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Part 2

FROM GUNG FU TO GREEN HORNET

(1964-1966)

1964

To Taky Kimura¹*

Process in Learning Gung Fu

Self-cultivation

The point where to rest being known, the object of pursuit is then determined; and, that being determined, a calm unperturbedness may be attained too. To that calmness there will succeed a tranquil repose. In that repose there may be careful deliberation, and that deliberation will be followed by the attainment of the desired end.

Wishing to cultivate oneself, one first rectifies his heart (mind).

Wishing to rectify his heart, one seeks to be sincere in his thoughts.

Wishing to be sincere in his thoughts, one first extends to the utmost of his knowledge—such extension of knowledge lies in the investigation of things.

Remark: It cannot be when the root is neglected, that what should spring from it will be well ordered.

A rectified mind is a mind immune to emotional influences—free from fear, anger, sorrow, anxiety, and even fond attachment—when the mind is not present, we look and do not see; we hear and do not understand; we eat and do not know the taste of what we eat.

Not allowing outside things to entangle this mind; in other words, outward changes do not move the mind. Its function lies in suppression of the senses, and on reduction of desire.

A gung fu man rests therein, and because he rests, he is at peace. Because he is at peace, he is quiet. One who is at peace and is quiet, no sorrow or harm can enter; therefore his inner power remains whole and his spirit intact.

—The nature of water is that if nothing is mixed with it, it remains clear; if nothing ruffles it, it remains smooth.

Definition:

1. To be one thing and not to change, is the climax of STILLNESS.

2. To have nothing in one that resists, is the climax of EMPTINESS.

3. To remain detached from all outside things is the climax of FINENESS.

4. To have in oneself no contraries, is the climax of PURITY.

“NO MIND” “NO THOUGHT”

Discard all thoughts of reward, all hopes of praise and fears of blame, all awareness of one’s bodily self. And, finally closing the avenues of sense perception and let the spirit out, as it will.

The highest skill operates on an unconscious level.

Sincere thought means thought of concentration (quiet awareness). The thought of a distracted mind cannot be sincere. Man’s mind and his behavior are one, his inner thought and outer expression cannot contradict each other. Therefore a man should set up his right principle and this right mind (principle) will influence his action.

Bruce Lee with Taky Kimura (left) and Charlie Woo (right)

If you look within yourself and are sure that you have done right, what do you have to fear or worry about? You require only to perform your own mission in life without any thoughts of aggressiveness or competition. Follow the will of nature and coordinate your mind and your will to become one with nature, and nature will protect you.

Yielding

Yielding will overcome anything superior to itself; its strength is boundless.

The yielding will has a reposeful ease, soft as downy feathers-a quietude, a shrinking from action, an appearance of inability to do (the heart is humble, but the work is forceful). Placidly free from anxiety one acts in harmony with the opponent’s strength. One does not move ahead but responds to the fitting influence.

One should be in harmony with, and not rebellion against, the strength of the opponent. Such art will “preserve ourselves” by following the natural bends of things.

Nothing in the world is more yielding and softer than water; yet it penetrates the hardest. Insubstantial, it enters where no room is. It is so fine that it is impossible to grasp a handful of it; strike it, yet it does not suffer hurt; stab it, and it is not wounded.

Law of Non-Interfering

One should be in harmony with, and not rebellion against, the strength of the opponent. Such art will “preserve ourselves” by following the natural bends of things; consequently, we achieve immortality because we do not wear ourselves out. This theory is illustrated in Taoism, [in the story] about the perfect butcher whose carving knife remains perpetually sharp because it always goes between the bones and tissues and never meets any resistance.

To Rest in Weakness Is Strength

“Alive, a man is supple, soft; in death, unbending rigor. All creatures, grass and trees, alive are plastic, but are pliant, too, and [in] death all feeble and dry. Unbending rigor is the mate of death, and yielding softness, [the] company of life. Unbending soldiers get no victories; the stiffest tree is readiest for the ax. The strong and mighty belong to the bottom, the soft and yielding rise above them all.

