Bruce Lee: The Tao of Gung Fu - (Paperback)

About the Book

Previous edition published: Boston: C.E. Tuttle, 1997, under title The tao of gung fu.

Book Synopsis

In the months leading up to his death, Bruce Lee was working on this definitive study of the Chinese martial arts--collectively known as Kung Fu or Gung Fu. This book has now been edited and is published here for the first time in its entirety.

Bruce Lee revolutionized the practice of martial arts and brought them into the modern world--by promoting the idea that students have the right to pick and choose those techniques and training regimens which suit their personal needs and fighting styles. He developed a new method of his own called Jeet Kune Do--combining many elements from different masters and different traditions. This was considered heretical at the time within martial arts circles, where one was expected to study with only a single master--and Lee was the first martial artist to attempt this. Today he is revered as the "father" of many martial arts practices around the world--including Mixed Martial Arts.

In addition to presenting the fundamental techniques, mindset and training methods of traditional Chinese martial arts, this martial art treatise explores such esoteric topics as Taoism and Zen as applied to Gung Fu, Eastern and Western fitness regimens and self-defense techniques. Also included is a Gung Fu "scrapbook" of Bruce Lee's anecdotes regarding the history and traditions of the martial arts of China. After Lee's death, his manuscript was completed and edited by martial arts expert John Little in cooperation with the Bruce Lee Estate. This book features an introduction by his wife, Linda Lee Cadwell and a foreword from his close friend and student, Taky Kimura.

This Bruce Lee Book is part of the Bruce Lee Library which also features:

• Bruce Lee: Striking Thoughts
• Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon
• Bruce Lee: Artist of Life
• Bruce Lee: Letters of the Dragon
• Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body
• Bruce Lee: Jeet Kune Do

Review Quotes

"...the image he draws on the reader's mental chalkboards is of that of a genuinely good-hearted teacher who will educate you on anything but falsehoods. I would recommend this book to the gung fu enthusiast before I do any other title on the subject." --HubPages.com

"...Bruce Lee books are now also available in ebook format...That's great; it's nice if you're traveling to take everything with you in one little small container so-to-speak." --Martial Thoughts Podcast

"Bruce Lee, The Tao of Gung Fu is a window into Lee's thinking in the early 1960s...This is an enjoyable and educational read for any serious martial arts practitioner." --Full Potential Martial Arts

"A wonderful book, at times even fascinating, that not only reveals the depth of Bruce Lee's thoughts on the higher purpose of the martial arts, but also serves as a wonderful introduction to the way of gung fu." --Martial Arts Legends blog

"Technical yet poetic, The Tao of Gung Fu: A Study in the Way of Chinese Martial Art includes over 100 photos and line drawings as Lee explains his holistic approach. It was left unfinished at his death." --Publishers Weekly

"The Bruce Lee Library stands as the definitive presentation of Bruce Lee's magnificent legacy. Each volume belongs on the bookshelf of every serious martial artist." --Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus

About the Author

John Little is considered to be one of the world's foremost authorities on Bruce Lee, his training methods, and philosophies. Little is the only person who has ever been authorized to review the entirety of Lee's personal notes, sketches and reading annotations. Little's articles have appeared in every martial arts and health and fitness magazine in North America including Muscle and Fitness. He is the author of Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living, Bruce Lee: Artist of Life, Jeet Kune Do: Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way, Bruce Lee: The Art of Expressing the Human Body, Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon, and many others. A native of Canada, John is an expert in the fields of martial arts, bodybuilding, and physical conditioning.