Post by Menboku Klarth on Aug 11, 2007 12:45:23 GMT 7
-|Name|-
Menboku Klarth
-|Alias|-
None
-|Nationality|-
Japanese
-|Ethnicity|-
Japanese/German
-|Gender|-
Male
-|Religion|-
Agnostic
-|Age|-
20
-|D.O.B|-
November Twenty-First, 1987
-|Sexuality|-
Heterosexual
-|Hair Detail|-
Klarth's hair is rather long. He keeps it tied near his skin, so it doesn't fly everywhere all of the time. It is long enough to reach his elbows at the back, his ears at the sides, and his chin on the front. It is platinum blonde, and rather detailed. It's somewhat strong, and usually never gets knots.
-|Eye Detail|-
His eyes show confidence, strength. They make him seem much stronger than he is, and sometimes, more brave then he is. They are of similar color to his hair, which is platinum blonde, however, his eyes are lighter, giving off a look of silver.
-|Height|-
5' 9''
-|Weight|-
132 lbs
-|Physical Appearance|-
Klarth is rather well built. He is skinny, yet his body is very detailed, and he looks as if he's got no fat. He has a visible four-pack, when he removes his shirt at least, and a well-toned torso. His arms are strong, and are his hands. His face is average sized, and gives has a mature look about it. Just beneath his silver eyes, are dark-green markings. However, the markings aren't just beneath his eyes. They are visible along his arms, as well, symbolizing that he is a healer. His legs are somewhat long, and well-toned, as well. Also, the size shoe that fits him is 8 1/2, but he wears 9's. And, if he just so happened to be without pants, you would be able to see the markings continue down his legs, and even on his feet.
-|Clothing|-
All of the time, you will see Klarth wearing a brown hat, with white strips of cloth hanging down the sides of it, falling from his head. He almost never has it off.
Now, a set of clothes that Klarth usually wears. It involves a brown vest, no shorter than his orange shirt, having reaching just below the waist on the back, yet it reaches to his knees at the front. It is embedded with crystals to outline it, which happen to only be on the sleeves which fall forward. Over his shirt, he wears a necklace with tiny plates hanging off of it, each with writing on them. In total, there'd be seven of them. Also, he wears seven on each wrist, just above the lining of his black fingerless gloves. Just above the lining of his pants, is a large blue belt, which also has a total of ten plates hanging off of it. His pants are red, and very baggy. They'd look like they do not fit the small man, but, of course, that's why he has a belt, no? His shoes are somewhat tan, and lined with a string around the top, each one holding five plates around the top of each shoe.
Another set he'll wear? Well, it's similar to the above, yet much simpler. It conists of a similar vest, just a darker color of brown, a brown shirt beneath it, dark green pants, slightly baggy, and a pair of brown shoes, with white along the top. He still wears the fingerless gloves, yet the ones he wears when wearing this suit are slightly longer. Also, he doesn't wear his hat when wearing these clothes.
Image for outfit number 1
Image for outfit number 2
-|Alice|-
Life alice
-|Traits of the Alice|-
This alice has the ability to heal any type of lifeform. The power he uses to heal it is based on how much he is concentrating, and sometimes, a similar gash or any other type of injury will take longer then the last. Why is this? Well, it's not like anyone does the same exact thing every time someone comes in, right? Of course not. I mean, no one uses the same amount of energy, on the same exact spot to the same exact person, for the same exact amount of time, right? Of course.
Possibilities of the Alice;
- Reanimate Tissue
- Seal Wounds
- Removal of Something Inside the Body(Eg; bullet fragment, glass shards, etc.)
- Poison Removal
-|Persona|-
Klarth has a calm demeanor all of the time. He usually never shows any sort of fear, or other expressions to anyone, really. All he'll really show is that he's calm, and sometimes, he's happy. He hasn't shown much affection to anyone. He likes to have good conversations, and occasionally he will laugh, however, only when something is truly humorous. To those that are his friends, he shows all kinds of expression. He show sthe real him to them. He usually prefers to be alone when there is no one he has to heal, and no one around to talk to at the moment. But, even though many may think little of him, he is a great person. Also, one thing you can count on from this man, is absolute loyalty, However, you can only hope to expect this if you manage to befriend this man.
