No mastery of Jeet Kune Do would be complete without a thorough working knowledge of the straight lead. Used both offensively and defensively, the straight lead is the main weapon used for the stop-hit in defense. It is also one of the main weapons used to attack your opponent.
For all its importance, the small details that make the straight lead such a key component in combat are sometimes overlooked in many JKD or Jun Fan schools. JKD students often just hit the focus glove with no idea of the distance needed to make the punch effective. And many don’t know the penetration needed to get the most power from the straight lead. The reasons are both simple and complex:
- JKD students never learned it; or
- They learned it from one of Bruce Lee’s students who were not around when he taught it during the last evolution of this attack.
We must remember that Bruce was constantly researching and refining his art to find a better, more efficient way. As he once told Bob Bremer, “The best way to win the fight is to just reach over and knock your opponent out.” Bremer told us that Bruce was a lightweight looking for the power of a heavyweight. Anyone who held a focus glove for Bruce Lee during any era of Jeet Kune Do can attest to his tremendous power. But Bruce was never satisfied; he was always looking for a better way.
Creative Genius
Bruce Lee’s creative process might go like this: he would notice that his punch connected with great force. He would then ask himself, “How can I hit with optimum power and still not injure my hand.” He wanted the strong hand forward, since it had greater chance of landing, because it was already halfway to the target. He also knew that the strong-hand forward punch has more power than a hit with the weak hand.
Jeet Kune Do can never be considered boxing, even though the style has boxing elements as part of its structure. If we think about how the front hand is used in boxing, we can conjure up pictures of the jab, which is used as a probe to check your opponent’s defense. It also can be used to keep your opponent off balance and as a minor blow to set up a major blow. This technique is usually thrown from the shoulder in a speed jab or with the shoulder and hip in a power jab.
The jab is a great tool in boxing, but will prove ineffective against someone who is proficient in JKD. Bremer calls such a person a “JKD’er.” If someone attacks you with a jab, you should be able to either intercept it or use sliding leverage and hit him. The same is true for any fake – if your opponent fakes, hit him.
This article will show the way Bruce Lee taught the straight lead punch to Bremer the last year he taught in the United States. It’s not the only way to punch, but we’ve found that it works the best for us. We’ll start with the basic principles of the straight lead punch:
- A straight punch is faster than a curved one; the shortest distance to the target is a straight line.
- It’s more accurate since there’s less chance of missing.
- Your balance is less disturbed.
- You can hit from a longer range.
- The farther the punch travels, the more speed it picks up, so you want the hit to land when the arm is fully extended.
- The punch should end with a snap.
- The basic target is the nose.
The basic mechanics of the straight lead punch are:
- In the on-guard position your fist should be level with your opponent’s nose.
- The elbow should be tucked in for maximum power and to make the punch more deceptive.
Everyone has seen photos of Bruce Lee with his front hand low and his elbow out. He told Bremer that you could hold your hands in this position because you were a good distance from your opponent and kicking attacks were more likely. - The punch should snap from the elbow. To get the idea of the elbow snap, Bruce Lee had his students take a few punches with a 1-pound hand weight.
- The angle of fist should be 45 degrees. While you can hold your fist at horizontal, vertical or 45-degree angles when you punch, Bruce found that for the straight lead punch, the 45-degree fist worked best. All the elements of the arm and shoulder lined up, he maintained, and you could hit with the middle knuckles instead of the bottom three (common in the wing chun vertical punch).
Test the best angle by assuming a strong stance in front of your partner and holding your fist in front of you with your elbow straight. Have your partner hit your fist hard with their palm and you’ll see which way seems stronger.
The most efficient way to use the JKD straight lead punch is to maintain the fighting measure, which is also called the critical distance line. This requires plenty of footwork practice. At the fighting measure you are just outside your opponent’s extended finger jab, meaning that to hit you he has to take a step toward you. This allows you to intercept him at the correct distance to give your punch the maximum power.
Practice this punch by hitting the focus glove. Not only will it help build power, but the person holding the glove can let you know if you have too much preparation in your punch. You can also make sure you are snapping the punch with your elbow.
You should only have about a 2-inch penetration when you hit with this punch; this allows you to snap through the target and minimizes your risk of injury.
Recovery is also important; you need to return to the on-guard position as quickly as possible to guard against a counter blow and deliver a second hit.
Whether you are using this punch to attack or to defend, remember that the punch starts from the rear foot and not the shoulder.
Intercepting with the Punch
The common refrain is that when you punch in JKD, the hand always moves first. This is true when you are moving forward, since it helps disguise your punches while allowing you to hit with the fist just before your front foot touches the ground. But even then the power of the punch comes from pushing forward with your rear foot. When punching from a stationary stance, you achieve maximum power by twisting your rear foot and transferring the weight from your rear leg to your front.
While vital to any “JKD’er,” the straight lead is difficult to learn, because it requires timing, correct distance, body torque, speed, relaxation, snap, no preparation and a lot of practice. But without its mastery, your Jeet Kune Do training will never be complete.
