Setting up an entry, hard and fast punches, relentless forward pressure. Rinse, repeat. Classic Dempsey, Duran, Tyson. (Why does Duran always get left out of these discussions?)
Anyway, the concept is only silly from a boxer's point of view if they view it as nothing more than some barroom rhino charge with punches.
The pacing of a boxing match is totally different than a streetfight, so the tactics are going to be somewhat different.
Like I said Jack Demspey, who was a world champion boxer, speaks about the "Straight Blast", although he calls it the "Straight Jolt" in his book Championship Fighting".
Dempsey was referring to a hard, left jab when he wrote, "Left jolt"
Based on Dempsey's description, it is conceptually a straightblast, but it is technically VERY different from how the straightblast is taught.
"It is called the "double shift" because your body is shifting to the southpaw stance as you throw the right and shifting back to the normal stance as you shoot the last left."
The straightblast footwork is not about double shifting from one stance to another (as Dempsey prescribes), but rather an all-out sprint. When shifting stances, one hip and one shoulder is forward, while the other hip and shoulder remain behind (i.e. orthodox stance has left hip and shoulder forward, right hip, shoulder, and leg back). With a sprint (the recommended "footwork" for the JKD straightblast), the hips and shoulders stay square, so that when the right range is achieved, both arms are in position to utilize the muay thai plum (hard to do with only one arm forward, and the other arm behind).
I think Dempsey does technically accomplish the goals of the straightblast (forward pressure, make the opponent retreat), but the mechanics are quite different from the JKD straightblast. Neither better nor worse, just different.
4 ranges,
I would agree with you EXCEPT Bruce Lee when he describes the straight blast in his writings actually uses Dempsey's words from Dempsey's book (also from Haislet's book as well).
Even the vertical position of the fist is from Dempsey.
Heck, Lee even copied drawings from Dempsey's book.
I don't think they are all that different.
mg:
probably not in Lee's description, but in the CURRENT application, it's very different.
4 ranges,
That maybe true.
But then again if that is true then there must have been an "evolution" from Lee's original vision and understanding of this technique to today's "intepretation" of Lee's vision.
In other words how JKD people are doing nowadyas must be different from how Lee himself did it all those years ago.
"In other words how JKD people are doing nowadyas must be different from how Lee himself did it all those years ago."
Exactly. I don't know if Bruce revised it or someone down the road, but the straightblast now is squared hips and shoulders, 50 yard dash, jik chun choy hands (no double shift/switching of leads). The straightblast nowadays is just taught as a facilitator for the plum. The finish line is the plum.
It went into further evolution with the boxing blast (which is exactly what Vitor did in his fight with Silva).
4 ranges,
I doubt Lee revised it. Most likely JKD people revised it. I assume that since many JKDers probably didn't even know that Bruce Lee based it on Dempsey's "Straight Jolt" most JKDers probably truly didn't understand what Bruce was talking when Bruce wrote and talked about it.
I doubt any modern JKDers even bother to look into the sources Lee so commonly used in his writings (Jack Dempsey being one of them). This is why I think there is a big difference between what Lee tried and did do and what many JKDers are currently doing. I honestly feel alot of JKDers are doing their own thing.
Incidently when Jack Dempsey wrote about the Straight Jolt in his book "Championship Fighting" he claimed it was pretty much a lost technique/artform in boxing. In other words Jack Dempsey claimed most boxer didn't know how to do the "Straight Jolt" nor understood what it was.
"I doubt any modern JKDers even bother to look into the sources Lee so commonly used in his writings (Jack Dempsey being one of them)."
Not necessarily. Some do, some don't
"I honestly feel alot of JKDers are doing their own thing."
As it should be. :)
vitor teaches it on his instructional
"to paraphrase the words of Paul Vunak, there is no system in the world of martial arts that trains its practitioners to launch an attack while being forced to move backwards. Boxer, wrestler, karateka, judoka, all become "wounded cranes" when they are forced to move backwards for strikes"
judo's bread and butter throws all work best moving backwards for an opponent rushing in with forward pressure.
The Boxing Blast was also done by Baroni against Dave Menne, I know there are a couple more Examples, but that one comes to Mind.
Regardless, you asked if it was Fact or Fiction and whether some of us would use it in a Streetfight. I;m not sure about the Fact or Fiction Thing, but to answer your 2nd Question...yes, I would.
4 ranges,
If JKDers "should" be into their own thing then they should create their own name for it.
Why call what their doing JKD or associate it in some way to JKD?
If what some JKDers are doing is truly a reflection of their own abilities, research, experience etc then they should stop calling what they do JKD or JKD concepts etc and call it __________(fill in the blank) DO!
In my mind JKD is Bruce Lee's own personal style and philosophy. No one can do it but him. It reflects his own personal taste, research, experience, experimentation etc.
"If JKDers "should" be into their own thing then they should create their own name for it."
Many have completely dropped the JKD moniker altogether. Some people still keep it though.
ttt
I think the basic idea of agressively pushing forward while trying to overwhelm your opponent with strikes is very valid. A lot of fighters have essentially built careers on their ability to pile in punches and catch opponents early.
I think it works better against less skilled opponents and a better guy will know how to side step or "run the spazz," leaving you winded and open to a counter. But in a street fight against a regular joe, it works pretty well. I haven't been in a huge amount of fights but that basic idea has carried me through most of them.
Excellent posts, 4 Ranges and MartinBurke.
wouldn't running into your opponent (and maybe clinch with him) rather than away be another good defense strategy? your opponent wouldn't have the space or momentum if you did that.