This month I want to share with you a thought that I hold close to my heart. I have applied this principle in my own life and believe it has played a big part in shaping my life and success: Our calling, purpose and ultimately our destiny is a direct result of what we think, say and do.

Ever since I started training Jeet Kune Do at 13 years old, over 25 years ago, I’ve worked on creating a lifestyle that has put my development as a martial artist as a top priority in my life. Inevitably, this holistic approach has bled into all other areas of my life helping beat all the odds working against me to become my best version as a professional, as a father, as an individual and of course, as a martial artist. This retreat is an opportunity to share this holistic approach with you.

If you were the manager of a multi-million-dollar professional athlete in charge of making sure this person is performing at their very best, would you let him/her stay up half the night eating junk food, smoking cigarettes or marijuana and drinking alcohol? Would you let your child do those things? Hope not! But would you care if your neighbor or a stranger on the street did these things? Probably not. Not my problem!, right? What about a billion-dollar body? YOUR BODY! Priceless….

What personality traits would this JKD person possess? If JKD were a person, he or she would embody an intriguing combination of its philosophy and methodology.

As we enter in a new year, we can reflect on our current lifestyle and what we want to plan for the upcoming year to improve our wellbeing. Jeet Kune Do training is mainly for self-defense but it also provides the practitioner with a multitude of other benefits.

Jeet Kune Do is a martial art that was created by one of the greatest martial artists ever to live, Bruce Lee. Jeet Kune Do is a “total martial art” that provides the practitioner the ability to defend him or herself in all ranges (long, medium and close) of hand to hand combat.

As practitioners of Jeet Kune Do, we are continually inspired to reach new heights in both our physical and mental capabilities. Bruce Lee, in his wisdom, identified a set of core qualities that define a truly skilled Jeet Kune Do practitioner.

The essence of martial arts transcends mere physical combat; it personifies a philosophy of balance, mental clarity, spiritual growth, and overall health. However, as we pilot the intricacies of modern life, many martial artists are finding themselves removed from these vital aspects of life and training, they focus solely on the physical combat facet instead.

Nurse, Dad, Jeet Kune Do expert and now an entrepreneur. Let’s meet the talented and dedicated man behind the NIRVANA Jeet Kune Do Society… Jesse Ohliger.

Check out NIRVANA JKD Society 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. The rest is history…

Check out this video from 1967 showing Bruce Lee practicing Jeet Kune Do at a tournament in Long Beach CA.