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Bruce Lee: the poet

Ene

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I'm not ashamed of it. I'm a Bruce Lee fan. He was dead before I discovered him, but that didn't stop me from admiring him and feeling like he left the world far too soon. I followed his life story, watched a movie of his biography, felt sadness to discover that the famous Kung Fu series of the 70s was his idea and that he was denied the role because he was too "Asian." How can you be too Asian? Asian is beautiful, at least I think it is. I have loved Bruce Lee since childhood.

It's funny that a little dirt poor, hillbilly Native American girl growing up in the hollers of Appalachia would pick Bruce Lee to look up to when other girls were looking up to Pop stars and so forth. I actually used to use him as a standard by which I measured a boy's attractiveness! The closer they were to Bruce, the more attractive I found them. I know that was juvenile, but hey, I was a kid and kids are juvenile.

But what was it about him that made me like him so? Yes, he was such an awesome martial artist, but it was other things, too, like the way he portrayed a character that wouldn't drink while all the other guys did, because he wanted to keep his right mind [I loved the self-control], and the way he said be ready and relaxed all at the same time, the way he said, "Don't think. Feel," when you're fighting. To this day, I still watch old Bruce Lee movies. I guess I'll never outgrow them. There are some things that are comforting to me, that make me feel like...me, like home: things like tomato juice [it's my comfort food] and old Bruce Lee flicks.

Ironically, I earned my black sash on the anniversary of his death. I didn't realize that it was the anniversary until I got home from the testing and turned on my PC and there was an MSN article about it being the anniversary of his death. I think that somehow seemed like an omen to me. It may have been coincidence to others, but to me, it was somehow special, somehow a seal of approval. Although, I don't train much in Wing Chun, my Grandmaster was trained under Ip Man's first student. Ip Man trained Bruce Lee. This makes me fourth generation from Ip Man and kind of like a Martial Arts relative of Lee.

But it was far more than Martial Arts that tied me to Lee, it was poetry. Bruce Lee was an idealist, a philosopher and a poet, so imagine my delight when I, an international poet, discovered his works. I don't know his type. People say ISTP; maybe he was, doesn't really matter, I guess, but he was a kindred spirit and maybe that's what drew me to him in the first place. I felt that I was a lot like him. I was always rough cut on the outside but a spiritually minded idealist on the inside. I don't know.

Here's a link to his daughter sharing some of his stuff. The Official Bruce Lee site | Bruce Lee Clothing | Enter The Dragon Movie | Jeet Kune Do | Bruce Lee Blog | Bruce Lee News

I have to go right now, but I hope to come back and add to this thread. I hope to add quotes, pics and some other tidbits of poetry.
 

ObnoXious

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I have no shame to state that, in my opinion, Bruce Lee leveled some of the greatest philosophers in the last century. The unique way he looked at life and the likewise unique way he could communicate and express it was a distinguishing mark of a genius that he was. It is very much because of his intense self-development at various levels, I find it extremely challenging to assort any type of him. The closest I have got so far are the ISTPish will and determination coupled by the INFJish insight and wisdom. Truly, a legendary man.

Bruce Lee on Art of Dying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWanEKIbfJk
 

Ene

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I have no shame to state that, in my opinion, Bruce Lee leveled some of the greatest philosophers in the last century. The unique way he looked at life and the likewise unique way he could communicate and express it was a distinguishing mark of a genius that he was. It is very much because of his intense self-development at various levels, I find it extremely challenging to assort any type of him. The closest I have got so far are the ISTPish will and determination coupled by the INFJish insight and wisdom. Truly, a legendary man.

Bruce Lee on Art of Dying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWanEKIbfJk

I love this clip! Thank you for sharing.

Here's one where he talks about self-expression. Bruce was an artist AND he kept a journal/sketch book. He had a lot of deep thoughts about life and the meaning of it. I don't think a lot of people realize just how gifted he was, even beyond the world of Martial Arts.
 

