Mohandas Gandhi
Where there is only a choice between cowardice and violence, I would advise violence.
~ Mohandas Gandhi
The nation that will insist upon drawing a broad line of demarcation between the fighting man and the thinking man is liable to find its fighting done by fools and its thinking by cowards.
~ William Francis Butler
He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.
~ Ben Jonson
The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire.
~ Mark Twain
Courage first; power second; technique third.
~ Author unknown
Joe Lewis
Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit.
~ Joe Lewis
Seek not to follow in the footsteps of men of old; seek what they sought.
~ Matsu Basho
Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
~ Napoleon Bonaparte
Who overcomes by force, hath overcome but half his foe.
~ John Milton
That man is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.
~ Henry David Thoreau
Of old the expert in battle would first make himself invincible and then wait for his enemy to expose his vulnerability.
~ Sun Tzu
I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.
~ Bruce Lee
Plato and Aristotle
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.
~ Aristotle
A warrior may choose pacifism; others are condemned to it.
~ Author unknown
I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger.
~ Mencius
Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly.
~ Theodore Roosevelt
Should you desire the great tranquility, prepare to sweat.
~ Hakuin
Cry in the dojo. Laugh on the battlefield.
~ Author unknown
In times of peace, the warlike man attacks himself.
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
There are two rules for being successful in martial arts. Rule 1: Never tell others everything you know.
~ Author unspecified
What are your favorite martial arts quotations?
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10 responses so far ↓
1 Kungfuguy // Mar 12, 2008
strike first strike hard and never stop.
there is always a weakness just make sure you can find it when it appears.
these are my 2 favorites i don’t know who they are from but
2 Rick Matz // Mar 12, 2008
“The heart of the study of boxing is to have natural instinct resemble the dragon.” Wang Xiang Zhai
“Begin at the beginning,” the King said, gravely, “and go on till you come to the end: then stop.”
Lewis Carroll
“This present continuous practice is nothing other than just that, just committing oneself to continuous practice for no other reason than to practice continuously.” -Dogen in “Continuous Practice”
(Translation by Francis Dojun Cook in the book “How To Raise an Ox”)
“Be soft in your practice. Think of the method as a fine silvery stream, not a raging waterfall. Follow the stream in its course. It will go its own way, meandering here, trickling there. It will find the grooves, the cracks, the crevices. Just follow it. Never let it out of your sight. It will take you.”
Sheng-yen
Fish traps are for catching fish. When you’ve caught the fish, you can forget about the fish trap. Rabbit snares are for catching rabbits. When you’ve caught the rabbit, you can forget about the snare. Words are for catching ideas. When you’ve caught the idea, you can forget about the words.
ZhuangZi Chapter 26
“Philosophy practiced is the goal of learning.”
Thoreau
Sorry, I couldn’t stop at just one.
3 Thomas // Mar 12, 2008
I’ve got a few:
“The best part of falling is getting back up again.” -David Belle
“Persistence is the twin sister of excellence.
One is a matter of quality; the other a matter of time.”
“Don’t ask for it; go win it on your own. Do that and you’ll succeed.”
“There is no superiority or inferiority of style, only the distinctions between the practitioners.”
“Every boxer fights to his own music, it provides him with the rhythm for his footwork.”
“Control yourself, let others do what they will.
This does not mean you are weak.
Control your heart, obey the principles of life.
This does not mean others are stronger.” -Southern Dragon Style Motto
Me: “It’s just stir fry.”
KDG: “Ah, Thomas’s approach to life.”
Me: “Just toss in what you’ve got and hope for the best.”
4 John Jr. // Mar 12, 2008
Thomas, do you practice Parkour?
mm… I’m eating stir fry right now… bac choy, carrots, onions, apples, pears, blueberries, bell peppers, etc…
Collecting quotes is sort of a hobby of mine. Not all are about Martial Arts but here are some that are:
“The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.” -The Dhammapada
“There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage of your enemy.” -Niccolo Machiavelli
“The greatest enemy will always hide in the last place you would ever look.” -Julius Ceasar
“When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand. And when there is an opportunity… I do not hit… [raises his fist] it hits all by itself.” -Bruce Lee
“I shall give you a brief taste of death, so that you may recognize it when it comes again.” -unknown
“Pain is not judgmental, people are.” -me
“‘Stamp quickly and pass through a wall of iron…’” -Yamamoto Tsunetomo
“There are few people who will make mistakes with fire after having once been burned.” -Yamamoto Tsunetomo
“If you change the rules on what controls you… you will change the rules on what you can control.” -Guy Ritchie
I tried to pick my favorites.
5 John Jr. // Mar 12, 2008
sorry, one more:
“You’ve got to learn your instrument. Then, you practice, practice, practice. And then, when you finally get up there on the bandstand, forget all that and just wail.” -Charlie Parker
I originally heard it as something like: “First master your instrument, than just play.”
You get the idea.
6 Dunken francis // Mar 12, 2008
“Be soft on the outside, but hard on the inside - that is the Way of Budo”
7 Thomas // Mar 14, 2008
John Jr.,
Yes, I practice a bit of parkour, although I don’t have the time to go out and practice as often as I’d like. If you’re looking to pick it up, I can try pointing you in the right direction.
8 John Jr. // Mar 14, 2008
I already do Parkour, but thanks for the offer.
Here’s another quote:
“Embrace the pain, and you will win this game.” -Guy Ritchie
9 Roger // Apr 2, 2008
“The Blind seem weak, until fought in the dark”-me
“War does not determine who is right; it determines who is left”-Author unknown
“Either war is obsolete or men are”- R. Buckminster Fuller
“Philosophies of war are useless when under fire”-Unknown Author
“When you accept pain, never forget to also give it out”-me
Best Yoga, Meditation & Spiritual Growth Articles // Mar 14, 2008
[…] presents The Twenty Best Martial Arts Quotes of All Time posted at Martial Development, saying, "Read the most thoughtful and inspiring martial arts […]
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