By putting together this book Linda Lee Cadwell, Gilbert L. This book has been a huge seller for many years and rightly so. Here we have 40 pages dedicated to the preparation of an Attack, highlighting some simple attacks, counterattacks, renew attacks, tactics closing with ‘Five ways of Attack’ which includes progressive indirect attack and attack by drawing. The final main chapter is devoted to ‘Attack’. The next chapters discuss ‘Preparations’ and ‘Mobility’ where feints and parries as well as distance and footwork are discussed. This section highlights techniques for kicking, striking, grappling and a couple of pages regarding studies of Judo and Ju-Jitsu, all illustrated! There are some good techniques shown, including ‘Cross stomp’ and ‘Crouch to ground’. We move next to the chapter entitled, ‘Tools’. There are some real gems of advice and guidance in here! This chapter covers the qualities required for JKD – coordination, precision, power, endurance, timing and attitude amongst others. The next section discusses ‘Qualities’ which I think has a lovely headline – ‘It’s not daily increase but daily decrease – hack away the unessentials!’. This section has some of Bruce’s original sketches within it, as well as advice such as everyday opportunities for exercise for instance, parking the car a few blocks away so you are forced to walk further, taking the stairs instead of using the lift/elevator. The book then moves onto ‘Preliminaries’ where training, warming up, on-guard and defensive positions as well as target areas are discussed. These initial sections of the book cover: Zen, Art of the Soul, Organised Despair and The Formless Form amongst others. Then we move straight to some of the first sections, each only a few pages long, providing thought provoking passages of text such as, ‘Nothingness cannot be defined: the softest thing cannot be snapped’.

Johnson follows, providing a fascinating insight into how the book came about and was compiled.Ī single contents page is next, highlighting how the 200-plus pages are split into sections.

An introduction by Linda lee and editor Gilbert L. Understanding techniques, precautions on physical techniques and then a very interesting paragraph on acquired talent and natural talent. The book starts with a translated document mentioning martial arts and boxing. Johnson worked with Linda and Bruce’s students and friends such as Dan Inosanto to formulate the book’s contents. It has been noted before that Bruce was not keen on a ‘learn kung-fu in 10 easy lessons’ style of book. The idea for this book started in 1970, Bruce Lee was resting after picking up an injury and he could not train his body fora number of months, this lead to the documentation of his thoughts and many drawings of his JKD system.įollowing Bruce Lee’s death, Linda Lee Cadwell wanted to make public the material Bruce had written as he planned to publish them in a book but felt they might be ‘used for wrong purposes’.

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