I Like This - Bruce Lee Quote

[Xue Sheng]

Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.

– Bruce Lee

Almost makes me want to go start training JKD :asian:

Bruce Lee aside I wish more people had this attitude about their chosen style, there would be less arrogance and more learning IMO


Note: It comes from here

I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from "this" method or "that" method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see "ourselves". . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don't, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune-Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune-Do is simply the direct expression of one's feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.

– Bruce Lee

 

[xJOHNx]

I think that most westeners can grasp the essence of that quote more than the "No way as a way" quote.

 

[MA-Caver]

I think that most westeners can grasp the essence of that quote more than the "No way as a way" quote.

Agreed same with "No style as a style".
His famous "...become water..." quote should've exemplified that.

But then he was a Philosophy major.

 

[TigerLove]

I have not invented a "new style," composite, modified...

This is so motivational and truth text.

 

[ATC]

I think that most westeners can grasp the essence of that quote more than the "No way as a way" quote.

I would say that most non matial artist can grasp the essence of that quote... Most martial artist understand it just fine, western or eastern.:asian:

 

[xJOHNx]

I would say that most non matial artist can grasp the essence of that quote... Most martial artist understand it just fine, western or eastern.:asian:

I'm just basing my opinion on the thousands of discussions about "no way as a way" quote.

and thanks carver, didn't know he was a philosophy major. I learned something!

 

[Uchinanchu]

What many do not know is that Bruce Lee's philosophy was not his own. Many of his famous quotes he borrowed directly from sources such as Lao Tsu's Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).
Bruce's thoughts on how one should perceive and train in their respective arts, can also be seen in the Japanese koryu arts and the way they are traditionally taught through the use of Shu Ha Ri in learning ones particular style. Shu: to embrace the form Ha: to diverge from the form, Ri: to discard the form (make it your own).

 

[seasoned]

What many do not know is that Bruce Lee's philosophy was not his own. Many of his famous quotes he borrowed directly from sources such as Lao Tsu's Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).
Bruce's thoughts on how one should perceive and train in their respective arts, can also be seen in the Japanese koryu arts and the way they are traditionally taught through the use of Shu Ha Ri in learning ones particular style. Shu: to embrace the form Ha: to diverge from the form, Ri: to discard the form (make it your own).

You don't post much, but when you do, it is meaningful.:asian:

 

[Xue Sheng]

What many do not know is that Bruce Lee's philosophy was not his own. Many of his famous quotes he borrowed directly from sources such as Lao Tsu's Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching).

Actually I did know that. And it is not an uncommon practice in CMA in China since Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism are just thought of as part of the whole and not separated or compartmentalized as it is here.

Taijiquan borrows heavily form Taoism and I have seen a few Wing Chun texts that are borrowing from Confucianism as well as Buddhism and Taoism. I have seen Xingyiquan texts that use parts of the Heart Sutra to explain things.

Bruce's thoughts on how one should perceive and train in their respective arts, can also be seen in the Japanese koryu arts and the way they are traditionally taught through the use of Shu Ha Ri in learning ones particular style. Shu: to embrace the form Ha: to diverge from the form, Ri: to discard the form (make it your own).

That however I didn't know - Thanks

 

[geezer]

Taking Bruce's own description of Jeet Kune Do at it's word calls into question whether any of his many notable followers (Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak, et al) should be using that name to describe their teaching method. On the other hand, they knew Bruce, so that's their call.

By contrast, I train in a system with an entirely different name, but which in actual philosophy seems to closely follow what Bruce said in that quote Xue posted. Members of our group all come from different backgrounds and have different physical abilities. Through a sophisticated, yet flexible system our instructor is helping each of us along our own path to become better martial artists. I never related what he was doing to JKD until one of my training partners, a talented man who has spent a lifetime in the martial arts, remarked to me, "You know, this is what JKD is supposed to be!"

 

[Xue Sheng]

Taking Bruce's own description of Jeet Kune Do at it's word calls into question whether any of his many notable followers (Dan Inosanto, Paul Vunak, et al) should be using that name to describe their teaching method. On the other hand, they knew Bruce, so that's their call.

