Democracy For Nepal

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

The Art Of War, Bruce Lee

Art of War by SunTzu [SunZi] -English Hypertext
SUN TZU ON THE ART OF WAR
The Internet Classics Archive | The Art of War by Sun Tzu The Commander stands for the virtues of wisdom, sincerely, benevolence, courage and strictness. ....... By method and discipline are to be understood the marshaling of the army in its proper subdivisions, the graduations of rank among the officers, the maintenance of roads by which supplies may reach the army, and the control of military expenditure. ......... (1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the Moral law? (2) Which of the two generals has most ability? (3) With whom lie the advantages derived from Heaven and Earth? (4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (5) Which army is stronger? (6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained? (7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment? ............. By means of these seven considerations I can forecast victory or defeat. ....... All warfare is based on deception. .......... when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. ......... Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. ....... If he is in superior strength, evade him.... If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. .......... If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. ....... Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected. ......... The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand......... If you lay siege to a town, you will exhaust your strength. ........ if the campaign is protracted, the resources of the State will not be equal to the strain. ...... There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare. ........ Bring war material with you from home, but forage on the enemy. ....... a wise general makes a point of foraging on the enemy. One cartload of the enemy's provisions is equivalent to twenty of one's own, and likewise a single picul of his provender is equivalent to twenty from one's own store. .......... Now in order to kill the enemy, our men must be roused to anger; that there may be advantage from defeating the enemy, they must have their rewards. ....... The captured soldiers should be kindly treated and kept........ using the conquered foe to augment one's own strength. ........ let your great object be victory, not lengthy campaigns....... the leader of armies is the arbiter of the people's fate, the man on whom it depends whether the nation shall be in peace or in peril. ........ the best thing of all is to take the enemy's country whole and intact; to shatter and destroy it is not so good.......... better to recapture an army entire than to destroy it, to capture a regiment, a detachment or a company entire than to destroy them.......... supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting. ........... the highest form of generalship is to balk the enemy's plans; the next best is to prevent the junction of the enemy's forces; the next in order is to attack the enemy's army in the field; and the worst policy of all is to besiege walled cities. ......... the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field. ......... With his forces intact he will dispute the mastery of the Empire, and thus, without losing a man, his triumph will be complete. This is the method of attacking by stratagem. ........ It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack him; if twice as numerous, to divide our army into two. If equally matched, we can offer battle; if slightly inferior in numbers, we can avoid the enemy; if quite unequal in every way, we can flee from him. ......... though an obstinate fight may be made by a small force, in the end it must be captured by the larger force. ......... There are three ways in which a ruler can bring misfortune upon his army:-- (1) By commanding the army to advance or to retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey. This is called hobbling the army. (2) By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions which obtain in an army. This causes restlessness in the soldier's minds. (3) By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances. This shakes the confidence of the soldiers. ............ when the army is restless and distrustful, trouble is sure to come from the other feudal princes. This is simply bringing anarchy into the army, and flinging victory away. ....... (1) He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight. (2) He will win who knows how to handle both superior and inferior forces. (3) He will win whose army is animated by the same spirit throughout all its ranks. (4) He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared. (5) He will win who has military capacity and is not interfered with by the sovereign. ............. 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. .......... The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. ......... To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself......... One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. ........ Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive. ......... The general who is skilled in defense hides in the most secret recesses of the earth; he who is skilled in attack flashes forth from the topmost heights of heaven.......... To lift an autumn hair is no sign of great strength; to see the sun and moon is no sign of sharp sight; to hear the noise of thunder is no sign of a quick ear. ......... a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease. ......... his victories bring him neither reputation for wisdom nor credit for courage. ........ He wins his battles by making no mistakes. Making no mistakes is what establishes the certainty of victory, for it means conquering an enemy that is already defeated. ........ the skillful fighter puts himself into a position which makes defeat impossible ........... in war the victorious strategist only seeks battle after the victory has been won, whereas he who is destined to defeat first fights and afterwards looks for victory........ The consummate leader cultivates the moral law, and strictly adheres to method and discipline; thus it is in his power to control success. ....... In respect of military method, we have, firstly, Measurement; secondly, Estimation of quantity; thirdly, Calculation; fourthly, Balancing of chances; fifthly, Victory. ....... A victorious army opposed to a routed one, is as a pound's weight placed in the scale against a single grain. ......... The onrush of a conquering force is like the bursting of pent-up waters into a chasm a thousand fathoms deep. ........ The control of a large force is the same principle as the control of a few men: it is merely a question of dividing up their numbers. ........ maneuvers direct and indirect. ....... That the impact of your army may be like a grindstone dashed against an egg--this is effected by the science of weak points and strong. ....... In all fighting, the direct method may be used for joining battle, but indirect methods will be needed in order to secure victory. ....... Indirect tactics, efficiently applied, are inexhaustible as Heaven and Earth, unending as the flow of rivers and streams; like the sun and moon, they end but to begin anew; like the four seasons, they pass away to return once more. ...... There are not more than five musical notes, yet the combinations of these five give rise to more melodies than can ever be heard. ........ There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen. There are not more than five cardinal tastes (sour, acrid, salt, sweet, bitter), yet combinations of them yield more flavors than can ever be tasted. ........ In battle, there are not more than two methods of attack--the direct and the indirect; yet these two in combination give rise to an endless series of maneuvers. ........... The direct and the indirect lead on to each other in turn. It is like moving in a circle--you never come to an end. Who can exhaust the possibilities of their combination? .......The quality of decision is like the well-timed swoop of a falcon which enables it to strike and destroy its victim. ....... the good fighter will be terrible in his onset, and prompt in his decision. ......... Energy may be likened to the bending of a crossbow; decision, to the releasing of a trigger. ....... Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline, simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength. ........Hiding order beneath the cloak of disorder is simply a question of subdivision; concealing courage under a show of timidity presupposes a fund of latent energy; masking strength with weakness is to be effected by tactical dispositions. ......... one who is skillful at keeping the enemy on the move maintains deceitful appearances, according to which the enemy will act. He sacrifices something, that the enemy may snatch at it. ........ By holding out baits, he keeps him on the march; then with a body of picked men he lies in wait for him. ........ The clever combatant looks to the effect of combined energy, and does not require too much from individuals. Hence his ability to pick out the right men and utilize combined energy. ........When he utilizes combined energy, his fighting men become as it were like unto rolling logs or stones. For it is the nature of a log or stone to remain motionless on level ground, and to move when on a slope; if four-cornered, to come to a standstill, but if round-shaped, to go rolling down. ......... the energy developed by good fighting men is as the momentum of a round stone rolled down a mountain thousands of feet in height.......... Whoever is first in the field and awaits the coming of the enemy, will be fresh for the fight; whoever is second in the field and has to hasten to battle will arrive exhausted. ....... the clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him. ......... By holding out advantages to him, he can cause the enemy to approach of his own accord; or, by inflicting damage, he can make it impossible for the enemy to draw near. .......... If the enemy is taking his ease, he can harass him; if well supplied with food, he can starve him out; if quietly encamped, he can force him to move. ....... Appear at points which the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected. .......... You can be sure of succeeding in your attacks if you only attack places which are undefended.......... that general is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack. ....... O divine art of subtlety and secrecy! Through you we learn to be invisible, through you inaudible; and hence we can hold the enemy's fate in our hands. ....... you may retire and be safe from pursuit if your movements are more rapid than those of the enemy. ....... If we do not wish to fight, we can prevent the enemy from engaging us even though the lines of our encampment be merely traced out on the ground. All we need do is to throw something odd and unaccountable in his way. .......... By discovering the enemy's dispositions and remaining invisible ourselves, we can keep our forces concentrated, while the enemy's must be divided............ For should the enemy strengthen his van, he will weaken his rear; should he strengthen his rear, he will weaken his van; should he strengthen his left, he will weaken his right; should he strengthen his right, he will weaken his left. If he sends reinforcements everywhere, he will everywhere be weak. ......Though the enemy be stronger in numbers, we may prevent him from fighting. Scheme so as to discover his plans and the likelihood of their success...... Rouse him, and learn the principle of his activity or inactivity. Force him to reveal himself, so as to find out his vulnerable spots. ...........conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains. ........ How victory may be produced for them out of the enemy's own tactics--that is what the multitude cannot comprehend. .. All men can see the tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved. ........ Do not repeat the tactics which have gained you one victory, but let your methods be regulated by the infinite variety of circumstances. ......... in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak. ...... just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions. ........ tactical maneuvering, than which there is nothing more difficult. The difficulty of tactical maneuvering consists in turning the devious into the direct, and misfortune into gain. ...... to take a long and circuitous route, after enticing the enemy out of the way, and though starting after him, to contrive to reach the goal before him, shows knowledge of the artifice of deviation. ...... to detach a flying column for the purpose involves the sacrifice of its baggage and stores. ....... if you order your men to roll up their buff-coats, and make forced marches without halting day or night, covering double the usual distance at a stretch, doing a hundred LI in order to wrest an advantage, the leaders of all your three divisions will fall into the hands of the enemy. ..... an army without its baggage-train is lost; without provisions it is lost; without bases of supply it is lost. ........... We cannot enter into alliances until we are acquainted with the designs of our neighbors. ........ Let your rapidity be that of the wind, your compactness that of the forest. In raiding and plundering be like fire, is immovability like a mountain. Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt. .... Ponder and deliberate before you make a move. ........ He will conquer who has learnt the artifice of deviation. Such is the art of maneuvering. ......... On the field of battle, the spoken word does not carry far enough: hence the institution of gongs and drums. Nor can ordinary objects be seen clearly enough: hence the institution of banners and flags. ....... impossible either for the brave to advance alone, or for the cowardly to retreat alone. This is the art of handling large masses of men. ....... In night-fighting, then, make much use of signal-fires and drums, and in fighting by day, of flags and banners, as a means of influencing the ears and eyes of your army. .......... A whole army may be robbed of its spirit; a commander-in-chief may be robbed of his presence of mind. ...... a soldier's spirit is keenest in the morning; by noonday it has begun to flag; and in the evening, his mind is bent only on returning to camp. A clever general, therefore, avoids an army when its spirit is keen, but attacks it when it is sluggish and inclined to return. This is the art of studying moods. ........ Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:--this is the art of retaining self-possession. ........ To refrain from intercepting an enemy whose banners are in perfect order, to refrain from attacking an army drawn up in calm and confident array:--this is the art of studying circumstances. ...... It is a military axiom not to advance uphill against the enemy, nor to oppose him when he comes downhill. ........ Do not pursue an enemy who simulates flight; do not attack soldiers whose temper is keen. .........Do not swallow bait offered by the enemy. Do not interfere with an army that is returning home. ...... When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard. ........ Do not linger in dangerously isolated positions. In hemmed-in situations, you must resort to stratagem. In desperate position, you must fight. ....... There are roads which must not be followed, armies which must be not attacked, towns which must be besieged, positions which must not be contested, commands of the sovereign which must not be obeyed. ......... the advantages that accompany variation of tactics ....... varying his plans ....... in the midst of difficulties we are always ready to seize an advantage, we may extricate ourselves from misfortune. ........ Reduce the hostile chiefs by inflicting damage on them; and make trouble for them, and keep them constantly engaged; hold out specious allurements, and make them rush to any given point. ...... The art of war teaches us to rely not on the likelihood of the enemy's not coming, but on our own readiness to receive him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but rather on the fact that we have made our position unassailable. ....... five dangerous faults which may affect a general: (1) Recklessness, which leads to destruction; (2) cowardice, which leads to capture; (3) a hasty temper, which can be provoked by insults; (4) a delicacy of honor which is sensitive to shame; (5) over-solicitude for his men, which exposes him to worry and trouble. ........ Pass quickly over mountains, and keep in the neighborhood of valleys. ........ Camp in high places, facing the sun. Do not climb heights in order to fight......... After crossing a river, you should get far away from it. ....... When an invading force crosses a river in its onward march, do not advance to meet it in mid-stream. It will be best to let half the army get across, and then deliver your attack. ......... In crossing salt-marshes, your sole concern should be to get over them quickly, without any delay. ........ In dry, level country, take up an easily accessible position with rising ground to your right and on your rear, so that the danger may be in front, and safety lie behind.......... All armies prefer high ground to low and sunny places to dark. ......... a river which you wish to ford is swollen and flecked with foam, you must wait until it subsides. ......... When the enemy is close at hand and remains quiet, he is relying on the natural strength of his position. When he keeps aloof and tries to provoke a battle, he is anxious for the other side to advance. ....... The rising of birds in their flight is the sign of an ambuscade. Startled beasts indicate that a sudden attack is coming. ........ Humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat. ....... Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot. ....... When there is much running about and the soldiers fall into rank, it means that the critical moment has come. When some are seen advancing and some retreating, it is a lure. When the soldiers stand leaning on their spears, they are faint from want of food. If those who are sent to draw water begin by drinking themselves, the army is suffering from thirst. If the enemy sees an advantage to be gained and makes no effort to secure it, the soldiers are exhausted. If birds gather on any spot, it is unoccupied. Clamor by night betokens nervousness. If there is disturbance in the camp, the general's authority is weak. If the banners and flags are shifted about, sedition is afoot. If the officers are angry, it means that the men are weary. The sight of men whispering together in small knots or speaking in subdued tones points to disaffection amongst the rank and file. ...... Too frequent rewards signify that the enemy is at the end of his resources; too many punishments betray a condition of dire distress. ...... When envoys are sent with compliments in their mouths, it is a sign that the enemy wishes for a truce. ...... He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them. ...... soldiers must be treated in the first instance with humanity, but kept under control by means of iron discipline. ......... If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual. ........ (1) Accessible ground; (2) entangling ground; (3) temporizing ground; (4) narrow passes; (5) precipitous heights; (6) positions at a great distance from the enemy. .......... carefully guard your line of supplies........ If you are situated at a great distance from the enemy, and the strength of the two armies is equal, it is not easy to provoke a battle, and fighting will be to your disadvantage. ....... an army is exposed to six several calamities, not arising from natural causes, but from faults for which the general is responsible. These are: (1) Flight; (2) insubordination; (3) collapse; (4) ruin; (5) disorganization; (6) rout. ........ When the common soldiers are too strong and their officers too weak, the result is insubordination. When the officers are too strong and the common soldiers too weak, the result is collapse. ........ When a general, unable to estimate the enemy's strength, allows an inferior force to engage a larger one, or hurls a weak detachment against a powerful one, and neglects to place picked soldiers in the front rank, the result must be rout. ........... a power of estimating the adversary, of controlling the forces of victory, and of shrewdly calculating difficulties, dangers and distances, constitutes the test of a great general. ...... If fighting is sure to result in victory, then you must fight, even though the ruler forbid it; if fighting will not result in victory, then you must not fight even at the ruler's bidding. ......... Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys; look upon them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death. ...... If, however, you are indulgent, but unable to make your authority felt; kind-hearted, but unable to enforce your commands; and incapable, moreover, of quelling disorder: then your soldiers must be likened to spoilt children; they are useless for any practical purpose. ...... If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete. ....... (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground; (9) desperate ground. .......... On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy's way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight. ......... skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear; to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions; to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men. ........ "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." ......... Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy's unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots. ....... Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength. Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans. ........ Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve. ....... The skillful tactician may be likened to the shuai-jan. Now the shuai-jan is a snake that is found in the ChUng mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both......... the skillful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand. ......... It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order. He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance. ....... By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes, he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose. ....... At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand. ........ The different measures suited to the nine varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or defensive tactics; and the fundamental laws of human nature: these are things that must most certainly be studied. ....... penetrating deeply brings cohesion; penetrating but a short way means dispersion. ......... On ground of intersecting highways, I would consolidate my alliances. ....... We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. ........ When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state, his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration of the enemy's forces. He overawes his opponents, and their allies are prevented from joining against him. Hence he does not strive to ally himself with all and sundry, nor does he foster the power of other states. He carries out his own secret designs, keeping his antagonists in awe. Thus he is able to capture their cities and overthrow their kingdoms. Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man. Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let them know your design. When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy. ..... it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm's way that is capable of striking a blow for victory. ......... Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy's purpose. By persistently hanging on the enemy's flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief. ability to accomplish a thing by sheer cunning ........ Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you may control the situation. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in. .... Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle. ........ At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you. ...... When you start a fire, be to windward of it. Do not attack from the leeward. ...... Unhappy is the fate of one who tries to win his battles and succeed in his attacks without cultivating the spirit of enterprise; for the result is waste of time and general stagnation. ........ The enlightened ruler lays his plans well ahead; the good general cultivates his resources. .... Move not unless you see an advantage; use not your troops unless there is something to be gained; fight not unless the position is critical. No ruler should put troops into the field merely to gratify his own spleen; no general should fight a battle simply out of pique. ........ If it is to your advantage, make a forward move; if not, stay where you are. ...... the enlightened ruler is heedful, and the good general full of caution. This is the way to keep a country at peace and an army intact. ....... Hostile armies may face each other for years, striving for the victory which is decided in a single day. This being so, to remain in ignorance of the enemy's condition simply because one grudges the outlay of a hundred ounces of silver in honors and emoluments, is the height of inhumanity. ......... what enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge. ....... this foreknowledge cannot be elicited from spirits; it cannot be obtained inductively from experience, nor by any deductive calculation. ....... Knowledge of the enemy's dispositions can only be obtained from other men. ...... (1) Local spies; (2) inward spies; (3) converted spies; (4) doomed spies; (5) surviving spies. ........ When these five kinds of spy are all at work, none can discover the secret system. This is called "divine manipulation of the threads." It is the sovereign's most precious faculty. ....... making use of officials of the enemy ...... Having doomed spies, doing certain things openly for purposes of deception, and allowing our spies to know of them and report them to the enemy......... Hence it is that which none in the whole army are more intimate relations to be maintained than with spies. None should be more liberally rewarded. In no other business should greater secrecy be preserved. ......... Without subtle ingenuity of mind, one cannot make certain of the truth of their reports. ........ The enemy's spies who have come to spy on us must be sought out, tempted with bribes, led away and comfortably housed. Thus they will become converted spies and available for our service. ........ Hence it is only the enlightened ruler and the wise general who will use the highest intelligence of the army for purposes of spying and thereby they achieve great results. Spies are a most important element in water, because on them depends an army's ability to move.
