Greenville Academy of Martial Arts

09/11/2026

Bruce Lee said that if an opponent is exceptionally fast and/or won’t go for feints, the beat can be used. The beat is a crisp movement of the hand made against the opponent’s with the intention of knocking it aside or obtaining a reaction. Beats, jams, checks and traps are critical skills to learn, along with footwork, to give you the ability to “fit in” with the opponent…especially if they’re taller or faster.

09/09/2026

Sifu Jaz working the bag. We don’t just mean “hitting the bag” mindlessly. There’s nothing wrong with warming up and cooling down. But bag “work” means making sure you take care of your defensive responsibilities too. Notice how she changes angles and uses footwork. She’s not just standing there hitting it. If you do that, it’s gonna be a whole lot easier to hit you. Don’t forget that all of us are products of our discipline, that is, what we practice. You don’t have to be a world champion with a big fight coming up to benefit either. Good defense makes you a hard target to hit, which means the average brawler won’t stand a chance. Plus, it’s a better workout too.

09/07/2026

Some of you guys don’t know that you’re part of a big family in Jeet Kune Do (and Wing Chun too). If you don’t already know him, here’s an introduction to Sifu Jonathan Parsons, my Kung-fu brother. He’ll be here later this month if you’d like to meet one of the truly great JKD and your “Kung-fu uncle.”

09/05/2026

We’re closed for regular classes Saturday and Monday for oxymoronic Labor Day where we celebrate work by not working. 😎

09/04/2026

Sifu Jaz teaching on the critical importance of footwork. But not just any type but the JKD (fencing based) footwork that moves the ready-position. And the ready-position is ready to fire the primary strikes of eye-jab, straight lead (and jab), groin and knee kick. Usually from the front hand and foot. Integration is the key. We can’t stop hit everyone all the time. That would be nice, and we’re trying to do exactly that, but the footwork, parries, and head movement all support the basic stop-hit. Understand this and you avoid the twin errors (and terrors) of oversimplification and complexity. Mitt drills like this are taught specifically so as to develop the right technical and tactical reflexes under pressure. It’s safe but “alive” (as Bruce Lee would say), because we can’t exchange bare knuckle punches, eye jabs, and kicks to the nethers and knees in sparring. That’s why we use the mitts so creatively and good coaching is critical.

09/02/2026

Congratulations to our kids who were promoted to a new belt level in August! And a special shout out to our new Black Belt! They train hard to reach each level and we are so proud of all of them 🎉🤜

09/02/2026

We mourn for the fallen and our prayers are with the family of Officer Chris Fisher of the Warm Springs PD. The criminal suspect died like the coward he is, by self-inflicted gunshot. He was the subject of a manhunt after having ambushed Officer Fisher in Georgia the night before as he sat in his car. We also mourn for our culture because there are large pockets of it wherein people don’t have any code whatsoever. They don’t believe in self-control and openly boast about their violence and lust. And they don’t believe in respect either, mocking all authority and rejecting discipline of any sort. The criminal here, who I won’t bother to name, is the product of just such a culture. Again: we pray for Officer Fisher’s family. He was a victim of an angry young man with no code, no respect, and did whatever was right in his own eyes.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1609370083885282&id=100044369171810

12:49PM UPDATE | I just confirmed the suspect died at the hospital.

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NEW DETAILS | SUSPECT WANTED IN KILLING OF WARM SPRINGS OFFICER FOUND SHOT AFTER TRAFFIC STOP IN SOUTH CAROLINA

📍Anderson, South Carolina

The suspect accused of fatally shooting a Warm Springs, Georgia police officer was found wounded from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound during a traffic stop in Anderson, South Carolina.

It happened a short time ago, ending a multistate manhunt that began hours earlier.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation identified the suspect as Jimmy Lee Steverson, 23, of Warm Springs.

The GBI said the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop on a car along I-85 around 11:39 a.m.

Steverson was a passenger in the vehicle.

When deputies made contact with the car, they discovered Steverson suffering from what the GBI described as an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He was rushed to a local hospital.

The GBI did not immediately release his condition or explain how he came to be traveling in the vehicle.

The original BOLO was for a Chevrolet Silverado.

▪️GBI: OFFICER SHOT WHILE SITTING IN PATROL CAR

The GBI also released new information detailing the circumstances surrounding Sgt. Fisher’s killing.

Investigators said Fisher had just finished an unrelated traffic stop Tuesday night and was sitting in his patrol car in the parking lot of the Meriwether Country Inn, 5675 Spring St., at approximately 11:57 p.m.

According to preliminary information from the GBI, a black 2026 Chevrolet Silverado pulled alongside Fisher’s patrol vehicle.

Investigators said Steverson was driving the truck.

The GBI alleges Steverson fired multiple rounds into Fisher’s patrol car, striking the officer before fleeing the parking lot.

Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities had issued a Blue Alert for Steverson and warned the public that he should be considered armed and dangerous as local, state and federal law enforcement agencies joined the search.

Multiple agencies assisted in the investigation and manhunt, including the Warm Springs Police Department, Meriwether, Harris, Spalding and Troup county sheriff’s offices, Manchester police, the Georgia State Patrol, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Marshals Service.

09/01/2026

Teri Tom, the author of “The Straight Lead” and one of Sifu Ted Wong’s top students, worked with Manny. What many don’t realize is how Pacquaio was a huge fan of Bruce Lee and included many elements of JKD into his boxing. Here, Teri shares some of her amazing footage of him sparring. Notice his footwork. We talk about that all the time here. The integration of footwork with the straight lead is what makes the whole thing work.

https://fb.watch/JmCZbuOEha/?

08/31/2026

Smart sparring is where you put it together. But a few things to keep in mind. You should be built up, not beat up! Bad coaching leads to discouragement, false sense of security, and injury. Instead, sparring, like every other drill, is calibrated to build up control under pressure. It should develop timing, accuracy, and the integration of all elements. The stop hit is the main thing, which is to hit the enemy as soon as they attack. But this simple and brilliant tool must be supported by the other aspects like footwork, parrying, head movement and clinching (trapping).

08/25/2026

So, a triathlete is doing a training swim in the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia. That’s a pretty populated area, so you assume he’s safe from the river critters.

But no! A hard no!

He’s swimming and an alligator chomps his arm. What does he do? Pull guard? Throw a check hook with the other hand? Nope. He uses the best technique of all infighting: the eye gouge.

Rather shocked by the victim’s deft self-defense skill (possibly a JKD or Wing Chun student…we don’t know for certain), the gator said later and the combat ceased. Our victim is all bandaged up and, from the evidence below, doing well. The gator…not sure. A trip to the eye doctor perhaps. For us? A good lesson on the efficacy of the good old eye attack when grappling. Even with a Gator. There’s also the lesson of never, repeat never, swimming in any river anywhere in the south. Ever. Just don’t do it. You’re better off sleeping in the woods covered in peanut butter.

Carry on.

A triathlon coach was ferociously attacked by an alligator while swimming in a river during a training session for an upcoming race.