Chris Meistre

I’ve recently bought “Jeet kune do: Bruce Lee’s commentaries on the martial way“, which is basically an extended version of “Tao of Jeet Kune Do“.

Both are compilations of how Bruce Lee thought about Martial Arts and how he was trying to figure it out for himself. There’s a lot of lessons to be learned from all his notes. It’s not just about Martial Arts and fighting, it can be applied to every day life as well.

One of the notes I read involved the cognitive behavior theory involving a centipede.

The fluidity a martial artist seeks can be best described by the story of the centipede.  The many-footed creature was asked how it managed to walk on all its feet.  When it stopped to think about how it managed its daily function, it tripped and fell.  And so, life should be a natural process, in which development of the mind is not allowed to throw the natural flow of life out of balance.

More about the theory can be read on Centipede’s dilemm.

It’s definitely worth taking note of this and how “thinking too much” can hinder you. Instead let life take it’s course with you, and accept things that happen around you for what they are.

A couple of years ago I came across the book Tao of Jeet Kune Do.  This is the book that was put together from Bruce Lee’s notes while he was on his back for a couple of months due to a severe back injury.

When I read this, I was quite younger, and perhaps it’s a good thing I picked up the book again a few nights ago to read through.  It’s amazing how many of the words I read still seem so familiar, but what’s more amazing is that reading it this time around it makes more sense to me.  Perhaps it’s because I’m a bit more older or wiser, who knows.

It’s not a book in the traditional sense of a book, but rather just a compilation of notes that Bruce Lee called the concept of Jeet Kune Do.  Jeet Kune Do roughly translates to Intercepting Fist.

He really is brilliant if you sit down and read how his mind was working.  What Jeet Kune Do is all about is that in order for you to really be a martial artist, you need break away from any form or techniques that you’ve learned.  Don’t just do the moves and techniques because you’re copying them from someone else, rather understand why you’re doing what you’re doing.  That way you make it YOUR style.  This is what I take away from it anyways.

There are various principles that I’ll write about later.  But for now, if you want to get this awesome book why not check out Loot.co.za.  I don’t think it will just apply to “fighters”, but also to people that want to understand themselves a bit better.  Even if you’re just curious about Bruce Lee as philosopher and not as a fighter as we always see him, it’s worth the read.