Tao of Jeet Kune Do - A Thought Exercise with KF

[bushido_man96]

I absolutely agree with your assessment of cross training. The time I've spent in my DT sessions, and even with my sons at Wrestling practice and tournaments have helped me to immensely understand groundfighting better.

[bushido_man96]

pg. 8, paragraph 4: Art reaches its greatest peak when devoid of self-consciousness. Freedom discovers man the moment he loses concern over what impression he is making or about to make.

pg. 8, paragraph 5: The perfect way is only difficult for those who pick and choose. Do not like, do not dislike; all will then be clear. Make a hairbreadth difference and heaven and earth are set apart; if you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between "for" and "against" is the mind's worst disease.

I think these two thoughts run together pretty well, and so am addressing both here. In paragraph 4, I think Lee is talking more about just seeing things as they are, without our personal biases jumping in. In paragraph 5, more of the same; not liking nor disliking. By not applying bias and jumping to conclusions, we can see things for what they truly are, and not what our judgement clouds them to be.

Now, bearing all of Lee's thoughts in mind, I think it is well and good to "philosophy" about these things. But I don't believe it is entirely possible to approach every and all aspects of life in such a way, nor would it be practical to. I do think they are interesting ways to approach things, and are well worth putting into practice.

[sensei8]

For me, paragraph 4 is all about the we just get in our own way; we oftentimes, just can't help ourselves...or don't want to help ourselves.

Paragraph 5 goes back to the saddest truth, and that is...being honest with ourselves is far more difficult, than one might grasp on.

Yin/Yang are in everything.

[bushido_man96]

pg. 8, paragraph 6: Wisdom does not consist of trying to wrest the good from the evil but in learning to "ride" them as a cork adapts itself to the crests and troughs of the waves.

pg. 8, paragraph 7: Let yourself go with the disease, be with it, keep company with it - this is the way to be rid of it.

These are interesting. In paragraph 6, I'm not sure what to make of it. I understand the idea of being like a cork on the waves, riding through the crests and the troughs. I find it interesting he chooses to address good and evil here. It seems, to me, he means to have an attitude of neutrality to it, but I'm not for sure. All I can think about is the saying, "evil thrives when good men do nothing."

Paragraph 7 is also interesting. Embracing the disease to be rid of it.

pg. 8, paragraph 9: An assertion is Zen only when it is itself an act and does not refer to anything that is asserted in it.

More confusing Zen stuff, to me.

[sensei8]

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ~Sun Tzu

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" ~Sun Tzu

I believe that these two Sun Tzu quotes might be a preference of what Bruce was getting at about in page 8, paragraphs 6, 7, and 8. However, like you, Brian, Zen stuff confuses me.

It'd be great if other members here would chime in to this thread.

[bushido_man96]

Those are great quotes, Bob, and thanks for sharing them. I do need to reread some Sun Tzu, for sure!

[bushido_man96]

pg. 8, paragraph 10: In Buddhism, there is no place for using effort. Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat you food, move your bowels, pass water and when you're tired go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand.

This is very contradictory to me, as a Westerner, where we learn early on the value of hard work to move forward and upward in life. I don't think Lee himself could have believed in this verbatim, as it was well documented how much and how hard he worked at things.

pg. 8, paragraph 11: Establish nothing in regard to oneself. Pass quickly like the non-existent and be quiet as purity. Those who gain lose. Do not precede others, always follow them

Eh, again, more I have some issues with. I know of plenty who gain and don't lose, and it is not always beneficial to follow other all the time.

[bushido_man96]

pg. 9, paragraph 1: Do not run away; let go. Do not seek, for it will come when least expected.

Everything happens in it's own time. It's easy to want to be great "right now," but how much better will be years from now? It's an interesting concept. Train hard, train often, and let what comes, come. However, I don't think this means to train without focus. Instead, I think it has more to do with letting the training bring you what it will, as you focus and work hard.

[bushido_man96]

pg. 9, paragraph 2: Give up thinking as though not giving it up. Observe techniques as though not observing.

Hmmm. Observe techniques as though not observing....what do you suppose this means?

To me, to observe means more than just to watch. It's to study, learn, and attempt to understand something. Doing this without preconceived notions is important, especially if one is trying to keep an open mind.

[sensei8]

Bruce Lee wrote:

pg. 9, paragraph 1: Do not run away; let go. Do not seek, for it will come when least expected.

I take this on how one takes a break from a project, no matter what it might be, and then return with fresh eyes. Over thinking does happen with everyone. Same in the MA. We train, and while we're training, we try to perfect whatever it might be, and we try and try with no satisfaction in sight, and our frustration doesn't allow us to see the nose on our own face; it's always been there, but we only see the solution with fresh eyes.

Bruce Lee wrote:

pg. 9, paragraph 2: Give up thinking as though not giving it up. Observe techniques as though not observing.

Watching a technique is not the same thing as executing a technique. Like what I do whenever I watch any MA movie, I can't enjoy said MA movie because I'm too busy treating the MA techniques within said MA movie as though it's a Testing Cycle.

To both of these, let it flow, and quite over thinking the darn thing; "I" do not hit, "It" hits all by itself.

We might over think as to why the sun comes out when it does, more than enjoying that the sun came out in the first place.