The strongest is he that makes use of his opponent’s strength—be the bamboo tree which bends toward the wind; and when the wind ceases, it springs back stronger than before.

To Bill Evans²

Posted from Oakland, California, on September 2, 1964

Dear Bill,

I am sorry to inform you that the articles have to be delayed because I am at present on a tour demonstrating gung fu.

I’ve just got back from Los Angeles not too long ago and I’ll have to start again in San Francisco. In a week or so I’ll have to fly to New York.

However, I’ll try to find time in between to finish the articles. By the way, there should be a coverage of the last tournament at Long Beach, and when will the next Black Belt be out?

For your information the symbol in the seal of the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute is the symbol of Yin and Yang in which the Yin & Yang (black [passive] & white [active]) are two interlocking halves of one WHOLE, each containing within its confines the qualities of its complementaries (not opposite!). Instead of [being] mutually exclusive, they are mutually dependent and are a function each of the other.

When I say “the heat makes me perspire,” the heat and perspiring are just “one” process as they are co-existent and one could not exist but for the other. Just as an object needs a subject, the person in attack is not taking an independent position but is acting as an assistant. After all, you need your opponent to complete the other half of a whole.

Thus gentleness/firmness is one inseparable force of one unceasing interplay of movement. If a person riding a bicycle wishes to go somewhere, he cannot pump on both the pedals at the same time or not pump on them at all. In order to move forward he has to pump on one pedal and release the other. So the movement of going forward requires this “oneness” of pumping and releasing, and vice versa, each being the cause of the other.

This “oneness” is just a basic idea in the symbol. Then there is moderation without going to either extreme, the wonder of the ordinary....In general, however, the idea is that—if gung fu is extraordinary, it is because of the fact that it is nothing at all special—it is simply the direct expression of one’s feeling with the minimum of lines and energy. The closer to the true Way, the less wastage of expression there is.

Please pardon my incoherence and poor penmanship.

Bruce Lee

To William Cheung, Hughes, A.C.T., Australia³

Posted from Oakland, California, on October 30, 1964, at 9:00 PM

October 30, 1964

Dear William,

Our correspondence has always been like this: a mountain stream—it meets and parts. Anyway, I’m writing again after not too long an absence, considering the previous length of time.

It has been a year since I’m back from Hong Kong,⁴ and as you have noticed on this letter cover that I’ve moved from Seattle to Oakland, California. It has been a few months now that I’m here and things are coming along pretty good. At the present time, I’m taking courses from the University of California. By the way, I’ll be getting a degree in philosophy.

Actually how are you getting along? I’ve met a few fellows while I was back in Hong Kong and according to the different reports I’ve heard I really don’t know what to think. Also, I saw the twin brothers (one of them) while walking along the Hong Kong street. Are they back to Australia? I heard they are rather obnoxious. Hawkins Cheung is in Hong Kong now.

Nowadays I indulge myself in reading and gung fu practice. I’m staying with a fellow who is also a nut in the Chinese art (this guy is really practicing—he can break a bottom brick without breaking the first one),⁵ and together we practice two hours a day.

We have a nice gym built in the garage and my wooden dummy is set up. My partner has also built two other different dummies that prove to be of much use to Wing Chun form and method. We are in the process of completing some protective equipment for actual sparring without pulling punches.

Hope to hear from you soon,

Bruce

To William Cheung, Hughes, A.C.T., Australia

Posted from Oakland, California, on November 22, 1964, at 9:00 AM

Nov. 21, 1964

Dear William,

Your letter is kind of stressing doubt on our friendship. I don’t wish to write to have you think that I’m writing for Gung Fu information—I’m writing merely because I want to write to you. Please do not stress on the need (as you mentioned in your letter) on my part for your opinion. Of course you helped me while we were in Hong Kong and I’m grateful, but please write to me as a friend, not as one who has all the answers, which I’m sure no one has. These are facts I’m putting down and am not trying to be disagreeable.

