The John Helton Interview
Conducted
by Paul Bax
When and how did you first
start your training in martial arts?
John Helton: I started in 1972 while in the military.
I was stationed at Treasure Island in the middle of San
Francisco Bay. For recreation I would go to the gym on base
and a bunch of guys would practice an Okinawan style of
Karate.
How did you first hear
about Bruce Lee and his art of Jeet Kune
Do?
JH: That’s two different questions for me. I heard of Bruce
Lee in the 60’s. I was not training in the martial arts. As
kids we saw action heroes on TV giving the bad guys that
famous Karate Chop on the back of neck. In those days we
referred to anything like that as Jujitsu or Karate. It was
the ultimate in super hero fighting. If you Karate chopped
someone when you were messing around they had to lose. For
me and my friends it was make believe TV stuff because a
fight was nothing like TV or movies. Fights were fast
bloody and on the ground (I don’t mean the ground work that
people are doing in studios these days. Real street ground
fighting is different). Then, usually, you had to run from
the scene because you would get in trouble for fighting. No
formal training is needed for the kick to the groin, which
started almost every fight, or Side Walk Sundaes that ended
most every fight I ever witnessed. They are still my
personal favourites. In 1975 I found myself in a Ed Parker
influenced Kenpo School in Cincinnati, Ohio. I was told
that Bruce Lee was a real fighter and was the best Martial
Artist anyone has ever seen. Since that time I have aligned
myself with people who believe that Bruce Lee was
infinitely better than they are and I believe they, in
turn, are infinitely better than me.
What was it about JKD that
led you away from traditional martial
arts?
JH: This is my position. I have never trained with Bruce
Lee so I have never trained in Bruce Lee’s JKD. I have been
lucky enough to be a student of people who were exposed to
Bruce Lee and trained, experimented and experimented with
him on a regular basis. They work with me to clear up
timing, mechanics, and dynamics. I only use the words Jeet
Kune Do as a short cut so I don’t have to say every time,
“the concepts that Bruce Lee developed and shared with
people he trained.” Bruce Lee said he was sorry he even
gave what he was doing a name. For me JKD organizes
components and puts them into action. So for everything I
have learned – from the back of the neck Karate Chop to the
Straight Blast, from the groin kick to PIA. I can use the
JKD template to manage the material and help me study more
effectively. I hope if you ask everyone this question they
say JKD helped them understand their foundation; and yet,
in the same sentence, I hope you get entirely different
answers from everyone. That will be truly JKD. As for
traditional martial arts, I don’t know how to answer that.
My first response is I don’t think I was ever in a
traditional school. I guess moving away from past practices
is kind of natural for some. For some people a recreation
of history is more important. I like them both. Having “No
Way as The Way” doesn’t mean you are not traditional or
undisciplined. To me it means you are appropriate for the
time. It means balance at all times.
JKD has gone through a lot
of phases over the years due to different theories on how
the art should be taught. Were you ever a student of
“JKD Concepts”?
JH: I don’t think I have ever heard the words Jeet Kune Do
ever come out of the mouth of Steve as what we were working
on. Steve sometime says, “Bruce wanted us to do this,” or,
“Bruce said this,” and then he tries to help you move. In
the late 80’s I received an Associate Instructor
certificate from Dan Inosanto in Jun Fan Methodology. At
that time Dan was very careful about using the word Jeet
Kune Do. Dan explained to us one time that to him and Bruce
JKD was an adjective not a noun. He would use the example,
“If Bruce and I would see a pretty girl on the street we
would say wow she’s JKD.” I think every change or phase of
how Bruce Lee’s concepts should be taught are business
concerns. This includes the definition of JKD. That’s one
major difference with Steve: I don’t experience he has any
business concerns. I also want to say that business
concerns are not a bad thing. I have not experienced any
change in how and what Steve teaches.
Explain your training
under Steve Golden. Are you an instructor under
him?
JH: Steve dropped in on my Kenpo instructor, Al Tudor, and
must have had a good time because he kept coming back. In
the late 70’s Steve’s job caused him to be in Cincinnati.
So he would contact Al when he was in town. After a while
we hosted seminars with him and then finally his regular
students organized a workshop that we attend. Al Tudor lead
the way for myself and Tim Coletta to work on the material
we were obtaining. We became an intense study group. We
took turns being each other’s lab rats. We use every method
of training we could steal or invent. For every one hour we
spent with Steve, we would spend one or, maybe, two years
trying to reproduce what we believed we had experienced.
What we came up with was distinctively ours. Steve gave us
the seeds to grow. He says, when he gives you your
certificate, the only reason you are being certified is
because you have made the material your own. Yes, I am an
instructor.
What other Lee students have you trained with if any and
explain some of the differences in their
instruction.
