“To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Do not pray for an easy life. Pray for a difficult on with the strength to endure it.”
―
Bruce Lee
“The idea is that flowing water never goes stale, so just keep on flowing.”
―
Bruce Lee
“The primary reality is not what I think, but that I live, for those also live who do not think. Although this living may not be a real living. God! What contradictions when we seek to join in wedlock life and reason!”
―
Bruce Lee
“What you must not do now is to worry and think of the Nationals that is now of the past. What you HABITUALLY THINK largely determines what you will become. Remember, success is a journey, not a destination. I have faith in your ability. You will do just fine.”
―
Bruce Lee
“When the opponent expand, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And, when there is an opportunity, I do not hit - it hits all by itself.”
―
Bruce Lee
“...we have more faith in what we imitate than in what we originate. We cannot derive a sense of absolute certitude from anything which has its roots in us. The most poignant sense of insecurity comes from standing alone and we are not alone when we imitate. It is thus with most of us; we are what other people say we are. We know ourselves chiefly by hearsay.”
―
Bruce Lee
“The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominating thought habits.”
―
Bruce Lee
“The ideal is unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness. I mean it is a combination of both.
I mean here is natural instinct and here is control. You are to combine the two in harmony.
Not if you have one to the extreme, you'll be very unscientific.
If you have another to the extreme, you become, all of a sudden, a mechanical man
No longer a human being.
It is a successful combination of both.
That way it is a process of continuing growth.
Be water, my friend.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Everything you do, if not in a relaxed state will be done at a lesser level than you are proficient. Thus the tensed expert marksman will aim at a level less than his/her student.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Because one does not want to be disturbed, to be made uncertain, he establishes a pattern of conduct, of thought, a pattern of relationship to man etc. Then he becomes a slave to the patter and takes the pattern to be the real thing.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Goals give life substance. - To strive actively to achieve some goal gives your life meaning and substance.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Only the self-sufficient stand alone - most people follow the crowd and imitate.”
―
Bruce Lee
“Showing off is the fool's idea of glory.”
―
Bruce Lee
