What have you learned from Bruce Lee?

[drop bear]

It was him Al-a Leong!!!!!!!!!

I had to look it up. Thankfully aisian bad guy brought him up.

 

[geezer]

Well no, he is well known because he has taught many students in the fifty years since Bruce Lee passed away and he is a highly respected Sifu in the Chinese community in the San Francisco area. ....I will also note that Sifu Wong actively shunned the spotlight. My Sifu, when he was studying at Sifu Wong’s school, would sometimes suggest doing some things like demonstrations that would promote the school, and Sifu Wong always rejected the ideas.

This is very typical of the attitude of traditional Chinese sifus.

...so, yes, the reason Jack Man Wong is famous, outside of the small, closed-community of traditional Chinese kung fu, is absolutely because of the whole Bruce Lee fan thing.

Over half a century after their sparring match YouTube nerds, who never trained a day of real martial arts in their life, still tell stories about that match and debate the outcome. Yeah, because of Bruce Lee.

One other thing, even though Bruce Lee was best known for the exaggerated and flashy choreographed fights of his movies, rather than JKD or other contributions to actual MA training, even that stuff provided a positive counter-balance to the mystical mumbo jumbo of David Carradine playing Quai Chang Caine in the Kung Fu TV series. Or should that really be Caine Quaichang?

FWIW The silly Kung Fu TV show as well as Bruce Lee's movies both really caught my interest as a teenager, pretty much like the ninja craze fascinated kids a decade or so later. I'm just glad that when I outgrew that martial art fantasy world, I found my way into valid martial disciplines.

 

[Flying Crane]

This is very typical of the attitude of traditional Chinese sifus.

...so, yes, the reason Jack Man Wong is famous, outside of the small, closed-community of traditional Chinese kung fu, is absolutely because of the whole Bruce Lee fan thing.

Except that, as I said, more often than not when I mention it to people they have no idea what I’m talking about. I would say that outside the world of traditional Chinese martial arts, he isn't famous at all. The people who might have a reason to be interested in him, those who are interested in traditional Chinese martial arts, may know who he is. He definitely has street cred in that population.

 

[geezer]

I would say that outside the world of traditional Chinese martial arts....

What? .....There's a world outside traditional Chinese martial arts!?!? What ARE you talking about?

 

[Xue Sheng]

What? .....There's a world outside traditional Chinese martial arts!?!? What ARE you talking about?

Ignore him, that’s just crazy talk, he’s just messing with you, he know no such world exists

 

[Taiji Rebel]

Bruce Lee had a number of good points to express. Karate folk were pretty static and unrealistic. Training with people from various fighting arts is useful. Owning a large library is worthwhile, but only if you know how to read.

Chasing the American dream was not the brightest idea

It seems many martial artists still dislike him to this day, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn many started their journey in the MA because of him.

A lot of money is still being made using his name/image and he inspired a great deal of people outside of the world of MA.

Biggest takeaway - the mirror of Wing Chun is still being polished

 

[Taiji Rebel]

He said a lot of things that others had said before him.

This book, and author will be of interest to the Bruce Lee fans out there:

Home - Who Wrote the Tao?

Who Wrote the Tao? In 1975, two years after the death of Bruce Lee, the Tao of Jeet Kune Do was released to a public eager to digest Bruce Lee’s martial arts wisdom. A runaway success, the book quickly became the primary textual resource for Lee’s martial art. But, almost immediately, claims...

www.whowrotethetao.com

 

[frank raud]

Timing is interesting, Thursday night I was given 10 Jkd books, with many of them signed by Inosanto, Tackett, etc. Gots some reading to do!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

Bruce Lee is a big name in the martial arts industry. This year will be the 50th anniversary of his death. His impact on the martial arts and movie industry is undeniable. Every year his image and articles are features in the martial arts magazines. A lot of people worship at the man, and many are inspired by his journey and the challenges he overcame.

What lessons you have learned from studying Bruce Lee?

I don't study Bruce Lee. I acknowledge his contributions as well as his charisma. He is attributed with many sayings, some of which resonate with me. I have nothing negative to say. I just don't worship the man.

 

[frank raud]

Timing is interesting, Thursday night I was given 10 Jkd books, with many of them signed by Inosanto, Tackett, etc. Gots some reading to do!

 

[Taiji Rebel]

What a fantastic collection of books to be gifted You are very lucky indeed, some of those books are sought after!

