By Salim Badat of South Africa July 2003

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1. Please inform us of your martial arts background.

See enclosures.

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2. How did you meet BRUCE LEE?

I met Bruce Lee at the 1964 International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California.� In 1967 I was fortunate to be accepted as an original member in the first class at the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in China Town, Los Angles, California.

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3. Technically what stands out in your mind about him?

Bruce Lee was a one of a kind individual who is blessed with a God given gift of natural talent.� There is no other that I've met to be well balanced in mental, spiritual and physical strength.� Bruce Lee had a positive aura about himself just as Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, and other individual genius�s who break the barriers of their art.

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4. Please tell us about the I.M.B.academy and the arts that are practiced?

IMB originally stood for the original founders, Inosanto, Martinez, and Bustillo. The acronym also means Individual, Mind, and Body. And, International Martial arts Boxing. An acronym derived by fate and good fortune. The Logo symbolizes the Trilogy of: "The dragon - the Internal spirit - the higher power in you and I. The eagle represents our Mental attitude, as proud and good as a leader can be. The tiger signifies Body fitness with strength and courage too. Your life is what you make of it; it's really up to you. But if you feel you're in a battle and there's a struggle deep within, let all three balance together because one alone just cannot win."

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A Trilogy Philosophy of: Black/Grey/White, Heavy/Middle/Light, Hard/Firm/Soft, Long/Medium/Short, Offense/Defense/Counter. It expresses the Three combative Ranges: The long-range weaponry of Eskrima/Kali/Arnis, the middle range strikes of Boxing/Muay Thai, and the close range grappling of Wrestling/Jujitsu/Judo. It consists of the Three Phases of expertise: Phase 1: Beginning, Phase 2: Advanced, Phase 3: Instructor level. The thorns symbolize every member's loyalty and dedication to protect the good name of the IMB Academy and it's goal and purpose. IMB's goal is to encourage personal well-being to all mankind. Every individual, based on their abilities and experience, has their own unique (Jeet Kune Do) way. IMB takes the position that, "These are some of our principles and concepts that are practical, simple and direct." We supply you with the three basic ranges of various martial art disciplines. You practice them on your own and you make your own decision on what best fits your needs. We don't want to teach you only martial arts. We want you to be able to develop it. This is ultimately IMB's goal.

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5. What motivates you?

The challenges of every new day motivates me to do better today than yesterday. I surround myself with what I love, whether it is; family, friends, students music, hobbies, home, and whatever makes me happy and productive. The Spirit of Bruce Lee continues to be inspirational in my daily motivation. There isn�t a day that goes by without me thinking of my family, friends, Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto, Cacoy Canete, and others who motivated me.

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6. What is a typical day for you?

I start a typical weekday with a large glass of fruit or vegetable juice.�� I spend about 1 of 2 hours on my personal workouts before teaching the 10 AM morning class.� My biggest meal is lunch which is followed by catching up on office paper work.� The afternoon class starts at 4 PM and the night classes ends at 10 PM.�� My day ends with green tea and email correspondence.� Weekends are not a typical day.� Most time I'm on a seminar trip.� Other times I�m on a Search & Rescue detail with the County of Los Angeles Sheriff Department, or officiating Boxing and Muay Thai bouts, or leading the IMB Demonstration Team on special events, or riding on my Harley or scuba diving, or spending valuable time kicking it at home or with family functions.

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7. Please tell us about your longtime training partner and friend sifu Dan Inosanto.

Dan Inosanto is next to God.� I was very fortunate to have a friend, training partner, teacher and compadre for twenty years.� He is one of the most kindest, generous and honest person I have ever known.�� Dan is a walking martial arts encyclopedia.�� I have seen him sacrifice many times for the martial arts knowledge he has acquired.� He lived martial arts 24 hours a day just as Bruce Lee and all the other true martial arts legends have done.

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8. Brazilian jiujitsu has taken the martial arts world by storm.� Please tell

us what makes this art such a formidable one?

I wouldn't call Brazilian jiujitus a formidable one.� It was certain individuals at the right time and the right place to evolved martial arts to another era.�� The martial arts have now evolved to wrestling or grappling.� Before this time it was Muay Thai, Kali/Eskrima, Kung Fu, Karate, Judo, Boxing etc.�� Jiujitsu existed long before Judo became popular.�� We have to thank the Jiujitsu from Brazilian for sharing their training program with the martial art community.

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9. Is your teaching methodology different when teaching a seminar compared to teaching at the I.M.B.academy.

My teaching method at seminars and at the IMB Academy is the same.�� I teach the 3 combative ranges of Cacoy Dose Pares Eskimo, the Boxing/May Thai, the Jiu-jitsu/Wrestling with the Jeet Kune Do concepts, principles and philosophies.�� The only difference is the element of time.�� Seminars don't have the benefit of the repetition drills to ingrain the muscle memory because of the limit block time and schedule.� The Academy students have the benefit of daily training.

