Should Footballers Take Lessons from Jeet Kune Do?

I originally wrote this blog after watching England play in the 2010 Wordcup. It is a half-hearted post, but may have some element of truth in it. My thought was that one of the reasons that the “Samba Boys” do so well is because they have a seemingly less structured approach to the game. Maybe fluidity can comes from a martial arts perspective?

JKD is Bruce Lee’s martial arts philosophy, Jeet Kune Do. What does this have to do with soccer, and especially the World Cup? The aim of Bruce Lee’s Jeet June Do is to break down the barriers of formal systems that can hinder the growth and development of an individual. A formless system of fighting with no rules, no patterns, no style, but yet still highly skilled and expertly executed.

The FIFA 2010 World Cup has highlighted something very interesting in competitive teams sports. Each country in the World Cup features its best players, the finest footballers that an entire nation has to offer. So, why is it that sometimes they perform so badly? Is it because the competition is just so much better? No, that cannot be the case. England have performed badly against Algeria and the USA and although both of these countries have excellent players, they are not considered to be so good that they would make any other team look bad. So what happens?

One theory is that as the players have relatively little time actually playing with each other, they do not learn to work together. The answer is of course to focus on set plays. To examine how the opposition usually plays and prepare set pieces that will hopefully break through their defence. But there comes a time when there is too much emphasis on the set pieces, on the formation (England are currently suffering with the 4-4-2 formation). The best soccer players in the country are chosen because of their exceptional skills and talent with the ball, but are then forced to work to a form, to follow patterns that go against their preferred method of play. The result is a team that is not working to its full potential.

If we look at teams such as Portugal and Brazil, who also both boast some of the Worlds greatest soccer players at the moment (Ronaldo for Portugal and Kaka for Brazil) they are performing extremely well in this World Cup so far. So what is the main difference? Brazilian soccer players seem to have more flair, more opportunity to use their talent and skill to take control of the situation. There is no form, no planned attack, no set piece or formations. A midfielder or even defender is free to make a shot for goal, something some other team managers would not allow.

So often we watch an excellent play through the midfield and into the penalty area only to then witness the attack suddenly dry up as the players start seeking out each other to allow them to cross, when they should be focused on aiming for goal. When Portugal scored 7 goals against North Korea they did not do so by following patterns. Players moved forward, passing the ball, keep possession, and then letting the game flow. Crosses were made across the front of the goal without first checking and then waiting for a team mate to be in position. They would strike and expect their team mates to have moved into position already, and if not, so be it. The style of play is more fluid, more spontaneous and less formalized.

It seems that the biggest hurdle for players and teams is frustration. There is so much pressure on the players to perform well as they are the chosen few, but then they fear being spontaneous. If they break the rules set out by the manager and that results in an error, they will be blamed. Players of the highest quality are left frustrated at their inability to take full control or to just let the game flow and allow their instinct and skills to take them forward.

So the answer is to follow Bruce Lee’s way, to “don’t think, feel“. The art of fighting without fighting. Do not follow forms, just allow all the skills you have learnt to surface when required and flow through you. You have the skills required to win the match and it is up to the players to create the chances and spot the opportunities as they arise, and to always press forward. Forms, orders, set pieces, position – this all leads to hesitation, and hesitation leads to errors, frustration and losing the fight.