Ene

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I wanted to add this quote. I think it sums up what Bruce Lee hoped to attain in his life, "Basically, I have always been a martial artist by choice and actor by profession. But, above all, I am hoping to actualize myself to be an artist of life along the way.”
 

Riva

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Bruce Lee is quite awesome. And although I am not the same type of Asian as we is I/we owe it to him to taking Asianness to Hollywood to such a level that Hollywood made an Asian man a lead character of one of their movies (Enter the Dragon). Not just as a main character but also as an action hero. 40 Years later it's still uncommon to have a Asian playing a lead in a Hollywood movie.

Enter the Dragon was the first Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio

Anyway regarding his philosophy or poetry he was never really significant. That combination of being an actor, a martial artist and philosopher might have been unique but the things he said wasn't much unique and profound. A teenager he read too much would have the same amount of introspection as he.

However, I could be extremely wrong and impulsive to have said the above because I haven't read much about him or his quotes. I am going by things I've often seen on TV. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps he was uniquely introspective and philosophical
 

Riva

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Anyway you should watch Cowboy Bebop fighting scenes, which is the best series/movie out there that brings to life Bruce Lee's fighting style names Jeet Kun Do.

The episode Waltz for Venus does a good job explaining it.

It got me interested in it. I've even done it when I was quite small in a friendly right; not Jeet Kun Do itself but the concept of it without even knowing what Jeet Kun Do was. Somehow it felt natural, practical and quite effective.

Watch this clip. I love it.
 

GarrotTheThief

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I'm not ashamed of it. I'm a Bruce Lee fan. He was dead before I discovered him, but that didn't stop me from admiring him and feeling like he left the world far too soon. I followed his life story, watched a movie of his biography, felt sadness to discover that the famous Kung Fu series of the 70s was his idea and that he was denied the role because he was too "Asian." How can you be too Asian? Asian is beautiful, at least I think it is. I have loved Bruce Lee since childhood.

It's funny that a little dirt poor, hillbilly Native American girl growing up in the hollers of Appalachia would pick Bruce Lee to look up to when other girls were looking up to Pop stars and so forth. I actually used to use him as a standard by which I measured a boy's attractiveness! The closer they were to Bruce, the more attractive I found them. I know that was juvenile, but hey, I was a kid and kids are juvenile.

But what was it about him that made me like him so? Yes, he was such an awesome martial artist, but it was other things, too, like the way he portrayed a character that wouldn't drink while all the other guys did, because he wanted to keep his right mind [I loved the self-control], and the way he said be ready and relaxed all at the same time, the way he said, "Don't think. Feel," when you're fighting. To this day, I still watch old Bruce Lee movies. I guess I'll never outgrow them. There are some things that are comforting to me, that make me feel like...me, like home: things like tomato juice [it's my comfort food] and old Bruce Lee flicks.

Ironically, I earned my black sash on the anniversary of his death. I didn't realize that it was the anniversary until I got home from the testing and turned on my PC and there was an MSN article about it being the anniversary of his death. I think that somehow seemed like an omen to me. It may have been coincidence to others, but to me, it was somehow special, somehow a seal of approval. Although, I don't train much in Wing Chun, my Grandmaster was trained under Ip Man's first student. Ip Man trained Bruce Lee. This makes me fourth generation from Ip Man and kind of like a Martial Arts relative of Lee.

But it was far more than Martial Arts that tied me to Lee, it was poetry. Bruce Lee was an idealist, a philosopher and a poet, so imagine my delight when I, an international poet, discovered his works. I don't know his type. People say ISTP; maybe he was, doesn't really matter, I guess, but he was a kindred spirit and maybe that's what drew me to him in the first place. I felt that I was a lot like him. I was always rough cut on the outside but a spiritually minded idealist on the inside. I don't know.

Here's a link to his daughter sharing some of his stuff. The Official Bruce Lee site | Bruce Lee Clothing | Enter The Dragon Movie | Jeet Kune Do | Bruce Lee Blog | Bruce Lee News

I have to go right now, but I hope to come back and add to this thread. I hope to add quotes, pics and some other tidbits of poetry.

