I still remembered the day I first saw ‘The’ Bruce Lee ….in a big screen…when I was in standard II…..the mesmerizing charisma of this legend overwhelmed me so much that it left a life-long impression in m y mind…..like the millions of other Bruce Lee lovers!!! Just his screen presence was so intense…..he didn’t even punched a single punch yet & still started to occupy the space…..such was his personality!! It was “The way of the Dragon” …written, directed & fight choreographed by Bruce himself!! The last fight with the then world karate champ Chuck Norris….is still considered as one of the best martial art scenes ever shot!! Later I also became fan of various martial art actors like Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Mark Dacascos, Jet Lee and many more…..with the latest inclusion of the sensational Panom Yeerum (Tony Jaa)!! You watch them…enjoy them….& forget them…..only as some good martial artists….nothing more!! But when it comes to Bruce…..he is eternal!! He was more than a martial artist…..he was a philosopher….an ambassador….and an eye opener to the whole world!! He single handedly introduced the Chinese martial arts and philosophies to the western world and changed the way they look at the East!! He represented not only china….but the whole of Asia….and showed the world that talent & determination have no racial or regional boundary!! He dared to step into Hollywood with a dream of becoming the first Asian superstar….and to capture the west with something which was then considered as a taboo…something to make fun of….the Chinese martial arts!! It’s a shame that it’s the case still in India…where Akshay Kumar is used as a comedian more than a martial artist…!! It’s more shameful when we find that India was the birthplace of this art…..Kalaripayattu (Kerala) & Varma kalai (Tamil Nadu) are the oldest forms & were considered as the mother of all martial arts!! Chinese kung-fu is believed to be developed from kalari itself…….but still then….in India….it’s considered an intellectual act to make funny comments on martial art & rejecting it as an art form!! Lucky myself….I was allowed to think freely and was taught to keep my mind open…..that I got a chance to respect such extraordinary art forms & philosophies!!
Bruce’s whole life (a short one though) is an inspiration for millions of youth who dreamt of breaking boundaries & redefining popular beliefs!! “All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”…this famous quote by Bruce defines a lot about him and his theories about life……it was a simple theory….’don’t bound yourself in theories’!! “Asians are funny characters….can be used only as comedians”….was the first theory he broke!! Then he kept on breaking several orthodox beliefs…both in West & East!!
He was against the fixed training methods (like katas,blocks, stances, rituals) of the old martial art schools!! He studied almost all the martial art techniques & weapons…..took the jist….and created a new philosophy….”Jeet Kune Do” ….which have no katas or useless trainings without logic!! It is a constantly developing martial art which in simple can be explained as “mixed martial art”….a mixture of some of the best forms like “kung-fu”, “boxing”, “Karate”, “muay-thai”, “jujutshu”, “aIkido” etc…taking the best from each & adding your own!! No wonder Bruce is considered as the “Father of mixed martial art”!! These days MMA tournaments like the UFC flourishes where Bruce’s principle is in practice!! According to Bruce…any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it…so the highest technique is to have no technique!! The more complex the steps are the more difficult is to reach the goal…..so simplify every aspect of your life…to become less decorative & more efficient!!! Like in building a statue, a sculptor doesn't keep adding clay to his subject. Actually, he keeps chiseling away at the inessentials until the truth of its creation is revealed without obstructions. Thus, contrary to other styles, being wise in Jeet Kune-Do doesn't mean adding more; it means to minimize, in other words to hack away the unessential.
It is not daily increase but daily decrease; hack away the unessential.
It’s sad that Bruce never saw his dream coming true…..which was to become a Hollywood superstar instead of having Chinese origin!! He died just before the release of his most successful film which made him immortal in Hollywood & the whole world…it was “Enter The Dragon” ….the first Bruce Lee film (as the lead actor) which was co-produced by a Hollywood studio!! I remember when I saw the movie first time…I was probably in standard III….it was telecasted in the DD-2 channel at the midnight!! After some arguments with my parents…they finally allowed me to watch…& that was an absolute stunner for me!! Later when I grew up…..I have watched it several times….& will watch again in future!! Not because it’s a quality movie….it’s just a very average Hollywood movie….but because of Bruce lee’s presence alone….and the magnetic personality of this legend!!
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