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Post by foreverman on Jan 1, 2009 10:41:21 GMT -5
Hi JKD guys,
Happy new year!
I come from china and begin to learn and practice JKD. But there is no certificated JKD instructors in my country and as far as i know, most of them misrepresent JKD. So I searched for all the materials that could represent the original JKD but finally i found a few: Teri Tom's book "The Straight Lead", Ted Wong's DVD "Bruce Lee's fighting method", and the book "Bruce Lee's fighting method".
What i am doing now is practicing according what i understand from these materials. For something, i think i really understand what the author want to transfer(by practicing, feeling), but for something, it is really hard to understand.
I want to know if i could post some questions here and get helps from your guys.
In Teri Tom's book, she wrote about 'half beat'. And i also found the same term in the seminar docs of Ted Wong on this web site. But i could not understand it, could someone help me understand what is 'half beat' and how to apply it? Thanks in advance.
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Post by Victor Colón on Jan 1, 2009 13:03:57 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum, your questions are welcome!
The half beat in JKD comes from fencing and is key in timing and broken rhythm. Relative to footwork for example most use the full beat being one – and – two, the landing of both feet. In step and slide back the rear foot steps back (one) the front foot lifts (and) the front foot lands back (two)… the rear foot lands then the lead foot. In this example we can use the half beat when the rear foot steps back (one) as the lead foot lifts your lead hand starts forward just before you push off the rear foot (the lead foot never lands to complete the step and slide back) and you throw a straight lead. Instead of completing the full beat of the step and slide back footwork, one – and – two, you are striking on the half beat (one).
Using the half beat is something that I do often in sparring and training. Being able to strike, reverse direction and change angles on the half beat opens immense variables and better allows you to break rhythm. As Julio Martinez Castello wrote “when rhythm is broken, speed is no longer the primary element in the success of the attack or counter attack” “unexpected movement can now score an attack or counter attack with only moderate speed”….and that is why I say that the fasted person does not always hit first.
Hope that helps. Happy New Year!
Victor
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Post by foreverman on Jan 1, 2009 21:21:06 GMT -5
Thanks a lot, Victor. I think i really understand what the "half beat" is by your help. In this example we can use the half beat when the rear foot steps back (one) as the lead foot lifts your lead hand starts forward just before you push off the rear foot (the lead foot never lands to complete the step and slide back) and you throw a straight lead. Instead of completing the full beat of the step and slide back footwork, one – and – two, you are striking on the half beat (one). So it is: the rear foot step back --> the staight lead(instead of slide back)? But after my rear foot step back, the distance between my rear foot and my front foot is a little longer than it is as in OGP, will this make me a little hard to launch straight lead?
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Post by Victor Colón on Jan 2, 2009 8:16:40 GMT -5
It may take you a little while to feel the mechanics but while the body is in motion, reversing or changing direction on the half beat will feel quite natural which opens up the variables.
A couple tips…Keep your real heel off the ground and remember that when shifting bodyweight the top half (hips up) and the bottom half (legs and feet) work together allowing the motion of the upper body to help the lower body…smooth is fast.
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