Bruce Lee is a bridge to IP Man.
 

Evee

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I think he was living authentically. Remember what he said.. The secret to immortality is living a life worth remembering. Or something like that.
 

Ene

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So true [MENTION=22109]Evee[/MENTION].

Yes, [MENTION=23213]GarrotTheThief[/MENTION] he is.
 

Ene

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I thought I'd add a few quotes:

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it."

"Love is like friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable."

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them."

"Mistakes are always forgivable, if you have the courage to admit them."

"A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer."

"Knowledge will give you power, but character respect."

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done."

"The key to immortality is to first live a life worth remembering."

"I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations and you're not in it to live up to mine."

"A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough."

"As you think, so shall you become."

"Showing off is a fool's idea of glory."

"To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities."


"Man[human beings] the living creature, the creating individual, is always more important than any established style or system."

"To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person."

"Real living is living for others."
 

Ene

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Bruce Lee is quite awesome. And although I am not the same type of Asian as we is I/we owe it to him to taking Asianness to Hollywood to such a level that Hollywood made an Asian man a lead character of one of their movies (Enter the Dragon). Not just as a main character but also as an action hero. 40 Years later it's still uncommon to have a Asian playing a lead in a Hollywood movie.

You're right. It is still uncommon to see an Asian playing the lead, especially those from India, Malaysia, Thailand and so on. Every so often you see a Japanese or Chinese or a Eurasian [Rob Snider, Keanu Reeves, etc.] but it's not what I would call common. I'm going to momentarily derail here: It's also uncommon to see a Native American playing the lead. In fact, until recently, our cultures were grossly misrepresented by Hollywood and Italians were often cast as NAs. Hollywood has done more to perpetuate a stereo-type of what Native Americans look like and live like than anything else, I think. Hopefully, that is changing thanks to people like Rita Coolidge and Walela, but still they're not mainstream. Adam Beech is and he is supposed to have a role in the Suicide Squad that's coming out. I wish he would get a lead role like he had in Windtalkers.


Enter the Dragon was the first Chinese martial arts film to have been produced by a major Hollywood studio
Yes. You're right.

Yes, Anyway regarding his philosophy or poetry he was never really significant.

In comparison to his martial arts accomplishments, I suppose not. But he did major in philosophy at The University of Washington Bruce Lee's Philosophy
That combination of being an actor, a martial artist and philosopher might have been unique but the things he said wasn't much unique and profound. A teenager he read too much would have the same amount of introspection as he.
Perhaps, but then perhaps the most profound things are really so simple that a child could utter them.

However, I could be extremely wrong and impulsive to have said the above because I haven't read much about him or his quotes. I am going by things I've often seen on TV. Perhaps I am wrong.

I understand this. TV has that effect.
Perhaps he was uniquely introspective and philosophical
Perhaps. Perhaps all of us are in our own ways.

Anyway you should watch Cowboy Bebop fighting scenes, which is the best series/movie out there that brings to life Bruce Lee's fighting style names Jeet Kun Do.

The episode Waltz for Venus does a good job explaining it.

It got me interested in it. I've even done it when I was quite small in a friendly right; not Jeet Kun Do itself but the concept of it without even knowing what Jeet Kun Do was. Somehow it felt natural, practical and quite effective.

Watch this clip. I love it.


Awesome, thanks. Very cool episode. I will have to check out the whole series.
 

GarrotTheThief

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sometimes being your self is acting like your not yourself....sometimes being a poser is needed to be yourself.

This is why i think not giving obvious judgemental advice is a good idea. To be clear...telling someone to act themselves or be themselves is counterintuitevely bad advice because they are being htemselves...they are being that part of themselves which is unfolding as an imposter of another or some conjured illusion..


This is why telling someone they have narcissism is damning them to it. Let a narcissist be a narcissist and it will pass. Tell him he has a disease and you will kill him slowly...like that guy did to Lauren Hill.
 
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