Page 100 - Beyond Basics_Neat

uring the blood and guts era of the 60’s and 70’s. Fighting
was the name of the game when just about anything was
Dlegal and it wasn’t just a game of tag. Safety Gear was a
groin cup and a Band-Aid from the night before, contact was the
A Martial Artist’s Evolution
norm, not the exception, and drawing blood wasn’t an automatic
disqualification. Forms were traditional and the Judges were well
versed in them all. Quality was the order of the day in Forms
competition. This was the era of the martial arts Legends of today
the likes of Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Bill Wallace just to name
a few.
During this time an amazing martial artist appeared on the scene
who changed the face of martial arts, Bruce Lee. His philosophy
of, “Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless and add what is
specifically your own” brought a new perspective to the martial
arts.
Bruce Lee’s influence began an evolutionary process that has
transformed the martial arts and martial artists all around the
world. He inspired exploration and innovation of the martial arts.
Many martial artists broke from tradition to find their “Way”.
This book is a look at one martial artist’s evolution over the past
50 years