William Holland is the Founder and Director of Tactix Training Centers and Cutting Edge Performance Systems and has a long history of athletic and training accomplishments.

As one of the few people who have trained with over 10 of Bruce Lee's original students, William Holland is one of the foremost authorities on Bruce Lee's art of Jeet Kune Do. He is the Founder of the International Jeet Kune Do Alliance and has written several magazine articles in Black Belt Magazine, Karate Kung-Fu Illustrated, Martial Art Training Magazine, Karate International, and MAX MUSCLE magazines.

When and how did you first start your training in martial arts?
Bill Holland: I was born in Japan. My mother studied traditional weapons because her family was from a long history of military commanders. Her brothers were Black Belts in Judo. My Dad boxed in the military and in New York State. Thus, from early on, I was around martial and pugilistic arts. My Dad boxed with me from age 5 and I studied Judo with various Japanese men who came to visit our home when I was young.
Other than that I started training at a Dojo in 1967 (age 10) in Ed Parkers Kenpo, getting to Blue Belt before I became disenchanted. I searched for a “realistic” fighting system, trying Shito Ryu under Fumio Demura for a couple of years, Kung Fu San Soo under Jimmy Woo and Hapkido for about 4 years. I never found anything “real” so I stayed with boxing, high school wrestling and sports.

How did you first hear about Bruce Lee and his art of Jeet Kune Do?
BH: In 1976, one of my good friends who was a 3rd degree Black Belt in Hapkido where I studied, told me he was going to check out a guy he heard about who taught Chinese Boxing. We went to a park and watched a class with about 6-8 students. After the class, we went to Abel Sandoval’s house where he interviewed us and checked out our punches, kicks and such for about an hour. Afterward he said he would be willing to teach us.
Of course back then in the late 60’s and early 70’s, I had seen Bruce Lee and his cat-call at the theatres. We went to the West Coast forty-nine cent theatre where kids would fight in the balcony or the alley behind the theatre. It was right out of “The Last Dragon”. I had no idea that Bruce was such an innovator and genius in terms of fighting.
I then began, what would be a long enchantment with Bruce’s genius in what we called Chinese Boxing. After a few years, Abel moved away and asked me to teach a school. I declined because I was in college and working and did not have the time to teach 4 days per week. So instead, I started teaching out of my Moms garage, turning it into a little gym with mats, bags etc.

What was it about JKD that led you away from traditional martial arts?
BH: Growing up in a very violent gang neighborhood, the traditional arts did not cut it on the streets for me. The horse stances, step punches and blocky movements were too unnatural. I always reverted to my boxing, judo, wrestling and physicality. They were much more functional and natural for me.

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”?
BH: Not really. I did train at the Kali Academy in Torrance in 1979 for a few months but did not like the emphasis on Kali and apparent lack of Gung Fu from my perspective. I also trained privately and in some group classes with Richard Bustillo in the mid 80’s for a bit. At that time, Richard also was emphasizing Kali and Muay Thai and I was not into learning that. I would often ask Richard to show me Trapping and Wing Chun and sensitivity, and he would for a little bit, but it was not the bulk of our training.
I have also trained several times privately with Larry Hartsell and have sponsored him for a lot of seminars over the years. And although Larry is considered a “JKD Concepts” man, I am absorbing what I can from him while still not considering myself a “Concepts” Guy.

You have trained with several original Bruce Lee students. Please list your instructors in JKD and what you have learned from each of them and some of the differences in their teaching styles and their application and interpretations of Jeet Kune Do.
BH: First and foremost, I owe so much to Abel Sandoval. When I first met him, I was bangin heads in the streets and easily could have ended up dead, in prison or on a short trip to Dead End City if he did not take me under his wing and convince me to use the martial arts in a much more productive way.

From Abel, I really started to understand the harmonization of mind, body and spirit. I learned how to learn much more in depth and how to analyze and figure things out for myself. I learned to question, and then test the answer and then seek to improve it or adjust even further, in all things.

Abel taught me the most about “Circumstantial Spontaneity”. Whenever you asked him hypothetical questions like, “what if” or “what would you do when” his answer would always be to do it physically. For instance if you asked, “what if the guy threw a back fist and followed it with a lunging side kick”, his answer would be, “do it to me,” and he would respond based on your distance, speed, delivery, mechanics, etc. If another student did the same techniques, Abel would “answer” according to that guys parameters. From that, I learned to not pre-judge or stereotype any question or problem but to take each one on it’s own merits.

