Water ????

[Iwant2BaDragon]

Hi, Im pretty new 2 karate, taking my 7th kyu next week. Anyway, Iv been watching lots of movies with martial arts in them and read lots about the masters and Bruce Lee's most famous quote tells me to be water and adapt, I dont understand this ... any1 help ??? Also any gud films i shud watch ???

 

[KUGB_Chris1985]

hello Ms. Dragon.n and welcome to the forum

 

i think that Bruce Lee means that water can take many forms and fill any object but it is still water, and water can adapt to any container you put it in and it will fill it and make use of the space.

 

if that makes any scence???

 

hope that helps ya

 

anyone else got different views???

 

Oss.

 

 

[iamrushman]

just to add:

 

water is very powerful; such as ocean waves, waterfalls, and creates electricity when harnessed, it wears down mountains and shapes the land. but; however, it can run smooth, still, deep and always takes the path of least resistance.

 

just rushman's humble opinion.......

 

 

[taezee]

alot of interpitations can be made by bruces "be like water" what he was explaining was what happens when you become close minded or not willing to expand on what you are thaught or to learn only traditional styles of martial arts and not adapting to modern fighting..this is to become solidified or caught up in your own habits or ways and not being willing to change(kata or forms for example).....whereas to remain liquid or to be water is to be openminded..adapting not being committed to one thing "if it is poured into a cup..it becomes the cup..if it is poured into a teapot it becomes the teapot" open to learning new things although they may not be orthdox..flowing in knowledge "if water remains still it will become stagnat..water must flow!!" to keep learning to not be satisfied or fooled that all one has learned is sufficent to do this is to become stagnat

 

 

[Jiggy9]

I think the best way to answer the question is to take an extract from the words of Big Bruce himself ! :

 

-=-=-

 

'Artist Of Life' - Bruce Lee (edited by John Little)

 

Chapter - Gung Fu pg9

 

The natural phenomenon which the gung fu man sees as being closes resemblance to wu wei (Wu means not or non, and wei means action, doing, striving, strainin or busnyess - i.e wu wei doesnt really mean doing nothing but letting one's mind alone and trusting it to work by itself....During sparring, a gung fu man learns to forget about himself and follow the movement of his opponen, leaving his mind free to make its own countermovement without any interfereing deliberation.) is Water.

 

Nothing is weaker than water

 

But when it attacks something hard

 

Or resistanc, then nothing withstands it

 

And nothing will alter its way.

 

The above passages from Tao Te Ching illustrate to us the nature of water. Water is so fine that it is impossible to grasp a handful of it; strike it, yet it does not suffer hurt; stab it and it is not wounded; sever it, yet it is non divided. It has no shape of its own but moulds itstelf to the receptacle that contains it. When heeated to the state of steam it is invisible but has enough power to split the earth itself. When frozen it crystallizes into a mighty rock. First it is turbulent like Niagra Falls, and then calm like a still pond, fearful like a torrent, and refreshing like a spring on a hot summer's day.

 

Chapter - A moment of Understanding pg 17

 

Suddenlt a bird flew by and cat it's reflection on the water. Right then as i was absorbing myself with the lesson of the water, another mystic sense of hidden meaning revealed itself to me; should not the thoughts and emotions I had when in front of an opponent pass like the reflection of the bird flying over the water? This is exactly what professor Yip meant by being detached - Not being without emotion of feeling, but being one in whom feeling was not sticky nor blocked. Therefore in order to control myself I must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature....

 

-=-=-

 

Those were just a few extracts from his book, there are other relevant ones but i suggest you read the book yourself. Hope you find this helpful.

 

As for movies - watch Memento; I thought it was really cool. Has absolutely nothing to do with martial arts but hey!

 

 

[SaiFightsMS]

It is possible to encounter things in the maritial arts and eastern philosophy that are designed to make you think. To make you think in new ways. To open up a receptiveness to new learning and new concepts. Sounds like you have found your first experience.

 

What seems to you lilke the ideal answer one day will seem a bit shallow down the road. We should never stop learning.

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i quote from the great martial arts master - Bruce Lee

 

"if water fills a cup it becomes the cup

 

if water fills a bottle it becomes the bottle

 

if water fills a teapot it becomes the teapot

 

water is one of the softest things on earth,

 

yet it can penetrate the hardest things

 

water is insubstancial, i mean that you cant grasp it, or punch it, or hurt.

 

Be like water my friends"

 

 

[Joecooke007]

When the movie is saying be like water and adapt it means that water will take the form of its' enviornment. You should also try to do this.

 

 

[Angus]

I do believe, and correct me if i'm wrong, that Bruce Lee's entire quote about water goes as this... and i quote:

 

" Empty your mind " *clicks his fingers and sits up* "be formless, shapeless, like water... Now u put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, u put it into a tea pot it becomes the tea pot... Now water can flow, or it can craaaash - be water my friend" *procedes to smile with the knowledge that he has just said the very thing hat will immortalise him*

 

I've watched that single part of the interview perhaps a thousand times or more.

 

Angus

 

 

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your right angus;)

 

sos about my mistake

 

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