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Summary: The book of Knowledge
Review: Tao of Jeet Kune Do is probably the best book for people starting to learn about Bruce Lee's fighting method and philosophy. There are pics and diagrams on how to do simple moves. It contains alot of Lee's philosophy and quotes. Tjis book is easy to rea ans the best part is that Bruce Lee wrote it himself!! I give a 5 star rating!!!
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Summary: A Look At What Made Bruce Lee the Possible Best of all Time!
Review: Tao of Jeet Kune Do is made up of notes written by Bruce Lee during 1970 while he was stuck in bed for six months with a hurt back. Also included are sketches drawn by Bruce to show different stances, attacks, takedown methods, etc. It must be known the book is not for those who just want to be able to beat people up. There are many proverbs included in the story and it challenges you to think and exercise your brain just as much as it challenges you to exercise your body. These proverbs could also be a downside for those with a lesser understanding of things because some of them could seem very confusing, or they may mislead people into getting a different meaning than what is meant to be given from them. Tao of Jeet Kune Do was not originally meant to be a book, but instead a collection of notes, so the information is sort of cluttered around. Included are suggestions on exercise, diet, stretching, attitude, and of course, self defense and attack. For those who study other forms of martial arts, almost all of the ideas behind Jeet Kune Do can be incorporated with these styles. Even if you don't use the book to train yourself it can be a very helpful tool in understanding how Bruce Lee thought and fought, and you can get a grasp of how Bruce Lee trained himself to accomplish all the great things he did. Overall, I thought it was a very enlightening book, and the only downside was the cluttering of the information, which was easily ignorable by the great content, and the confusing proverbs, which may have just been confusing to me, and could be easily understood by someone else.
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Summary: indecipherable gobblety-goop
Review: Although this book is "composed" of incoherent scratchings, many people regard Bruce Lee as a genius because of it. How sad.
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Summary: JKD-the real Bruce Lee
Review: The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is a posthumously published collection of notes from Lee's notebooks.Most of the technique discussions were culled from the US Navy boxing manual as well as from some fencing books.The book also contains several pages of Lee's original drawings.Lee's philosophical musings are derived from Zen,Taoism,Buddhism,and the Indian philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti.First,it must be admitted that the book is not for beginners.One must be at a certain level to understand,let alone perform,at levels necessary to grasp the book.Second,the book may appear disjointed.Lee did not write this as a book;these were some of his private notes.Third,Bruce never intended to publish the Tao.DRAGON THE BRUCE LEE STORY is a fictional movie,not a biography.Fourth,one must comment on this book and on the wave of anti-Bruce Lee hysteria that has swept through the martial arts world of late.Many fighters and authors now maintain that Bruce was a "paper tiger",a mere actor who did not,could not,and would not fight for real.Let us clarify this once and for all.Lee was a street fighter,not a pro boxer or a tournament karate specialist.Everything he learned:Wu taiji from Daddy,Wing Chun from Yip Man and Wong "Crazy" Leung,his own styles of nonclassical gung-fu,jun fan gung-fu,and jeet kune do,were all geared towards a street fight,a fight which lasts two seconds or less.Lee did not use everything he taught,nor did he teach the whole of his "personal" defense art.Some of his ideas apply only in a training or sparring context,but not in a street fighting context.Bruce earlier students,ie,the Seattle group and the Oakland group,are all over the internet,and they can help anyone distinguish between Bruce the teacher and Bruce the fighter.They can also disabuse anyone of the idea that Bruce was merely an actor who looked good but did not or could not fight.Many misinformed people can read the book and come away disappointed if they cannot distinguish between training and actual fighting.Bruce Lee was an expert at hand-to-hand,unarmed combat.Bruce could punch at speeds exceeding 120 mph;he could thrust his fingers through a full old-fashioned coke can;he could hold-out a 120 pound barbell in horizontal position;he could sidekick a 300 lb. heavy bag so hard that it would slap the ceiling.It is worthwhile to investigate how he achieved these feats,and to what extent his journey can help those of us who are still training and working towards our respective bests in the 21st century.This book is a good start.It is a map,not the Bible. Bruce would want it to be so.
