art
What man has to get over is consciousness. The consciousness of himself.
The story of the centipede
The fluidity a martial artist seeks can best be described by the story of the centipede. The many-footed creature was asked how it managed to walk on all its feet. When it stopped to think about how it managed its daily function, it tripped and fell. And so, life should be a natural process, in which the development of the mind is not allowed to throw the natural flow of life out of balance.
On being whole
When a man is thinking he stands off from what he is trying to understand. Feeling exists here and now when not interrupted and dissected by ideas or concepts. The moment we stop analyzing and let go, we can start really seeing, feeling—as one whole. There is no actor or one being acted upon but the action itself. I stayed with my feeling then—and I felt it to the full without naming it that. At last the I and the feeling merged to become one. The I no longer feels the self to be separated from the you and the whole idea of taking advantage or getting something out of something becomes absurd. To me, I have no other self (not to mention thought) than the oneness of things of which I was aware at that moment.
I could not feel a conceptually defined pattern, and the essential quality of feeling life lies simply in the feeling. Do not, as when in the midst of enjoying yourself, step out for a moment and examine yourself to see if you are getting the utmost out of the occasion. Or, not content with feeling happy, you want to feel yourself feeling happy.
Longstreet: Wait a minute. Let me think.
Lee: If you have to think, you still do not understand.
It is when you act with unconscious awareness, you just act. Like when you throw a ball to me and, without thought, my hands go up and catch it. Or when a child or animal runs in front of your car, you automatically apply the brakes. When you throw a punch at me, I intercept and hit you back, but without thought. “It” just happens.
On guns versus martial artists
Nowadays, I mean you don’t go around on the street, kicking people or punching people. Because if you do, they will pull a gun out of their jacket and bang! That’s it. I mean, I don’t care how good [in martial art] you are!
On my martial origins
When I started studying the martial arts I was thirteen years old. I studied under Yip Man. It was a Chinese art. The form of the martial art that I studied was Wing Chun. Some have called gung fu “a Chinese form of karate,” but you cannot really call it that because karate came after Chinese gung fu. I mean karate, and all these things, came after that, you see.
MARTIAL VARIETY AND ASSESSMENTS
On gung fu
The word gung fu includes techniques of hands, feet, knees, elbows, shoulders, head, and thighs, the thirty-six throws, the seventy-two joint locks, and the eighteen different weapons. Swordplay is the most difficult of all arts in gung fu. It requires at least ten years of hard training to be a master of it. The sword must be united with the mind, and be used as the limb of the body.
Classical gung fu analyzed
1. Classically inclined—hand position, ritualistic and unrealistic techniques
2. Rhythmic training—forms, two-man cooperation
3. Partial in structure—the nucleus and the circumference
On the difference between Chinese boxing and Western boxing
Well, first, we use the feet. And then we use the elbow. You name it, man, we use it! We use it all, you see, because that is the expression of the human body. I mean everything—not just the hands! When you are talking about combat, well, I mean, if it is a sport [i.e., like Western boxing], then now you are talking about something else; you have regulations, you have rules. But if you are talking about, fighting, as it is—with no rules—well then, baby, you’d better train every part of your body!
On boxing versus real fighting
If you put on a glove, you are dealing in rules. You must know the rules to survive. But in the street you have more tools in your favor—the kick, the throw, the punch.
On board breaking
Boards don’t hit back. This matter of breaking bricks and boards with the edge of your hand: Now I ask you, did you ever see a brick or a board pick a fight with anybody? This is gimmick stuff. A human being doesn’t just stand there and wait to be hit.
Polemics from the traditionalists
Most of them [the instructors of the traditional martial arts approach] are so doggone stubborn. I mean, [their attitude is] “Well, two hundred hundred years ago it was taught like this— therefore . . .” you know? To [still] maintain that type of attitude, you’ve had it! I mean, you will never grow because learning is a discovering thing; it’s a constant discovery thing. Whereas if we follow the old method, it is a continuous repetition of what was being handed down several hundred years ago.
The traditional teacher says, “if your opponent does this, then you do this, and then you do this and then you do this.” And while you are remembering all the “and thens” the other guy is killing you.
On the limitations of wrestling and judo
1. A sport (no foul tactics)
2. Lacks long-range tactics (kicking, hair-pulling, butting, finger jab, kneeing, elbowing, stomping on shin or instep, grabbing groin, pinching skin, pulling ears, biting, etc.)
On the limitations of Thai boxing
1. A sport (no foul tactics)
2. No grappling
3. Lacks economy structure and scientific leads
4. Unaccustomed to advance targets attacks to eyes and groin—the delicate movements
On the limitations of street fighting
1. Lack of finesse in structure
2. Efficient sharpening of “tools” generally lacking
3. Correct mental attitude
How to deal with various arts
A question [to ask]: What are their most favorite techniques? (ease and safety and efficiency)
Western boxing
Thai boxing
karate
tae
