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Part 1

COMMENTARIES ON THE MARTIAL WAY

REFLECTIONS ON COMBAT

Martial art—a definition

Martial art includes all the combative arts like karate, judo, Chinese gung fu or Chinese boxing, aikido, Korean karate—I could go on and on and on. But it’s a combative form of fighting. I mean, some of them became sport, but some of them are still not. I mean, some of them use, for instance, kicking to the groin, jabbing fingers into eyes, and things like that.

An animal jumps at every sound . . . a leaf responds to every push of air . . . but an enlightened man in combat moves only when he chooses—only when necessary—actually, the movement before it is necessary. He is not tensed but ready, he is never set but flexible.

I am known as a teacher and a notoriously expensive one at that. For when my time is demanded of me, my learners pay for their worth. Time means a lot to me because you see I am also a learner and am often lost in the joy of forever developing.

Unfortunately, now in boxing people are only allowed to punch. In judo, people are only allowed to throw. I do not despise these kinds of martial arts. What I mean is, we now find rigid forms which create differences among clans. And the world of martial art is shattered as a result.

The other weakness is, when clans are formed, the people of a clan will hold their kind of martial art as the only truth, and do not dare to reform or improve it. Thus they are confined in their own tiny world. Their students become machines which imitate martial art forms.

As a matter of fact, they each have their strong points and weak points. They all need self-evaluation and improvement. They are too narrow-minded. They can only see their strong points, but not their weak points and other’s strong points. A man confined in thought and scope will not be able to speak freely. Therefore, if he wants to seek for truth, he should not be confined by the dead forms.

The successful martial artist

The successful martial artist will be one who is able to:

1. Possess fluid speed—tenseness tightens and slows reaction time.

2. Possess confidence-plus—at all times.

3. Sock it—everything there, as soon as the opening is there.

4. Puzzle the opponent—never do the same thing twice. Whenever the opponent gets set to hit, move. Each combatant has his own gears (speed, etc.).

Qualities

1. Natural instinctive primitiveness

2. The technique should be a natural blending with stillness and sudden (as well as violent) destructiveness.

A quality martial artist is always ready for any move and trains oneself invincible.

A little learning is a dangerous thing.

Don’t ever telegraph your move—that’s just common sense in martial art.

Timing! A good martial artist keeps his eyes open.

When the opponent advances, one intercepts!

Anger blinds!

Controlled balance of speed of changing of both firing posture and delivery with speed and power!

Talking tactics

Pretend inferiority and encourage his arrogance (technique of deception—action—once or twice—down!). Arrogance corrupts.

If you are among those who are unable to understand the dangers inherent in combat then, like them, you also are either unsure or simply unable to understand the advantageous ways of fighting.

All martial art is simply an honest expression of one’s body—with a lot of deception in between.

Retaliation to a bluff

I never met a conceited man whom I did not find inwardly embarrassed.

The ultimate in disposing one’s skill is to be without ascertainable shape. Not only that emptiness can never be confined, but also the fact that gentleness cannot be snapped—action—and the most penetrating weapons cannot pry in nor can the wise lay plans against you.

A man with a weapon is the one at a disadvantage

The man who pulls a knife on you is at a disadvantage. He will clearly lose the fight. The reason is very simple. Psychologically, he only has one weapon. His thinking is therefore limited to the use of that single weapon. You, on the other hand, are thinking about all your weapons: your hands, elbows, knees, feet, head. You’re thinking 360 degrees around him. Maybe you’re considering some form of escape, like running. He’s only got a lousy knife. Now he might throw it at you. Let him. You still have a chance to avoid it, block it, or he may miss you. You’ve got all the advantages when you think about it.

Against a man with a club

He’s holding something with two hands. I mean, what’s he going to do: swing, thrust, jab? He’s got a problem. What’s he going to do with his feet? He’ll be off-balance if he holds the staff and tries to kick you. That’s his disadvantage.

On martial art and success

In the beginning, I had no intention whatsoever that what I was practicing, and what I’m still practicing now, would lead to this. But martial art has a very, very deep meaning as far as my life is concerned because, as an actor, as a martial artist, as a human being, all these I have learned from martial art.

Use karate, judo, aikido, or any style to build your counter-offensive. It will be interesting!

On sparring

Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I work on my legs. Every Thursday and Saturday I work on my punch. On Wednesdays and Sundays, I have sparring sessions.

The best way to learn how to swim is to actually get into the water and swim; the best way to learn jeet kune do is to spar. Only in free sparring can a practitioner begin to learn broken rhythm and the exact timing and correct judgment of distance.