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10. What does JEET KUNE DO mean to you.

Jeet Kune Do literally means "The Way of the Intercepting Fist". I have used this term to also mean intercepting a weapon strike, a kick or a punch, and a grappling hold. A philosophy of JKD is to be your own best teacher, to evolve and develop to a higher level and not be limited or bound, but to be a liberated individual free from restrictions. Bruce Lee's four personal combative ranges are the kicking range, the striking range, the trapping range and the grappling range. I have developed my JKD to 3 combative ranges: The weapon range of Kali/Eskrima, the striking range Boxing/Muay Thai, and the standing/ground grappling range Wrestling/Jiu-Jitsu. We spar to test one's skill in different ranges. ��My 3 IMB ranges are enhanced by the martial art principles, concepts, theories, and training methods of Bruce Lee.� Jeet Kune Do emphasizes that "The individual is more important than any established system or style."

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11. Please tell us of the Filipino martial arts.

The martial art of the Philippines is the best self-defense discipline when practicing with or without a weapon.� This method of training with a weapon builds strong confidence in an individual's mental, physical and spiritual strength.� It gives the individual a psychological edge of understanding the angles of attack for hand defense coordination against weapons.

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12. Please comment on boxing as a martial art.

Boxing is my favorite martial art discipline.� Boxing will definitely test an individual�s fighting spirit and physical ability.� It will help to enhance an individual�s fear control, excitement and confidence. �Bruce Lee�s first class lesson was boxing.� He wanted his students to understand real fighting by sparring full contact with boxing.� As training progressed, the students began kick boxing using full kicking contact as well as punching contact.� This was at a time when tournaments and martial art training was to control a strike and no contact.

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13. What are your opinion of no hold barred fighting?

I have mixed emotions on No Hold Barred events.� Even though I enjoy watching a good fight, I don�t like seeing anyone develops permanent injuries or fatal accidents in NHB fights.� On the other hand, NHB competitors are practicing Jeet Kune Do.� They are the individuals more important than any established style or system.� Contestants use no set patterns nor forms or style.� They react and respond naturally with punches or kicks or grappling.� This is a no thinking situation but by reacting and feeling for your opponent�s weaknesses.� In Jeet Kune Do we practice to be well round in all these combative ranges.

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14. What are fighting spirit and is it something that can be developed?

Fighting spirit comes from within.� Some are born with a fighting heart.� Others must develop their fighting confidence to achieve a Fighting Spirit.� Fighting Spirit is having the will and desire to win.� Fighting Spirit is a valuable tool to possess in business, sports, fitness and self-defense.

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15. What do you perceive to be the future for martial arts?

From the dawn of time to the time of doom, Martial Arts will continue to develop and evolve for the better of mankind.� Because of our present world situation for safety, Martial Arts training starts with the individual.� Each student must find, develop and practice their own individual Jeet Kune Do.� I perceive the martial arts of the future to be cross training with or without weaponry.

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16. What are your future goals?

My future is now, the present time.� I have learned from my experiences in the past to live in the present.� My future is what I am preparing and practicing at the present time.� I will continue to share my martial art experiences with those who believed in Bruce Lee�s Jeet Kune Do or to those who want to promote their better well being.� My future goal is also to continue good health, and to keep happiness and prosperity for my family, friends and students.

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17. The concept of aliveness (training against a resisting opponent) has added A new dimension to my training, by showing me what works and what do not. Please comment.

The concept of training alive is to train with a sparring partner or training with moving equipment that works the negative attributes.� For instance, training on a heavy bag is positive offense training.� The heavy bag or a wing chun dummy does not strike back.� Training with a partner who is moving in a sparring manner can feed the focus pads or Thai kick pads for punching, kicking, knees or elbows. �Training defensive techniques are also positive when the training partner moves in with offensive attacks.� This live training increases proper balance to evade and strike back at any time.� Working on defensive techniques and counter measures are best trained while training with sparring liveliness.� Training on dead or stable equipment helps to increase speed, accuracy, power and form.� One needs to balance both concepts of liveliness and static training.

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18. We are looking forward to having you in South Africa next year, is there anything that you would like to say to us regarding the seminar?

Likewise, I too am looking forward to my trip to South Africa. My goal in martial arts is to share my Bruce Lee experiences with those who loved Bruce Lee, and to offer the IMB program for their personal well being.I believe that martial art is an empty box.It remains empty unless you put in more than you take out. You are going one step further.You are bringing us altogether to perpetuate martial arts in South Africa, and to contribute to each individuals needs. �Understanding is not enough. You must apply.Knowing is not enough.You must do.Bruce Lee