Inosanto/Hartsell, definitely led the way and have the answer; agreed.
If anyone within the JKD community has never sparred or fought all-out, without range restrictions, they cannot "know" JKD. If they only know it from an intellectual point of view, they don't really know it.
Only when one has truly fought does the often cryptic writing of Lee make any real sense. Then not only is it clear, it's simple. Utterly simple.
Burton Richardson makes a great point about this mess saying, if people want "original" JKD, WHICH original JKD do they want? The Seattle phase? The Oakland phase? Or the L.A. phase? Each was different because Lee was constantly evolving (and would have continued to).
Fortunately, guys like Inosanto and Hartsell, two men who were very close to Lee, realize the importance of evolution and growth - while keeping the essence of what JKD truly is, very much "alive".
And there is that word ("alive") again. The whole enchilada is contained within that word. It just has to be understood.