The Way of the "Intercepting Fist"

The week ended on July 11, 2025, interesting news items to look at this week are:

The Way of the “Intercepting Fist”: Intercepting Fist (截拳道)is a core principle of Jeet Kune Do (JKD), a martial art developed by Bruce Lee. It emphasizes intercepting an opponent's attack and turning it into an offensive opportunity rather than blocking first and then striking. This approach is about being proactive and using an opponent's aggression against them (Fig. 1).

In national defense, I found China’s military philosophy to be strikingly similar to the Way of the Intercepting Fist. This I saw demonstrated by the China equipped and trained Pakistan Air Combat Force in the recent India/Pakistan conflict. To conventional strategists, there seemed to be a fixation on first mover advantage; hence, the undeclared preemptive strike by Israel/US on Iran, India sudden attack on Pakistan, Turkey/CIA/Israel invasion of Syria and possibly Russia’s SMO against Ukraine. I have some reservation on Russian SMO as a first move because the conflict really first began with the $5 billion Victoria Nuland 2014 Maidan Color Revolution. For pure scholastic interest, this week’s Blog will be devoted to my conjectural speculation on the subject, but should my prognosis of the military style of JKD be correct, West Point, Sandhurst and other Military Academies may need a complete rewrite of their battle plan training manuals.

(i) The Spear and Shield Concept: The way Chinese commentators described the military competence of Iran is one of having a strong spear but a weak shield. This conclusion was made as early as 2019. (Fig. 2).

 Though every effort was made in 2021 by China after China and Iran entered into a 25 years “Comprehensive Co-operative Agreement”, Iran had put on the back burner any deepening progress with China on energy, infrastructure and the military frontiers. Instead Iran chose to balance the easier path of appeasement with the West and India rather than back to back with the Global South. On the other hand, Israel believed it has the strongest spears with a superior air force and an impenetrable shield, the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Patriots and Arrows that it can safely attack all neighborhood nations at will without worrying out Israel’s defense. (Fig. 3). We now know the answer. First no shield can withstand a continuous bombardment because system fatigue sets in and second a defender’s block at a speed slower than an opponent’s jab is futile.

(ii) The Elephant and Ants Analogy: When your adversaries are widely distributed but stand united, small as each individual may be, a mighty champion despite its size and strength cannot prevail, The small band of Houthis with low budget drones and rockets has totally defeated the mighty Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational coalition with the firepower of an Aircraft Carrier Strike Group. (Fig. 4).

(iii) The Essence of The Intercepting Fist in Full Spectrum Combat: For eighty years, G7 and NATO has dominated global Resource, Economics and Politics. What if all of a sudden, there arise an adversary with a coalition which is widely distributed yet with a longer reach, a faster speed and with an unimpeded communication that allows every element to operate in unison. What if this adversary has exercised strategic restrain and let G7 and NATO make all the first moves and exposed and exhaust all their tricks. What if this adversary has been waiting in confidence until it is ready to pull a knockout punch. A devastating and destabilizing punch to finish the fight in one round just like what Pakistan did to India. I have been counting the individual elements that make up this imaginary adversary. The team has been assembled, the hardware components ready, the software bugs are now being upgraded and the knockout punch will be ready in months if not weeks. Can you see?

Ecclesiastes 9:11  I returned and saw under the sun that—The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. 12  For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them. 13  This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me: 14  There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it. 15  Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man. 16  Then I said: "Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard. 17  Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools. 18  Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good."