The sources of the TAO

A few years ago, author James Bishop released a book called ' who wrote the TAO', where he delved into the origins of many of the quotes, paragraphs originated that are found in the Tao (which as we now know was largely compiled by Bruce Lee's own notes, who had 'copied/taken' these texts for his own personal research, never intending to publish these had he lived).  

That book was released a few years ago. James Bishop was aware of earlier research attempts however and he managed to find the family of the original researcher and now that body of work has been released with his help. The proceeds will go to the family of Joe Snyder's family.




When the Tao of Jeet Kune Do was published in 1975, it quickly became one of the most influential martial arts books ever written. Celebrated as Bruce Lee's definitive statement on combat, philosophy, and personal expression, it inspired generations of martial artists around the world. But there was another story waiting to be told.


Years before digital databases and Internet search engines existed, researcher Joseph J. Snyder embarked on a painstaking investigation into the origins of Bruce Lee's posthumous masterpiece. Traveling from library to library, comparing thousands of pages by hand, Snyder uncovered the literary, technical, and philosophical foundations upon which the Tao of Jeet Kune Do was built. His work revealed an extraordinary network of sources drawn from boxing, fencing, Judo, Aikido, kinesiology, exercise physiology, and philosophy, his research anticipating modern Bruce Lee scholarship by decades.

Completed in the early 1980s but never published during Snyder's lifetime, The Sources and Application of Bruce Lee's Techniques is both a fascinating work of literary detection and a compelling study of how Bruce Lee developed Jeet Kune Do. Snyder demonstrates that Bruce Lee's greatest genius lay not in creating techniques from nothing, but in his remarkable ability to study, synthesize, refine, and transform knowledge from many disciplines into a revolutionary martial arts philosophy. What results is a fascinating work of scholarship that is both an exposé and a training guide.

Published now for the first time, this long-lost manuscript includes Snyder's complete research, extensive documentary appendices, source comparisons, and traced illustrations, preserving the work of a forgotten pioneer whose scholarship deserves a permanent place in Bruce Lee studies. Get your copy at Amazon!


Walk On!