Bruce Lee is widely considered as one of the most influential martial artists of modern time. Although he died young, Lee managed to leave a profound impression on not only martial arts but the world in general. A legendary figure, Lee created his own style called Jeet Kune Do, or “The way of the intercepting fist”, which is studied and practiced around the world.
Born as Li Jun Fan in San Francisco, in 1940, Bruce Lee was a son of a Chinese opera star. The family relocated to Hong Kong in 1941 and Bruce spend his childhood appearing in more than 20 Chinese films and studying kung fu and dancing. He returned to America in 1959 and started a martial-arts school in Seattle. In 1996, Bruce appeared in the TV show The Green Hornet. He became famous with a movie The Way of the Dragon, which he wrote, directed and starred in. The next year he made Enter the Dragon. Unfortunately, just a few months later, he died and never got to see how iconic his movies became.
Apart from martial arts, Bruce Lee also left his mark as an actor, producer, and a philosopher. He is considered a cultural icon and his movies, especially Way of the Dragon and Enter the Dragon, have changed the way Americans and the rest of the world view Chinese people and their culture. His life and his philosophy are an inspiration to many even today, more than five decades after his death. Here are some of his most inspirational quotes.
I fear not the man who has practiced 10 000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10 000 times.
A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.
Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.
Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.
Defeat is a state of mind; No one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.
Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.
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.
