About Us
What is Jeet Kune Do?
Jeet Kune Do translates from Cantonese as, "The Way of the Intercepting Fist." Taken together with the characters around Sijo Bruce Lee's famous Core Symbol, the JKD "logo," one can create an adequate summary of the philosophy: "Using no Way as Way, Having no Limitation as Limitation."
Sijo Lee himself had a complicated childhood, and eventually his parents placed him under the instruction of the equally-legendary Grandmaster Ip Man to learn Wing Chun, as well as some much-needed discipline. After moving back to the United States and spending years championing Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Arts at home and on the international stage, Sijo Lee began to separate himself from many of the traditional methods of training found in most schools at the time. He eventually came to the conclusion that it was up to each individual martial artist to determine their own path based on their own strengths, and indeed their identity itself. A true Jeet Kune Do school seeks to help you find your own path by figuring out what works best for you based on ancient, rigorously tested methods of human movement science that trace their lineage to a time before any attempts were made to codify the Art of War.
Lineage & Philosophy
Green Mountain Jeet Kune Do proudly represents a direct lineage to Bruce Lee’s original art. Sifu Tommy Lovegood began his journey as a martial artist at 7 years old in Tae Kwon Do, taking an early interest in boxing during the heavyweight reign of Mike Tyson. At the age of 16, he was referred to Coach Peter Easterlind of Coastal Gung Fu and Boxing Club in Marblehead, MA, a fully-certified instructor under Sigung Steve Golden, one of Sijo Lee’s student instructors at his school in Chinatown, Los Angeles. Sifu Tommy received his Apprentice Instructorship in Jeet Kune Do in 2016 at the end of his enlistment in the Vermont Air National Guard Security Forces, having achieved certifications from the USAF Advanced Designated Marksman Course and the US Army Mountain Warfare School's Winter Warrior Course along the way. Green Mountain Jeet Kune Do was founded to help address a growing sense among the public that Sifu Tommy's hometown of Burlington, Vermont had become unsafe. Achieving his Full Instructorship in February of 2024, Tommy has had the great honor of teaching many students and friends over the years, and is a proud employee and partner of Burlington's own Chocolate Thunder Security- Vermont's number one in event and community safety!
Our lineage is heavily rooted in Wing Chun Gung Fu, the foundation of Sijo Bruce Lee’s art form, mixed with a healthy dose of Western Boxing. Green Mountain Jeet Kune Do seeks to provide you with a strong, unorthodox foundation- emphasizing efficiency, adaptability, and personal expression in combat. Reach out today to see how we can help you maximize your martial arts, fitness, and wellness goals.