April 2023 Book Survey Part 3


 Welcome to the April 2023 book survey, part three. I decided to break this month's survey into three posts. The themes for this month are kendo/swordsmanship, Bruce Lee, and Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do. This is part three. Part one is here. Part two is here.

Introduction

In April 2023, I (Richard) continued my reading plan. This post surveys books on Bruce Lee's fighting style of Jeet Kune Do. I bought all of these books in the middle and late 1990s.

Jeet Kune Do: Entering to Trapping to Grappling, Larry Hartsell, 1984


My copy of Jeet Kune Do: Entering to Trapping to Grappling is a paperback measuring 7 inches by 10 inches with 200 black and white pages. The publisher is Unique Press. Linda Lee wrote a foreword for this book, and Dan Inosanto wrote an introduction.

This book offers a nice collection of techniques, although the photos deserve to be better. I also got a "Japanese Jiu-Jitsu" feel from some of the content. 

Update: This book is on the Internet Archive.

Jeet Kune Do: Counterattack! Grappling Counters and Reversals, Larry Hartsell, Tim Tackett, 1987


My copy of Jeet Kune Do: Counterattack! Grappling Counters and Reversals is another Unique product measuring 7 inches by 10 inches with 180 black and white pages. The Acknowledgements section says that judo Gene LeBell "taught Bruce Lee the finer points of grappling."

This is a pretty interesting book. The authors revisit all of the techniques from their previous title, and then present counters to them. I can't recall seeing another sequel like this in all of my library.

For example, on page 56 the authors show how to sprawl to counter a tackle. On page 57 they show how to counter a choke with a throw. I paid close attention to this material, as it was published before the Gracies became known in the US and showed better techniques for grappling.

This book is composed much better than the previous title. Each section shows a technique then one or more counters, often using "action photos." 

Some of the techniques aren't that great, like using "pressure mounts" when someone has mounted you in a grappling scenario. I still thought this book was pretty innovative for its time, however.

Update: This book is also on the Internet Archive.

Jeet Kune Do Kickboxing, Chris Kent, Tim Tackett, 1986


My copy of Jeet Kune Do Kickboxing is a paperback measuring 8 3/8 inches by 11 inches with 144 black and white pages. This book is pretty straightforward, with usable drills and technique. The photos are great and I liked the content as well.

Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do: The Textbook, Chris Kent, Tim Tackett, 1989


My copy of Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do: The Textbook is a paperback measuring 8 3/8 inches by 10 7/8 inches with 160 black and white photos. There's a lot packed into a relatively short page count, with great photos and good use of the page.

Jeet Kune Do: Its Concepts and Philosophies, Paul Vunak, 1994


My copy of Jeet Kune Do: Its Concepts and Philosophies is a paperback measuring 7 inches by 10 inches with 124 black and white pages. My copy is undated but it seems to originate from 1992 or 1994. 

The first 50 pages of this book are mainly text and theory. The remaining pages examine 23 sets of applications. The photos are good. This book is a different take on JKD, compared to the previous titles.

Conclusion

None of these books are standouts. Dedicated JKD students are the core audience. If you could find a used copy of the Counterattack book, however, it's a neat read thanks to its unique premise.

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