In sparring the mind must be quiet and calm; the attention concentrated, and the energy lowered. Besides, straightening the head and body, hollowing the chest, raising the back, lowering the shoulders and elbows, loosening the waist, setting right the sacrum, and keeping the waist, legs, hands, and other parts of the body in perfect harmony are all important. The postures must be natural, capable of stretching and drawing as intended without any awkward strength, and responding immediately after sensing.

Pointers on sparring

• Requires individuality rather than imitative repetition

• Efficiency is anything that scores (in primary freedom one utilizes all ways and is bound by none, and likewise any technique or means which serves its end).

• Simplicity of expression rather than complexity of form

• Turn your sparring into play—but play seriously.

• Don’t take your sparring too seriously.

• Totality rather than partiality

• Dissolves like a thawing ice (it has form) into water (formless and capable to fit in with anything—nothingness cannot be confined . . .)

• When you have no form, you can be all form. When you have no style, you can fit in with any style

• In sparring there is no answer; truth has no future, it must be understood from moment to moment. You see, to that which is static, fixed, dead, there can be a way, a definite path but not to that which is moving and living. There is no conviction or method, but perception, a pliable and choiceless awareness.

• To have a choiceless awareness, one should have the totality, or emptiness—all lines, all angles.

• If one is isolated, he is frozen and paralyzed. To be alive is to be related. Action is our relationship with our opponent.

• Action is not a matter of right and wrong. It is only when action is partial, not total, that there is right and wrong.

Economy of motion

In kicking and striking, especially when launched from the ready position, eliminate all unnecessary motions and muscle contractions which slow and fatigue you without accomplishing any useful purpose. Much energy is wasted by the unrelaxed opposing muscles in resisting the movement—learn and feel proper contraction and recovery (otherwise your physiological engine is racing, but the brakes are on).

Acquire the kinesthetic perception in tension-creating situations— distinguish between the relaxed and the tense states. Practice controlling the body responses voluntarily and at will. Use only those muscles required to perform the act, using them as economically as possible, and not using the other muscles to perform movements which do not contribute to the act or which interfere with it. Expend constructively both the mental and physical energy (economical, neuromuscular, perceptive movement). In coordinated, graceful, and efficient movement, the opposing muscles must be relaxed and lengthen readily and easily.

It takes perception, practice, and willingness to train the mind into new habits of thinking and the body into new habits of action. A champ is one who makes every motion count, and he accomplishes maximum results with a minimum expenditure of energy.

You and your opponent are one. There is a coexisting relationship between you. You coexist with your opponent and become his complement, absorbing his attack and using his force to overcome him.

Forms and katas are not the answer

I think simply to practice gung fu forms and karate katas is not a good way. Moreover, it wastes time and does not match the actual (fighting) situation. Some people are tall, some are short, some are stout, some are slim. There are various kinds of people. If all of them learn the same boxing (i.e. martial art) form, then who does it fit?

The highest state is no form

I think the highest state of martial art, in application, must have no absolute form. And, to tackle pattern A with pattern B may not be absolutely correct. I feel that martial art should not be limited in a circle. That will produce in the students a wrong idea, thinking that a certain pattern will achieve the same result in fighting as in practice.

On what is the “best” martial art

There is no such thing as an effective segment of a totality. By that I mean that I personally do not believe in the word style. Why? Because, unless there are human beings with three arms and four legs, unless we have another group of beings on earth that are structurally different from us, there can be no different style of fighting. Why is that? Because we have two hands and two legs. Now the unfortunate thing is that there’s boxing, which uses hands, and judo, which uses throwing. I’m not putting them down, mind you—but because of styles, people are separated. They are not united together because styles become law. The original founder of the style started out with hypothesis. But now it has become the gospel truth, and people who go into that become the product of it. It doesn’t matter how you are, who you are, how you are structured, how you are built, or how you are made . . . it doesn’t seem to matter. You just go in there and become that product. And that, to me, is not right.

Nationalities don’t mean anything

Many people will come to an instructor but, most of them, they say, “Hey man, like what is the truth? You know, would you hand it over to me?” So, therefore, one guy would say now, “I’ll give you the Japanese way of doing it.” And another guy would say “I’ll give you the Chinese way of doing it.” But to me that’s all baloney because unless there are men with three hands or there are men with four legs, then there [cannot be] a different way of doing it. But since we only have two hands and two legs, nationalities don’t mean anything.

A constant process of relating

When I see a Japanese martial artist, for example, I can see the advantage and I can see the disadvantage. In that sense, I am relating to him. Man is living in a relationship, and in relationships we grow.

