NIC BUTTICE | OWNER JEET KUNE DO CHICAGO

My martial art journey began in 2009 with Sifu Pedro Rodriguez. I was lucky to have him introduce me to Jeet Kune Do and many aspects of what he’s learned. Classes were fun, information-dense, and resonated with me. His family is wonderfully outgoing, accepting, and were positively there for me.

Chicago 2011, new to the city and I started seeking out Jeet Kune Do, with no luck. My tattoo artist attended a JKD class, I quickly got the details, and set up the interview to join the class.

My “higher education” of Jeet Kune Do, began as I learned from Sifu Barry Lee. I pursued becoming a Jeet Kune Do Teacher, in essence, to preserve life. Class was eye opening, with any aspect or nuance encouraging questions and discussions. Advancing through the years: auditing every level cohort/class that I could, allowed me to see an evolution of teaching in Sifu Barry. I was reinforcing my basics, repeatedly attending all levels of class as I continued progressing and learning.

I received my certificate to teach Jeet Kune Do from Sifu Barry Lee in 2017. I gained experience while teaching individuals, and having training sessions for fitness with friends & family. Realizing the value of what I was lucky to gain, I remind myself to “Preserve Life”. That goal originated from wanting to protect my siblings that I helped to raise, and caring for our mom. Using my experiences I can help people, and positively impact others by sharing JKD and JKD relevant knowledge with quality individuals.

Obvious thanks to Dad, for always going on about “pay attention”, as it turns out that a lot can go wrong simply from people not paying attention. In addition to bringing me to meet Ken Eulo, and join his artful classes. To me the “i level” from Ken brought truth beyond the stage, similar to Jeet Kune Do. And thank you to all those who have been there for me.

If you've made it this far and you're wondering what “Jeet Kune Do” is… At the moment: I see Jeet Kune Do as a framework for exploration, an ongoing process of discovery, self refinement, and honest expression. (Have fun, find out for yourself!)

In a way, this thesis of sorts, left behind by Bruce Lee, outlined what he did and why. As well as a "how" which enables us to utilize a process for understanding, experimentation, and optimization. We have methods and data points, so we must continue to research, and draw our conclusions beyond the framework.