When it comes to a student becoming agressive, well, he knows how to fight without his alice, and, therefore, he can manuever easily. He is quick on his feet, of course, and he cab pack quite a punch. He isn't really one to give more then three warnings, and after those warnings are used up, he will fight, even if it is alice versus physical strength. However, he is extremely smart, and you know what they say? Mind over matter. Besides, most of the students that thought they were 'badass' in the school were arrogant, and therefore they were not very smart.
When, and IF it comes to something like romance, Klarth isn't usually fit for the situation. Sure, he's been in a romantic situation about four or five times, and sometimes he can get shy. Some of the girls he'd been with had thought he didn't want to talk to them, and, it resulted in a break-up. So, of course, he isn't very good in those situations. His cheeks will get sort of red, and he'll practically stop talking altogether.
-|Fighting Style|-
Jeet-Kune-Do, the Way of the Intercepting Fist
Only used when fighting
-|Time Practiced|-
Five years, three months
-|Philosophy Behind Jeet-Kune-Do|-
have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.
-|The System|-
Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat philosophy in 1967. Originally, when Lee first began research into fighting styles, he gave his martial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead gave us the process that created it. JKD as it survives today – if one wants to view it "refined" as a product, not a process – is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee's philosophy of "casting off what is useless". He also used the sculptor's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the "unessentials"; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat essentials, or JKD.
Bruce Lee, and thus JKD was heavily influenced by Western boxing and fencing. Although the backbone concepts (such as centerline, vertical punching, and forward pressure) come from Wing Chun, Lee stopped using the Wing Chun stances in favor of what he considered to be more fluid/flexible fencing and boxing stances. Lee stated that they allowed him to "flow" rather than being stuck in stances. For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing "entries" that do not require "bridges" from Wing Chun. Bruce Lee wanted to create a martial art that was unbounded and free. Later during the development of Jeet Kune Do, he would expand that notion and include the art for personal development, not just to become a better fighter. To illustrate Lee's views, in a 1971 Black Belt Magazine article, Lee said "Let it be understood once and for all that I have NOT invented a new style, composite or modification. I have in no way set Jeet Kune Do within a distinct form governed by laws that distinguish it from 'this' style or 'that' method. On the contrary, I hope to free my comrades from bondage to styles, patterns and doctrines."
While practicing Western wrestling, Lee was once pinned by a opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, "Well, I'd bite you, of course". One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend himself, regardless of where the techniques used come from. Lee's goal in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern state of hybrid martial arts.
Jeet Kune Do not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also can change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, JKD advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, within this stance he used elements of Boxing, Fencing and Wing Chun. Just like fencing, he labeled this position the "On Guard" position. Lee incorporated this position into his JKD as he felt it provided the best overall mobility. Lee felt that the dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. Lee minimized the use of other stances except when circumstances warranted such actions. Although the On-Guard position is a good overall stance, it is by no means the only one. Lee acknowledged that there were times when other positions should be utilized.
Lee felt the dynamic property of JKD was what enabled its practitioners to adapt to the constant changes and fluctuations of live combat. Lee believed that these decisions should be done within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sparring". He believed that it was only in this environment that a person could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.
Bruce Lee did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or "Kata", as most traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. Lee often compared doing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land. Lee believed that real combat was alive and dynamic. Circumstances in a fight change from millisecond to millisecond, and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. As an anecdote to this thinking, Lee once wrote an epitaph which read: 'In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.' The "classical mess" in this instance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts.
Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagreed with his opinions on these issues.
The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times -- Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the "father of mixed martial arts" Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD "Combat Ranges". A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA. Although there are similarities between JKD and MMA the one distinguishing feature is that MMA practitioners are trained to fight according to a set of rules to fit the sport that they are participating in (UFC, Pride, etc.). Thus MMA is a sport while JKD is a fighting concept optimized for real street situations.
-|The Principles|-
The following are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The "4 Combat Ranges" in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a "total" martial artist. This is also the principle most related to mixed martial arts.
JKD practitioners also subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of "Intercepting". Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them. This provided an opportunity to "intercept" that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or "intercepted" and thus be used to one's advantage. The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. The concepts of Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were borrowed from western Fencing and comprise the defensive portion of JKD. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee. These concepts also compliment the other principle of interception.
I. Be like water
Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this lack of flexibility. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing, thus being extremely flexible. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This is believed to expand one's knowledge of other fighting systems; to both add to one's arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such tactics.
II. Economy of motion
JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.
A. Stop hits & stop kicks
This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts.
B. Simultaneous parrying & punching
When confronting an incoming attack; the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.