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Summary: The True Essence of The Master
Review: As a child, I watched Bruce Lee movies without knowing much about the man. I thought that he was a talented martial artist; however, never knew his life philosphy. Unfortunately, the mainstream media rarely shared his insights with the public. When he died tragically, much of his life remained an enigma.The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is much more than a martial arts book. Within its covers, the reader will enjoy the considerable intellect of Mr. Lee. He was a gifted writer and student of life. His undergraduate studies were in Philosophy, but this book is not a ambiguous spiritual odyssey. He provides many thought provoking quotes; however, they are not vague generalizations. His words imbue the same force as one of his legendary punches or kicks. This book contains excellent illustrations, along with Mr. Lee's own handwritten notes. I thought those were the most compelling feature of this work. You can feel his spirit through his words, and to see them in the original script only reinforces their message. He compiled much of this book while flat on his back with an injury. But as his wife, Linda, poignantly observed, his mind never stopped working. He was dedicated to his art, and this book is his legacy. One quote stands out: "Our sense of power is more vivid when we break a man's spirit than when we win his heart, for we can win a man's heart one day and lose it the next. But when we break a proud spirit, we achieve something that is final and absolute." Thank you for the opportunity to review this book.
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Summary: A MUST in EVERY Martial Artists' library
Review: This is going to be short and sweet. Even if you hate to admit it, Bruce Lee changed the face of martial arts forever. He brought it to the US in a BIG way and showed that it is alright to mix different styles. Although this book is not a "how to", as most people think of it as, it is an outline of Bruce Lee's thoughts and theories and opened my eyes to MANY things I did not know or think of before reading. If you don't have it, get it. Even if you do not practice Jeet Kune Do, it should be read by YOU! Also recommended are "Bruce Lee's Fighting Method" series, which are technique-based.
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Summary: This book helped me grow personally through the years.
Review: As there are many reviews, I just wanted to add my personal experience with this book. I purchased this book when I first started martial arts (Tae Kwon Do and Filipino martial arts). It was interesting and had much good stuff. Seven years later, and a couple weeks ago, I started reading it again--5 minutes here, 10 minutes there. My view is very different now! Bruce Lee's notes and insights have a new meaning for me as I have a different perspective gained by my experience. In any case, it has continued to inspire and motivate me, as well as giving me hints for certain nuances in my training. Get this book ASAP and browse it. They are Bruce's personal notes, so you can read them a little at a time and gain knowledge each time. Let those little tidbits of wisdom rattle around your subconscious mind for a while, maybe seven years like me. The pick the book up again. The understanding and enlightenment you receive will be like a lightning bolt! Then perhaps you too will write a positive review like mine.
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Summary: Mind opening reading material...great for everyone!!
Review: i just want to say...the whole point of the book is to expose & open minds to not only a new form of martial arts but to a way of thinking that allows you to be in harmony with everything around you. "7 problems with "The Art of Jeet Kune Do" by Bruce Lee, August 25, 2001 Reviewer: BFGalbraith "
THIS GUY was sooo close minded when he read it that he doesnt deserve to have the book...although its good he read it & has many thoughts about it...i guess he was willing to give it a try but he didnt fully open himself to the ideas & philosy of the book. See, if he read it & compared the styles of martial arts & made them more efficient or understood why Bruce Lee would alter the moves & go from there, his reading expierience would have been so much more enjoyable. However , he just stopped reading the book & started to compare & critique it without fully understanding Bruce Lee's Book.
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Summary: masterful
Review: this book was everything i expected and much more.
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Summary: Definately the greatest martial arts bible ever written
Review: Simply, this book is incredible. Bruce Lee is able to articulate his knowledge and wisdom like no one I have ever read, and I have read alot of books like this. I am a martial artist who has studied classical martial arts for a long long time. As soon as I read this book I went out and found a JKD instructor. This book combines what was already known in some styles with what was known in other styles and combines it into, quite frankly, the perfect system. Everything that is practiced in this art can be used, none of it is in anyway just for looks, which is the weakness of many styles including, but not limited to, Choy Li Fut kung fu, Dragon kung fu, monkey style kung fu, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Ji Quan (although this is a different type of martial art and not nessecarily designed for combat), many karate styles including Shotokan and especially Shorinryu. The ideas of fluidity are prevenelant in many martial arts but very very few actually practice this. In Jeet Kune Do fluidity is everything, movement is everything. After I began taking Jeet Kune Do and read all of Bruce Lee's books I found myself immediately becomming a better martial artist and my other instructors thought so as well. If you are a martial artist this book is an absolute MUST HAVE. If you arent its meaning is decreased but it is still incredibly helpful and insightful. This book is definately the best martial arts book you can buy.
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