How to Express Yourself and Not Be a Martial Arts Robot

Bruce Lee set a challenge to express yourself honestly in your martial arts practice... but how? I asked Sifu Matt Ember of Rising Fist Kung Fu for some advice. Here it is!

For MORE tips on martial arts training, self-defense, and living a happy life--

►TRAIN WITH ME in person, online, or at a seminar.

▼ FOLLOW ME ▼

Keep fighting for a happy life! :)

★ LIKE ★ SHARE ★ SUBSCRIBE ★

WARNING: The advice and movements shown in this video are for informational and educational purposes only. Consult a doctor before engaging in any exercise or martial arts program.

[piotrlitwic]

It's been a while since I last commented. I really needed this video, some really useful advice there.

From what I understood Bruce Lee's message it basically meant "Don't master a style, because a style has it's own self-imposed limitations. Instead, master techniques, and the techniques that work for you, not for somebody else."

And another important lesson from this video - No one knows themself. You have to come to know yourself by trying and seeing what you're good at, and not give up after first failed attempt. Too few attempts don't make a sufficient statistical data to determine whether you're good at something or not... At least if I understood correctly.

Another great video, much appreciated. Thank you, sir!

[mjb]

One of the things I love about wing chun is that there are so many techniques (38 hand techniques, a wide variety of kicks and punches, elbow strikes, etc. plus locking and trapping and a few grappling moves) that everybody's wing chun, once they start to explore it for themselves instead of just parroting the combos their sifus teach, is unique. Like putting letters together to make words, every wing chun practitioner tells their own personal story through the techniques and strategies they choose to use, or that they prioritise in their training.

[superbean]

Always nice to hear your wise words! I wish Bruce Lee was still alive to spread his wisdom but luckily the torch has been passed down to good people and we need to to shine bright. Especially in this moment when martial art are being looked down upon due to certain post fight antics.

[philipkollberg]

Thanks Ando for your videos.
Always positive and thoughtful.

[tmntforever]

Ando my inner voice is always telling me to quit that im not good enough especially after a bad training session but I never listen to it !

[allen]

It took me a few times listening to this to really get what the message was. You need a good instructor to let the students express themselves. Where I go most of the instructors are much younger and don't understand the difficulty of older students. We had one but he is not there now. My right leg roundhouse kicks were not that great at 25 never mind 58..It's a hip thing that is not going to get better. Crescent kicks on that side work great. Maybe being to old to be a robot is a good thing..(:

[iliass.]

Nice video ! 😁

I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m sure it’s gonna be a very good video.

[ForHonorUSMC]

Great interview. I would take it a step further and advise people to apply that creative mindset to ANYTHING they love and do, to look outside of rigid views and dogma and search for the essence themselves. Fair bit of warning; when you go against the grain, the grain rubs back.

[Taylor-wtzv]

Hey ando I just got my orange belt! I'm doing a inschool tournament and I'm learning a purple belt form I'm going to compete with it it's about 44 moves, I'll let you know how I place it November 3rd. Thanks for all your help!!!! Love your channel

[riodhani]

A true master. This is rare on youtube

[LukaMegurine]

Maybe it’s my inner critic voice getting me down but do you have any tips or thoughts on how to deal with breaking a plateau or a technique wall?

Lately, I feel like I’m slower than my classmates and it takes so long to learn small pieces of things like forms or techniques. I feel like that video of the kid jumping small hurdles only to stop at the real life sized one. It really sucks.

That was a great podcast, by the way. He seems like an awesome guy.

[blockmasterscott]

I think the best way to express yourself is to get into competition and lose. It makes you evaluate what your deficiencies are and to improve yourself, and that's how you come into your own style. It doesn't have to be a fighting competition. Forms competition helps you improve yourself too.

[mizanahmed]

Awesome video sensei!!
But how can I be an artist in combat situations? I would have thought set forms would be the best thing in those situations.
Also when are you teaching in London next?

[RP-xgrr]

Hi I just wanted to say I’ve been boxing for 6 years now had lots of bouts my record is 12/4 and I’m still terrified of a street fight as I’ve never been in one cos it looks very different to boxing which I’m very confident in any advice?

[jayjones]

How can you deal with being placed in bondage by emotion n the need or subconscious want to improve? I feel held bck by not knowing why i fight or express myself my stomach is tight n dishonesty crawls.

[eliransas]

First you have to do what Bruce suggested to his students, go and experience a variety of martial arts, take what works for you to spend what does not work for you and add what is necessary.
As a martial artist who creates and refines his style all the time I can write a book on the subject, but in brief my tip is not to go for big changes just try to optimize what you do with the aim to spend less energy and reduce the amount of movement and shorten the fight, Which corresponds to the body's position after the previous technique, to learn to perform a simple technique in a surprising timing, to practice striving for a goal position in the battle from any contact with the opponent. Choose similar techniques or the same principle for a number of different situations and preferably prefer to practice the techniques that work for me better than to invest in other techniques that work for me less.

[bryanoliver]

I`m 53, is it not to late to learn Martial Arts ? I believe I better get started, for one day down this road I have a plan to be like water, as Bruce Lee has spoken, be like water and to fully understand what he meant .

[darioncollins]

Can you make a video on how to spot a McDojo?

[personalself]

Legend_Lee : Knowing is not enough, we must apply.

[LikeWaterProductions]

I had a TKD instructor who loved to teach self defense strategy that was based on his flexibility and physiology. They always incorporated really high kicking with great control. But my flexibility wasn't nearly as good as his, and I'm only 5' 7", so while these techniques were great for him to express himself, they just didn't work for me. Even now as an advanced student, I would never try those techniques. I'm simply built differently.