Jeet Kune Do Practioner: What's the difference between a Jeet Kune Do sidekick and a Karate/TKD sidekick?

JKD sidekicks tend to be more directed toward knees and used to either block the opponent's kick or advancement, or to hyperextend their knee. The JKD kick isn't chambered deeply and is used as a speed strike rather than a power strike. (Of course this is debated and altered by many JKD practicioners, but I'm speaking in general terms.) Also, the JKD side kick is frequently used to "close the gap" striking low and quick but landing closer to the opponent in order to move from a long-range to a close-range combat position.

I can't speak specifically to Karate, but TKD sidekicks are more commonly chambered deeply and thrown straight or even slightly upwards to the center mass (chest, ribs, and even head sometimes). They are a punishing blow because of the crushing power that is developed and broken ribs are not uncommon when a properly chambered TKD sidekick is used effectively. The kick is slower and more powerful, but it has versatility in the fact that it is used as a spinning kick, a flying kick, or an advancing kick.

Ray, I keep seeing you ask questions over and over about JKD techniques. You seem to be under the impression that JKD techniques are standardized. JKD is not and never was supposed to be a style. Bruce Lee based what he did on a Philosophy. As such students studying JKD may come from different backgrounds and use different methods of striking and kicking. As long as the person training is using correct body mechanics for the techniques he is doing it does not matter if his side kick looks more like Tae Kwon Do or some other styles side kick. Again JKD is a philosophy of how to fight rather than a set of techniques done in a certain form.

If you keep asking these JKD questions you are going to get some good answers, but many bad ones. My understanding of JKD comes from Sifu Larry Hartsell (deceased), one of the premier JKD fighters (according to Black Belt Magazine). I trained with Sifu Hartsell privately in 1975. He had been one of the original student training with Bruce Lee. Sifu Hartsell made it clear that it was not a style but a philosophy.

first off jkd is a philosophy not a style.

there are only so many ways you can do a kick. in some case it has to do with the instructor more then the style. my first 3 instructor were all shotokan they all did side kick differently.

even if you want to compare styles karate and tkd have hundreds of styles. some are similar and other are a lot different, to compare a side kick in all those different styles would take a lot.

Ray alot of these questions can be found using google rather then clogging Y/A with questions. please research first.

as for your Q at a guess im guessing no difference. that it is part of Bruce Lees philosophy of taking good stuff from one art and discarding what is useless.

so MAYBE (i'm sorry if wrong) they are the same.