Because martial art is my career, I want to use it as a means to express my ideals. A real fighter should fight for righteousness. Moreover, when he decides to fight, he must be sincere and fight wholeheartedly to the end. Only in such a way can he develop good character and total truth and sincerity.

Understand.

Dueling ultimately is simply a test in individual “essence.”

Not being stuck mentally and not abiding oneself is the root of life.

Strategy of distracting attention

Focus on movement, greater speed—in other words, subjectively in time for the signal, don’t focus full attention on signal, though necessary. This way one can time the rhythm of the signal, or the starter’s pattern, so that he can start with the signal, not react to the signal.

Auditory signals and reaction time

Experiments indicate that if the cue to act can be made auditory instead of visual, the athlete’s response is more rapid. Make use of it together with visual if possible.

Strategy of distracting attention

Repeat—for most rapid perception, attention must be at the maximum focus on the thing to be perceived.

Vision awareness factors that all martial artists should consider

1. Awareness in attack 2. Awareness in counter 3. Awareness in combination

You see, the kicks and punches are weapons not necessarily aimed toward invading opponents. These tools can be aimed at our fears, frustrations, and all that. Martial art can help in your process toward growth.

Truth is the daughter of inspiration; intellectual analysis and partialized debate keep the people away from truth. It is like a finger pointing a way to the moon. Don’t concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

You can be a slave in the form of a holy mind to live. We do not live for, we simply live.

The head is a united part of the human body.

If one prepares to the front, his rear will be weak. If he prepares to the left, his right will be vulnerable. And when he prepares everywhere he will be weak everywhere.

Quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.

A coward will easily be captured. Also a reckless one can be killed.

The true power of our skill is as self-knowledge—the liberation of the self—not as a weapon.

External pride is not the thing, it’s internal self-sufficiency.

Your instinctive skill should be well-tempered with self-inquiries and judgments.

I thought we had discovered that tournaments are places where human beings are playing a protecting game of pride.

Let’s cut out the verbal threatening. To be a true martial artist is not to try to avoid what is your lot.

Psyching-out dialogue (based on Sun Tzu’s Art of War)

1. Pretend inferiority after an evasive move to encourage an opponent’s arrogance for your advantage.

2. Your brain is the general of your head and if the general is angered his authority can easily be upset.

In combat we understand, we converse by using normal power to engage, and use the extraordinary to win.

On challenges

When I first learned martial art, I too have challenged many established instructors and, of course, some others have challenged me also. But I have learned that if challenging means one thing to you, it is “What is your reaction to it? Where does it get you?” Now if you are secure within yourself, you treat it very lightly because you ask yourself: “Am I really afraid of that man? Do I have any doubts that that man is going to get me?” And if I do not have such doubts and such fears, then I would certainly treat it very lightly, just as today the rain is coming down very strong but tomorrow, baby, the sun is going to come out again. I mean it’s like that type of a thing.

Well, let’s face it, in Hong Kong today, can you have a fight?—I mean a no-holds-barred fight? Is it a legal thing? It isn’t, is it? And for me, a lot of things, like “challenging” and all that, I am the last to know! I am always the last to know, man. I always find out from newspapers, from reporters, before I personally know what the hell is happening.

On my fighting ability

All the time, people come up and say “Bruce—are you really that good?” I say, “Well, if I tell you I’m good, probably you will say that I’m boasting. But if I tell you I’m not good, you’ll know I’m lying.”

I have no fear of an opponent in front of me. I’m very self-sufficient, and they do not bother me. And, should I fight, should I do anything, I have made up my mind that, baby, you had better kill me before I get you.

To tell the truth, I could beat anybody in the world.

Someone once asked me, what I am going to do when I am fifty or sixty. I replied “Man, there ain’t going to be no fifty or sixty-year-old that can push me around.”

On why Hollywood’s elite want to learn martial art

The way that I teach it, all types of knowledge ultimately mean self-knowledge. So therefore, these people are coming in and asking me to teach them, not so much how to “defend themselves” or how to do somebody in. Rather, they want to learn to express themselves through some movement, be it anger, be it determination, or whatever. So, in other words, they’re paying me to show them, in combative form, the art of expressing the human body.

Don’t look for secret moves. Don’t look for secret movements. If you’re always hunting for secret techniques you’re going to miss it. It’s you. It’s your body that’s the key.

