Great ideas from the great books bruce lee had a giant library and read voraciously. In the vein of bruce lees famous be water, my friend speech as referenced by tom brady. Bruces father, lee hoichuen, was han chinese, and his mother, grace. Having been deeply influenced by the philosophy of taoism especially by the teachings of the semilegendary chinese sage lao tzu bruce lee likened the person who has learned to embrace change to water. He finds the answer not from the varying selfhelp books he had read, but from the 2600 year old classic text, the tao te ching, particularly the poem of chinese philosopher lao tzu describing the nature of water.
Bruce lee workouts and how to have amazing strength part two when people do bruce lee workouts of some sort they have no idea what they are getting into. Aug 05, 2019 t he legend that shannon lee grew up with goes like this. A statue of bruce lee was placed in mostar, bosnia because he was something that all ethnicities liked and could agree on. He was also a philosopher, an author, a poet, and a teacher of martial arts. Though his philosophies are numerous, there are several that are core to his outlook on life and martial arts. Bruce lees metaphor of water sums up a philosophy for life. Bruce lees application of taoist philosophy in jeet kune. See all books authored by bruce lee, including tao of jeet kune do, and striking thoughts. Numerous phrases sound familiar and many of them, as we know for certain. Bruce lee could flow like water and spin nunchucks like nobodys business. Bruce lee books, hong kong movie, kung fu, martial, bing images. Bruce lee already explains this a bit in the full quote. With his crazy kicks and lightningfast speed, the man went became a star in just a few years.
He read on 100s of topics, some of which are mentioned in his various personal notes that are published and that you can buy on amazon etc and see for yourself. Like many influential and innovative thinkers, the bulk of bruce lees education was attained through his voracious reading and his dedication to a lifestyle of selflearning. Bruce lee master your life with martial mind power. According to bruce lee, life is in constant change, and unless we learn to adapt to it, were bound to experience tremendous resistance that will entrap us in a state of suffering. Practical wisdom from the martial arts by cardilloj isbn. Oct 11, 2014 both lao tze and bruce lee took water as the ultimate metaphor for that which is flexible and soft. Bruce lee was born on november 27, 1940, in the chinese hospital in chinatown, san francisco. It is my favourite philosopher bruce lee who said it first be like water. With a foreword by linda lee cadwell and photographs and other memorabilia from bruce lees short but celebrated life, the warrior within is an engrossing and easytounderstand guide to the littleexplored world of bruce lee. I have put this bit of research bruce lee wrote here because it really is a unique piece of writing. Be water, my friend bruce lee moving people to action. The more we value things, the less we value ourselves. Bruce lee had a giant library and read voraciously. Bruce lees philosophies have inspired millions of people the world over.
In my mind, to be really good at anything, you have to be like water and i think bruce lee totally perfected that quality. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. T he legend that shannon lee grew up with goes like this. The fight ensued, it was a noholdsbarred fight, it took three minutes. A fascinating and helpful book for everyone trying to make sense of our crazy world. If you liked this post you might also like sun tzus 5 factors for victory and 5 attributes of. The author takes some of the philosophy you may have heard and read before into some practical exercises for grounding yourself and going. To be like water is not of the body, but of the mind. Bruce lees daughter on resurrecting his lost tv epic. Be like water and be fluid in attitude as well as movement.
They see the movies, they read the books, but they dont know what bruce lee was really capable of. Bruce lees application of taoist philosophy in jeet kune do. Be like water is an interesting self help and practical read awakening the deeper and inner you. Voted as one of the most influential people of the 20th century by time magazine, bruce lee was an actor, teacher, father, and philosopher. In one of them, he delivered his most oftcited metaphor for the philosophy of gung fu, based on the chinese concept of wu wei. In 1971, at the peak of his career, lee starred in four episodes of the shortlived tv series longstreet. Bruce got this guy down to the ground and said do you give up.
At 32 his personal library contained over 2,500 books. He is widely considered by commentators, critics, media and. Lee and his parents returned to hong kong when he was three months old. Collection of most awesome images about bruce lee and his philosophy.
Ive discovered the less i force things to happen, and the more accepting and calm about my lifes direction i am, the. According to bruce lee, linda lee cadwell, and james yimm lee, the fight lasted 3 minutes with a decisive victory for lee. Bruce lees daughter shares her fathers philosophy of. In order to control myself i must first accept myself. Sep 21, 2016 like water put water into a cup becomes the cup put water into a teapot becomes the teapot water can flow or creep or drip or crash be water my friend p. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. He edited a threevolume series for the bruce lee estate and has written articles for several publications, including mens fitness, official karate, and inside kung fu. May 28, 2017 the mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes, and even ordinary thought itself. Bruce lee water needs the rifts, the ripples and the waves so that it keeps flowing. He had won the hong kong chacha championship in 1958. Instead of battling against the current, fighting what was and trying to go back to what has passed, instead of resisting what is, or trying to rush ahead, towards what might bebe like water. The philosophy and origin of bruce lees famous metaphor for resilience. With a foreword by linda lee cadwell and photographs and other memorabilia from bruce lee s short but celebrated life, the warrior within is an engrossing and easytounderstand guide to the littleexplored world of bruce lee. Two he enjoyed and read in philosophy were alan watts.
These are just a few philosophical ideas that bruce lee expressed in his films, books and other television appearances, but that went unnoticed by. The original quote from bruce lee is empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water. Jul 15, 2019 bruce lee could flow like water and spin nunchucks like nobodys business. Top 20 most inspiring bruce lee quotes to combat selfdoubt.
