Cover News Reporter Zhang Jie Intern Wu Yuke
Speaking of Bruce Lee, many people are no strangers, knowing that he is the apprentice of the "generation of grandmaster" of martial arts, Ip Man, and a famous movie superstar. At the same time, many people also know that he also has profound philosophical thoughts.
The tragedy of Bruce Lee's sudden death at the age of 32 is very regrettable. The story he left to people is not finished, especially his spiritual legacy is still worth pondering and learning from readers. Although he did not write a book in his life, he once founded a martial arts hall and opened up a new martial arts. Based on his manuscripts, his family also compiled his skills and ideas and published them into a book called "The Way of Jeet Kune Do".
In the fall of 2022, Bruce Lee's daughter Li Xiangning launched a new book about her father, "Like Water, Friend". In the book, Li Xiangning summarizes Bruce Lee's wisdom, philosophy and courage from Bruce Lee's past personal experience and past stories, especially focusing on Bruce Lee's philosophical thinking on "water". This book is an explanation of her father's philosophy about water from the perspective of Bruce Lee's daughter. Li Xiangning tells how she was inspired by her father's teachings, from confusion to open-mindedness, and gradually realized the process of life, which is not only a new era interpretation of the core concepts of Bruce Lee's philosophy, but also a daughter's retrospective, close, combed and in-depth understanding of her father's life, and also reflects a woman's growth and exploration of the world.
“Be water，My Friend！ (Like water, friend)" Bruce Lee said to many people. But what Bruce Lee means by "like water" needs to be further analyzed. As Bruce Lee's daughter, Li Xiangning said, "I will do my best in the book to introduce my father's philosophy about 'water' and my personal understanding of it, and I have been immersed in his life and thoughts for many years." You may not be familiar with this idea, which stems from my father's understanding of martial arts, and this book will use it as a metaphor for one of the most immersive lives. Li Xiangning said that as far as she understood, her father's "like water" emphasized the integration of flow and nature into life. Water is soft and rigid, simple and natural, and there is always a way to keep it flowing. "Imagine if you could be so flexible, sensitive, natural, and overwhelming. For my father, 'like water' was the pinnacle of martial arts. For me, it's the pinnacle of being a human being – being a person who is expressive, strong and free. ”
Where comes the "Like Water" philosophy
Water is an element that is soft and hard, natural and guided, transcendent and powerful. Above all, it is indispensable to life. What kind of opportunity did Bruce Lee start to realize the truth of "like water"? Lee Heung-ning revealed in the book that Bruce Lee began practicing Wing Chun at the age of 13 until his death at the age of 32, practicing martial arts every day, with few exceptions. His mind is exceptionally sharp and insightful. "I often think that it is a masterpiece of fate for a mind like this to merge with a body that places so much emphasis on exercise and combat training." Bruce Lee studied under Ip Man, but when he was young, his impatience and temper often prevailed, he believed that as long as he could win the competition, he did not need to be gentle, but Master Ip Man instructed him: "Never defy nature, never hit hard, but control it according to the situation." At that time, Bruce Lee did not understand, so he was waved by Ip Man's big hand, telling him not to practice martial arts for a week, and to go home and think about what he said. This made Bruce Lee, who was anxious, very puzzled, but he had to leave. One day, in order to pass the time, he went out to sea alone in a small boat, lying on the boat, drifting with the current, feeling bored and having nowhere to vent, so he followed the sea and fought. Suddenly, a thought flashed through Bruce Lee's mind, and he stopped and looked down at his wet hands.
Bruce Lee later recorded his feelings at the time in an article, "Didn't this water party explain to me the principle of kung fu?" I hit it and it didn't hurt. I attacked it again with all my might - and it remained unscathed! Then I tried to grab a handful of water, but I couldn't. Water, the softest thing in the world, can be filled in the smallest jars. Yet seemingly weak, it can penetrate the hardest matter in the world. I see! I want to be like water. Then he saw a bird flying overhead, casting a fleeting reflection on the water, and received another revelation: "When facing an opponent, shouldn't my thoughts and emotions be like the reflection of this bird when it gently skims the water?" As Master said, no sticking, no occlusion. Therefore, if you want to control yourself, you must first accept yourself and conform to your own nature rather than go against it. Bruce Lee understood Master Ip Man's teachings and forged a long-term and close bond with water ever since.
Some readers may ask, "I'm not a martial artist, what is the use of this book for me?" What does the epiphany of a 17-year-old boy more than 60 years ago have to do with me? Li Xiangning was well prepared for this question, and she replied in the book that although it talks about martial arts, it is only used as a metaphor to explain some life experiences. With the help of some concrete examples of grounding, sometimes some abstract concepts can be better understood. "Why should we learn to be like water? My father's philosophy and way of life inspired many people around the world to strive for a better life, including me, and his life was modeled on water. ”
"You don't need to be another Bruce Lee"
How would a martial artist with dreams and ambitions deal with accidents in life? According to Li Xiangning's recollection, his father Bruce Lee once suffered a serious back injury, and the doctor stressed that he must stay in bed to recuperate, otherwise he may not be able to practice martial arts again. This is undoubtedly a thunderbolt for him, who regards martial arts as his life.
But he did not slump, but chose to deal with it positively. In addition to recuperating with therapy, he reads, writes, conceives ideas for movies and TV series, and even insists on teaching off-site. For Bruce Lee, the accident is neither good nor bad, just one thing happened. Life is like that, and he still keeps going and doing what he wants. The obstacles don't stop him from flowing, but they allow him to learn from them and move towards greater success. This is also inspiring for us today to strive to become strong people.
Li Xiangning also emphasized in the book that understanding and practicing Xiaolong's philosophy taught her one thing, "That is, you don't need to be another Bruce Lee to live a fulfilling life." Believe me, as his daughter, I hope to achieve even a tenth of his achievements, become a role model among others, and follow his old path. This kind of pressure on myself has overwhelmed and trembled, and has brought my life to a standstill several times. And every now and then I take a deep breath and remind myself: Bruce Lee doesn't want me to be Bruce Lee. Thank God. You'll find in this book that he wants you to be the best version of yourself. Who Bruce Lee is has nothing to do with you, because you are you. ”
[If you have news leads, please report to us, once adopted, there will be a fee.] WeChat attention: ihxdsb, QQ: 3386405712]![A generation of superstar Bruce Lee, the wife was deceived and the son was shot, and the decision of the daughter Li Xiangning was surprising[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)