The following transcript below is from the video “Jeet Kune Do – Bruce Lee’s Student” by ESNEWS.

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Legendary martial arts master, Bruce Lee is a pop culture icon introducing martial arts to the masses. But what was he like away from the limelight? Well, we had the chance to catch up with one of his original students. 70 year old Jerry Poteet, is a Jeet Kune Do master. His teacher was none other than Bruce Lee. So right off the bat, I asked what was Bruce Lee really like?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“He was like a little kid. He likes t giggle. He was a practical joker he pulled on few ones on me.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Like what?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“Well, I was in his library one day and I was looking – and in the library, there was a big sign [do not touch]. So, I am bending over and I’m looking at all the books and I’ve got my hands behind my back because I am impulsing I might reach out and do these things so I’m trying to stay within, I don’t wanna get caught touching anything. Bruce entered the room at the far end and He said, [Jerry] and I turned. Just as I’ve turned there’s this three-sectional step and that’s three pieces of wood with a chain that connects them all together and its already right on my face by the time I turned. He timed it. So, I’ve turned it hit me right in the face [boom!] and I hit the ground and I was waiting for the pain – it was made up of foam and rubber. And so, he was laughing all the way out the door. I said, alright you had your fun, now let me have these? He said, yes you can have my books but do not loose the place, do put ‘em back where you found ‘em.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“What kinds of books does he have?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“Everything about martial arts, everything on philosophy.

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

Bruce set Jerry up with his own training schedule.

“How were your classes were? Was it very expensive to be a student?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“No, not really. A lot of times, if you couldn’t pay – which a couple times as me when I was out of work. He’d say, forget about that it’s your own attitude that counts it’s your training that counts, come anyway, it doesn’t matter.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“How does he hold his classes? Was he very strict in class?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“Yes, very. He laugh and giggle but when it came to training he was a task master.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Was he a workaholic?”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“Bruce worked with himself. He was tireless, he would go on forever. The only time that we are sitting down eating at some place and we were talking it was always about philosophy.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

Jerry is known as one the best Jeet Kune Do teachers in the world. I asked his wife, what can she tell me about her husband.

Fran Poteet (Jerry’s wife):

“He wants every single student to be the best that they can be. He doesn’t wanna show off, he doesn’t want to show what he knows, he wants you to be the best that you can be. He encourages you and it’s a very positive way and that’s how he is in his life. He used Jeet Kune Do to survive the fight of his life when he had a liver transplant in 1995.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Unbelievable! He looks happy like a horn ma’am”

Fran Poteet (Jerry’s wife):

“I was told to make funeral arrangements, the he wouldn’t survive. And then, there’s a living proof of the living philosophy of Jeet Kune Do.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Amazing!”

Fran Poteet (Jerry’s wife):

“Yeah.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Twelve years ago, you felt that saying because of the power of Jeet Kune Do.”

Fran Poteet (Jerry’s wife):

“Yes”

Jerry Poteet (Jeet Kune Do Master):

“Longest weapon to the nearest target.”

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“Longest weapon to the nearest target. Longest weapon is the leg, nearest target is the shoulder.”
Joel Ledlow was an instructor under Jerry. I asked him what are the principles of Jeet Kune Do.

Joel Ledlow (Jeet Kune Do Instructor):

“It’s just the four principles. It’s economy, simplicity, longest weapon to the nearest target and always think hit.

Fran Poteet (Jerry’s wife):

“Jeet Kune Do is a specialized fine art. If we would use other arts in example, Taekwondo is a great art, I have a black belt in Taekwondo, that was one of my first arts. But it’s more of a sport art, and Jeet Kune do is a fine art – Jeet Kune Do is Harvard.

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

“What do you think about Jerry?”

Carhles Bunnag (Jeet Kune Do Student):

First time I met him I was really intimidated because I knew who he was for a long time, just never thought I would meet him. And when I did, I was just surprised how gentle he was.

Elie Seckbach (ESNEWS Correspondent):

To learn more about Jerry, check out his website, jerrypoteet.com

In Los Angeles, I’m Elie Seckbach.