Non-Classical Gung Fu was founded by Jesse Glover, Bruce Lee’s first student and assistant instructor from 1959 to 1964. Jesse Glover came up with the name after asking Bruce Lee for permission to teach his own class. Bruce Lee agreed—with one important condition: Jesse should not call it Wing Chun or Jun Fan. This marked the beginning of what would later be known as Non-Classical Gung Fu, a fighting method rooted in Bruce Lee’s early teachings but evolved through Jesse’s own research, practice, and experience.
Jesse Glover was originally a judo practitioner, and his interest in practical self-defense led him to train under Bruce Lee when Lee was a young and relatively unknown martial artist in Seattle. During those early years, Bruce Lee was still strongly influenced by Wing Chun, the Chinese system he had studied in Hong Kong. Jesse absorbed these foundations, but he quickly realized that Bruce was more focused on functionality than tradition. This idea would stay with Jesse for life.
Unlike traditional martial arts that often rely on forms and choreographed sequences, Non-Classical Gung Fu emphasizes simplicity, directness, and efficiency. Glover stripped away anything he considered non-essential. He focused on developing explosive speed, economy of motion, and the ability to respond naturally under stress. The core of his system revolves around intercepting attacks, developing sensitivity, and delivering powerful counter-attacks without hesitation.
One of Jesse’s key contributions was his approach to training methods. Rather than memorizing techniques, students practice live drills that simulate real confrontations. Much of the emphasis is on developing what Jesse called “attributes” — such as timing, distance, rhythm, and non-telegraphic movement. He believed that these qualities were more important than collecting hundreds of techniques.
Though Non-Classical Gung Fu is deeply influenced by Bruce Lee’s early methodology, Jesse made it very clear that his art was not a copy of Jeet Kune Do. He respected Bruce’s legacy but wanted his own system to stand independently. As a result, Non-Classical Gung Fu has a unique feel: rooted in reality, forged in pressure-tested training, and free from stylistic limitations.
Today, Jesse Glover’s students and followers continue to share his method, keeping alive a philosophy of adaptability, practicality, and self-expression in martial arts. His work laid the groundwork for generations of practitioners who value efficiency over form and real-world results over tradition.