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Bruce Lee re: effort, speed and power


doc540

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

If you apply math to Bruce Lee's quote it makes more sense, sorry Engineer here, martial artist for >40 years and instructor for >25 years.

Force = Mass x Acceleration

Effort is needed to move the mass the key to Bruce's statement is to not apply tension before exerting the effort. Tension acts as resistance/friction which slows down your reaction.

This is easy enough to prove to yourself by testing your draw times especially from a surrender position (arms relaxed vs. muscle tight ready to explode to the gun)

P.S. - BE Moriteru was the Shit!

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Yeah, but what part of Bruce's quote applies to tension in the start position? He just says effort. With a surrender draw especially, if I want a fast draw I have to put a lot of effort into making it a fast draw. A lackadaisical draw is a good .3 slower.

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I don't mean to imply a lack luster draw, just relaxed musculature followed by an EXPLOSION to the draw! Since we are not jellyfish there is always some tension in our muscles. We let out breath before we draw simply to reduce tension.

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On that I’ll agree. But I think to be EXPLOSIVE takes considerable effort. My former sport was Olympic weightlifting which is all about mass times acceleration and much of being good at that sport is the ability to turn on everything AT ONCE to accelerate the bar to a maximum, which I would say requires maximal effort.

Also to make things look effortless in a performance generally takes a very great deal of effort in practice. So maybe put in some context with qualifications Bruce’s quote makes sense but on it’s own I think it’s contrary to reality.

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Just did some flipping through my “Tao of Jeet Kune Do” to see if I could find the quote in context. Didn’t see it but I did find these:

“This means that ordinary effort will not tap or release the tremendous store of reserve power latent in the human body. Extraordinary effort, highly emotionalized conditions or a true determination to win at all costs will release the extra energy.”

“The competitor is the one who gives all he has, all the time. The result is that he works close to his capacity at all times and in so doing, forms an attitude of giving all he has. In order to create such an attitude, the practitioner must be driven longer, harder and faster than normally would be required.”

I knew I liked the guy.

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"The less effort, the faster and more powerful you will be."

Maybe the point is: when we put forth an effort (try) the focus of our energy is on the effort and not on the act.

I was going to put something in here... Then I read that and thought - WOO! That's right on it. Then I looked to the left and saw it was Sam.

:)

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