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The Art of War

Bruce Lee’s most famous quotes I believe in having a few pupils at one time as it requires a constant alert observation of each individual in order to establish a direct relationship. A good teacher can never be fixed in a routine... each moment requires a sensitive mind that is constantly changing and constantly adapting............ A teacher must never impose this student to fit his favourite pattern; a good teacher functions as a pointer, exposing his student's vulnerability (and) causing him to explore both internally and finally integrating himself with his being.......... Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the principle. In short, enter a mold without being caged in it. ........ Knowledge in martial arts actually means self-knowledge. A martial artist has to take responsibility for himself and accept the consequences of his own doing......... To be is to be related. To isolate is death. ....... But to experience oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly, now that is very hard to do.......... When the opponent expands, l contract. When he contracts, l expand. And when there is an opportunity... l do not hit...it hits all by itself (shows his fist). Any technique, however worthy and desirable, becomes a disease when the mind is obsessed with it.......... Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.......... Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend...........The highest technique is to have no technique. My technique is a result of your technique; my movement is a result of your movement........... does not oppose force or give way completely. He is pliable as a spring; he is the complement and not the opposition to his opponent’s strength. He has no technique; he makes his opponent's technique his technique. He has no design; he makes opportunity his design.......... Your action should be like the immediacy of a shadow adapting to its moving object. .......... In combat, spontaneity rules; rote performance of technique perishes.......... It is being "wholly" and quietly alive, aware and alert, ready for whatever may come........... The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. ......... The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum...........The more complicated and restricted the method, the less the opportunity for expression of one's original sense of freedom. ......... If somebody attacks you, your response is not Technique No.1, Stance No. 2, Section 4, Paragraph 5. Instead you simply move in like sound and echo, without any deliberation......... the way of combat is never based on personal choice and fancies, but constantly changes from moment to moment, and the disappointed combatant will soon find out that his 'choice routine' lacks pliability. There must be a 'being' instead of a 'doing' in training. One must be free. Instead of complexity of form, there should be simplicity of expression.......... The easy way is also the right way.......... hack away the unessential........... I believe that the only way to teach anyone proper self-defence is to approach each individual personally. Each one of us is different........ Find his ability and then develop these techniques....... When one has reached maturity in the art, one will have a formless form. It is like ice dissolving in water. When one has no form, one can be all forms; when one has no style, he can fit in with any style......... Efficiency is anything that scores. ......... In sparring there's no exact path or method, but instead a perceptive, pliable, choice-less awareness. It lives from moment to moment....... Your opponent is a living, moving object who is not in a fixed position, but fluid and alive. .........Don't indulge in any unnecessary, sophisticated moves. .......I refer to my hands, feet and body as the tools of the trade. The hands and feet must be sharpened and improved daily to be efficient. ........ Practice all movements slow and fast, soft and hard........ split-second timing and reflexive action, which can be achieved only through repetitious practice........... When performing the movements, always use your imagination. Picture your adversary attacking, and use Jeet Kune-Do techniques in response to this imagined attack. As these techniques become more innate, new meaning will begin to emerge and better techniques can be formulated.......... To me, the best exercise for this is running. Running is so important that you should keep it up during your lifetime. ........ In the beginning you should jog easily and then gradually increase the distance and tempo, and finally include sprints to develop your 'wind.'......... Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is, only a means toward this. Besides running, one should also do exercises for the stomach - sit-ups, leg raises, etc..........A fight is not won by one punch or kick. Either learn to endure or hire a bodyguard........... Forget about winning and losing; forget about pride and pain. Let your opponent graze your skin and you smash into his flesh; let him smash into your flesh and you fracture his bones; let him fracture your bones and you take his life. Do not be concerned with escaping safely - lay your life before him............ Blocking is the least efficient. Jeet Kune-Do is offensive; it's alive and it's free.......How true it is that nothingness cannot be confined. The softest thing cannot be snapped.......... It is a good idea to spar with all types of individuals--tall, short, fast, clumsy. Yes, at times a clumsy fellow will mess up a better man because his awkwardness serves as a sort of broken rhythm. The best sparring partner, though, is a quick, strong man who does not know anything; a madman who goes all out, scratching, grabbing, grappling, punching, kicking, and so on......... the power of the kick and punch comes from the correct contact at the right spot and at the right moment with the body in perfect position; not, as many people think, from the vigor with which the kicks or blows are delivered........ As you begin to attack, he will try to counter, block, or move away.
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