Bruce lee bruce was really a pragmatist, which is a philosophical movement stemming from the likes of william james among others, who stated that the truth was simply that which works. Bruce lee named his style of nostyle jeet kune do, but knew as well that to put anything in words is to take away from its immediacy. He was a diligent journaler and made copious notes on his thoughts and ideas on how to live life to its fullest as well as on his martial expression. The film, which was one of the first american movies to feature a chinese actor as the central character, has since been recognised by the library of congress as a work of great cultural, aesthetic and historical. Bruce lee maintains that in order to fulfil your true potential and express yourself honestly you should become like water, formless. This bruce lee book details each important phase of lees life. A calm mind means balance between love and fears or emotional state of mind. In 1971, when her father bruce lee was at the height of his hollywood kung fu fame, he tried to develop a tv show called the warrior. Feb 12, 2017 bruce lee main philosophy was the train you mind to remain focus and calm. Artist of life public library the trove of wisdom that gave us lee on selfactualization and the origin of his famous metaphor for. Selfknowledge and personal expression lee said all types of knowledge ultimately mean self. He realized that life is all about choices, just like combat. It reveals bruce lee research into not just the martial arts, but the philosophy behind the martial arts. Bruce lee also lived his philosophies believing that philosophies are meant to be applied not just pondered.
I loved the philosophy behind this clear like water, beautiful book. Bruce lee 27 november 1940 20 july 1973 was a hong kong american martial artist and actor who is widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of. Frustrated by his inability to master the art of detachment, bruce lee spent a week in meditation. The philosophy and origin of bruce lee s famous metaphor for resilience in order to control myself i must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature. Its a good idea to reference this book whenever a jolt of positive energy is needed. Be like water, has become extremely meaningful to me, especially lately. Reading this book is like an excursion through wellknown terrain. Both lao tze and bruce lee took water as the ultimate metaphor for that which is flexible and soft. Among his many contributions in the field of martial arts, what stands out the most is his famous quote on being like water. The mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes, and even ordinary thought itself. Bruce lees top 20 tips for being successful in life and business. More importantly, his movies bridged the cultural divide between the east and the west during a time when the world was not yet open to ethnic equality.
Bruce lee was a famous martial artist, actor, and philosopher who was born on november 27th, 1940 in chinatown, san francisco. To be like water means to be an objective observant, relaxed and to be flowing with life to be one with the tao. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. According to the chinese zodiac, lee was born in both the hour and the year of the dragon, which according to tradition is a strong and fortuitous omen. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. But in a twist of fate, bruce lee didnt live to see his big moment. If you love life, dont waste time, for time is what life is made up of. Lee was raised in hong kong, but returned to the united states for college where he studied philosophy at the university of washington. In fact, philosophy was so essential to bruces life that he went on strike for two weeks when producers temporarily cut most of the philosophical dialogue from enter the dragon. In the vein of bruce lees famous be water, my friend speech as ref. He would annotate his books, and its evident that these books helped influence his philosophies and approach to living life. Selfknowledge and personal expression lee said all types of knowledge ultimately mean selfknowledge.
Bruce lee was heavily influenced by chinese philosophy, and he was particularly fond of the work of people like alan watts who brought a lot of eastern values and ideas to. What did bruce lee mean by his saying be like water. You might want to read the book the rise of superman. Bruce lees wisdom for daily living the bruce lee library, and more on. November 27, 1940 july 20, 1973 was a hong kong american martial artist, hong kong action film actor, martial arts instructor, filmmaker, and the founder of jeet kune do. May 29, 20 in 1971, at the peak of his career, lee starred in four episodes of the shortlived tv series longstreet. One of the most common quotes from bruce was the be water, my friend, using no way as a way, this is the philosophy of jeet kune do. Thanks, i hardly knew bruce, and now i feel that i know more about him. Little is uniquely suited to the task of relating the philosophy of bruce lee and his approach to life. Lee was the son of cantonese opera star lee hoichuen. John little has been identified as one of the foremost authorities on bruce lee in the world by black belt magazine. We think its important to share these books because they help illuminate the process of bruce lee becoming himself and ho. Top 20 most inspiring bruce lee quotes to combat self.
Aug 26, 2016 in this excerpt from a recent episode of the altogether wonderful bruce lee podcast, cohosted by lees daughter, shannon lee reads her fathers philosophy of learning, originally published in bruce lee. Lee founded the system on july 9, 1967, referring to it as nonclassical, suggesting that it is a. If you liked this post you might also like sun tzus 5 factors for victory and 5 attributes of a leader and there are no answers, just stories. Feb 12, 2019 these are just a few philosophical ideas that bruce lee expressed in his films, books and other television appearances, but that went unnoticed by many people. Lifes battles dont always go to the stronger or faster man. In this excerpt from a recent episode of the altogether wonderful bruce lee podcast, cohosted by lees daughter, shannon lee reads her fathers philosophy of learning, originally published in bruce lee. Nov 28, 2017 bruce lee was heavily influenced by chinese philosophy, and he was particularly fond of the work of people like alan watts who brought a lot of eastern values and ideas to the west. Hong kong protesters, inspired by the late great martial. The overarching philosophy behind blackshirt actions is be water, two words lifted from bruce lees idea of how to overcome what may seem like insurmountable fear. He brought martial arts to the worlds attention like nobody else could.
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