After enjoying the book Bruce Lee Artist of Life and using its takeaways towards my 4th Dan Thesis, I decided to purchase Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do by the same author, John Little. The former book dives into Lee’s personal philosophy for life, whereas the latter book dives into his martial philosophy for his martial art, Jeet Kune Do. The one thing that I like about these two books is that while they are written by John Little, they document things that Bruce either said or wrote and have an overflow of knowledge. Sometimes there is too much knowledge and I cannot recall certain quotes or tidbits, but one thing Bruce Lee said about his philosophy on sparring stuck out to me. He says, “Turn your sparring into play — but play seriously.” (Lee 25)
Sparring is a serious matter in that it should be approached with respect, control and concern for the safety of one’s partner. Considering these things, it is important to remember that sparring is supposed to be an enjoyable activity! Sometimes we all need a reminder of this, and that there is (or should be) no threat in sparring. I catch students and sometimes myself sparring with a lot of tension as if it is a life or death interaction, or as if their ego is on the line with “winning” being a necessity. This fear restricts us in sparring and withholds the benefits of sparring from us. When we are reminded that sparring is a game and a place for learning, we are freed to experience sparring for all of its benefits. With this newfound relaxation and decrease of tension from adrenaline, we are able to focus on technique instead of survival, and we are able to react appropriately to our partner. When sparring is at its best, both partners should be smiling during sparring! They should be smiling because they are simultaneously learning and enjoying themselves.
Furthermore, we need to also realize that except in competition, the word partner is used in sparring, not opponent. To learn more about working together in sparring, you can check out my previous article “Taking a Collaborative Approach to Sparring”. https://urbanmartialartists.com/2021/09/20/taking-a-collaborative-approach-to-sparring/
Remember that there is no threat in sparring. Work together and enjoy!
Sources:
Lee, Bruce, and John R. Little. Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do: A Comprehensive Guide to Bruce Lee’s Martial Way. Tuttle Publishing, 2020.
