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GATES (MOON). I refer to gates as doors or openings of opportunity for intercepting. As the opponent strikes, we intercept at either the opening or retracting of the attack. You have an opportunity to break down the gate if an opponent stops you from intercepting by blocking or placing a gate in front of your attack. You do so with your own block or strike. For example, if he strikes with a straight jab or cross, you can either intercept before his attack reaches you or stop it with your own block. If he stops your counter strike with his own block, then your punch never retreats back to position to reload, instead it continues by immobilizing his blocking hand and hitting the target. In JKD, we intercept whatever is in front of us by breaking down that gate. Breaking down the gate can either be done by a single direct attack (SDA), a Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA), Trapping Hand (FON SOW), (ABC) Attack By Combination, (PIA) Progressively Indirect, (ABD) Attack By Drawing, and taking away the attacker’s entire weapon by closing in on the attacker. The five ways of attack are a massive force that will take down anything standing in its way, no matter how plugged or protected the blocker is. You should be able to take down any barrier that goes in front of you. Remember, for every attack there is a counter (BAK GUY BAK GEE). I will demonstrate 27 GATES in this book. Why 27 gates? The specific number chosen is relative to Bruce Lee’s birthday, and is purely in recognition of this date. These gates are not to be taken lightly. They are the backbone of JKD training. If you master these gates, you will have an unlimited amount of blocking and striking, therefore it is not necessary for you to only use these twenty- seven techniques. You have unlimited techniques. By unlimited I mean you can switch them around, generate from them, add kicks, and take downs, whatever works at the time. This way you are not limited to these techniques alone, but when it really comes down to it, you only need to do one in real life situations. That is why you must become these techniques, so when you need them they are there because in real situations you not going to say, “If he comes this way, I will block him this way. Then I will trap this way.” Well, let me assure you that it will not work. No matter how the attack has been brought on you, you should respond to it very naturally. We start from Woo or touching hand position. That is Not how a fight starts in most situations. What it’s teaching you is that both practitioners can be in a block position. For instance, if he punched then I blocked, I punch then he blocks instead, that’s why we start in block position. Therefore, both partners get a lot of repetition and you are already one step ahead. In addition, 95% of people strike with the right hand, so these gates are not designed to fight against another JKD student; their purpose is to block an orthodox fighter. Because when they strike with a telegraphic punch or cross hook or what ever they use, they end up right foot forward. So why not take advantage of their attack by counter the Yin and Yang structure and you are going to shorten yourself. When you put your right hand forward, you’re already halfway there with much more power and speed, which is very unlikely to be blocked even with a first strike. LEAK: leak attack is normally executed by the opponent against a very well plugged defense lines. Normally the leak attack is executed between the lower and the upper defense lines; no matter how well your gates are closed, a good JKD practitioner will always find a way to land an attack. Speed; snap hip and footwork are heavily required. Your rear heel must remain up because you are lunging forward before each strike. After practicing these gates, your JKD punch will be “felt before it is seen”. Note: every Pock Sow (slapping hand) will become Gum Sow (pressing hand) but with speed they both become one so don’t get confused which one you should do. It always starts with Pock Sow and finishes with gum sow.
