"The art of fighting without fighting"

[Adam]

This is the style Bruce Lee claimed to train in Enter the Dragon, but what does he mean by it? Earlier in the film he talked about how the highest form of technique would be to have no technique but to let your body react without thinking. Seeing as a few members have their styles listed as "The art of fighting without fighting" they should know.

Anyone?

[Thokk]

What he means by allowing your body to react without thinking is that he felt a fighter's actions should be reflexes not conscious decisions. By having a clear mind, you wont hesitate and you'll be faster and more fluid. Its actually an awsome philosophy. If you're interested, check out the Tao of Jeet Kune Do.

[El Tejon]

Wu-hsin. No mind boxing.

[Cain]

There's a book called the art of fighting without fighting on kazaa, it's a good read

|Cain|

[Tireces]

I'm pretty sure he meant not wasting yourself fighting if it wasn't really necessary. Hence how he proceeded to trick that guy into going out on the rowboat.

[BryanX]

Originally posted by Tireces
Hence how he proceeded to trick that guy into going out on the rowboat.

Yes, I read something about that as well.

I think Thokk is right too.

Bruce, in 'Enter The Dragon(Anniversary Edition)', also mentioned, "When the opponent contracts, I expand. When he expands, I contract. And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit - It hits all by itself."

My theory after thinking about that underlined part is that your fists and feet(tools of the trade as Bruce Lee calls them) has to have a life of their own.

"And when there is an opportunity, I do not hit - It hits all by itself."

The "IT" he is referring to obviously means his FIST(or his foot). But in the movie, while he was saying that, he held up his fist.

"It hits all by itself."

I believe it means that your fist has to move on it's own. In other words, YOU ARE NOT MAKING YOUR FIST MOVE. You're not even thinking about it as Bruce says in the same scene, "Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come."

As I said earlier, your fist has to have a life of its own.

Of course for this, you'll need quick reflexes to get a successful hit.

[dustIn credible]

see i believe it means something different to everyone its just how each individual interperts the whole thing. I think it means just taking the crap out and leaving in the bare nessicities. No fancy junk just stuff that works. Its a mean to an ends basically.

Do what works with minimal effort along with reflexs that require no thought just action.

just my 10 cents

keep the change

[Stolenbjorn]

I haven't heard about this expression before, and I don't want to go into what I think Bruce meant, but what Thokk and Adam mentions in their posts could be supported by some fields of fighting where I have rudimentary experience:

The german longswordfencers talks about a consept they call Fûhlen (feeling). That is that you drill in some "standard" responses to "the crossing of the sword" (where the swordblades make contact)

That situation have several potential outcomes, depending on where your opponent goes from there, and you haven't time to actively think abount the teqnices, they have to come on reflex.

Wresteling is allso a style where the body searches for windows of oppertuneties/dangerous situations that are so narrow that you don't have time to plan them.

[Tireces]

I think you guys are confusing meanings of two different quotes here. "Fighting without fighting" I believe was just meant as a joke on the Australian guy, who was being all boisterous about how great his fighting was, only to be defeated without a punch thrown. "I don't hit, it hits" is something different. For an example of this, look at when youre driving a familiar route. Do you put conscious thought into what you're doing? Probably not. That quote is referring to one getting so experienced that fighting is as intuitive and thoughtless as scratching an itch. I've even experienced it in a video game (a sign I played one in particular far too much). I was fighting my brother in it one day, and after an entire 5 minute game, I had no clue what I'd done at all, but looking at the scores, I'd massacred my brother. Meanwhile, throughout the whole thing, my mind was on this particular bag of doritos, a flavor I'd not had in some while, and how much I was enjoying it. Nevertheless, my brother was beaten very badly. I think the score was 5-1, and in this particular game, averaging one knockout a minute was phenomenal. Not to mention only getting knocked out yourself one time.

[Thokk]

what game?

[Tireces]

Smash Brothers.

[Adam]

Tireces, what IS your style of MA anyway? JKD?

[Topher]

Originally posted by Tireces
I think you guys are confusing meanings of two different quotes here. "Fighting without fighting" I believe was just meant as a joke on the Australian guy, who was being all boisterous about how great his fighting was, only to be defeated without a punch thrown. "I don't hit, it hits" is something different.

I think 'The Art Of Figting Without Fighting' and 'I Dont Hit, It Hits' mean the same thing.

I think the former mean to fight with out thinking, fighting subconsciously. The latter means that, like the first qoute, I dont make the command for my fist to hit, it instantly hits it self.

Originally posted by Tireces
That quote is referring to one getting so experienced that fighting is as intuitive and thoughtless as scratching an itch

To do somthing with out acually thinking is like fighting without fighting, just the same as punching with out acually punching.

[Tireces]

You can try to link "fighting without fighting" to it as much as you think, I like to think it was just a witty stab at how he brought the Australian guy down without a single violent action against him.

"whats your style"
"the art of fighting...without fighting"
"oh yeah? Show me.'

Then he tricks him into getting stuck out on the rowboat. Seems to make sense to me.

[Greg-VT]

Spot on Tireces. That's what I think it to be too.

The art of fighting without fighting means exactly that. Fighting without having to physically fight. Take the seen with the New Zealand guy for example.

Bruce won the fight, with even having to fight. How easy is that? That is the art of fighting without fighting. Either by tricking the would-be opponent, or outwitting him with conversation. Or perhaps just talking him out of the fight and going down the pub for a pint.

Here’s another example I read somewhere. IT seems very fitting.


There is a Martial Arts practitioner who has just developed his own techniques. He believes them to be very effective. He has been training himself with his art for years, and he yearns to test them in real combat.

Along comes the day, after years of self improvement and style refinement, that the master now feels his new art is ready. Ready for a test in the real world.

He decides to head out one day, to see if he put his skills to good use. He takes a seat on a train, heading into the town. A few stops later a drunk boards.

The Martial Artist can here him coming through the carriages, getting louder and louder as the drunk gets closer.
"Oh, this may the opportunity I've been looking for" Thinks the Artist.
"I can test my great new art on this disorderly drunk. Not only that, but the people on the train will think highly of me for getting rid of him.

Finally the drunk gets to the carriage the Martial Artist is in. He slams open the door, making is presence known.

He's yelling and making allot of noise, shoving people aside, giving people dirty looks, swearing loudly at the people sitting back, trying not to get in his way.

"I'm going to teach him a lesson for being like this to these people, and I can test my new art." The artist says to himself, smiling from under his hat.

The drunk is getting closer and closer, being very aggressive and mean.

"A little closer, then he'll get what’s coming to him" Thinks the Artist. The drunk is now only a little more then a few feet away. "A little closer, then I'll jump up and give it too him"

"That's it!" The Artist takes off his hat and starts to jump up, fists clenched.

Then at that moment, as the drunk reaches the seat in front of the practitioner, a man stands up and says "Hey mate, what wrong? Why are you upsetting all these nice people? It looks like you've had a rough day. Here take this seat."

The man offers the drunk a seat next to him. He sits down, and starts telling the man how he got robbed of his job, and how his family had died in an accident.

For the remainder of the trip the drunk had a shoulder he could cry on, and new friend who would listen to his woes.

Once the drunk had reach his destination, he got off the train with a smile on his face, and no one got hurt.

The old Martial Art Practitioner was amazed, and upset with himself for wanting to beat up the drunk, when all he wanted was an ear.

Perhaps his new style is not the best after all?