Jerry Poteet invited me to be his student in I believe 1992 or so. I would go to his home on Saturdays and we would sometimes train and talk and talk and train for several hours at a time. From Jerry, I really learned a lot of sensitivity and energy drills as well as streamlining and economizing my movements. He had an incredible softness and subtleness to his energy. At that time, I had gotten away with a lot of power and speed from a physical standpoint. Jerry taught me about “Iron Hidden in Cotton” and how to get “Maximum Anguish with Minimal Effort”.

Steve Johnson is incredible. His in-fighting and structure are awesome. A lot of what I learned from Steve and from his student Abel was validated and confirmed by what Pat Strong has spent time with me on. They have many similar teaching principles in terms of body connection, structure, alignment, spring-load and great close range tool utilization. Steve, who also trained with James Lee, Taky Kimura and Yip Chun, emphasizes a Chinese Boxing and Wing Chun approach. Much of what he teaches is the same stuff that is in James Lee’s Wing Chun Kung Fu book.

Pat Strong is simply phenomenal. I am fortunate to have my gym only about 10 minutes from Pat’s home. He will drop in and spend hours with me and/or my students demonstrating principles and energies that really, over time transform you. Mostly, Pat has helped me to tap into “attitudes” and “mind-body” harmonies that help to unleash new speed and power than I have previously experienced. Pat has a way, at least for me, of explaining body mechanics and energetics in a way that literally morph you into a different being. His speed training and teaching helped me add even more speed to my delivery and his explanation on how to tap into “Wu Wei” and animalistic qualities has been a huge help to my fighting and teaching.

I did not train that much with Ted Wong, but I did work out with him and a few guys at his home on a couple of occasions and sponsored him for a couple of seminars and attended a few others. Ted moves and teaches to move like a dancer: smooth yet explosive; light, crispy footwork with very quick and shifty entries and bridging. Lateral movement and controlling the distance and fighting measure is what I picked up the most from Ted.

At the Wednesday Night Group, I trained under Tim Tackett on a few occasions with Bob Bremer overseeing and adding critiques and clarification. I have had them out for a couple of seminars as well as the JKD Beach Camp. They do a lot of great boxing drills. They have really nice distancing and footwork as well as evasion and intercepting stuff. They train hard core and really get you to hone your speed and power and aliveness with explosive impact.

I really like working with Larry Hartsell. His stuff is obviously more along the “Concepts” approach, but I like the powerful infighting that he is great at teaching. The clinching and close quarter drills Larry does are great and of course he is an encyclopedia of grappling and counter grappling.

I am not huge on studying Kali and knife stuff, but I incorporate about 15% or so into my training and teaching. Heck, if a guy picks up a weapon or pulls out a knife in a fight against me, I can more than hold my own.

Joe Lewis has this overwhelming confidence and energy that he generates. He is physically very imposing and he oozes intensity and determination. I would hope I picked up some of that from him in the few times that I trained with him.

His fast twitch speed and explosiveness combined with his ability to control and manipulate the fighting measure and set point are things that I have found to be crucial in my fighting approach. Joe's fierceness is something all fighters should possess. You need that ability to totally dominate your opponents psyche and be able to flip that switch. Joe has that and teaches that.

What do you think is the biggest misconception that people have about Jeet Kune Do as Bruce Lee taught it?
BH: Hmmmm, I don’t know what others have misconceptions about. I think that many people however, fail to full utilize the teaching of Jeet Kune Do as it applies to life in general. I find that the lessons learned in JKD apply across the board to sports, business and life.

I guess another is that I believe that many people are stuck in time in that they refuse to think outside the box and want to do only what Bruce Lee taught at a certain time or place and do not try to flower and progress their own JKD as it fits into their own circle of circumstance. While others, blindly follow curriculum after curriculum, adding information on top of information but not wisdom.

When I first studied with Jerry Poteet, I was incredibly turned on by the fact that he constantly shared what Bruce said or did and he would give examples or recall instances of how Bruce did or taught what we were working on that day. After awhile though, I felt that Jerry had gotten stuck in time and did not progress or grow from what he had learned from Bruce in the 70’s. I personally believe that one must continue to expand and test new theories and ideas. I am quite confident that Bruce was not done with his art in 1973 and that it would be different now than it was then.
Many people have criticized me for “adding” or “changing” what I learned as JKD and that I therefore no longer do JKD. But I believe that Bruce would want it no other way.

A lot of emphasis has been put on whom Bruce Lee actually certified and what he certified them in. Your thoughts?
BH: I think that a certification by Bruce only states that you had attained a certain level of skill or knowledge in an area of emphasis that Bruce was focusing on at any one given time.
I think, from what I hear and see in his students, that he was changing and growing so fast and was constantly adapting that if you were with him for a year or two, you only got a small window of the entire view of what he was about and would eventually have become and taught.