Things are getting pretty good here in Calif. and if I have not told you that I’m married, well, I am—she is a real nice girl and is a straight ‘A’. student. We have been married for a year something now. In fact, we are going to have a baby soon.

Just as an object needs a subject, the person in attack is not taking an independent position but is acting as an assistant. ... You need your opponent to complete the other half of a whole. . . . Thus gentleness/firmness is one inseparable force of one unceasing interplay of movement.

The book you read is a basic book I’ve written somewhere in 1963⁶ and I’m in the process of completing a much [more] thorough book on the Tao of Gung Fu.⁷ It will be the size of Nishiyama’s book [Karate: The Art of Empty Hand] if you’ve seen it. This book will contain my insight during these past five years, I’ve worked hard for it.

My wife and I are planning to take a trip to Hong Kong next year, that is if I can make it. It will be nice if you can go too. I bet it would be difficult to get off a government job for a few months. If you can make it over to the States do let me know ahead of time, I’m sure we can put you up in my house.

Truly yours,

Bruce

1965

To Taky Kimura

The following announcement card was posted on February 1, 1965, the day that Brandon Bruce Lee was born.

February 1, 1965

Our Baby’s here.

Name: Brandon B. Lee

Date: Feb. 1, 1965

Weight: Eight lbs., eleven oz.

Parents: Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Lee

A big healthy boy of course!

Brandon Bruce Lee—July 1965

To Taky Kimura

February 1965

Taky,

When I mailed my letter today, I received your letter. Thank you for the income tax form and what not. You know, if you were a Chinaman I would think you are trying to be funny by ending the letter, “Your See Hing” [Your Senior], Taky. . . .⁸

Well, I guess I wouldn’t be in Life magazine yet because they want to concentrate first on “Batman.” You better take damn good care of yourself and don’t move too much yet, and let Chris take care of the class. You have to push... to help push gung fu in Seattle.

[The martial artist you mentioned] is no sweat as he doesn’t even understand what is rhythm (timing) & distance, which is the core of all martial art. Of course simplicity is a necessary component, too. When he does open the class, I do not think he will be a threat as I know you have better basic requirements, though he is “blown up” with so-called muscles, [they are] not efficient ones, unfortunately.

I’ll see to it that the dummy will be on the way, even if I have to send it myself. I didn’t give that demonstration on the 20th of this month because I am not in the mood for it—I might help Ralph Castro on his World Tournament this coming 6th of March.

I have stopped training for two weeks now and will resume again when I’m back in Hong Kong. On this trip I’ll pick up more flowery [gung fu] forms and what not for the TV show—the viewers like fancy stuff anyway.

The first chance I have I’ll film the Wing Chun 3 Forms⁹ and tai-chi and whatever I feel that will be helpful and beneficial to you. It will be in 8 mm.

My mind is made up to start a system of my own—I mean a system of totality, embracing all but yet guided with simplicity. It will concentrate on the root of things¹⁰—rhythm, timing, distance—and embrace the five ways of attack.¹¹ This is by far the most effective method I’ve ever encountered or will encounter. Anything beyond this has to be super-fantastic. Wing Chun is the starting point, chi sao is the nucleus, and [they are] supplemented by the FIVE WAYS. The whole system will concentrate on irregular rhythm and how to disturb and intercept the opponent’s rhythm the fastest and most efficient way. Above all, this system is not confined to straight line or curved line, but is content to stand in the middle of the circle without attachment. This way one can meet any lines without being familiar with them. Wait till I assemble everything.

Lately, I’ve been working on my book and it is nearly finished except for more photo taking.

Enclosed find some pictures I happened to run into when I looked for my stuff. Old Charles is in it....¹²

Linda sends her regards. Brandon is growing and growing.

Take care and do not over-exercise yet.

Bruce

PS. By the way, did you say you lost your membership card?

To His Wife, Linda¹³

Posted from Kowloon, Hong Kong, Febbruary 16 1965, at noon

February 15, 1965

Linda,

I’m most comforted to receive your letter, especially at a time like this. The whole family is in a state of sadness and confusion.