it’s fair to say i’ve absorbed more of Bruce Lee’s teachings than the average Bruce Lee movie fan and was inspired to write some comments after recently watching the 2012 documentary, I Am Bruce Lee.
a few things i’ve watched and read
- i’ve read the Tao of Jeet Kune Do (and understood very little of it, it seems to me, mostly just Bruce’s notes) Tao of Jeet Kune Do: New Expanded Edition
- i’ve read the book “Theorizing Bruce Lee” Theorizing Bruce Lee: Film-Fantasy-Fighting-Philosophy (Comtemporary Cinema)
- i’ve watched his documentaries, and movies.
- i’ve read his literature, and watched countless training video’s by his JKD (the non-style-style he created) students. most of them look like VHS tapes transferred to online video.
- i bookmark and read quotes of his often.
- i pretend way too often that i know mixed martial arts in my living room (see quote below)
Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.
i know that most people familiar with Bruce Lee like him, and there’s a certain level of “hero” worship around his legacy but i can’t help wanting to grok everything i read of him, to really get past the glamor layer.
there’s something that i deeply relate to when Bruce Lee speaks about life, about effort, about combat. fluidity, no style is the style, being true to oneself, full expression through the motion of our body.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46jO96bz_Fo[/youtube]
it’s so apparent his strongest weapon was his mind if you listen to him speak or read his writings. his aspirations were to help others, and continually adapt. his expression of this and passion was through combat and mixed martial arts.
it’s a world i know nothing about (fighting), i haven’t been in a real fight. i want to learn to learn to fight or defense combat someday. i know determination, i know how to work hard, i know how to train, i can relate to that, but do not know what it’s like to fight, to train to fight, to be hit.
Bruce Lee wasn’t always talking about fighting though. he resonated with combat as an expression of himself, he spoke of equality, and no limits, and believed in himself, he was unflinchingly unstoppable from everything that i can gather about him. he was a lot more than a film star that could kick high. he was a writer, the creator of a recognized fighting style, a philosopher, etc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee
arguably, he was a real life super hero.
what a legacy and legend the man created! there’s something empowering about his way of being.
the essence he left behind is an encouragement to be peaceful, strong, and true…what can i say, i’m inspired by the guy.
i hope to one day learn Jeet Kune Do and put it to action, or my own variation, as that’s the idea. his philosophies and quotes are empowering for life and business, and when applied to spirituality, my belief in God as well.
absorb was is useful, discard what is not, add what is uniquely your own.
