) class here in Kentucky. The class cost 75 dollars at TG&G. The class only allows you to apply for your concealed weapons license. It was very boring for the most part because they play a video of a lawyer reading you the actual law for a good portion of it. You also need to "qualify" by hitting a human sized target 11 times out of 20 at seven yards. They cover some basic gun maintenance and other stuff, but in no way does it prepare you for actually carrying a weapon. Once you get the documentation back from the state that says you took the class, you can apply for the license for another 66 dollars or so.
   
   It is a crazy world that we live in. It is very sad that we need to go through such means to protect ourselves, our family, our friends, and even our possessions. The stuff you see in movies and on tv shows over dramatizes how things could go in your favor because you studied karate or kung fu.
   
   A final note, that if you do take a martial art for a long time, but stop training, you will lose the quickness of it over time. I used to train 3-5 days a week with a group of friends and local cops. I have since gained some weight since I no longer train like I used to. I take this into account every time I even consider a situation that could occur.
   
   I do think it would be fun to get a group to meet up once or twice a month and share knowledge and possibly some training. Boxing/karate/bjj/wrestling/self defense/etc. Everyone can have something they can input.

https://smile.amazon.com/Tao-Jeet-Kune-Do-Expanded/dp/0897502027

Bruce Lee said it. Why? Because when he beat up Wong Jack Man, he realized Wing Chun by itself sucked, because it probably turned into a slap match.

So he went and sought out how to create a method of fighting that worked for him.

It's why his most famous student has a black belt in BJJ, is a certified Muay Thai instructor and a fuck ton more credentials, and doesn't teach Wing Chun.

If they can still travel, it's very worthwhile to watch classes even though they're not on the mat. And it's still a way of actively participating and learning.

Here's a great book for any martial artist with a lot of insights about life and martial arts by Bruce Lee.

http://www.amazon.com/Tao-Jeet-Kune-Do-Expanded/dp/0897502027

Also another excellent all around book.

http://www.amazon.com/Book-Martial-Power-Steven-Pearlman/dp/1585679445

You did say each of my wishlists, right?

Here I go:

• One of my highest items are these light bulbs. Why? We moved into a house during Thanksgiving weekend last year. One by one each of our light fixtures have blown their bulbs. We've been getting bulbs as we can, but we still need about 40 bulbs to be able to say we have light everywhere we need it.
  
  
  
• Another highest priority item is this Kindle. It's for our 13 year old daughter, who has ADHD and is bipolar. She had another one that she very accidentally dropped on her way to school (she has special permission from her principals and teachers to have it at school. It helps calm her down, and her teachers have told us since having it at school her GPA has gone from a 2.0 to a 3.5) two weeks ago. We taped it up and put more screen protectors on it so she wouldn't hurt her fingers on the glass which was shattered but still usable. Last week she put it on her bike to come in and get something, and her youngest sister sat on her bike, effectively shattering the glass the rest of the way and we had to throw it away. I did take this pic of it before we threw it away. I snapchatted the pic as well when it happened. Since she first dropped it, it hadn't been charging like it should. She had had it for a couple years. Hers was a first generation Kindle Fire. She carried it everywhere, and we can't afford a new one for some time. She is devastated, her grades are dropping, and she's getting in trouble at school now because she can't calm down when someone bullies her without it. She has breathing exercises and medication she takes, but her Kindle helped her out tremendously. When we moved here, she started a new school, and her old school never allowed her to bring her Kindle like this school does. Her grades suffered so much, and she always got in trouble. It breaks our hearts to see her heading down that same path at her new school again.
  
  
• Then I have some headphones on another wishlist that are high priority. My girls have been taking mine and essentially breaking them from so much overuse. I can't wear the earbuds, they mess with my ears too much, so I have to have good ol' fashioned headphones.
  
  
• This blanket because I am always super cold in our house.
  
  
• This watch on another of my wishlists. These are so cheap that I want to get one for me and one for each of my daughters in different colors.
  
  
• This book for my husband. We had it once, and lost it in our cross country move. He's wanted it again for years.
  
  
• This video game for my husband because he is kicking himself in the bahooky for not buying the download when it was $15 right before and during the Super Bowl. Plus, I wouldn't have to keep watching him play COD: MW3 all the time!
  
  
• This pan because with 7 of us in our family, we can always use another big pan to cook in.
  
  
• This pet shampoo because once our dog and cat get bathed in it, they smell wonderful for weeks. It says "Puppy Shampoo", but we use it on our long haired cat too, and he loves it as much as the dog does.
  
  
• Another high priority movie on my list besides the one I received from PBG. Because I <3 Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. I also haven't seen this movie.
  
  Thank you for this discussion. It's helped me get a bit off my chest. I hope you don't mind.

https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Jeet-Kune-Do-Expanded/dp/0897502027

Bruce Lee pretty much invented MMA. His style was called Jeet Kune Do. He took the best parts about each form of fighting and incorporated it into one style. https://www.amazon.com/Tao-Jeet-Kune-Do-Expanded/dp/0897502027