June 6, 2025

JKD’s Genius: Attack the Weakest Targets

A SERIOUS MISTAKE IN ALL-OUT FIGHTING, ONE THAT BRUCE LEE PREACHED AGAINST AD INFINITUM, WAS LEAVING YOUR “SOFT TARGETS” OPEN AND, JUST AS BAD, NOT SYSTEMATICALLY ATTACKING THOSE AREAS— ESPECIALLY THE GROIN.

If you’re training for real-world self-defence, you should ask yourself if there is a primary and foundational emphasis upon attacking and defending this vital soft spot. If there’s not, then you have to ask the basic question: why not? Why would any enterprising individual forced to defend themselves, facing grave injury or death, not whack the bad guy in the village people? This question is especially pertinent to Jeet Kune Do practitioners who are supposed to be practising a science of self-defence, and what’s more scientific in combat than striking the enemy’s weakest target?

We aren’t practicing a self-defense science if we aren’t systematically attacking and defending the body’s weakest targets. 

Across the modern self-defense landscape, there’s talk about simplicity and directness, yet there’s precious little whacking bad guys where it hurts the most. Back in Bruce Lee’s day, when Karate stylists stood in a closed-off stance, it was somewhat more difficult to get at that particular target— hence the point of that stance, after all.

However, nowadays, with the proliferation of sport fighting, there’s rarely any regard toward defending against groin attacks. Yep, it’s open season, if you’re so inclined.

The UFC, incidentally, is a highlight reel of how damaging groin kicks can be, and yet these are always accidental. Moreover, these wayward groin kicks are scored by a bare foot rather than a shoe, boot or sneaker.

As tough and well conditioned as these fighters are, when even an errant toe smacks them in their nether regions they are greatly reduced. Think about this for a second—some of the world’s most well-conditioned combat athletes are rendered defenceless by errant, rather than intended, strikes to their groin. And did I mention these combat athletes are wearing groin protection?

Well, if this doesn’t embolden you to become a real ball-buster (sorry, couldn’t help myself), then you aren’t paying attention to real world violence. One look at how much damage to “fair” targets some of these fighters can take should warn you off of throwing your primary strikes at well-padded areas. Your life might depend on this, right? Right?!

Well, stop messing around with sport tactics and get focused on attacking your enemy’s weakest targets. It’s the whole Death Star/Luke Skywalker thing, really, except that the bulls-eye isn’t so difficult to get at. And the dude won’t actually blow up (though one can always hope). 

The amazing thing about it is, the vast majority of trained fighters are oblivious to the unpleasant reality that a quick, powerful shot to the groin can take them out. Drop them…and leave them at the mercy of more damage, or allow your escape (whichever is contextually correct in that particular self-defense situation). Consequently, most modern martial artists/sports-trained fighters have no systematic attack and defence for this area. Bruce Lee often referred to Western Boxing as “over daring” for precisely this reason.

Anyway, with all that said, Jeet Kune Do is a perfect set-up for below the belt attacks and we do this from both long and close range. The entirety of Lee’s fighting method is set up to use the lead hand and foot to attack the enemy’s weakest targets, which, of course, implies an integration of the ready position, footwork, tactics and striking tools.

Jeet Kune Do is not, repeat not, a motley mash-up of disparate systems thrown together where you say, “Ah, yes … we can kick the chap in his fellas too,” while firing off round kicks with your nerve-deadened shin bone.

The thing is, all practice is the practice of some theory, and the Jeet Kune Do theory is to use footwork and timing to diffuse the bad guy’s offense while using straight, non-telegraphic hits at the most vulnerable targets. We aren’t interested in finding out if we’re the better athlete. We aren’t interested in some macho competition. This is about survival. If you really need to compete, take up golf. Or tennis. Or chess. This whole nonsense about, “let’s see who’s the better man” in regard to violence is a wee bit morally whacky. Isn’t the better man the one whose family adores and trusts him? Isn’t the better man the one who has raised others up and has a proven track record of productivity throughout life? 

Because of nonsensical ego tripping, we forget what self-defense is all about. And because of that, we jettison the training of JKD as it should and ought to be. 

The lead hand and leg of the Jeet Kune Do fighter are the dominant offensive tools. The snap kick, which is a straight version of the Jeet Kune Do hook kick, can pulverise the enemy’s low-line before he responds. Today’s fighters, as already mentioned, have lots of experience using leg checks against round kicks. However, the Jeet Kune Do snap kick, often thrown at the end of a hand combination for extra stealth, whips up off the floor and shoots right at the target of the guy in the open (facing) stance. In Jeet Kune Do, the rear foot slides forward to gain range and replaces the front foot, which immediately fires at the exposed groin line. After the explosive, whip-like kick, both feet return to their original position (the visual image is a pendulum). This leaves you out of your ready position for the least time possible, which is of vital importance because who knows…you might miss. Or maybe the guy’s a Cyborg sent from the future to kill Sarah Connor. 

I digress.

Seriously, though, every weapon thrown in Jeet Kune Do meets the critical requirement of blending in and out of the ready position with the utmost ease-—this kick included. This allows you to fire a multitude of strikes, on the move if need be, all while leaving you as small a target as possible. What’s not to like?

Should the fight enter close range, you should still be focused on hitting the guy in his most vulnerable areas. Short body shots such as hooks and uppercuts are easily converted to groin attacks and should be used at every opportunity. By using a Paak Sau or Lan Sau, one can hold and hit too, which works tremendously well since it disrupts the enemy’s balance and takes at least one limb away for defence. A side note: low blows don’t necessarily need to hit the groin to easily double the guy over or drop him.)

The critical point is this: Jeet Kune Do, being a fight science, not a combat sport, has an integrated system of protecting one’s most vulnerable areas while viciously attacking those of the enemy. Many people make a mistake of thinking they can mix Jeet Kune Do with sport-based approaches. Training practices, yes; tactical/technical points, usually not. If the aim is stopping the threat expeditiously, then one absolutely must consider the systematic attacks Jeet Kune Do offers to such vulnerable, fight stopping areas like the groin. And, remember, if you’re in a fair fight, your tactics stink.