Ted Wong- who was he and what exactly did he teach?

We sometimes get questions on what it is that sets Ted Wong's approach to Jeet Kune Do apart from other 'lineages'.  

Ted Wong never learned any other martial art and all his knowledge was purely obtained by the teachings of Bruce Lee, throught the lessons that he enjoyed in private and by observing Bruce Lee teaching others. You could say that his knowledge was therefore very pure. As he practically 'lived' with Bruce Lee for a fair amount of time and was one of Bruce's closest friends, he is without question the person who spend the majority of time with Bruce Lee, training and observing. Other students are more well known for a variety of reasons, but Ted Wong was certainly the most knowledgeable when it came to pure Jeet Kune Do, and he passed this on in later years. 

To summarise what it comprises off we can state the following:

Sifu Ted Wong stressed the importance of great mobility through proper footwork to help the practitioner control their  fighting distance, and of proper body mechanics to improve their power generation and balance. He taught to understand and apply the 5 ways of attack to help  improve the practitioner tactics in combat. Certainly, all the basic tools and techniques must, under his guidance, be refined to "perfection" in order to improve ones physical and motor skills - to reduce ones limitations, to simplify ones techniques, to make no telegraphic movements, to eliminate wastage of motion, to develop spontaneity and naturalness, etc.  He would often say, he who controls the distance, controls the fight. 

Many martial artists make the mistake to want to learn more and more, and not to take the time to truly master the knowledge they already have, the truth doesn't lie 'out there', yet it lies 'within'! 

Sifu Ted Wong encouraged JKD practitioners to focus on themselves, to acquire a very good comprehension of the principles of force and to apply them to all of their moves in order to fully optimize their potential.

Sifu Ted Wong did not want the knowledge and experience he acquired from the many private lessons he got from Bruce Lee to become lost. So, he opened up to the world to share with them the learnt art and philosophy. Sifu Ted Wong was one of the original students of the Bruce Lee's backyard training in Los Angeles. He was also the last private student of Bruce Lee and one of the only three people certified in Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee.
Sifu Ted Wong had a goal, and that was to preserve Bruce Lee's art, which he worked very hard during a great part of his lifetime to achieve it, and to try and stop some of the misrepresentations of Jeet Kune Do that were starting to come to the fore during his lifetime..
To be disciplined and respectful to others, and to mind our own business were also part of his great teachings, not surprising either. Ted Wong himself was a quiet humble man. 

It sometimes is useful to stop and reflect on that for a moment, and you'll understand why very few of Ted Wong's students are outspoken and on social media, but instead keep themselves to themselves and just 'train'.  

Walk On!