How Bruce Lee shaped my ministry (part 4)
Welcome back, Dojo readers!
We’re continuing our series on how the philosophy and overall approach to the study of martial arts by the late Bruce Lee has impacted and shaped my own outlook on various biblical, theological and ministerial issues.
If you’re just joining us, here are the previous links to help catch you up to speed:
- For part 1 (intro) click HERE.
- For part 2 (authenticity) click HERE.
- For part 3 (getting to the root) click HERE.
We now come to what is without a doubt Bruce’s greatest contribution to the world of martial arts…and what made many of his critics so irate: his rejection of stylistic and patterned approaches to martial arts training.
In fact, it is this concept that would plant the seeds (which would later bear fruit with the introduction of Brazilian Jiujitsu to the American martial arts community by the Gracie family in the early-90s) for modern mixed martial arts training.
But at the time, it was absolutely scandalous!
Bruce felt that all physical combat was a living, breathing reality which could never be fully encapsulated through rote memorization of complicated or, as he called it, “flowery”, forms or movements. His words regarding traditional styles of martial arts (particularly various Asian martial arts under the broad Kung Fu and Karate umbrellas which at the time relied almost exclusively on prearranged and highly structured forms in training) seem harsh…even mocking at times:
“For security, the unlimited living is turned into something dead, a chosen pattern that limits. To understand Jeet Kune Do, one ought to throw away all ideals, patterns, styles; in fact, he should throw away even the concepts of what is or isn’t ideal in Jeet Kune Do.” TJKD, 11
“Instead of facing combat in its suchness, then, most systems of martial art accumulate a ‘fancy mess’ that distorts and cramps their practitioners and distracts them from the actual reality of combat, which is simple and direct. Instead of going immediately to the heart of things, flowery forms (organized despair) and artificial techniques are ritualistically practiced to simulate actual combat. Thus, instead of ‘being’ in combat these practitioners are ‘doing’ something ‘about’ combat…
When you get down to it, real combat is not fixed and is very much ‘alive.’ The fancy mess (a form of paralysis) solidifies and conditions what was once fluid, and when you look at it realistically, it is nothing but a blind devotion to the systematic uselessness of practicing routines or stunts that lead nowhere…
Is his chosen pattern forming a screen between him and the opponent and preventing a ‘total’ and ‘fresh’ relationship?…
Forms are vain repetitions which offer an orderly and beautiful escape from self-knowledge with an alive opponent.” TJKD, 14-16
“How can there be methods and systems to arrive at something that is living? To that which is static, fixed, dead, there can be a way, a definite path, but not to that which is living. Do not reduce reality to a static thing and then invent methods to reach it.” TJKD, 18
“Because one does not want to be disturbed, to be made uncertain, he establishes a pattern of conduct, of thought, a pattern of relationships to man. He then becomes a slave to the pattern and takes the pattern to be the real thing…
The second-hand artist blindly following his sensei or sifu accepts his pattern. As a result, his action and, more importantly, his thinking become mechanical. His responses become automatic, according to set patterns, making him narrow and limited.” TJKD, 22
While he recognized that there were indeed certain foundational, overarching and core principles underlying physical combat and the martial arts in general, Bruce believed that much of what had been passed down from various “masters” was cumbersome at best…and delusional at worst.
There were hundreds…thousands…of students who were simply repeating as martial arts dogma what they had been taught, and never bothering to look outside of their own particular tradition or style because they believed theirs had all the answers.
But Bruce recognized that when it comes to reality (as opposed to systematic arrangements claiming to emulate reality), being a slave to pattern and tradition actually hindered one from growing in their understanding of truth. Being afraid or uncomfortable when one’s tradition is challenged or criticized was a sign that the person lacked experience in real combat with a living, breathing, resisting opponent (Bruce was not, of course, the first person to realize this and adapt their training accordingly. Decades before he was born, Dr. Jigoro Kano would found the style of martial arts known as Judo on this same idea. Kano’s student Mitsuyo Maeda would in turn take this idea to Brazil and pass it on to Carlos and Helio Gracie and Luiz Franca, giving rise to modern Brazilian Jiujitsu and Vale Tudo).
Okay, but what does this little history lesson have to do with theology or ministry?
Simply this: God is the truest ground of reality.
And as reality, He can never be boiled down to a single system of theological explanation.
You see, for centuries there have been all kinds of attempts at describing God and explaining his nature and the comprehensive teaching of his revealed Word on the part of theologians, all of which contain much that is true and right and good…
…but also much this is incomplete, misleading or even false.
We humans seek–no, crave!–pattern and organization (particularly those of us in the Western intellectual tradition influenced by Greek philosophical categories of thought). We often feel the need to explain and categorize things in a way where all the pieces fit and there are no loose ends.
This is true in almost all branches of study/thought…including theology. That’s where the term “systematic” comes from in “Systematic Theology.”
For centuries Christians have pondered, wrestled with, and attempted to explain the truths of God found in Scripture, nature, and the person of Jesus. And over the years there have been many creeds, formulations, catechisms and confessions put forth to expound the Gospel message.
This is not necessarily a bad thing.
