The Jeet Kune Do Dialogues Episode #89 w. Sifu Leo Fong, Founder of Wei Kuen Do

A weekly conversation with a notable instructor or personality from the world of Jeet Kune Do, the Art and Philosophy of Bruce Lee; conducted by longtime JKD student Dwight Woods aka The Jeet Kune Do Rebel, Chief Instructor of Unified Martial Art Academy
This week's Dialogue is with American martial arts legend Sifu Leo Fong, original Oakland Jeet Kune Do student and Founder of his own method, Wei Kuen Do. We discuss his varied martial arts background, his recollection of the Wong Jak Man fight, his lifelong interest in physical culture, his close firendship with Serrada Eskrima's Angel Cabales and much, much more!

[@philosopher0076]

What a great guy. I always respected Fong for his NUMEROUS accomplishments and for how he is just a very REAL person through and through.

[@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd]

Taking this path was about Mastering myself through martial arts/ philosophy/ artistic expression/ inner work on my "issues" /....this path is always Showing me New parts of myself I didn't know where there. As Bruce would ask folks..."do you know yourself ?" ....I'm can say more and more each day the answer to that question will become YES.

[@cesarjkd8379]

Sifu Leo Fong is a very respected and giving martial Arts teacher. Thanks for the interview

[@LinoWalker]

Annotations: 1:20 - Sifu Leo Fong's current projects, Bruce Lee series, birth of JKD 6:25 - Leo Fong's boxing background; his contribution to early JKD 12:30 - How many books have you written? 14:20 - Was there any conflict between being a Methodist and a Martial Artist? 17:00 - What do you do to stay in shape? 18:40 - Injury and recovery. Chi Fung 22:48 - Advice to older martial artists 25:00 - How he feels about the treatment of senior citizens nowadays 27:45 - Training with Angel Caballes in Stockton 32:13 - Bruce Lee and spirituality/philosophy. Parallels between JKD and sports. The importance of footwork 37:00 - Main elements of Way-Kun-Do (???); why Bruce Lee refused to create a chain of JKD schools; main principles of JKD 41:29 - Does spirituality help in martial arts training? How did you get into church? 43:16 - David vs Goliath and martial arts 44:45 - What do people often get wrong about religion? 46:58 - Did Bruce Lee help with your film career? 53:16 - His time in a Jiu-Jitsu school in the '50s, his time with Judo 58:03 - Was Bruce Lee a good fighter? 1:00:17 - Was there ever a dream to do movies with Bruce Lee?

[@TheJeetKuneDoDialogues]

Thanks for doing the annotations

[@LinoWalker]

@@TheJeetKuneDoDialogues Anytime for a fellow JKD-er! I think these talks are a step in the right direction in terms of bringing the JKD community together. Case in point - as a JKD practitioner from Bulgaria, I love listening to them and seeing all the different perspectives people bring into the art - it's truly in the spirit of what Bruce Lee did when he started mixing styles from all over the world all those years ago. When I find the time, I'll annotate some of your other talks as well :)

[@walterevans2118]

nice

[@RonOrGina]

6 houra a day at 91 years old. Man, that is incentive to never give up. Good interview. :)

[@curtisw6907]

Ain’t it !

[@kalisticks]

Thanks for posting.

[@zibtihaj3213]

I have seem his pics when he was younger and he looked like a bad ass, muscular and all.

[@walterevans2118]

GREAT interview.....Leo goes way back to the time when JKD was coming into existence & evolving.....He used to go around Bruce's house & find him training something new & innovative....Leo told me that once when he went there he found Bruce watching film fights of Muhammad Ali by looking at it reflected in a MIRROR in order to observe & study Ali's style in REVERSE...Was the series Leo spoke about that was never made 'The Silent Flute' ?

[@WingZeroSymphonics]

RIP Leo Fong

[@legacyjeetkunedo492]

Religion is no necessary to live a good and balanced life. The Golden Rule is all that is needed.

[@walterevans2118]

Modern Theology vs New Atheism.......Seconds out...Round ONE...Ding....lol

[@johnlee5423]

Bruce was an atheist , they must have had interesting conversations about life, philosophy, religion etc, as well as martial arts

[@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd]

This was a Liberating and Very informative conversation. Is the Oakland School Still Open?

[@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd]

So...I've taken a couple classes at Bruce's Seattle school under Sifu Andrew Taky Kimura/Taky Andrew Kimuras son/ ... I'm still on the path to take classes at every Original Jkd school I can find...I've got one down...and supposedly I've got 2 to go...though more schools have grown from the first 3

[@curtisw6907]

So how do you feel about it

[@genaroflores835]

Chinese American Robert Duvall =P

[@walterevans2118]

Actually, because of his movies Leo was known in the Far East as the ASIAN CHARLES BRONSON...I think Bob Duvall might have been too talkative for Leo. He knew less was more. Leo had a thousand yard stare that would make Clint Eastwood & his Mule run for cover & make Robert Duvall run for his attorney...lol...Bronson was limited. He only did 'moody' 1 and 'moody' 2 but folks like Leo would have taught these actors a lesson in Boxing in the real world......When I was a teen I used to watch these guys like Duvall, Eastwood, Bronson & even Leo too ...But when I used to try to imitate them in the real world I'd come unstuck...lol....The other kids could tell by my eyes that my heart wasn't in it & they would all hit me with duffle bags...The Eastwood 'Man with No Name' speech about 'my mule he don't like people laughin', so if you just apologize like I know you're going to ' would come out of my mouth all WRONG....With my nerves I'd jumble up the order. It would come out as - ' We know you're gonna like us laughing, so me & my mule we'll just apologize' & the opponent kids would be like ????????.......lol