It is cool to see how Bruce Lee has inspired people in so many walks of life - here's a link to a cartoonist who counts the 'Liberate Yourself' article as a foundational component of his own philosophy

Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate by Bruce Lee

"Outside." I'm posting this masterpiece essay by Bruce Lee—that is a foundational component of my own personal philosophy—as a reference...

www.mrasheed.com

p.s Bruce Lee seems to be a contentious character in the martial arts world - I have no idea why, but it just seems to be this way

 

[Motokahn]

Bruce Lee is a big name in the martial arts industry. This year will be the 50th anniversary of his death. His impact on the martial arts and movie industry is undeniable. Every year his image and articles are features in the martial arts magazines. A lot of people worship at the man, and many are inspired by his journey and the challenges he overcame.

What lessons you have learned from studying Bruce Lee?

Humor in life

 

[isshinryuronin]

...so, yes, the reason Jack Man Wong is famous, outside of the small, closed-community of traditional Chinese kung fu, is absolutely because of the whole Bruce Lee fan thing.

Also true for Inosanto. I think without his association with Lee, FMA would have remained relatively unknown (even more so than now, outside of the MA world) for two or three decades longer, at least.

 

[Instructor]

I learned that a loose tight punch is faster than a tight tight punch and more powerful than a loose loose punch. I learned that a soft interception or deflection is more useful than a hard block. Thank you Bruce Lee!

 

[Fungus]

I maybe wouldn't say Brue Lee "taught me" anything, but he inspired and he is a symbol... as with other symbols, their value goes beyond their actual existence.

And things that are common sense. For example: "Absorb what is useful, discard what is not. Add what is uniquely your own."

This is a concept that even a small child understands without being told. When you thought about having your own family when you grew up, you used this very concept in deciding how you were going to parent your children, while using your own parents as a reference point.

It may seem like simple and trivial statement. but adding his JKD philosophy, I interpret it to mean not only that we are all "free" to ignore what we do not like, and make our own choices and fight as we wish.. but we are actively encouraged to do this in order to find your own ultimate fighting potential. Without this, we will fail. This makes sense has everyone has natural streghts and weaknesses, which may be very different than our "parents" or style founders.

Our instructors often say, our bodies are different so not everyone can do the techniques as per the style standards, but it it towards what we strive. And that makes sense if your goal is a high rank in a style.

I happen train at a kyokushin club, but my goal is not to become a highly ranked kyokshin karateka per see. My goal is to learn techniques and tricks, and then find out how to make use of them in the best way for me. If that means breaking the style, or adding somethin that is "no-no in kyokushin", I don't care. it's now something that I will bring up in a grading situation, but it's how it is nevertheless.

In addition to that, I love bruce Lee's step skipping power side/back kick Obviously others made it as well, but his movie version is the "reference" stuck in my head. No matter how many instructors that show it to me, when I practice, I picture Bruce Lee's version. So he is a "symbol".

 

[Bujingodai]

Gen X here. I can say Bruce Lee inspired a lot of backyard scraps with my friends and then maybe some training in the future. Some of his ideas, or ideas that he promoted whether they come from somewhere else. He had the fame to spread the word. So it is what it is. Good to see a little guy pound down some people. Pretty bad movies when you watch them as an adult.
I don't know if any celeb martial artist taught me anything. Maybe inspired a little. My ex wives fist inspired me the most.

 

[Steve]

I don't think I've learned anything from Bruce Lee, but I sure did enjoy his movies when I was a kid. But not as much as I enjoyed Kung Fu Theater on the USA Network.

 

[MuayJitsu]

Nothing. I watched his movies once never felt the need to watch them again. Watched a few documentaries about him when they were on. Cool story about his life etc but I never felt the need to look at what he was saying as he never trained in my style so I just never felt I needed to analyse and study what he had to say

 

[Taiji Rebel]

Mr. Lee's exploits inspired a lot of folk to take up martial arts. It was his study of various arts, styles and philosophies which inspired me a lot as a child. It is true that there are quite a number who place him on a pedestal, some even take it to a level of worshiping the man. This happens a lot in life and there are many martial artists who are infallible in the eyes of their disciples - Morihei Ueshiba being one obvious example.

Miyamato Musashi was another old timer who believed in learning from observing and studying different arts and professions, but also reminded us that the way is in training. Bruce Lee's writings are just another insight into the thinking of one who decided to go beyond styles and traditions in search of their own truth and understanding.

Those who promote free-thinking and questioning, rather than blindly following traditions are worthy of further investigation, yet I am sure there are many here among us who will disagree

 

[Gaucho]

Speak kindly of the dead.

Sorry, this is the internet.