Complete determination—the mark of the real fighter

You must be fierce, but have patience at the same time. Most important of all, you must have complete determination. The worst opponent you can come across is one whose aim has become an obsession. For instance, if a man has decided that he is going to bite off your nose no matter what happens to him in the process, the chances are he will succeed in doing it. He may be severely beaten up too, but that will not stop him from carrying out his objective. That is the real fighter.

A lesson in attitude

Suppose you come home and find some guys have battered a friend. First, you’re going to think about what you should do. Then you’re going to try and figure out how. But suppose, instead of a friend, you come home and find your mother battered. Wham! You’re ready—that’s pure attitude.

On wu-hsin (no-mind) in martial 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 kwon do

wrestling

judo

• Attacking same • Countering same • When in doubt

Pros and cons

Western boxing

PRO 1. Efficient footwork

2. Variety of punches:

• Jab • Hook • Cross • Uppercut

3. Shoulder/chin in protection (plus all-purpose parry and block stance)

4. Conditioning

5. In-fighting

6. Head and body movements

CON An evaluation: It has its set of restrictions and is designed to defeat an adversary in a certain manner.

Wrestling

PRO 1. Leg tackle

2. Uncrispy, economy rush

3. Protective shell while moving in

4. Strangulation

5. Holds, locks

6. Ground fighting

CON Need to add: • Hair pulling • Groin grabbing • Eye poking (front) • Shin pinching (Study especially the old-time illegal holds.)

Karate

PRO Tool development:

• Balance • Form

CON Need to stress greater mobility and aliveness

PRO Front kick

• Snap • Thrust

CON Need to modify upward snap—compare with savate

Tae kwon do

PRO 1. Kicking flexibility

2. Turning heel kick 3. Head ram

CON 1. Lacks contact

2. Lacks broken rhythm and aliveness

3. Lacks variety

Judo

PRO 1. Balance

2. Osoto

3. Foot-sweeps

4. Mat work

• Locks • Chokes

CON Need to add:

• Hair pulling • Groin grabbing • Eye poking

• Shin pinching

Note: Study a few practical throws.

Thai boxing

PRO 1. Elbows

2. Knees

3. Actual combat

CON 1. The punching is not of a high caliber: the “left jab” is poor, the “uppercut” almost nonexistent, the “hook” is inadequate.

2. Gloves prevent the use of the finger jab and the palm smash.

3. Lead foot attacks lacking: no shin/knee lead attack and groin attack.

4. No grappling tactics.

5. No “under the belt” tactics.

6. Scientific economical structure is lacking. Plus lack of sophistication in cadence, timing, broken rhythm.

7. No hair pulling or scratching.

Specialized all-in fighting

PRO 1. Poking Eyes

• Long range jab • Close range poke

2. Pulling Hair

• As immobilization • As release • As assist

3. Biting

• As release • To disable • To attack in close

4. Practice forearm pinching to hurt

5. Grabbing groin

6. Specialize in under-the-belt attack with kicks, strikes, punches, and grappling

Gung Fu Styles—Wing Chun

PRO 1. Teaches the economy of straight line

2. Nucleus fighting

3. Chi sao—two halves of one whole

CON 1. Over simplification

2. Lacks variety

Gung fu styles—tai chi

PRO 1. Esoteric

2. The flow

Gung fu styles—northern styles

PRO 1. Palm strike

2. Variety to liberate

CON 1. Needs to add power

2. Needs to be more compact

Western fencing

PRO 1. Skillful use of front lead (study auxiliary supplemented guarding hand in each position)

2. Timing and cadence

3. Foil

4. Saber

5. Epee

Kendo

PRO 1. The Zen approach

2. The determined clash

3. The footwork

Aikido

PRO 1. The flow

2. The two halves of one whole

3. The footwork

CON 1. Needs to work on idea of adding uncrispyness to snap (in their concept of flow)

Research your own experience

A thought: because of formalized styles of yesteryear:

• Simple things don’t work. However, from some formalized schools, like Shotokan, tae kwon do, Thai boxing, Western boxing, how can I draw their “essence” and make them work for me (attitude, economy, good form, speed, power, etc.)?

List some of these “essences” of other schools:

Shotokan

ESSENCE a. Direct route b. Master in basics c. Spirit

DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________

Tae kwon do

ESSENCE a. Flexibility b. (Your comments) ___________

DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________

Thai boxing

ESSENCE (Your comments) ___________

DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________

Boxing

ESSENCE (Your comments) ___________

DISADVANTAGE (Your comments) ___________

Make Notes On

1. Gung fu 2. Fencing 3. Aikido 4. Kendo 5. Karate 6. Thai boxing 7. Savate