What You Believe You Can Achieve in Martial Arts and Everything Else
In 1969, Bruce Lee wrote a letter to himself, promising to be world-famous by 1970 and by 1980, he would have $10 million. He wrote that he would do this by giving "electrifying" performances. He set a goal to become the highest-paid "Oriental" actor in Hollywood.Â
We all know what happened. He did not live to see his greatest fame, but more than 50 years after he died, we're still talking about him and wearing his t-shirts. Okay, maybe you aren't, but all the cool kids are wearing them. :)
The great comic actor Jim Carrey must have heard this about Bruce Lee, because in 1985, Jim wrote himself a check dated 10 years in the future -- 1995 -- and he wrote the check for $10 million.
Both of these guys could SEE themselves successful. They believed it. And they took steps to achieve it.
I don't have $10 million, but I know the power of setting a goal, writing down the steps to achieve that goal, and then taking those steps, one by one, until the goal is reached.
In 2008, a week after...
The Young Zen Monk and the New Year's Resolutions
The day after the young monk visited the village during the Spring Festival, he was sweeping the hallway near the monastery’s kitchen, trying to remain mindful of his chore, but his mind kept turning to the new year approaching. He knew that people looked ahead to the new year and set goals for personal achievements, but this was not something he had ever done.
The old master emerged from the kitchen with a cup of tea.
“Master,” the monk said, leaning his broom against the wall, “is it wrong to set goals for a new year?”
“What goals would you like to set?”
After thinking a moment, the young monk said, “Success. Enlightenment. Those would be my goals for the new year.”
The master took a sip of tea. “As long as the goals are set mindfully, I would encourage you to align them with your values. The goals should not be pursued with attachment or ego-driven desires.”
“Is a goal of success ego-driven?”
“I would answer your question with a question. What are your daily activities now?”
...A Parable: The Zen Master and the Tree
In a serene Zen Buddhist monastery nestled among mist-covered mountains, a young monk approached the master, his heart heavy with defeat.
He explained to the master that he had striven for years to understand the nature of the mind, yet enlightenment eluded him, and recent personal tragedies had further clouded his path.Â
The elderly master led the young monk to a garden where a single tree stood. This tree, once vibrant and full of life, had been struck by lightning, leaving it scarred and half-destroyed.
The master pointed to the tree and asked, "What do you see?"
"A broken tree, master, damaged by misfortune," the young monk said.
"Look closer," said the master.
The monk stepped closer to the tree and examined the trunk. He noticed new shoots emerging from the scars, reaching delicately toward the sky.
"This tree, struck by lightning, faced its own form of tragedy," said the master. "Yet, it persists, finding a way to grow anew amidst its scars. Its branches may be fewer, but...
How to Become a Chi Master and Ignite Paper with Your Qi
Some people really believe chi masters can project their chi (also spelled Qi) so powerfully that they can set something on fire -- like paper.
In this video, Ken Gullette demonstrates this ability and then shows you step-by-step how to do it. Remember, never check your brains at the door of a martial arts school. If you would like to study Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua and Qigong without the mystical mumbo-jumbo and fantasy, you are on the right website. Try two weeks free and study REAL internal arts.
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How to Be a Chi Master and Ignite Paper with Your Qi Energy
I was listening to a podcast last week when I heard a well-known Tai Chi teacher say there are chi masters in Asia who we have seen ignite paper with their Qi. Some other fantastic claims were made on the interview.Â
Here is the truth: noboby can ignite paper with their Qi.Â
Some charlatans pretend they can ignite paper with their Qi.
But it's a trick.
When an adult goes to a magic show, and a magician saws a women in half, and you see the woman's body being separated, and then in a moment the body is reconnected and the woman is walking off the stage, no rational adult walks away telling everyone, "Did you know you can be sawed in half and then you can be reconnected? I saw it happen!"Â
If you tell them, "Hey, man, that's just a trick," the believer will say, "You just don't understand. You have to open your mind!"
Nobody with an ounce of intelligence says that after seeing a magic show. What they actually say is, "I'd like to know that trick."
However, demonstrate a magic tr...
Setting Tribalism Aside to Learn with Martial Artists of Other Styles
I love it when martial artists of different styles come to my practices. I like to compare notes, concepts and body mechanics with other martial artists. It's also fun to see how Taiji, for example, handles someone from other arts.
