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| The Straight Lead: The Core of Bruce Lee's Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do | 
 enlarge | Authors: Teri Tom, Ted Wong, Shannon Lee Keasler
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $9.90
You Save: $10.05 (50%)
New (30) Used (14) from $6.14
Avg. Customer Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 111415
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 9.6 x 6.7 x 0.6
ISBN: 0804836302
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.815
EAN: 9780804836302
ASIN: 0804836302
Publication Date: November 15, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Excellent Book October 14, 2008
First off I will say, I have no experience with JKD other than reading books by Bruce Lee. I do have experience with other martial arts though. But from what I could tell, everything presented in this book was excellent. It explained every step clearly, the pictures were very helpful, except in a few instances. It also backed up what it was saying with science. I have worked on my straight lead after reading this book, and I can say it definitely is better. Although still nowhere near perfect, I can say that I understand the concepts of the technique and their applications much better after reading this book. I also understand the history of straight punching and where the concepts derive from. I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in JKD or even martial arts in general.
Interesting but not without flaws June 13, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
We should not forget that people naturally tend to pick what works for them best out of any system. All the more so is that the case with followers of Lee, who rightfully pride themselves on open-minded practicality. Teri Tom's book on the straight lead explores this tendency a bit, but in a way that could be misleading.
Bruce's lead hand in his books remains notably higher and his elbow further out from the ribs than Ted's version of the guard stance shows. This is true of the guard stances of both his mother art, Wing Chun, and his Jun Fan period, as well as at least one of the styles that developed from his Jun Fan period and were carried on later, like Wing Chun Do. Lee encouraged people to do what works for them, but this will necessarily provoke idiosyncratic changes if only to compensate for differences in body types and the onset of aging.
There will virtually always be some variation even among very loyal students, even those completely disinterested in any other styles. We should probably consider some of these divergences as idiosyncratic adaptations as much as variations. There can be confusion, though, when the adaptations themselves are portrayed as in any way the equivalence of or intention behind the source from which those adaptations sprung.
The book in question, which touts the value of Tom's and perhaps especially Wong's collapsed and low-leverage front hand guard, seems to veer slightly into this territory. Thus, though this is a good book, some of it is too personalized, ironically rendering it vulnerable to the same criticism it levies against others as to their watering down of Lee's original ideas. This is a minor note in an otherwise generally good and interesting book, but it is worthy of note. I look forward to future books by Ms. Tom and Ted Wong, but hope they will not fall into a temptation it appears they got snagged by in this one.
Another note: There is a mantra-like, near chanting of the idea in this text that because the straight lead is the simplest punch, it is the hardest to learn. Such a notion is not only inherently self-contradictory, but a bit uncomfortably "cute" in not recognizing its limitations. It isn't up to bearing the weight of deep knowledge or even utility that appears to be assigned it. At any rate, once or twice was more than enough.
Politics Aside, This Is A Very Good Book On The Straight Lead June 12, 2008
Like my first ten books in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series, author Teri Tom takes one singular technique, in this case the straight lead, and writes a truly remarkable book on the subject.
I was really impressed with the amount of information and the writing style in which that information was conveyed in this book, and for that the author deserves some additional kudos. The information and back-story is solid and really adds to the integrity of this book.
The book itself takes a very detailed and in-depth look at the straight lead punch that the late Bruce Lee taught and explains in precise detail how to execute it correctly in order to generate the maximum amount of power in your technique.
Like the book, Championship Fighting Explosive Punching and Aggressive Defense by Jack Dempsey, this book will dramatically improve your punching power if you simply empty your cup and allow the information provided in this book to fill it up.
I strongly recommend that you purchase and implement the information contained in this fantastic book.
Shawn Kovacich
Martial Artist/Author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.
 Alright study with flawed understanding December 9, 2007
It is obvious that Ms. Tom went into "Jeet Kune Do" with little, if any, martial arts background and understanding. She has biases that are common in those students-not just of JKD-that have only studied one art. Her biases shine through, which destroys a lot of the integrity of the book, but that is not to say that this book does not have something to offer. It is refreshing that someone has taken the time to write a complete book on one technique. Ms. Tom does explore the "straight lead" rather deeply and I did come away feeling better off after reading it. If nothing else, she offers quite a few great drills one can incorporate into one's own training. It does make me wonder, though sarcastically, if these drills came directly from Bruce Lee himself, as she does preach throughout the book how important it is to only follow what Bruce wanted...whatever that means. In the end, if one can get through the biased, preachy aspects of the book, I think it would be a good addition to any martial artist's library.
True to the Form November 18, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is for true believers of the JKD art. Ignore the bashers and wannabees. These are truly the fine points of technique and style. If you want fanboy stuff or are more about reading than working, yes, just ignore this book.
If you want to move beyond all the fluff and fisticuffs, stop right here and click to order.
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