About NIRVANA Jeet Kune Do Society
THE MEANING BEHIND OUR NAME:
NIRVANA - Nirvana in Buddhism means “to blow out” or to release yourself from desire. For Nirvana Jeet Kune Do Society, Nirvana is to release yourself from systemized, patterned and/or limiting movements and thoughts. Nirvana is an automatic, effortless and highly developed and refined state, when all the practice leading up to that moment comes out in perfect harmony. Nirvana can be related to athletes when they are “In the zone”. It is the third stage in Bruce Lee’s Three Stages of Cultivation.
JEET KUNE DO - Bruce Lee’s, The Way of the Intercepting Fist. Click here for more info.
SOCIETY - An organized group working together because of common interests, beliefs or professions
OUR MISSION:
Founded by Jesse Ohliger in 2019, NIRVANA Jeet Kune Do Society is the premiere Hudson Valley martial arts school that focuses solely on reality based self-defense. While most martial art schools train with the primary goal of sport competition with a little self defense training on the side, Nirvana JKD does the opposite. We condition our bodies and mind to adapt to all self defense situations from verbal communication and de-escalation skills to punching, kicking, elbows, knees, ground fighting, biting, weapons, gun disarms and multiple opponents.
While the main curriculum of instruction is self defense and physical development, JKD is also a philosophy, a process of self-reflection, discovery and improvement. Martial arts not only require you to be able physically, but also to have a keen awareness of self and the environment. It requires the serious practitioner to develop and work towards mastery of self as a whole and healthy being. Different aspects of martial arts such as, stress management, situational awareness, violence prevention and overall health will be incorporated into your lessons so that you can become a total and complete (martial) artist of life…
Jeet Kune Do specializes in intercepting an opponents attack with your own. Here is Head Instructor Jesse Ohliger demonstrating an interception with a finger jab to the eye accompanied by a defensive parry. Targeting vital areas such as the eyes is a key difference between sport martial arts and self-defense martial arts through Jeet Kune Do!
About Jeet Kune Do
“Don’t fear failure. — Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.”
Jeet Kune Do (JKD) or “The Way of the Intercepting Fist” is a martial art founded by famous martial artist, actor and philosopher Bruce Lee.
Bruce had been training and teaching his version of Kung Fu which was heavily influenced by Wing Chun Kung Fu taught by Ip Man (have you seen the Ip Man movies?). Bruce had already started modifying his Wing Chun but after having his famous fight with Kung Fu master Wong Jack Man he realized he was lacking in his abilities. He won, but it took him three minutes!
Bruce decided to further research hand to hand combat and the most efficient and effective ways to defeat your enemy through sound bio-mechanics. In 1967 Bruce coined the term Jeet Kune Do, translated as The Way of the Intercepting Fist. This name is rooted in intercepting your opponents attack or intention to attack with your own.
Jeet Kune Do is heavily influenced by all three highly effective martial arts; Wing Chun, Boxing and Fencing but is ultimately concerned with defeating opponents with sound biomechanics as opposed to stylized, unrealistic and partial elements of martial totality such as only striking or only grappling. Jeet Kune Do has been called “scientific street fighting”.
Bruce was ahead of his time and researched human movement for the best of martial development including but not limited to Newtons theories of movement, striking power and speed and fighting strategy. Jeet Kune Do is steeped in the philosophical roots of Taoism and Buddhism. Not a religion, but a journey of self understanding, development and expression through the martial way!
One of the prime differences between Jeet Kune Do and many other martial arts is that Jeet Kune Do aims to end all conflicts as quickly as possible by targeting vital areas such as the eyes, groin, throat and knees.
Here is founder Jesse Ohliger at the age of 13 years old attending a JKD event with original Bruce Lee student Ted Wong. Jesse has had the pleasure of attending several of Teds JKD seminars.