Guro
Dan Inosanto
To all seekers of the way, Knowledge comes from your instructor.
Wisdom comes from within.
The backbone
of the Filipino empty hand skills are derived from that of the
knife. In a knife fight your entire body if utilized, you can kick
with either leg and strike with your free hand. The difference
between life or death rests solely on your skill....little wonder
why the a Filipino martial arts are so effective.
There is no
excuse for taking a man's life, for life is precious. Any man can
take a life, but no man can give back a life. Killing is then a
matter between a man and his personal conviction and conscience. It
is a matter of your own personal belief of right or wrong. It is
therefore important to train the mind before training the body.
I once asked
a close friend, "What can I do to make this world a better
place to live?" His answer, "Develop yourself first."
The martial arts have been my way of developing myself physically,
mentally and spiritually.
Bruce Lee
once said, while philosophizing on martial arts, "Dan, before I
studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch and kick just
like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch,
a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch
is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick.
The height
of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity,
the ability to express the utmost with the minimum.
|