JH: Steve told us about people he trained with and said if
we get a chance we should train with them. Very shortly
after that we then began to train with Dan Inosanto and
others. I don’t know if they are different. The difference
for me is how much and what kind of time I have spent with
them. There is a difference in the method of teaching and
your relationship with your teacher if you have only
learned from video-tape or seminar or if you have trained
in a more intense and consistent way. I am not saying one
is better than the other but this may be why there are
differences. The other reason people could experience a
difference is as simple as they are different body types,
ages and personalities. I can tell you this: at the first
nucleus workshop I got about ten minutes with Pete Jacobs.
In ten minutes he had my mechanics and dynamics and timing
straightened out and I was performing flawlessly. Same with
Bob Bremer and I think I would have had some similar
experiences with other first generation guys. I have been
lucky enough to have had Steve and Danny in my own home
eating supper messing around in my basement. I have been
with Steve in this type of environment way more than
anyone. Steve has been my instructor, as far as I am
concerned, since the first day he hit me anytime he wanted
to, and then told me exactly how he did it. I also consider
him a friend because, some 20 years later, he’s still
working with me to improve. Steve shows the big picture
some of the other guys don’t. Steve will show you what he
knows then dare you to get better at it. If by any chance
you get close, he just steps his game up. It’s his secret.
He gets better because his students get better. If you
print that make sure only Masters read it.
What do you think is the
biggest misconception that people have about Jeet Kune Do
as Bruce Lee taught it?
JH: As I said, I am not qualified to speak to that. What I
can say is, if you are training with some one who trained
with Bruce Lee and they are better than you, what ever they
say about it is right even if another student of Bruce’s
disagrees. It’s not your fight.
A lot of emphasis has been
put on whom Bruce Lee actually certified and what he
certified them in. Your thoughts?
JH: I have none. It’s knowledge vs pedigree. Who knows more
about computer science, a guy who graduated from Carnegie
Melon or a guy who was home schooled in Alabama? You don’t
know until you experience them. If you assume, you have
incomplete intelligence. I will train with anyone because
everyone will teach me something. Not because everyone is a
great instructor. It’s because I have been taught by Steve
Golden to be a great student. And – let’s all say it
together – It’s not your fight.
How has Bruce Lee’s philosophy affected you in a positive
way?
JH: It hasn’t…. People who I train with now who interpret
Bruce’s and other’s philosophy have caused great joy in my
life.
Do you think The Tao Of
Jeet Kune Do is a good representation of Lee’s art?
JH: I think it’s at best a peep-hole into what Bruce Lee
taught and, more importantly, meant to those guys.
What most bothers you
about the JKD community?
JH: Nothing. For me it’s like this: in my neighborhood on
Thanksgiving most every home will be sitting down to a
Thanksgiving meal. There will be some similarities and
there will be some differences. Many families will have
procedures that seem strange to other families. Great
debates could ensue. Even if a contest were set up to
determine what was best, it would not change some minds.
Yet everyone will say they have Thanksgiving the right way.
That is a reality to them. If you spend the whole
Thanksgiving Day, running around trying to discredit other
people’s Thanksgiving. You’ve missed the point and
Thanksgiving. I’m a musician and we say it this way, “Your
only as good as the person listening to you.” So, if it
means something to you, enjoy.
Dan Inosanto has been
ridiculed over the years for his somewhat abstract way to
teach Jeet Kune Do. Your thoughts?
JH: If you have had the honor, and I mean the honor, of
being in a training session with Dan and listened to him
then you have been taught to have “the eyes to see and the
ears to hear.” If you didn’t get that when you were
training with him, go back and train with him more.
How often do you teach and
how many students do you have?
JH: I have been an instructor at some level since 1978 I
have shared a lot of information with a lot of people. I
will probably teach a small group all my life
What do you look for in
prospective students?
JH: Someone who I’m better than… Now that’s my impression
of a Steve Golden response, and very JKD. Aside from the
obvious, I don’t want mentally disturbed people or bullies
or people who want to prove me wrong. I don’t know that I
look for any one thing. It’s a long journey and the
relationship will grow or die. Either way that’s what was
supposed to happen. Steve, more often than not, will refer
to us as friends. Danny, for the first few years, called us
the Golden Boys. What an honor. Maybe some day somebody
that trained with me will say, “I’ve got this friend named
John, and, if you think I’m good, you should see this guy.”
The minute I get a new student I look for a chance to
introduce them to Steve. That’s the best. See, that’s what
all the First Generations think when they talk to you. They
think, “Bruce would blow this guy away.” But they can’t
take you to Bruce, so they create their Bruce for you. It’s
a great thing.
Have you ever had to use
JKD in real life encounters and if so, how effective was
the art?
JH: Remember, I am Steve Golden trained and Golden Boys
never lose. Steve has taught us never to fight anyone
better than us. It is our second rule. We only have two
rules. The first rule is don’t hurt the instructor.
Who do you respect in JKD
in regards to second-generation
instructors?
JH: This, to me, means who I personally know. In no order:
Al Tudor, Tim Coletta, James Chandler and Cass Magda.
What are your goals in
your training and teaching of JKD?
JH: To not embarrass my seniors.