Tao of Jeet Kune Do
by Bruce Lee
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Book Reviews of Tao of Jeet Kune Do
Book Review: Jeet Kune D'oh!
Summary: 2 Stars
When I was in the infancy of my martial arts training, I worshipped this book. Recently, I unearthed a copy from my basement, dusted off the cover and opened it for the first time in nearly 14 years. In retrospect, I must confess that I have absolutely no idea what I found so captivating about this book. Then it dawned on me, I never truly read it until now. Like many young martial artists, I fell for all the trappings and mystique that surrounded Bruce Lee. I abandoned all logic and criticism and took everything regarding Bruce Lee with an optimistic leap of faith. I was naive and impressionable, but I didn't develop my deductive reasoning until later on in life.
The Tao of Jeet Kune Do is still highly touted by many as the greatest literary work on martial arts ever written. But then you have to ask yourself: who is saying this? Collectively, it's the legions of Bruce Lee fanatics ...If you worship Bruce Lee (some people actually consider him a god), by all means buy this book. But then again you guys probably already have 15 copies of it cased in vaccuum-sealed plastic! All other readers: don't get your hopes up. From the first page to the last, it's ultimately the same meandering meditations. On the whole, it's ambiguous and relatively benign. The author himself states in the final paragraph of the book to throw it away when you're finished reading it. Sound advice. I only wished he wrote that at the beginning. I've read worse, but I've read a lot better martial arts and meditative books than this.
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Book Review: 2 to 3 stars at best
Summary: 3 Stars
Ok, I've been studying martial arts for almost 11 years now, and I've been fighting, amateur, semi-professionally and some pro fights for the last 4 years. I've read Lee's book and was very disappointed by it. From all the reviews I'd heard and read, I thought it would be truly great. I was very surprised to read it, then I did a little digging and discovered a lot of stuff I didn't know before. The book is heavily influenced by Lee's degree in philosophy, in fact, it reads like a philo book I had in college, most of it is from text books on the subject. The actual martial arts techniques in it are very simple, some VERY basic boxing tech's, and some of the most simple tech's from various styles. Nothing impressive to any one with any real martial arts training.What set this book apart from others when it came out was that it was the first book on actively cross-training styles. LEe wasn't the first one to do this, in fact almost all of the "original" or "classical" styles Lee didn't like were and are a combination of other styles. Their founders crosstrained and melded together. however, they did this over a period of years of training in each style, Lee spent much much less time getting techniques from individual styles
Overall, this book can be summed up like this : Lee tells you to study different styles, taking what you like and what you can get to work, ignore the rest and makeyour own unique martial art that works best for you. Pretty simple.
Book Review: Definately the greatest martial arts bible ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Book Review: Inspiring book to all scholars of martial arts
Summary: 5 Stars
One word sum up this book. Brilliant. An insightful book by a martial artist who is also a good philosopher. This brilliance of this book come from the fact that it is not, like most other books of the martial arts, aimed at demostrating techniques. It is unique in the sense in that most of the book is given to the theory of fighting. What this book teaches is not he particulars of a fight but the way to become a good fighter. The in depth analysis of martial arts in thsi book reveal much more then most other contemporary books on the subject. Most contemporary books has its emphasis on techniques and history of the art but this book places the emphasis on the theory underlying the arts, the simple objective goal of fighting. Hitting and not get hit. I think the main difference between this and other books on the subject is the level of analysis that is aimed at. It is much more philosophical then other books on the subject. I will demonstrate what I mean by the analogy. If we comapre the subject of "fighting" and that of "time". Then, most books on martial arts are that of "how to make the most accurate measurement of time" and this one is on "the nature of time". Overall, a much more philosophical apporach to martail arts then ever thought possible. Written by a person with true knowledge of the art.Book Review: Mind-blowing, Essential , Everlasting
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is a must for any Martial Artist concerned with the advancement of their martial abilities. The Book will not only provide you with infinite motiviation and clarified ideas but it will change your whole idea of martial arts and how you percieve an art(in a good way). This book provides endless enjoyment and reinforces your mental side of your art with your Physical. I found that before i bought this book i only practised my art so i could be a better fighter, -as bruce was and will be remembered- but after i read it i wanted to practise my art for my love of it.The book thought me the good things about my art aswell as the weak things which is extremley important. I was anything but good before i incorperated this book into my training, however now my sucess in everything from Aerobic and Anaerobic fitness to Willpower has flourished.Bruce Lee was an amazing person with great abilites and although his flaws are never exposed he did have them {e.g he had terrible nutrition} the same as any other Human.People have gone to great lengths to portray this MAN as a MYTH.However the difference between Bruce Lee and a great deal of other people is that Bruce always strove to improve himself and make himself a better person.All the evidence is in his book.