My son, who is a student of Kali (Why not kung fu, you say–? I guess he wanted to be his own man), was saying to me a while ago that it’s amazing how many people who call themselves “martial artists” can’t even throw an effective punch. I asked him why he thought that was, and he replied, “Well, I’m afraid it’s because of you, Dad. Your TV show gave people the idea that the martial arts were something to do with softness, having to do with a philosophy of peace and gentleness.” Well, that’s exactly what we were trying to do, the emphasis being on restraint more than anything. It seemed that Bruce Lee was getting the message of the gnarlier aspects of the arts across just fine without us. Still, one ought to be able to let loose when the time is right for it. Certainly, when we were off the set, working out, we didn’t hold back. On the contrary, just like anyone else, we got a big kick out of stuff like breaking things with our bare feet. Read the rest of this entry »