Your Instructors
Sifu Rob Doggett
Senior Instructor
Photo: (Left to right: Sifu Rob with Sifu Ip Chun, son of Grandmaster Ip Man, Bruce Lee's teacher. Next to him is Sifu Duncan Leung, founder of Applied Wing Chun and Bruce Lee's classmate. At the end is Sifu Nick Banks, Applied Wing Chun Okinawa.)
Since 1999, Sifu Rob has trained literally all over the world from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and the U.S.A. He also fought competitively in amateur kickboxing. Starting with Wing Chun Kung Fu and Muay Thai to Krav Maga and Jiu Jitsu, Sifu Rob found his home in Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. Sifu Rob is a Double Certified JKD Instructor holding Full Instructor certifications under Sifu Kevin Beale and Sifu Mick Thornton in the lineage of Sifus Bob Bremer (original student of Bruce Lee), Jim Sewell (original student of Bruce Lee), and Tim Tackett (2nd generation student of Bruce Lee under Dan Inosanto) teaching original Jeet Kune Do (JKD) as passed down from Bruce Lee through his students in the Los Angeles school until 1973. In addition, he earned his Senior 1st and 2nd rank in both Chinatown Jeet Kune Do and JLJFI Jeet Kune Do. Rob is also a certified O.M.A.F. and J.M.A.F. Kickboxing Coach. He’s a former certified USA Boxing Coach. With over 25 years of Ip Man Wing Chun Kung Fu, he is an Affiliate of SoCal Applied Wing Chun Academy. He is also affiliated with multiple martial arts organizations including Mick Thornton's B.O.T.M.A. and Brikhouse Boxing & Fitness.
Photo: (Left to right: Sifu Tim Tackett, Rob Roy McGregor, Sifu Rob Doggett, Sifu Kevin Beale, Sifu Jim McCann, Sifu Mick Thornton.)
As a Dual Certified Instructor, Sifu Rob can give you a wholistic understanding of JKD as originally taught by Bruce Lee. Sifu Rob is a JKD Full Instructor certified under both Sifu Kevin Beale and Sifu Mick Thornton in the lineage of Sifus Bob Bremer, Jim Sewell, and Dan Inosanto (all original students of Bruce Lee). In terms of JKD, these gentlemen pictured here have directly or indirectly had the greatest influence on Sifu Rob's progression in the art of Jeet Kune Do. In particular, Sifus Kevin Beale and Mick Thornton have taken the time over the years to develop his knowledge and application of JKD primarily through 1-on-1 lessons and small group classes. Sifu Beale has a wealth of knowledge with a background training championship boxers and holding instructorships in Jeet Kune Do, Bujutsu Kempo, Pacific Archipelago Combatives, Aiki-Jitsu, and Close Quarter Combatives. Sifu Mick Thornton is a JKD Full Instructor, Founder of Blending of the Martial Arts, and member of both the Philadelphia Historical Martial Arts Hall of Fame and World Karate Union Hall of Fame. He has extensively trained in JKD, Filipino Martial Arts, and Combatives.
Sifu Rob's Story:
"Jeet Kune Do has a very deep meaning in my life, more than kicks and punches. While I grew up inspired by Bruce's movies, it wasn't until college that I really discovered Bruce's philosophy as expressed in JKD. Unfortunately, I went through an incredibly painful experience during this time.
Many people come to martial arts to learn how to defend themselves and others after experiencing physical violence. For me, my experience was more emotional/psychological. If you're human, you can relate to pain regardless of the form it comes in. It seems to be a common experience most of us can relate to. During this time, I had Enter the Dragon on the old VHS tape (when technology was good). Anyway, I'd pop that into the VCR (foreign term if you're younger than 30)."
"At the beginning, there were special features, one of which was Bruce's "lost interview' with Pierre Berton. In this interview, Bruce espoused his own thoughts and experiences particularly with regards to trying to be both Chinese and American, when all he really desired was to be viewed as a human being (watch the interview, it's very insightful). He spoke about how he was being a robot or very mechanical at different times in his life, it was easy for him to be flashy, but to truly express himself was a difficult thing.
Previously, and even today, one rarely hears anyone speak in those terms about expressing one's self. Most gurus and inspirational leaders seek followers who conform, change, or blindly follow whatever the accepted doctrine or ideology happens to be. As martial artists, we're supposed to be strong, fearless, perhaps even emotionless, yet Bruce, the baddest man on the planet at the time, expressed these very human emotions and vulnerabilities.
He expressed the very thing I couldn't find the words for. I discovered that my own pain was a result of not expressing who I am and conforming to those around me. I realized 'the medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning but I did not take it. My ailment came from within myself, but I did not observe it until this moment. Now I see I will never find the light unless, like a candle, I am my own fuel.'"
Sifu Paul Bright
Sifu Paul is a Founding Member of Chesapeake Jeet Kune Do. He started his Jeet Kune Do journey in 2019 under Sifu Rob Doggett. Paul was in fact Rob's first student in the Chesapeake, VA school. Since then, Paul has had the chance to train under numerous instructors and coaches including Sifu Mick Thornton, Sifu Kevin Beale, BKFC Legend Reggie Barnett Jr., and numerous others. Paul is certified as Full Instructor under Sifu Rob and an Apprentice Instructor under Sifu Mick Thornton. Paul continues to train and teach JKD in Virginia.
