Kung Fu Wisdom

First you crawl, then you walk, then you run.
Before a man can fight, he must first learn to stand.
True kung fu is rooted in the feet. It develops in the legs, is directed by the waist and functions through the fingers.
Beginning students block an assault, experienced kung fu men attack after blocking, but true masters no longer have the need to block.
It is better to sweat in practice than to bleed in battle.
When the archer misses the center of the target, he does not blame the bow or arrow. He seeks for the cause of failure within himself.
It is usually the depth of skill rather than the variety of technique that decides the winner.
Learning one hundred things is not as good as practicing one thing well. Practicing one hundred things is not as good as mastering one thing perfectly.
Correct hitting is invisible. An enemy should fall without seeing your hands.
A great martial artist will never make a show of being great; that is how his greatness is achieved.
Among martial artists, there are those who desire recognition through mastery of certain skills rather a totally upright character, but they will never be genuine martial artists.
A phony kung fu man shoots out his hand ferociously, but his punch contains no true power. A master is not so flamboyant, but his touch is as heavy as a mountain.
The discipline of knowledge in the Oriental view is to be used towards attaining moral excellence. Granting emotion and desire their place, the true martial artist is not dominated by them.
A martial artist without philosophy is nothing more than a street fighter.
Martial Arts are a way of life. A martial artist is an artist for life.
The great essence of the martial arts is its spirit. The outward features are the many techniques it teaches.
To learn kung fu fully, one must embody the entire kung fu philosophy. Without the mind the body is useless.
The mind commands, strength goes along and follows.
Sweat in the school so you won't bleed in battle.
A skillful fighter does not lose his temper.
The true hero hardens his nature and controls his mind; the mock variety makes a show of his talents and flies off his temper.
The most important part of a fight begins before you draw your sword.
The superior man moves his lips; the mean man moves his fists.
The tree that does not bend with the wind will be broken by the wind.
The way to Tai Chi is to comply with an attacker.
The strength of one thousand pounds can be repulsed with four ounces.
When an old man is able to defeat many attackers, how could it be due to his strength?
Self-Defense is like a mirror; it anticipates nothing, but responds to what is before it.
There is no greater catastrophe than underestimating the enemy.
Knowledge of body weakness is every bit as important as the ability to hit a given target proficiently.
A great general wins without a battle.
To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill; to subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill. Funakoshi
When the martial artist meets a setback, he does not sit and brood about it. Chalking it up to experience, he tries to learn from his mistakes. He knows the results may not come easily and he is willing to endure rough times because of the faith he has in himself.
Every master was once a novice.
A person who does not believe his master's teaching will never reach a depth of understanding; likewise, a person who believes every word of his master's teaching without question will never reach a depth of understanding.
Advance daily throughout your life, becoming more skillful today than yesterday. This is a never ending process.
When you break your arm in battle, hide it in your sleeve.