Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a martial arts master, actor, and philosopher. Born in San Francisco, he trained in martial arts in Hong Kong beginning at age 13 and later became a true world-wide icon. Lee’s martial arts philosophy incorporated elements from many different styles and he was reluctant to stick to only one discipline. He took what he felt was the best of various disciplines and created his own called Jeet Kune Do, which emphasized simplicity and practicality. He spent time teaching martial arts as well as competing in international competitions.
Lee became an actor known to American audiences via his role in the 1966/1967 show The Green Hornet. He later helped set the standard for martial arts movies with classics such as Fist of Fury (1972), The Way of the Dragon (1972), and Enter the Dragon (1973). Enter the Dragon is estimated to have made $400 million worldwide ($2 billion adjusted for inflation in 2022 dollars). Lee became an international star on the rise before his untimely death. He inspired millions to take an interest in martial arts and influenced many famous fighters, actors and filmmakers such as Jackie Chan, Quentin Tarantino, John Woo, Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva, and Manny Pacquiao to name just a few.
Lee wrote extensively and is considered a modern philosopher by many. He strongly believed in the continuous pursuit of personal growth and improvement. He is famous for saying, “be water,” as in be adaptable, formless, and adjust to your circumstances as needed – don’t conform to one rigid ideology or worldview. He focused on discipline, perseverance, and a positive mental mindset. He was a prolific writer and teacher, publishing many works himself, but there are also many compilations of his unofficial teachings through letters, speeches, and other publicly available information.
Lee tragically died at age 32 from health complications, but he had a profound impact on the world during his short life. He is considered the most influential martial artist of all time and helped bridge the racial and cultural gap between the Western and Eastern countries. He left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire people today from all walks of life.
Bruce Lee Quotes
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
“Knowing is not enough – we must apply. Willing is not enough – we must do.”
“True refinement seeks simplicity.”
“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
“For it is easy to criticize and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.”
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.”
“The doubters said, ‘Man can not fly.’ The doers said, ‘Maybe, but we’ll try,’ and finally soared in the morning glow while non-believers watched from below.”
“Choose the positive. You have a choice, you are master of your attitude, choose the positive, the constructive. Optimism is a faith that leads to success.”
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done. Make at least one definite move daily toward your goal.”
“Life is wide, limitless. There is no border, no frontier.”
“If you always put limits on what you can do, physical or anything else, it’ll spread over into the rest of your life. It’ll spread into your work, into your morality, into your entire being. There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level.”
“Do not allow negative thoughts to enter your mind for they are weeds that strangle confidence.”
“Be happy, but never satisfied.”
“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.”
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
Bruce Lee Books
“The Warrior Within : The Philosophies of Bruce Lee” – by John R. Little
“Be Water, My Friend” – by Shannon Lee
“Bruce Lee ― Wisdom for the Way” – by Bruce Lee
“Bruce Lee: A Life” – by Matthew Polly
“Bruce Lee Letters of the Dragon: The Original 1958-1973 Correspondence” – by Bruce Lee, edited by John Little
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