Combative Martial Arts FAQs



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Frequently Asked Questions:
Click FAQ Title to read complete Question and Answer

Birmingham Times & Location
Q: Where is the school located in Birmingham, AL, and what days and times are classes held?
A: Classes are held at SPORTPLEX in Inverness...

Birmingham Instructor
Q: Who is the instructor at the Birmingham Academy?
A: Your instructor is Sifu Lamar M. Davis II...

Class Apparel & Uniforms
Q: What do I wear to Jeet Kune Do classes? Do I have to buy a uniform?
A: Jeet Kune Do does not use uniforms such as the white Gis used in Karate...

Jeet Kune Do vs Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.
Q: How is Jeet Kune Do different from Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do and other martial arts?
A: Jeet Kune Do is system whose primary purpose is self-defense...

JKD Black Belt
Q: How long does it take to get a Black Belt in Jeet Kune Do?
A: Jeet Kune Do does not use the colored belt ranking system...

Birmingham Times & Location

QUESTION:
Where is the school located in Birmingham, AL, and what days and times are classes held?

ANSWER:
Tuesday and Thursday classes in HARDCORE JEET KUNE DO will be held at the Inverness SPORTPLEX location at 4766 Hwy. 280 East in Birmingham, Al. The phone number is (205) 980-1077, and you can click here to view an interactive map. This location features an all-new training environment, plus access to state-of-the-art fitness equipment including free weights, Cybex and two floors of cardio equipment.

SPORTPLEX is conveniently located on Highway 280, near the Summit and Target shopping centers. This is a very convenient and safe location for our club, with excellent hours and plenty of private parking (including free valet service during peak hours).

Currently scheduled classes begin at 7:00 PM on both Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Lesson plans are different: Thursday classes cover more fundamental topics, while Tuesday classes cover more advanced topics.

Birmingham Instructor

QUESTION:
Who is the instructor at the Birmingham Academy?

ANSWER:
Scientific Streetfighting Your instructor is Sifu Lamar M. Davis II, Second Generation student of Bruce Lee with over 20 years training in Jeet Kune Do. Sifu Davis has trained with eighteen of Bruce Lee's original students, is certified as a Full Instructor directly by five of them, and is recognized as a Full Instructor by the rest. Sifu Davis is the author of Scientific Streetfighting and over 70 articles published in various martial arts magazines. Click here for more information.

Class Apparel & Uniforms

QUESTION:
What do I wear to Jeet Kune Do classes? Do I have to buy a uniform?

ANSWER:
Jeet Kune Do does not use uniforms such as the white Gis used in Karate and other Japanese martial arts classes. We prefer you to wear something comfortable which allows freedom of movement. Most students wear sweatpants and T-shirts.

The closest thing we have to a uniform is the school T-shirts, which are black and feature the Jeet Kune Do emblem on the front. While by no means required, it looks good and shows a serious commitment to wear the school shirts during classes.

Jeet Kune Do vs Karate, Tae Kwon Do, etc.

QUESTION:
How is Jeet Kune Do different from Judo, Karate, Tae Kwon Do and other martial arts?

ANSWER:
The main difference is in the purpose of the art. Jeet Kune Do is a functional fighting and combat system whose primary purpose is self-defense. Other mainstream martial arts are more geared towards sport and competition.

Judo is a sport that involves primarily throwing and grappling. It is very similar to western wrestling, and was invented in the late 1800s by Jigoro Kano, in Japan, specifically as a sport. Karate was originally an Okinawan method of combat that almost completely dispenses with throws. Its blocks are hard and it is a power oriented style. Tae Kwon Do is a Korean art, similar to karate, that emphasizes the feet as weapons and is also very power oriented.

Jeet Kune Do is based in the Southern Chinese martial art of Wing Chun, but has also been influenced by fencing, Western boxing, French kickboxing and other styles of gung fu. It is not a sport; there are no competitions or trophies. It's sole purpose is to train effective methods of shutting down a violent encounter quickly and decisively.

JKD Black Belt

QUESTION:
How long does it take to get a Black Belt in Jeet Kune Do?

ANSWER:
Unlike more familiar Japanese martial arts, Jeet Kune Do and many other styles of gung fu do not use belts and colored belt ranking systems. In fact, ranking systems as we know it today have only been around about 100 years.

The first modern ranking system was devised by Jigoro Kano for the sport of Judo, then later adopted by Funakoshi as Karate was spread from Okinawa to Japan. Today in the West, the spread of sport Karate and Tae Kwon Do has helped imprint the concept of colored ranking belts in the minds of most martial artists, so most commercial schools have adopted them as "standard operating proceedure."

That being said, do not put too much stock in rankings, and put even less in belt color. Belt colors are HIGHLY dependent on the style, school, and instructor. Some styles don't have any belts. Some have only white and black. Some have white, brown, and black. Some have a rainbow. Some instructors hand out rank/belts like candy, others are very stingy. A given color will frequently signify different ranks in different styles.

Rather than rank or belt color, what will determine an individual's skill are how long and how intensely they have studied, the quality of instruction they have received, and (to a lesser extent) their "natural" ability.

In HARDCORE JKD we prefer that you make your determination in level based on your skill in technique, the time you commit to hard work in training, and your continued improvement. We do award certificates based on completion of workshops, seminars, etc., but do not hand out belts and merit badges.