| Despite being dead for over thirty years the | | | | development of the individual for participation." |
| name Bruce Lee remains synonymous with | | | | While techniques are very important you shouldn't |
| perfection in martial arts. While the great martial | | | | neglect your physical fitness training. Even when |
| artist may have gotten it "right," is his message | | | | you're the best there is no replacement for hard |
| lost by those who succeeded him? | | | | work, and because Lee was willing to sacrifice and |
| In the martial arts world you will find references | | | | work hard Bruce Lee became the best. |
| to Bruce Lee everywhere, from people are | | | | Though known for his physical prowess Lee also |
| quoting him to teaching his style, Bruce Lee has | | | | spent a large portion of his time building up his |
| become part of the martial arts culture forever. | | | | mind. He earned a degree in philosophy at the |
| But despite being so well known, few really | | | | University of Washington, and his personal library |
| understand his ideas, and often incorrectly apply | | | | contained over a thousand books and one student |
| his teachings. Bruce Lee was a man who knew | | | | and friend said that Lee had read them all. |
| that combat martial arts should be kept simple | | | | Through his studies and workouts Lee began to |
| and effective. He also was a mixed martial artist | | | | realize martial arts were being taught incorrectly. |
| who saw value in all styles, and didn't regard one | | | | Sport martial arts and pointless traditions were |
| being superior to another. Even though Bruce Lee | | | | destroying the combat power of many martial |
| tried to make martial arts less complicated and | | | | arts. |
| mysterious, since his death the martial arts world | | | | Lee called his philosophy Jeet Kune Do which |
| has never been more divided and confused. | | | | means "Way of the Intercepting Fist," and made |
| Like many young men Lee began learning martial | | | | it very clear that it was not a new style of |
| arts from his father and others in his community | | | | martial arts. He wanted practitioners of different |
| in Hong Kong. He first learned Kung Fu, but before | | | | martial arts to exchange ideas and train together, |
| leaving home, he would also become highly | | | | and not get caught up in proving whose martial |
| proficient in western boxing and fencing. Unlike | | | | art was "better." He felt that by learning only one |
| many martial artists, Lee was an experienced | | | | style a student would be bound to it and that |
| street fighter, and learned early on that what | | | | would limit them as a warrior. Jeet Kune Do isn't a |
| works in the martial arts school doesn't | | | | martial art, but a way to make your martial arts |
| necessarily work in real combat. Once in America | | | | style better. |
| he trained with martial artists who practiced many | | | | Since the great warrior-philosopher's death there |
| different styles including Judo, Jujutsu, and | | | | has been much debate about the right way to |
| Greco-Roman wrestling. | | | | teach Jeet Kune Do, and who Lee wanted to |
| Lee wasn't satisfied with traditional martial arts | | | | carry on his work. Jeet Kune Do is a philosophy |
| work outs and believed in total fitness workout | | | | to be learned, not a style of martial arts and Lee |
| that included muscular strength, muscular | | | | made it clear that he never wanted Jeet Kune Do |
| endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility | | | | to have an organizational structure or a syllabus |
| workouts. He would run and bike many miles | | | | of set moves. Lee wanted martial artists to work |
| every day. He even did bodybuilding workouts | | | | together, but instead now they fight for control |
| with and without weights. Lee's training wasn't | | | | of his legacy. |
| limited to physical aspect of martial arts. He also | | | | If you ever meet someone who says they teach |
| committed himself to a healthy natural diet, and | | | | Jeet Kune Do as a style don't assume they know |
| was a heavy advocate of dietary supplements. | | | | what they are talking about. Before his death Lee |
| He believed that with mental, physical and spiritual | | | | said, "Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a |
| preparation he could achieve more as both a | | | | mirror in which to see ourselves," and as martial |
| martial artist and a human being. | | | | artists we must continue to work to make martial |
| There most important element of Bruce Lee's | | | | arts more direct and simplistic. If you really want |
| training was him. He never stopped pushing | | | | to be more like Bruce Lee, don't limit yourself to |
| himself. Every day was a day to improve himself | | | | one style, continually train your mind and body, |
| and ever day he pushed himself harder. In his | | | | and don't worry about doing what is "right," do |
| book The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote | | | | what works in combat. Bruce Lee cut through the |
| "Training is one of the most neglected phases of | | | | bull, so we all could be better martial artists, and |
| athletics. Too much time is given to the | | | | the best way we can pay tribute to him to live |
| development of skill and too little to the | | | | his philosophy not be caught up in tradition. |