The Martial Arts program created a hybrid and integrated fighting style that used up-to-date technologies and training methods. This evolved into an effective alternative to Army, Navy, and Air Force training programs. Today, Martial Arts are considering to be a comprehensive and complete system of self-protection and offense that have been utilized by tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel both in the regular forces and in the Armed Forces of America. The Martial Arts programs  also incorporate Health and Fitness as a critical component of the Martial Arts training. 

Martial Arts

The Martial Arts program was initiated by the United States Marine Corps, initially as a response to deficiencies in both the lethality and protective capabilities of the regular Army, Air Force, and Navy personnel. The Martial Arts program was designed as a hybrid combative system developed to integrate new and existing hand-to-eye and close quarter combat techniques with high morale and group-building purposes and training in the warrior mindset. In essence, this was to counterbalance the shortcomings of the regular Army, Air Force and Navy personnel. These classes have since gone through numerous modifications, alterations, and reformatting. The techniques and emphasis that they bring forth are geared towards providing the utmost lethality, protection, flexibility and assistance for a wide range of military roles.

Bruce Lee is thought to have introduced the concept of Jeet Kune Do into the West when he initiated basic hand-to-hand combat methods. It has come to encompass a much broader range of disciplines and applications than simply punching techniques. Most people will associate the Martial Arts with the “artsy” people of Hollywood and television. Although there are many great martial arts that have been developed over the last century, Jeet Kune Do is one of the most well-known. If you are thinking about learning the Art, Bruce Lee is definitely one of your top choices as he will offer you many benefits that you won’t find in any other class.

There is a great deal of confusion concerning the exact birth of Jeet Kune Do. Some historical martial arts citation needed to be revised and changed in order to correctly attribute the creation of Jeet Kune Do. This is because of the fact that some martial artists adopted various techniques from various other disciplines and integrated them into the original Jeet Kune Do. It should also be noted that several martial artists were involved in the formation of Jeet Kune Do as a result of an invitation extended by the United States Armed Forces to a visit by Generalodge in early 1965.

The origin of Jeet Kune Do can be traced back to many of the traditional Indian martial arts practiced in India before the advent of the western world. For example, Hapkido or Tai Chi, which is a form of Chinese martial arts, was practiced extensively in China. Similarly, the Bagua, which is Chinese compass, is also thought to have been derived from Indian Tantra. Nevertheless, the greatest contribution of Jeet Kune Do came from the United States, wherein it was taught by a Chinese named Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee practiced a rigorous training regime that involved the employment of a number of traditional Chinese medicine arts and various forms of physical exercises, in addition to basic military training.

As Jeet Kune Do became popular in the United States, various organizations such as the National Martial Arts League and the American Martial Arts Association offered amateur classes for people interested in learning the martial arts. This proliferation of Jeet Kune Do training brought about significant evolution in the art. For instance, instead of using the traditional setup of two students in a room, the original setup had a third person which was designated as the “Master of Martial Arts”.

Another important development that occurred when Jeet Kune Do was introduced into the American scene was the fusion of some classic disciplines with some new ones. Many of these new disciplines, such as acupuncture, boxing and fencing, emerged from theatrical presentations that were shown in popular television shows and movies. The promotion of Jeet Kune Do also created new business opportunities for various martial arts firms that were established all over the United States. In addition to providing instruction, these firms developed many martial arts related products that were designed to sell to people who wanted to use these items for self defense purposes. They also created protective equipment that consisted of body armors, shoes and masks.

Another important development that occurred when martial arts started to be popularized in the United States was the widespread use of a variety of martial arts techniques. Some of these techniques were adopted from European fighting methods like jujutsu, judo, and wrestling. However, many were developed from Chinese traditional medicine methods like acupuncture, acupressure, and massages. One of the most famous forms of martial arts used in the United States today is mixed martial arts or M.M.A. It combines techniques from boxing, karate, jujutsu, Wushu and Tai Chi into one spectacular display of athleticism and coordinated chaos.