So are you guys JKD (Jeet Kune Do) or MMA (Mixed Martial Arts?)
There is an ongoing debate about what is Jeet Kune Do training and what makes a system Jeet Kune Do or makes it NOT Jeet Kune Do. This typically is based on which JKD lineage is involved, or which set of core techniques are being practiced.
This is exactly what JKD's founder Bruce Lee said NOT to do. He told future martial artists to not be worried about whether or not Jeet Kune Do is "This" or "That." Instead to Absorb that which is Useful.
Some of our practitioners started out in traditional martial arts classes. Disillusioned by their lack of effectiveness, most of us migrated to a Jeet Kune Do Concepts class in the early 90's. This was far more functional and for a while we rejoiced.
As martial artists began to pressure test some of the JKD Concepts and traditional martial arts concepts they began to evolve to the next level as combat athletes. Combat sports require participants to pull off their techniques against fully resisting opponents. This didn't happen only in the hand-to-hand combat arean with MMA;, but also in the stickfighting arena with the Dog Brothers and other Real Contact Stickfighting groups that sprouted as a result of all the Kali training in the standard JKD Concepts class.
So if you believe that JKD is a methodology that strictly adheres to the concepts of "Absorb what is Useful" and "Do not worry if JKD is this or that" then YES we are very much a modern Jeet Kune Do training club.
But if you think JKD means working with Wing Chun energy drills, throwing chain punches, and jabbing a sheet of paper hung from a string with your index finger to practice eye gouging - then NO we are definitely not a JKD training school.
Personally, we don't care what you call us or how you classify our training. We like to show up and box and wrestle. We like the process of growing stronger and smarter and we like helping others do the same thing. Our JKD may not look like your JKD, but our JKD is a lot of fun and it works in the real world.
What you WILL see at St Louis Training Circle MMA Club
Classes now held in huge space with two full-sized padded fighting rings!