Years ago I studied Kenpo karate. I was a good and dedicated student. Because of my athletic background, the movements came pretty easily, and because of my musical background, I was able to mentally organize the sequences and execute them without too much fumbling around. Plus, I had a killer horse stance. Just ask around.
I made it all the way to 3rd degree brown belt before my music travels started to really conflict with my karate studies, so unfortunately, it was bye-bye Kenpo. But like most students on a martial arts journey, I had spent quite a lot of time learning about the legendary Bruce Lee.
Now any serious martial artist has studied and dissected the teachings and techniques of Bruce Lee; it’s required knowledge, like reading the works of Plato and Socrates for philosophy majors, or learning “Johnny B. Goode” and “Purple Haze” for rock guitarists. It’s what you do.
Fast forward to a recent lesson with a student (Yo, Bailey!). We were working on a particular guitar technique – that had absolutely nothing to do with karate, mind you – when, all of a sudden, the spirit of Bruce Lee entered the room and said, “Teach Bailey about the One-Inch Punch.” So I did. Continue reading “The One Inch Punch or What Bruce Lee Can Teach Us About Guitar” »