Yesterday, my friend and former student Chris Lorenzen came to practice with me, Justin and Colin. Chris is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and has been training the art with intensity for the past three years, including some success at BJJ tournaments. He was 16 when he was my student (around 2001 and 2022). He was a natural, and won first-place trophies in almost every competition he entered at regional tournaments. And he's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.
Before he arrived, we were working on escapes from joint locks. In a self-defense situation, you don't go in with a plan to use chin-na against an opponent, but you should be ready to apply a joint lock when the opportunity arises.Â
Equally important is to become "sensitive" enough to...
I Began Studying Martial Arts 50 Years Ago This Week
The image above is from my journal on September 4, 1973, the day I took my first martial arts class -- 50 years ago this week. It was the start of the Bruce Lee Kung-Fu Boom. "Enter the Dragon" hit movie theaters a couple of weeks earlier and that was the spark I needed to enroll in a school.
I was a 20-year-old student at Eastern Kentucky University, but I drove to my hometown for the class (about a 40-minute drive) because Sin The (pronounced Sin Tay) was a legend in Lexington. At that time he held classes in a converted garage at Eastland Shopping Center. There were so many people at the first introductory class, we spilled out into the driveway and they had to open the garage door.
It was an exciting time. Kung-Fu was so mysterious and amazing! I was always a good fighter, but the "Kung Fu" TV show and Bruce Lee convinced me to study something that would boost my fighting skills. Nothing was cooler than martial arts.
We were all very naive. The internet didn't exist so we coul...
I Was a Guest on the Kung Fu Conversations Podcast with Owen Schilling and Randel Davis
Owen Schilling and Randel Davis are martial artists and very good people. They are also the guys behind the "Kung Fu Conversations" podcast. They recently had me on as a guest and it turned out to be very good. I have been interviewed several times and I have become tired of my own stories, but Owen and Randel tried to plow some new ground. I hope you enjoy it. Click this link to go to the YouTube verson of the podcast.  You can also find the podcast on Spotify. Click this link to open the podcast on Spotify.
Winners Announced for Digital Copies of "Enter the Dragon"
A few weeks ago, Warner Bros. contacted me as they prepared to release the new 4K version of "Enter the Dragon." They asked if I wanted to do a giveaway on my podcast of 10 digital codes. Of course, I enthusiastically said "Yes!"
So in the recent edition of the Internal Fighting Arts podcast I asked listeners to come to this blog and leave comments on what Bruce Lee and "Enter the Dragon" meant to their study of martial arts.
As it turned out, hundreds of people have listened to the podcast but only nine people actually left comments here on the blog.
Those nine people who followed the rules will automatically win a digital code for a copy of "Enter the Dragon." Those nine people are:
** Tom Norio Sakaishi
** Liam Machlin
** Eddie Ooms
** Neil White
** Jim Strother
** Mike Sherlock
** Ernesto Pon
** James Helms
** Jovan Lezaravic
Since the people above followed the rules and left messages on the blog post, they will each get a code. So that means I had one left. Several m...
Enter to Win a Digital Code for the 50th Anniversary Release of Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon:" The Internal Fighting Arts Podcast Giveaway
This week, Warner Brothers is releasing a new 4K/Ultra HD version of "Enter the Dragon," Bruce Lee's kung-fu masterpiece that helped launch the Kung-Fu Boom in 1973.Â
Warner Brothers has given me 10 digital codes to give away to listeners of my Internal Fighting Arts Podcast. Just comment below about what Bruce Lee and/or "Enter the Dragon" means to you. Did it impact your martial arts? Did Bruce Lee inspire you?
You have until the end of the day on August 26, 2023 to make your comment. On Sunday, August 27, we will put the names of everyone who commented in a box and we will draw 10 winners live on my Internal Fighting Arts Facebook page at www.facebook.com/internalfightingarts.Â
Ten winners will each receive a code and you will be able to watch and download the new 4K/Ultra HD version of "Enter the Dragon."
I saw the movie in a theater when I was a 20-year-old college student. I was blown away. Not only was his movement the most beautiful I had ever seen, but we had never seen te...
Author - Instructor
Ken Gullette
I have practiced martial arts since 1973 and began studying the internal arts in 1987. My goal is to cut years off your development time by coaching you in the real skills for high-quality Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua. To see more about my bio, click the "About Ken" link on the menu at the top of this page.
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