C. No high kicks
JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportunity presents itself; even a target above the waist one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.
(Thanks to Wikipedia for some information.)
-|Background|-
Well, some might say Klarth had had a bad uprising when he was a child. Truth be told, whoever thinks that is an idiot. I mean, seriously, what kind of person with a bad uprising is KIND to most people? Think about. Just.. think about it, while I go on and on about Klarth's background. Sure, there may be a bad part or two, but it's not like he was raised badly.. or was he? Dun dun duuuun... No, he wasn't..
Klarth was born in a family of Alice users. Some with the power to heal, others with the power of destruction. However, even those with alices based on destruction are able to help others at times. For instance, Dissipation alice could cause poison or bullet-fragments to dissipate. However, none in the family have ever recieved a skill as good as Klarth's was. He was better then advanced when it came to healing, as he had the strongest amount of energy in the whole bloodline. However, this wasn't known when the man was still a child. He'd always be healing himself if he'd gotten hurt, and his parents had thought that the boy was one without the ability to use an Alice, as they were never around to see him use it.
This, of course, put shame upon the family, and Klarth especially. However, to rid of the shame, Klarth chose to prove what he was able to do with his alice. So, during a demonstration, the boy was surrounded by snakes, each with deadly poison in their fangs, and his brother stood nearby ready to rid of the snakes when needed. Each one lunged forward, biting the boy's shins, and he yelped. Just then, his brother stood up, and used his dissipation alice on all of the snakes, leaving his younger brother to do the rest so the shame upon their family would be lifted. The boy placed both hands near his shins, and the poison began to pour out of the cuts, forming large balls of liquid above his hands, and his cuts sealed themselves shut. He dropped the venom onto the floor, now exhausted.
"See.. mother..? I am not a failure..!"
Mira's eyes widened, and she ran toward her son, hugging him, apologies flowing out from her mouth. This wasn't what he needed right now, however. He needed rest, and his brother was the one who saw that. [green]"Mother, let him rest."[/green] His mother nodded, and she helped Klarth up, taking him to his room. She let him fall to his bed, his eyes now shut. He was able to use such a strong alice at his young age. That was something the family could be proud of, and it would wipe the shame clean off of their slate.
Now that they knew he'd had such a high level alice, they began to wonder if he could use it to reverse healing, and cause devastation. It turned out that even if it was possible, he'd not do that. His alice was meant for healing, and therefore it would heal. His parents wondered what he could do to protect himself without an agressive alice, and he decided to learn Jeet-Kune-Do, as he was quick on his feet, and smart, always keeping a cool mind. This sort of matched, which was a good thing, so his parents allowed him to learn.
After a year, the boy had already become skilled at the style of Jeet-Kune-Do, but he was still not the best. At age twelve, he'd had to stop, as his family wished for him to head to the same academy they all went to to learn more about their alices, and therefore he had to stop his study of the style. He spent four years in Alice Academy, sort of a recluse. He didn't talk to much people, since they never spoke to him. He did sort of good in the school, and by the time he left, he'd mastered his alice.
Now, sixteen, the boy would finish his studies of JKD, and become as good as any master, maybe even better. He spent four years learning the style, fighting other people to test his skills, and he always came out on top, though not unscathed. So, now, he'd gotten a job as the school doctor at Alice Academy, and hopes that he could do a good job for the place. After all, he went there before, too.
-|Family History|-
Father-Menboku Eiki-40-Redemption Alice
Mother-Menboku Mira-38-Purification Alice
Brother-Meboku Meian-25-Dissipation Alice
Sister-Menboku Yuri-16-Creation Alice
-|Extras|-
To be added whenever I feel like adding. >>
Klarth has a calm demeanor all of the time. He usually never shows any sort of fear, or other expressions to anyone, really. All he'll really show is that he's calm, and sometimes, he's happy. He hasn't shown much affection to anyone. He likes to have good conversations, and occasionally he will laugh, however, only when something is truly humorous. To those that are his friends, he shows all kinds of expression. He show sthe real him to them. He usually prefers to be alone when there is no one he has to heal, and no one around to talk to at the moment. But, even though many may think little of him, he is a great person. Also, one thing you can count on from this man, is absolute loyalty, However, you can only hope to expect this if you manage to befriend this man.