Yes it does as it calls into question every single school teaching Jeet Kune Do today. But that then makes me wonder what Bruce Lee really had in mind. He did certify a teacher or two himself after all.

Could it simply be that he wanted it to evolve and not stagnate?

By contrast, I train in a system with an entirely different name, but which in actual philosophy seems to closely follow what Bruce said in that quote Xue posted. Members of our group all come from different backgrounds and have different physical abilities. Through a sophisticated, yet flexible system our instructor is helping each of us along our own path to become better martial artists. I never related what he was doing to JKD until one of my training partners, a talented man who has spent a lifetime in the martial arts, remarked to me, "You know, this is what JKD is supposed to be!"

Cool

 

[d1jinx]

Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one's back.

– Bruce Lee



NICE.

 

[Steve Grody]

The full quotation is indeed as inspirational as it is useful. Sometimes I see someone list Bruce Lee's curricula and just for a moment I think "Gee, maybe I should refer more to the curriculum that I learned over the years," and then I remember I'm doing my level best to give my students the most honest and useful training that I can give, and it may overlap the previous material at various points, and always adheres to central principles of directness and efficiency, but I just have no urge to be a re-creationist. Or to be novel for the sake of being novel either.

As for holding on to labels, it's pretty funny: If I call what I do JKD, certain JKD folks would say "That's not JKD!," and yet if I said "Ok, it's not JKD," they'd say "Whadaya mean, it's obviously JKD!" My roots of training under Dan Inosanto for many years are as clear in my teaching process as the differences are. Those differences evolved naturally through my own exploration of what does and doesn't seem to work for me as well as prioritizing what works when and the cognitive processes that help develop real-time skills.

But as Dan Inosanto has said, that doesn't mean someone can throw things together in whatever way he likes and call it JKD. The four-stage process of "Research your experience; Absorb what is useful; Reject what is useless; Add what is specifically your own," is meant to imply having gone through the JKD curriculum with that process before one could legitimately call what they are doing JKD.

stevegrody.com

 

[punisher73]

The full quotation is indeed as inspirational as it is useful. Sometimes I see someone list Bruce Lee's curricula and just for a moment I think "Gee, maybe I should refer more to the curriculum that I learned over the years," and then I remember I'm doing my level best to give my students the most honest and useful training that I can give, and it may overlap the previous material at various points, and always adheres to central principles of directness and efficiency, but I just have no urge to be a re-creationist. Or to be novel for the sake of being novel either.

As for holding on to labels, it's pretty funny: If I call what I do JKD, certain JKD folks would say "That's not JKD!," and yet if I said "Ok, it's not JKD," they'd say "Whadaya mean, it's obviously JKD!" My roots of training under Dan Inosanto for many years are as clear in my teaching process as the differences are. Those differences evolved naturally through my own exploration of what does and doesn't seem to work for me as well as prioritizing what works when and the cognitive processes that help develop real-time skills.

But as Dan Inosanto has said, that doesn't mean someone can throw things together in whatever way he likes and call it JKD. The four-stage process of "Research your experience; Absorb what is useful; Reject what is useless; Add what is specifically your own," is meant to imply having gone through the JKD curriculum with that process before one could legitimately call what they are doing JKD.

stevegrody.com

That's the part that I don't agree with. What defines JKD? Many people say that it's just a philosophy to fighting or an approach to fighting through it's concepts. I have heard the argument that MMA is JKD because they use that 4 stage process. What if you studied many different arts and worked in a field that required you to use them on a regular basis. You find your own way of what works for you, is it now JKD even if you've never heard of it?

 

[unladylikedefnse]

I agree

I think that most westeners can grasp the essence of that quote more than the "No way as a way" quote.

 

[MAist25]

Wow, truly an awesome quote. And yea, it does call into question schools that claim to teach Jeet Kune Do. As a style it cannot be taught, but as a philosophy it sure can. JKD schools I see usually teach "Jeet Kune Do Concepts" as I have seen it, which makes much more sense to me.