Here is an letter from Bruce to Dan talking about Jeet Kune Do.
In Jeet Kune Do we try to make things simple, direct, and effective. Bruce use to say Jeet Kune Do was non classical because of the fact it was also not flowery. In his opinion a lot of classical arts added fancy and untrue movements to one self that he felt was a fake expression of oneself and untrue. True expression of oneself can be done through simplistic movement.
In class we go beyond what we have been taught by Bruce. We look at our own movements and seek to find easier ways to accomplish the same thing. Can we eliminate, can we make it more effective, can we decrease and still have an answer for many problems. This is the Jeet Kune Do Mindset that we constantly work on establishing in oneself so that we can learn to grown on our own verses being lead.
You need foundation and fundamentals in order to evaluate and establish. But.... the mindset can be constantly instilled and taught as part of the process along the way. Examples and education.
In my class you will hear me say eliminate that extra beat, eliminate the extra movement, eliminate the wasted energy, make this simple. Simple works. Complicated is not going to work in the time of stress.
Here is Bruce's analogy on Jeet Kune Do.
--- Like a sculptor building a statue not by adding but by hacking away the unessential so that the truth will be revealed unobstructed. -Bruce Lee 1965