Wing Chun Ain't Enough - A Story About Bruce Lee

There's a famous story about how Bruce Lee was challenged to a fight by affiliates of the Gee Yau Seah Academy in 1964. Members of this particular organization took offense to Lee's bravado and weren't particularly keen on his method of teaching.

Lee accepted the challenge and ended up fighting a man named, Wong Jack Man, a Wing Chun stylist. The fight went on for longer than Lee anticipated but he ended up the victor.

What Lee discovered afterwards was quite interesting. Because he was only versed in Wing Chun, his options during the exchange were relatively limited. His capacity to counter certain moves and adopt a flexible methodology were constrained because he only knew one type of martial art well. In other words, there were significant weaknesses in his craft.

He then went on a quest to learn and master other types of self-defense. It was this philosophy that permeated his approach to life in general.

Not only was Lee an amazing martial artist but he designed jewelry, exercise equipment, was a philosopher, screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. He never allowed himself to be limited in any arena of his life, nor was he embarrassed by the fact he didn't know how to do something. He just found out how to do it.

In his own words, "To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."

Lessons Learned Traveling the World

Last summer, I had the great fortune of traveling to several countries in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. It was an opportunity to re-connect with friends, see parts of the world I hadn't visited before, and much needed reflection.

I wrote each day about my journey, while asking someone in each new place for the best piece of advice someone had ever given them. The insights were profound, while refreshingly simple.

http://www.worldambler.com/ 

On the very last day of my journey I found myself in Warsaw, Poland. My final discovery was perhaps the most poignant -- at least at the time:

Living life on your own terms, which is to say, an existence of nonconformity is like any other meaningful pursuit. It takes practice and time to hone your craft. But in time, you slowly get better and better, eventually skilled at shooing away the chatter and noise of those who project their own fears and failures upon you. The notion that you must live a certain type of life wanes in its ability to ruffle you because you have become a master craftsman in living life the way you see fit.