However, like the many martial artists Bruce saw who had focused so much on their particular patterns and styles that they had become confined and limited by them to an unhealthy (even delusional!) degree, many Christians have become confined and limited by their own particular theological traditions or denominational allegiance to an unhealthy (and even delusional!) degree.
This is not a new phenomenon. Jesus dealt with it on a seemingly-regular basis. He was constantly being challenged and opposed because he broke away from man-made rituals and practices which had accumulated over the years (albeit ones that originated from a genuine desire to uphold and obey God’s law!). See Matthew 15:2-6, Mark 2:23-24 and Luke 14:3-6 for a few examples.
Likewise, there are many Christians today who have become so enamored or convinced by their own particular theological traditions that they are actually hindered by them and unable to see and recognize truth if it challenges their system or comes from any other tradition.
They measure any theological truth claim by the standards of, say, the Westminster Confession of Faith…or the Scofield Reference Bible…or the Summa Theologica…or the [insert theological tradition of your choice] and automatically reject whatever stands in tension with it.
There are so many examples we could look at from almost every branch of Christian theological tradition, but I’ll give one from the recent world of Biblical studies that illustrates this unfortunate tendency toward tradition over truth.
In 2010, Baptist scholar and apologist Mike Licona authored “The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach“–a 700 page work examining (and affirming) the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection. The work received favorable reviews from evangelical scholars, historians and philosophers.
However, based entirely on his interpretation of one passage from Matthew 27, where he argued that the text regarding the opening of the tombs and raising of the saints could plausibly be read in an apocalyptic or symbolic manner (a position quite similar to the one I also advocate!), Licona was denounced by fellow Baptists Al Mohler and Norm Geisler as having abandoned (or at best damaged) the doctrine of the Inerrancy of Scripture.
[For an overview of the controversy see this article from Christianity Today.]
In their mind, all of Matthew had to be read literally even though, as Licona pointed out, there were elements of the apocalyptic or symbolic found in a portion of it.
This didn’t matter! The doctrine must be be defended and upheld!
Thankfully, a number of prominent evangelical Biblical scholars came to Licona’s defense and expressed frustration and disappointment in the dogmatic responses from such critics [for examples, see this video response from Paul Copan and this one from Dan Wallace].
Those holding to a rigid version of the doctrine of Inerrancy rejected the exegetical conclusions by one of their own scholars–not because of any exegetical argument from the text itself, mind you! But rather because it did not fit with how they understood a doctrine (namely the doctrine of Inerrancy). It’s not that they simply disagreed with Licona’s conclusions; that would be perfectly acceptable. Rather, it’s why they rejected his conclusions which showed an unhealthy degree of dogmatism. Their tradition did not allow for what is likely the most accurate attempt at interpretation of a peculiar passage in Scripture…thus it was easier to dismiss Licona’s conclusion as heretical rather than have their doctrinal certainty challenged.
So what’s the answer?
How do we avoid falling into the trap of dogmatic traditionalism?
Well, Bruce Lee felt that the solution to the problem of being hindered by empty form and hollow martial arts dogma was to
Assume pliable awareness. [“a springy looseness but not a physically lax body” – p.23]
And I believe this is excellent advice for the Christian as well.
I believe our theology should exhibit a degree of “pliable awareness” so that we are open to whatever God might reveal to us through whatever means he chooses to reveal it…even if it means listening to and learning from someone who we have strong theological disagreement with.
- The Arminian has something to learn from the Calvinist…
- The Reformed Baptist has something to learn from the Pentacostal…
- The Greek Orthodox has something to learn from the Anglican…
- The Dispensationalist has something to learn from the Amillenialist…
- The Presbyterian has something to learn from the Methodist…
- The charismatic has something to learn from the Roman Catholic…
- The Young Earth Creationist has something to learn from the Theistic Evolutionist…
- The Emergent has something to learn from the street preacher…
Of course this doesn’t mean we dismiss all attempts at systematic or historical theology, nor do we dismiss tradition for the sake of dismissing tradition–there is great value in the knowledge of tradition (as we’ll see in the next post in this series!).
A “springy looseness” in our theology is not the same as being “spiritually lax”!
However, rigid adherence to a tradition–no matter how sophisticated or beautiful it may appear–is rarely a good thing.
What I believe Christians need to exhibit is a spiritual version of Bruce’s “pliable awareness”…what I would call a discerning openness to all truth that is God’s truth.
We can (and should!) be knowledgeable of our traditions–as well as others’. But we should also hold those traditions with open hands rather than clenched fists.
[to be continued…]
Categories: Blog, Martial Arts, Ministry, Theological issues
AGREED! We have something to learn from all martial arts styles and Theologies. Except Tae Kwon Do and Calvinism.
JUST KIDDING!
Tae Kwon Do has some good Kicks and Calvinism… Calvinism…. I’m sure I’ll find something good about it someday…
by Chris Bowers on Sep 13, 2012 at 1:38 am
Have you noticed that Bruce’s open hand is very similar to the depicted Jesus’ blessing hand? Might it be a power pose?
(Searching for comparable images brought me here.)
by openmind on Oct 12, 2014 at 9:54 pm
Jesus’ blessing hand.
http://jay.mobile9.com/download/thumb/530/120/jesuschris_wddm9xfs.jpg
by openmind on Oct 12, 2014 at 9:56 pm