Shakeh Martial Arts Systems - Iowa JKD

08/12/2026

Filipino Martial Arts unarmed drill work builds reflexes and hand eye coordination against a weapon.

08/05/2026

What a pleasure it was to have Mike Gillette train with us this evening!

07/24/2026

Excitement builds as our next JPJKD Seminar is less than a month away! If you want more than techniques, our seminar will give you the ESSENCE of Jeet Kune Do, and the tools to grow immeasurably. Experience the difference and join Sifu Fran Poteet-Joseph to start or continue your journey in JKD! This is open to all students, as well as those advanced students seeking instructor certification. Now is the time to refine your skills as well as update your training with new knowledge!

This will be a 2-day JKD Seminar hosted by Sifu Todd Garrison and will be held at Shakeh Martial Arts in Burlington, IA, from August 22-23, 2026. We are looking forward to seeing everyone there! Come and discover Philosophy in Motion! Sign up today at: www.jpjkd.com/jpjkd-event-registration “The possession of anything begins in the mind.” -Bruce Lee

07/20/2026

REMEMBERING THE DRAGON

Today marks 53 years since Bruce Lee's untimely passing, at the age of only 32. His spirit, philosophy, and influence remain as powerful as ever. To us, Bruce Lee isn't just a legend. He was the teacher, mentor, and friend who forever changed the life of Jerry Poteet, one of Bruce's most dedicated students. Through what Jerry taught to us, that knowledge and legacy continue to inspire martial artists across the world today.

Bruce Lee revolutionized martial arts on film with breathtaking speed, realism, and intensity. He shattered Hollywood's stereotypes, proving that an Asian leading man could command the screen with confidence, intelligence, and unmatched presence. His final completed film, "Enter the Dragon," released shortly after his passing, became a worldwide phenomenon and forever changed action cinema.

However, Bruce's greatest legacy reaches far beyond movies. His philosophy challenged us to think independently, adapt without limits, and strive for continuous self-improvement. More than five decades later, his impact can still be seen in martial arts, combat sports, filmmaking, fitness, anime, video games, and countless lives inspired by his teachings.

Today, we honor not only the man, but the timeless ideas he shared--ideas that continue to live on through those who were fortunate enough to learn from him, including Jerry Poteet, and now through every student of ours dedicated to preserving that legacy.

Some lives burn so brightly that time cannot diminish them. Bruce Lee was such a flame. Bruce's life was brief, but his legacy will endure for generations to come!

07/07/2026

The Buddhist concept “Ku” (苦) translates closely to “suffering.” It is not a wound to be treated or a problem to be solved; it is the fundamental condition of a life that has not yet been mastered.

The instinct is to treat suffering as a signal that something has gone wrong. That the wrong path was chosen, the wrong decision made, the wrong life constructed. But this diagnosis is the error itself. Suffering does not arrive as a malfunction. It arrives as the terrain. To spend your life trying to eliminate it is to spend your life fighting the ground beneath your feet.

Ku is the recognition that you were never supposed to be comfortable. You were supposed to be forged.

Nothing of substance is built in the absence of resistance. The weight that presses down is the same weight that compresses coal into something that cannot be broken. Ease does not produce this. Only sustained pressure, applied over time, against something that refuses to yield, produces a thing of permanent density.

A sword does not emerge from the forge despite the heat. It emerges because of it. The temperature that would destroy an ordinary object is the precise condition required to make the blade possible.

You were not meant to escape the fire.

You were meant to become what only the fire can make.

06/14/2026

06/12/2026

Join us for our Iowa JPJKD Seminar! This will be a 2-day JKD Seminar hosted by Sifu Todd Garrison and will be held at Shakeh Martial Arts in Burlington, IA, from August 22-23, 2026. Come and experience our PHILOSOPHY IN MOTION! Discover what Jerry Poteet learned from Jeet Kune Do founder, Bruce Lee!

All levels, styles, and lineages are welcome! Including advanced students seeking instructor certification. Now is the time to elevate your skills as well as refine your training with new knowledge! Sign up today to reserve your spot at: www.jpjkd.com/jpjkd-event-registration “Dedication, absolute dedication, is what keeps one ahead!” -Bruce Lee

06/10/2026

Great JKD and FMA crew tonight 👊🏼