ESSAY SIX: JKD MY MEANING:

Yash Mody, CEO

To start with a small background: Ever been in a situation where you know something is wrong but you don’t know what it is. There is a lot of frustration because of our inability to confront people and stand up for what WE THINK is right. And how do we know whether what we think is correct or not. There were things that often played with my mind. Indecisive and Impulsive behavior started affecting everything around me. My work, my relationship with my family, friends and made me wonder if I could ever break thought this.

Amidst all this I started putting on weight, started drinking and even started feeling lost while driving or walking on the street.

Then comes a moment when we tell ourselves enough of this misery. I need to get out of this.

When the student is ready, the teacher appears is what my teacher (Prof. Dr. Rao) says and is what I believe happened to me.

On a Sunday, tired of being occupied by all wrong thoughts I went to office. Skipped a social function with an excuse of work. Not being with people was my favorite thing those days. Angry at the work I searched on Internet for boxing classes hoping I am able to settle some score after learning it and that’s when I found JKD

Considering the fact that most people don’t get an appointment after calling for days I was lucky to get an appointment and headed straight to the academy after the call.

That’s how my journey of JKD started.

On the first day itself I realized that JKD is not a physical art, it is much more. Having gone through a good workout I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. As I walked out of the academy on the first day I read a small saying on the door “Life only demands from you the strength that you possess ” and I knew I was here for a reason and JKD will happen. Along with physical application of JKD the concepts started sinking in.

The principles of JKD are extremely simple and applicable to all aspects of life: personal, professionals and otherwise.

Simple. Direct. Effective is what has changed my approach of looking at a problem. My ability to confront people based on logic has made me realize what is the meaning of “the shortest distance between any 2 points is a straight line”

I wanted to learn JKD to handle situations on the street, which is probably the easiest thing to do but under my teacher I started learning how to handle people and relationships. How to stand up for what you know is right. How to adhere to your duty inspite and despite of everything.

Initially I was wondering what and how could I use all this for that when my teacher helped me realize “Knowing is not enough you must apply. Willing is not enough you must do.”

The ability to take a decision is based on basic JKD principles of research the truth; absorb the useful; reject the limitations; and tailor make it to my needs and my situation. After 2 years of JKD, today I am back to the level of fitness I desired, my relationships are better and situations don’t carry me away.

Learning is an endless cycle, until recently I was bothered about where I am and what I want to be in life and how I am not yet there. That’s when the realization of “Journey over Destination” makes me realize if I cant make the most of what I have today it will not help me construct a better future tomorrow.

One mans truth is other mans poison is what I learnt very recently from my teacher and as I walk forward I realize why. JKD is not an art form. It is analysis of what you are, who the opponent is, where you are, what is the range and more. Applying these concepts for yourself and making your own way ahead is what my teacher and JKD have helped me achieve.

Thank you Teacher for showing me the light and being my guide on my journey of JKD. Thank you to all my teachers at JKD Ideology for everything that you have done for me.