Prime PRINCIPLES Part 1

Tim Tackett used to be a schoolteacher, but he should have been a principal. Why? Because he knows all about principles — as in, the foundational principles of jeet kune do. You can sense that within minutes of starting an interview with him about Bruce Lee’s martial art. You can even sense it when you initiate a discussion about such an interview.

“Lots of articles are based on things like the five kicks of taekwondo,” he said while brainstorming. “JKD is different because it’s more principle-based. The kicks we do are similar to kicks everybody else does. It’s the principles that guide us in the study of Bruce’s art. Let’s do an interview about the principles.”

Your wish is my command, sir!

Principle No. 1: Know the Fighting Measure

“The basic principle of jeet kune do is called the fighting measure. It’s the distance between you and your opponent. Unless he has a projectile weapon, to touch you, he will need to take a step forward with his lead leg. That gives you time to react