JKD DVD/book recomendations

[Valpolicella]

So what Jeet Kune Do DVD/books would you guys recomend that a fella buy?

[watchdog]

I heard that there's this great book called "Jeet Kune Do Basics." :lol:

[Valpolicella]

watchdog: HA HA HA!
Yes, it is a great book! I own it and so should everybody else who wants to read a great, comprehensive book on "Jeet Kune Do Basics."
Five Stars!!!

[brentlance]

I am hoping to bring some copies of a good instructional DVD to this year's camp in Vegas, if they are ready in time.

[Crutch]

Valpolicella,

Some of the JKD Texts that I have found interesting are:

Absorb what is useful, By Guro Dan Inosanto

A guide to martial arts training with equipment. by Guro Dan Inosanto

Jeet Kune Do Entering to Trapping to Grappling by Larry Hartsell

Jeet Kune do Conditioning and Grappling Methods By Larry Hartsell

Bruce Lee Between Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do (1976) Jesse Glover

Bruce Lees Non-Classical Gung fu (1978) by Jesse R Glover

Non Classical Gung Fu (1980) by Jesse Glover

To be honest I could give you a grocery list of texts on Original/Concepts/New/JKD as well as variations on gung fu where folks have abandoned the "name" all together and just call it Gung Fu or there particular way of gung fu, here in this post but I think my message might get lost in the volume of text that I would type out. You can start with the ones above and when you finish them shoot me an email and I can provide you with lots more.

2 cents.........
If you’re at the library or the book store don’t discredit any JKD text on the authors’ reputation. Read the book and decide for your self. If you don’t you may miss some very interesting things.

Additionally there are lots of books out there with a JKD title that I have read and I can’t think of a single one that I wouldn’t recommend. For me it’s about the exploration of different people’s experiences with and around JKD that I find fascinating.

I read a lot of eastern and western philosophy which is (JKD) it just doesn’t have it stamped on the cover.

I read a lot of sports physiology and exercise books which are also JKD it just doesn’t say it on the cover.

Any books you can find on the martial arts are about JKD its just some one else’s JKD. Books on bladed weapons, Wing Chun, Tae Kwon do, Karate, Muay Thai, Silat, Kali, Lee Jun Fan Gung fu, Self defense, countless types of Gung Fu, Bando, Judo, BJJ, Shoot, Boxing, Fencing, Hising I , Tai Chi…..etcetera.... but realize that they are all about JKD. They are all about the concepts of how different people express themselves and the human condition, and the personal exploration of the art from the physical combative side for different people.

Your instructor can show you a path to some of the techniques but it is ultimately your responsibility to go out and grow your mind. You need to help yourself understand what JKD means to you.

Look to the martial arts universals to discover and rediscover what countless thousands of others in hundreds of different martial arts have already researched, discovered and forgotten. They can decide what works and doesn’t work for them in these books but there structures can also sometimes light a path to other truths that you may know but not know you knew….wow that sentence was diluted ! but ill leave it : ~)

It will also give you a great insight into what other “styles” and students look like and how they think on a physical and psychological basis this can sometimes give you a jumping off point for your own personal exploration and continuing development.


Continue to grow your mind and art and continue the progression of our art and if you can do that and still pay the bills and find time to love your family and yourself then you are a winner.

Finally this thread is most likely redundant for you and not specifically directed at you as a sermon, just sharing. I have had lots of folks ask me this question over the years, as I have an extensive library on the martial arts, sports conditioning, philosopy,ethnographic anthropology and sociology, so this is just what came out when I thought about your question.

All of the books I mentioned above were purchased off of eBay or at new/used book stores over the last 10 years or so. I suggest building your own library.

Have a wonderful day,...keep your hands up;


Terry Crutcher "Crutch"

[Tim Tackett]

I actually wrote the Entering to Trapping to Grappling with Larry, but couldn't put my name on it because I was under contact to another publisher for my Hsing-i books. When that publisher stopped printing the Hsing-i books, I put my name on the 2nd book I did with Larry. The irony is that I have more of what I did for the book without my name on it.