Bruce Lee Artist of Life. Bruce Lee

proverb, and the purpose of my notes on self-defense is not only to forewarn you, but to forearm you with practical knowledge about meeting any foe, regardless of his size and strength.

      Some Tips on Self-Defense

      Self-defense is not fun. You are liable to find yourself fighting hard to avoid serious injury and so you must expect to be hurt. The method of self-defense I am going to describe will not prevent your being hurt, but it will give you a very good chance of emerging the victor without sustaining any severe injury. You will have to accept this, and should a blow from your opponent break through, it is essential—at least for the time being—to ignore the pain and, instead of giving up, use [it] as a spur to counterattack and victory. (Bear this in mind: when being attacked by a thug the fact is that he has but a one-track mind, which is bent on your destruction, rarely considering what you can do. If your acts show him that he is up against something he did not expect, it will cut down his attacking ego over 50 percent and will neutralize his attack, in which case you always have the psychological advantage on your side.)

      This may not sound very encouraging, but the chances of attack can be very greatly reduced when you are walking, especially alone at night or in lonely places, if you are always alert. Keep an eye on any person who appears to be following you or who approaches. Keep to the outside of the path or in the middle of a lane. Listen for approaching footsteps and watch shadows; that is to say, as you pass a street lamp you will see the shadow of anyone behind you thrown up on the ground in front of you. The same thing happens as the result of lights in houses and the headlights of passing cars. As soon as you see a shadow in these circumstances, immediately glance around and see who it is. Always, of course, avoid patches of deep shadow.

      The main thing is to see the attack coming, which enables you to shout, scream, or just concentrate on dealing with the attacker. Make as much noise as possible as this naturally tends to frighten off lawbreakers.

      In made-up but quiet streets, I repeat, walk on the outside of the pavement. This obviates the chance of anyone jumping out of a house or garden entrance at you to snatch your purse, handbag, or briefcase or worse. For exactly the same reason I suggest walking down the middle of a lane where there are no made-up paths and perhaps no street lamps. If you consider it advisable, you may even cross the road to avoid a person of whom you are suspicious. If he follows, he at least makes his intention fairly obvious. Although I am again repeating myself, I must emphasize that the success of an [assailant’s] attack depends on surprise, and if you’re sufficiently alert to prevent a surprise, your counterattack is already halfway to being successful. The main thing is to see the attack coming, which enables you to shout, scream, or just concentrate on dealing with the attacker. Make as much noise as possible as this naturally tends to frighten off lawbreakers.

      I hope I have not frightened you and made you think it is not safe to walk along the streets. That is certainly not my intention, but newspaper reports lead one to believe that attacks on innocent people are increasing.

      The Basis of Self-Defense

      There is only one basic principle of self-defense: You must apply the most effective weapon as soon as possible to the most vulnerable point of your enemy. Although I say there is only one basic principle, it is better to break it into sections and look at it more thoroughly:

      1. what is the most effective weapon

       2. speed

       3. the point to attack or counterattack

      The Weapon

      Given a choice I would always choose the leg. It is longer than the arm and can deal a heavier blow, and it is much more powerful. So, should anyone approach you, your kick would make contact before his punch, if both commence at the same speed.

      Speed

      There is no time to consider the type of defense or weapon to use. Obviously, if your kick does not commence, his punch will land first, and your defense is useless. Only training can produce results (I can help you with this). If you do not consider a few minutes’ training worthwhile, and you think the chance of assault is small, you are one of those people who encourage thugs to attack, and no one can help you should an emergency arise.

      There is only one basic principle of self-defense: You must apply the most effective weapon as soon as possible to the most vulnerable point of your enemy.

      The Point of Counterattack

      Among the most vulnerable points for your counter if you are attacked by a man are the groin, eyes, abdomen, and knee.

      Source: Bruce Lee’s handwritten essay entitled “Teach Yourself Self-Defense,” dated 1962. Bruce Lee Papers.

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      PSYCHOLOGY IN DEFENSE AND ATTACK

      Size is never a true indication of muscular power and efficiency. The smaller man usually makes up for the imbalance of power by his greater agility, flexibility, speed of foot, and nervous action.

      Bear this in mind once you go into action and grapple with an opponent: strive to keep him off balance, regardless of his size. So keep moving faster than he and pay absolutely no attention to his size, fierce facial contortions, or his vicious language. Your object is always to attack your opponent at his weakest points, which are mainly gravitational, throwing him off balance, and applying leverage principles so that his body, and the limbs of his body, are used to work toward his own defeat. “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

      In combating a man with your bare hands, you must learn to use your head, knees, and feet as well as your hands. The “crowding” act gives you every opportunity to use these parts of your body, especially your elbows.

      In combating a man with your bare hands, you must learn to use your head, knees, and feet as well as your hands. The “crowding” act gives you every opportunity to use these parts of your body, especially your elbows. Another simple method while crowding with your opponent is to step on your opponent’s foot. It has unexpected results. The one point to bear in mind when you are being attacked by a thug is the fact that the thug has but a one-track mind. He thinks in but one groove, which is bent on your destruction, rarely considering what you can do, in which case you always have the psychological advantage on your side. With efficiency comes confidence and self-reliance.

      Source: Bruce Lee’s handwritten essay from his pocket journal, entitled “Psychology in Defense and Attack,” circa 1961.

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      HOW TO CHOOSE A MARTIAL ART INSTRUCTOR

      I sincerely give this advice to all readers who are about to take up martial art: believe only half of what you see and definitely nothing that you hear.

      Before you take any lessons from any instructor, find out clearly from him what his method is and politely request that he demonstrate to you how some techniques operate. Use your common sense, and if he convinces you, then by all means go ahead.

      How does one judge if an instructor is good? Rather, this question should be rephrased to read How can one judge if a method or system is good? After all, one cannot learn the speed or power of an instructor, but one can assess his skill. Thus the soundness of the system, and not the instructor, is to be considered; the instructor is merely there to point the way and lead his disciples to an awareness that he himself is the one and only one to give true feeling and expression to the system.

      The system should not be mechanical and complicated, but simply simple, with no “magical power.” The method (which is ultimately no method) is there to remind one when he has done enough. The techniques have no magical power and are nothing special; they are merely the simplicity of profound common sense.

      Do not, however, be impressed by instructors who have brick-breaking hands, invincible stomachs, iron forearms, or even speed, for that matter. Remember, you cannot learn his ability, but you can learn his skill. At any rate, the ability to break stones, to take a punch on the body, to jump so many feet off the ground are but stunts in the Chinese art of gung fu. Of primary importance are the techniques.

      Breaking a brick and punching a human being are two different things: a