When it comes to a student becoming agressive, well, he knows how to fight without his alice, and, therefore, he can manuever easily. He is quick on his feet, of course, and he cab pack quite a punch. He isn't really one to give more then three warnings, and after those warnings are used up, he will fight, even if it is alice versus physical strength. However, he is extremely smart, and you know what they say? Mind over matter. Besides, most of the students that thought they were 'badass' in the school were arrogant, and therefore they were not very smart.
When, and IF it comes to something like romance, Klarth isn't usually fit for the situation. Sure, he's been in a romantic situation about four or five times, and sometimes he can get shy. Some of the girls he'd been with had thought he didn't want to talk to them, and, it resulted in a break-up. So, of course, he isn't very good in those situations. His cheeks will get sort of red, and he'll practically stop talking altogether.
-|Fighting Style|-
Jeet-Kune-Do, the Way of the Intercepting Fist
Only used when fighting
-|Time Practiced|-
Five years, three months
-|Philosophy Behind Jeet-Kune-Do|-
have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.
-|The System|-
Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat philosophy in 1967. Originally, when Lee first began research into fighting styles, he gave his martial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead gave us the process that created it. JKD as it survives today – if one wants to view it "refined" as a product, not a process – is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee's philosophy of "casting off what is useless". He also used the sculptor's mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the "unessentials"; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat essentials, or JKD.
Bruce Lee, and thus JKD was heavily influenced by Western boxing and fencing. Although the backbone concepts (such as centerline, vertical punching, and forward pressure) come from Wing Chun, Lee stopped using the Wing Chun stances in favor of what he considered to be more fluid/flexible fencing and boxing stances. Lee stated that they allowed him to "flow" rather than being stuck in stances. For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing "entries" that do not require "bridges" from Wing Chun. Bruce Lee wanted to create a martial art that was unbounded and free. Later during the development of Jeet Kune Do, he would expand that notion and include the art for personal development, not just to become a better fighter. To illustrate Lee's views, in a 1971 Black Belt Magazine article, Lee said "Let it be understood once and for all that I have NOT invented a new style, composite or modification. I have in no way set Jeet Kune Do within a distinct form governed by laws that distinguish it from 'this' style or 'that' method. On the contrary, I hope to free my comrades from bondage to styles, patterns and doctrines."
While practicing Western wrestling, Lee was once pinned by a opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, "Well, I'd bite you, of course". One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend himself, regardless of where the techniques used come from. Lee's goal in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern state of hybrid martial arts.
Jeet Kune Do not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also can change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, JKD advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, within this stance he used elements of Boxing, Fencing and Wing Chun. Just like fencing, he labeled this position the "On Guard" position. Lee incorporated this position into his JKD as he felt it provided the best overall mobility. Lee felt that the dominant or strongest hand should be in the lead because it would perform a greater percentage of the work. Lee minimized the use of other stances except when circumstances warranted such actions. Although the On-Guard position is a good overall stance, it is by no means the only one. Lee acknowledged that there were times when other positions should be utilized.
Lee felt the dynamic property of JKD was what enabled its practitioners to adapt to the constant changes and fluctuations of live combat. Lee believed that these decisions should be done within the context of "real combat" and/or "all out sparring". He believed that it was only in this environment that a person could actually deem a technique worthy of adoption.
Bruce Lee did not stress the memorization of solo training forms or "Kata", as most traditional styles do in their beginning-level training. Lee often compared doing forms without an opponent to attempting to learn to swim on dry land. Lee believed that real combat was alive and dynamic. Circumstances in a fight change from millisecond to millisecond, and thus pre-arranged patterns and techniques are not adequate in dealing with such a changing situation. As an anecdote to this thinking, Lee once wrote an epitaph which read: 'In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.' The "classical mess" in this instance was what Lee thought of classical martial arts.
Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagreed with his opinions on these issues.
The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times -- Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the "father of mixed martial arts" Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD "Combat Ranges". A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA. Although there are similarities between JKD and MMA the one distinguishing feature is that MMA practitioners are trained to fight according to a set of rules to fit the sport that they are participating in (UFC, Pride, etc.). Thus MMA is a sport while JKD is a fighting concept optimized for real street situations.
-|The Principles|-
The following are principles that Lee incorporated into Jeet Kune Do. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The "4 Combat Ranges" in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a "total" martial artist. This is also the principle most related to mixed martial arts.
