“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
Bruce Lee
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Bruce Lee Quotes
American - Martial Artist & Actor|November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973
50 FAMOUS QUOTES · MARTIAL ARTIST & ACTOR
Bruce Lee Quotes
Read 50 of the best Bruce Lee quotes on self-belief, discipline, adaptability and limits, including "Be water, my friend," from the legendary martial artist and actor.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup; you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. Water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
Bruce Lee
AdaptabilityBe Water
“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.”
Bruce Lee
CharacterKnowledge
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”
Bruce Lee
MistakesCourage
“All fixed set patterns are incapable of adaptability or pliability. The truth is outside of all fixed patterns.”
Bruce Lee
AdaptabilityTruth
“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”
Bruce Lee
AngerSelf Control
“Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick.”
Bruce Lee
ActionSimplicity
“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.”
Bruce Lee
Open MindPeace
“Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family. It just so happens that people are different.”
Bruce Lee
UnityHumanity
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
Bruce Lee
Be YourselfSelf Belief
“It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”
Bruce Lee
SimplicityFocus
“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
Bruce Lee
LegacyLiving Fully
“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”
Bruce Lee
PrinciplesFreedom
“Real living is living for others.”
Bruce Lee
ServiceShort Quotes
“To me, the function and duty of a quality human being is the sincere and honest development of one's potential.”
Bruce Lee
PotentialGrowth
“To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person.”
Bruce Lee
Self KnowledgeRelationships
“A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come.”
Bruce Lee
ReadinessMartial Arts
“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.”
Bruce Lee
WisdomLearning
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done.”
Bruce Lee
ActionOverthinking
“There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
Bruce Lee
LimitsGrowth
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.”
Bruce Lee
FlexibilityResilience
“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
Bruce Lee
GoalsPurpose
“Showing off is the fool's idea of glory.”
Bruce Lee
HumilityShort Quotes
“The possession of anything begins in the mind.”
Bruce Lee
MindsetShort Quotes
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
Bruce Lee
OpportunityDetermination
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About Bruce Lee
American - Martial Artist & Actor | November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973
Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a martial artist, actor, filmmaker and philosopher, born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, where he was a child film actor and trained in Wing Chun kung fu under the master Ip Man. At 18 he moved to the United States, studied philosophy at the University of Washington and began teaching martial arts.
Lee created his own martial arts philosophy, Jeet Kune Do, built on simplicity, adaptability and self-expression. He became famous as Kato in TV's *The Green Hornet* and then a global star through films such as *The Big Boss*, *Fist of Fury*, *The Way of the Dragon* and *Enter the Dragon*. He died suddenly in Hong Kong at just 32, but his ideas about self-belief and personal growth continue to inspire millions. Here are 50 of the best Bruce Lee quotes.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about Bruce Lee and these famous quotes.
Who was Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee was a martial artist, actor and philosopher, born in San Francisco in 1940 and raised in Hong Kong. He founded Jeet Kune Do and became a worldwide star through films like *Enter the Dragon*.
Where does "Be water, my friend" come from?
Lee spoke the famous lines in his 1971 TV interview with Canadian host Pierre Berton, and a version also appears in the TV series *Longstreet*, where he played a martial arts teacher.
What is Jeet Kune Do?
Jeet Kune Do, meaning "the way of the intercepting fist," is the martial arts philosophy Lee founded in 1967. It focuses on simplicity, directness and adapting to each situation rather than following fixed styles.
Did Bruce Lee say "I'm not in this world to live up to your expectations"?
Lee wrote a version of it in his notes, but it's adapted from psychologist Fritz Perls's "Gestalt Prayer." Similarly, "Knowing is not enough, we must apply" was adapted from the German writer Goethe.
What was Bruce Lee's "Definite Chief Aim"?
In 1969 Lee wrote a personal goal declaring he would become the highest-paid Asian superstar in the United States by 1980. The handwritten letter is now one of his most famous documents.
How did Bruce Lee die?
Lee died in Hong Kong on July 20, 1973, at age 32. The official cause was cerebral oedema (swelling of the brain), and *Enter the Dragon* was released just days later.