Let’s face it, most of his students trained with him for a couple or few hours a week for a year or two. And a small handful trained for perhaps three years maybe? That is a relatively small drop in the bucket when compared to how long it takes to learn what a true Master has to offer. I have students that have been with me for over 10 years, and honestly, they don’t have more than maybe 70% of what I can give them.

Bruce was moving a thousand miles per hour and would change lanes on a dime. And if you, at 100 miles per are with him for year or so, you get a glimpse of his genius like seeing a Porsche Carrera zooming across an alley way in front of you.

To me, it is not about what you saw or heard. It is about what can you do and how can you benefit those who you teach.

How has Bruce Lee’s philosophy affected you?
BH: It took a shy, insecure kid and transformed me into a confident, bold and fearless person who is devoted to being my very best in everything I do and helping others to do the same.

I have found, due to the processes and life lessons that I have learned from JKD, that no mountain is too high to climb. No destination is too far to reach. I have gained new patience, reliance, perseverance, insight, introspection and determination and ability to apply analytical thinking to everything I do, because of what and how I study JKD.

Do you think The Tao Of Jeet Kune Do is a good representation of Lee’s art?
BH: It is like the beginning of any good work. But it is not the completed masterpiece Bruce would have put together if he were to write a book himself in my opinion.

My copy is 30 years old. It is worn, tattered, stained, underlined, highlighted and taped together. And I still pick out passages that open up whole new avenues for me. It reveals it’s truths when the reader is ready to appreciate and use them. If you don’t understand and can’t apply the primary principles and teachings in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, for me you don’t have Jeet Kune Do.

What most bothers you about the JKD community?
BH: Too many people try to force their idealism about Jeet Kune Do onto others. There is no “one” Jeet Kune Do. Like Truth, Jeet Kune Do is and should be different for each person. Your mind, your body, your situation and your objectives are not mine nor mine yours. Jeet Kune Do is about self-expression and utilization while still applying the overlying principles and maintaining the cornerstones of what truly makes JKD unique.

Dan Inosanto has been ridiculed over the years for his somewhat abstract way to teach Jeet Kune Do. Your thoughts.
BH: I only trained at the Kali Academy for a few months and did not spend any personal time with Danny other than some group classes. With that being said, I feel that to have people learn so much superfluous and extraneous material through entire curriculums then only to later hack most of it away is not what I feel JKD is about or should lead people to do.

I think, and maybe not entirely due to Danny, the world, for a while thought that JKD fighters always trained with sticks and did Muay Thai. My personal thought is that Danny got away from the idea of daily decrease instead of daily increase.

How often do you teach and how many students do you have?
BH: I teach six JKD group classes per week and about 25 private lessons per week. I have about 60 students total. About 10 of my students are training for competition in Kickboxing or MMA.

What do you look for in prospective students?
BH: Sincerity, dedication, “empty-cup-edness”, full Effort, humility, respect and discipline.

Have you ever had to use JKD in real life encounters and if so, how effective was the art?
BH: I use it every day. I use it in business. I used it as a private investigator for interrogations and problem solving and discovery. I use it on the athletic field.

As a bodyguard, investigator and all around tough guy, I grew up in some pretty mean streets. Several fights involved multiple opponents and weapons. JKD is totally effective tactically and circumstantially.

Who do you respect in JKD in regards to second-generation instructors?
BH: I owe a lot to Abel Sandoval, who passed away last year. He taught me much more than Jeet Kune Do. He helped me mature as a man, a teacher, a leader and a team player. He helped mold me into a JKD Instructor.

Although I consider Tim Tackett one of the foremost authorities, he calls himself 2nd Generation. He is incredibly devoted and insightful and has done great things for the JKD community.
I have a great and fond memory of the late Ted Lucay Lucay. He was such a humble, gracious and generous man with his knowledge and energy. He taught me a lot.
He, to me is one of the all time great JKD Men.
I think Lamar Davis had done great things, especially considering being so long distance from the majority of the 1st Generation Instructors. His passion, dedication and energy have been very instrumental in introducing many people to JKD and helping to keep the Torch Burning.

What are your goals in your training and teaching of JKD?
BH: I want JKD to see JKD and Bruce Lee’s wisdom and keen insight passed on to future generations so that his brilliance and genius will be kept alive. I personally think that putting on seminars, camps and events that invite the entire martial arts community as well as the general public will help keep JKD and Bruce Lee’s teachings going.

I also believe, and I know I will have a lot of detractors here, that having good NHB and MMA Fighters competing and carrying the JKD banner will help to popularize and proliferate JKD as an art and combative system.

I would actually like to see JKD as a philosophy class elective and for people to learn to apply JKD principles to life issues not just fighting.