Using No Way As Way, Having No Limitation as Limitation

It’s been said that Jeet Kune Do can be taught but it can not be standardized. However, we can standardize principles and concepts to a degree. Today I would like to expand upon concepts that have become the JKD motto “using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation”. This can be applied to daily life and in combat.

No way as the Way

There is no fixed way. All routes lead to the same destination.  “Your Way May Not Be My Way, Nor My Way Be Your Way”.  In JKD You find your own way. The JKD man is no styles, but all styles and utilizes the best “way” for the moment. To utilize the best way in a particular moment, you must be present and open to the best way to meet the challenge in which you find yourself. This is the adverse of using rehearsed routines or planning before hand what way will be best. You must be able to adapt to the situation at hand.

No Limitation as Limitation

In JKD there are no limitations. But, for every rule there is an exception. The only limitations are those which you impose on yourself, don’t let your personal beliefs or your martial arts training limit your experience.  Always keep an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore other arts. Don’t limit yourself , your thinking nor your training. The boxer is limited to boxing, the grappler is limited to grappling. The boxer becomes inferior to the grappler on the ground, and during the stand-up fight the grappler would be inferior to the boxers striking skills. Had one of them trained even a little bit in each others arts, that one fighter would have been victorious either on the ground or in a stand-up match because his skills weren’t limited. His open mind allowed him to explore and enabled him to utilize the best “way” for the moment at hand.