Be Like Water, My Friend
Monday, November 29th, 2010So, is there a way to make this philosophy translate to Dancehall Reggae? On the surface it seems silly, but martial arts is a way of life, even if you don’t fight. The person who taught me that lesson through art is Bruce Lee.
With his seemingly indestructible protrayal of the underdog-turned-hero, Bruce Lee let the whole world know it doesn’t matter what size you are, what race you are or how many strikes there are against you. You can always find a way to come out ahead. In doing so he was able to transcend cultural barriers. People the world over identified with his persona, seeing a little of him in themselves.
Although by all accounts Bruce Lee’s movies were not studies in cinematic excellence, they did have a certain quality which makes them unforgettable. The line between fantasy and plausibility was sometimes blurred, but for the most part what people witnessed was a physicality unmatched by any action hero up to that day.
Coupled with a philosophy which boiled these extraordinary feats down to “one human being’s personal expression” of his art, people were given the feeling that, if they were faced with extraordinary circumstances, they too could rise to the occasion.
37 years after his death we are still left contemplating the enormity of Bruce Lee.
I know that the copycats (Bruce Li, Le, etc.) which came after were probably great martial artists… but I cannot even watch their stuff.