JKD practitioners also subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of "Intercepting". Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them. This provided an opportunity to "intercept" that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or "intercepted" and thus be used to one's advantage. The "5 Ways of Attack" are attacking categories that help Jeet Kune Do practitioners organize their fighting repertoire and comprise the offensive portion of JKD. The concepts of Stop hits & stop kicks and simultaneous parrying & punching were borrowed from western Fencing and comprise the defensive portion of JKD. These concepts were modified for unarmed combat and implemented into the JKD framework by Lee. These concepts also compliment the other principle of interception.
I. Be like water
Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this lack of flexibility. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing, thus being extremely flexible. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This is believed to expand one's knowledge of other fighting systems; to both add to one's arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such tactics.
II. Economy of motion
JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.
A. Stop hits & stop kicks
This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts.
B. Simultaneous parrying & punching
When confronting an incoming attack; the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.
C. No high kicks
JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportunity presents itself; even a target above the waist one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.
(Thanks to Wikipedia for some information.)
-|Background|-
Well, some might say Klarth had had a bad uprising when he was a child. Truth be told, whoever thinks that is an idiot. I mean, seriously, what kind of person with a bad uprising is KIND to most people? Think about. Just.. think about it, while I go on and on about Klarth's background. Sure, there may be a bad part or two, but it's not like he was raised badly.. or was he? Dun dun duuuun... No, he wasn't..
Klarth was born in a family of Alice users. Some with the power to heal, others with the power of destruction. However, even those with alices based on destruction are able to help others at times. For instance, Dissipation alice could cause poison or bullet-fragments to dissipate. However, none in the family have ever recieved a skill as good as Klarth's was. He was better then advanced when it came to healing, as he had the strongest amount of energy in the whole bloodline. However, this wasn't known when the man was still a child. He'd always be healing himself if he'd gotten hurt, and his parents had thought that the boy was one without the ability to use an Alice, as they were never around to see him use it.
This, of course, put shame upon the family, and Klarth especially. However, to rid of the shame, Klarth chose to prove what he was able to do with his alice. So, during a demonstration, the boy was surrounded by snakes, each with deadly poison in their fangs, and his brother stood nearby ready to rid of the snakes when needed. Each one lunged forward, biting the boy's shins, and he yelped. Just then, his brother stood up, and used his dissipation alice on all of the snakes, leaving his younger brother to do the rest so the shame upon their family would be lifted. The boy placed both hands near his shins, and the poison began to pour out of the cuts, forming large balls of liquid above his hands, and his cuts sealed themselves shut. He dropped the venom onto the floor, now exhausted.
"See.. mother..? I am not a failure..!"
Mira's eyes widened, and she ran toward her son, hugging him, apologies flowing out from her mouth. This wasn't what he needed right now, however. He needed rest, and his brother was the one who saw that. [green]"Mother, let him rest."[/green] His mother nodded, and she helped Klarth up, taking him to his room. She let him fall to his bed, his eyes now shut. He was able to use such a strong alice at his young age. That was something the family could be proud of, and it would wipe the shame clean off of their slate.
Now that they knew he'd had such a high level alice, they began to wonder if he could use it to reverse healing, and cause devastation. It turned out that even if it was possible, he'd not do that. His alice was meant for healing, and therefore it would heal. His parents wondered what he could do to protect himself without an agressive alice, and he decided to learn Jeet-Kune-Do, as he was quick on his feet, and smart, always keeping a cool mind. This sort of matched, which was a good thing, so his parents allowed him to learn.
After a year, the boy had already become skilled at the style of Jeet-Kune-Do, but he was still not the best. At age twelve, he'd had to stop, as his family wished for him to head to the same academy they all went to to learn more about their alices, and therefore he had to stop his study of the style. He spent four years in Alice Academy, sort of a recluse. He didn't talk to much people, since they never spoke to him. He did sort of good in the school, and by the time he left, he'd mastered his alice.
Now, sixteen, the boy would finish his studies of JKD, and become as good as any master, maybe even better. He spent four years learning the style, fighting other people to test his skills, and he always came out on top, though not unscathed. So, now, he'd gotten a job as the school doctor at Alice Academy, and hopes that he could do a good job for the place. After all, he went there before, too.
-|Family History|-
Father-Menboku Eiki-40-Redemption Alice
Mother-Menboku Mira-38-Purification Alice
Brother-Meboku Meian-25-Dissipation Alice
Sister-Menboku Yuri-16-Creation Alice
-|Extras|-
To be added whenever I feel like adding. >>
Incomplete. ^^