Voted as one of the most influential people of the 20th century by time magazine, bruce lee was an actor, teacher, father, and philosopher. Mo shi tung as a child read in the book what it means. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Bruce lee was an americanborn martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the jeet kune do martial arts system, widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the 20th century and a cultural icon. Bruce lee s philosophies have inspired millions of people the world over.
Selfknowledge and personal expression lee said all types of knowledge ultimately mean selfknowledge. Bruce lee quotes author of tao of jeet kune do goodreads. He lived from november 27, 1940, until july 20, 1973, and left a memorable legacy. In hong kong, martial arts were as popular as baseball was in the united states. Be water, my friend is a story of bruce lees childhood years, from birth to. I think they enjoyed all of us reading it, passing it around and talking about it. Tao of jeet kune do is a book expressing bruce lees martial arts philosophy and viewpoints. 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. 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. I loved the philosophy behind this clear like water, beautiful book. He would annotate his books, and its evident that these books helped influence his philosophies and approach to living life. Lee was the son of cantonese opera star lee hoichuen.
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. Bruce lees wisdom for daily living the bruce lee library, and more on. From the study of his book, the tao of jeet kune do, we can divide this idea of the art of dying into three points. Before bruce lee became an international film star he was a boy growing up in hong in the 1940s and 1950s who loved to read, play practical jokes, and get into trouble on the street. Partiality, fluidity, emptiness, and the core symbol for jeet kune do. Lee was raised in hong kong, but returned to the united states for college where he studied philosophy at the university of washington. The project for this book began in 1970 when bruce lee suffered a back injury during one of his practice sessions. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. Due to limited information about lees earliest years, some events in the book are extensions of the.
When he left hong kong in 1959, lee adapted wing chun into his own version, jun fan gung fu literal translation. 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. Master lee has left echos of his message that is like water. Up to this day he is considered as a legend and his philosophy continues to live through the martial art that he created. How bruce lees daughter is sharing his philosophies with. Bruce lee was born in chinatown, san francisco on wednesday, 27 november 1940. You put water in a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water in a teapot. Bruce lee was a martial artist, film director, producer, screenwriter, philosopher and actor. Bruce studied martial arts under the watchful eye of yip man, the best martial arts master in hong kong. Here are 33 philosophical quotes from bruce lee one for each year of his life and how they can be applied to your screenwriting journey.
Bruce lee in order to figure out the meaning of this, i suppose we should first discuss the extraordinary attributes of water. In the vein of bruce lees famous be water, my friend speech as referenced by tom brady. The concept of adaptability as a fighter and in life was central to bruce lees philosophy and martial way. Bruce lees philosophies have inspired millions of people the world over.
Bruce lee had a giant library and read voraciously. She says its from 1968, the year her martial arts superstar father fully transformed into. The project for this book began in 1970 when bruce lee suffered a back injury. In the 20th century, as a result of his movies, approach, and charisma, he became an icon. I have put this bit of research bruce lee wrote here because it really is a unique piece of writing.
If i tell you im good, you would probably think im boasting, if i tell you im no good, you know im lying. Bruce lee already explains this a bit in the full quote. Bruce lee by bruce lee meet your next favorite book. Its not about following in someone elses footsteps or trying to be somebody youre not. Bruce lees daughter, shannon lee, is holding open a tiny, leatherbound planner for me to take a photo. Bruce lee master your life with martial mind power. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. I was fascinated by bruce lee as a kid and even moreso once i moved to the seattle region in my mid 20s. Among his many contributions in the field of martial arts, what stands out the most is his famous quote on being like water. Although he was an actor from the age of three months onward, his initially gained popularity for his role in the green hornet. In one of them, he delivered his most oftcited metaphor for the philosophy of gung fu, based on the chinese concept of wu wei. Bruce lee water needs the rifts, the ripples and the waves so that it keeps flowing. We will read many more bruce lee biographystyle books.
Bruce lee when asked if he thought of himself as chinese or american. Water is flexible, its everywhere, and its lifesustaining. If one loves, one need not have an ideology of love. As a young kid he was acting in a couple of movies and at the age of he began studying martial arts and training wing chun under the legendary teacher yip man. The original founder of a style started out with hypothesis. Bruce lee was a famous martial artist, actor, and philosopher who was born on november 27th, 1940 in chinatown, san francisco. What did bruce lee mean by his saying be like water. He believed that a great fighter must be ready to adapt to whatever situation he faces, to flow like water around and through an opponent.
Bruce lees metaphor of water sums up a philosophy for life. Bruce lee also lived his philosophies believing that philosophies are meant to be applied not just pondered. Tao of jeet kune do is a book expressing bruce lees martial arts philosophy and viewpoints, published posthumously after bruce lees death in 1973. Bruce lee is widely considered to be one of the most influential martial artists of the last century.
Its about unleashing your best version of yourself. 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. I am too having to be fluid and find my new way due to nerve damage. This book wasnt written very exciting, but nonetheless, my children enjoyed it. Pages public figure bruce lee quotes daily videos be water, my friend. Bruce lee wisdom for the way by bruce lee, paperback. This book contains lee s personal thoughts and poems relating to philosophy, life, and the art of gung fu. It can be repetitive at times certain passages are listed multiple times to show the work it took to get to the final version. 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. During this time he could not train in martial arts.
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. Bruce lee, born as lee jun fan on november 27, 1940 in san francisco, california in the hour and the year of the dragon, is a wellknown actor and martial artist. When he recommends, be water, my friend, it means that you can never stay in the same situation. Top 20 most inspiring bruce lee quotes to combat self. 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. Bruce lee was born on november 27, 1940, in the chinese hospital in chinatown, san francisco. In 1965, bruce appears in a screen test for his eventual role as kato in the green hornet. Bruce lee was an hong kong and american actor born in chinatown, san francisco, but was raised in kowloon, hong kong.
He is widely considered by commentators, critics, media and. Bruce had his friend george lee construct 4 plaques that showed the stages of a mans cultivation. 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. Bruce lee was a philosophy major in college, so it makes sense that he was in. Bruces father, lee hoichuen, was han chinese, and his mother, grace. In 1971, at the peak of his career, lee starred in four episodes of the shortlived tv series longstreet. Bruce lee remix be water my friend 2 minutes youtube video with bruce lee martial arts, jeet kune do jkd, fighting.
Though recorded in 1971, the interview of bruce lee is insightful and appropriate for. These famous bruce lee quotes come from a man who was a martial artist, philosopher, actor, and filmmaker. 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 mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes, and even ordinary thought itself. There are different takes on what he could have meant.
This bruce lee book details each important phase of lees life. If you liked this post you might also like sun tzus 5 factors for victory and 5 attributes of. He was ordered by his doctors to wear a back brace for 6 months in order to. It reveals bruce lee research into not just the martial arts, but the philosophy behind the martial arts. John little has been identified as one of the foremost authorities on bruce lee in the world by black belt magazine. 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. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. Through his life he acted in various movies and tv shows but his real pop icon fame came at his early 30s through the production of his martial art. 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. Bruce lee quotes and words of wisdom the world of english. See all books authored by bruce lee, including tao of jeet kune do, and striking thoughts. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water.
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