I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever…~J. Krishnamurti
In Regard to the Re-solution of Game Theory and Ju Jitsu it is a relevant point to make that it was Jiddu Krishnamurti NOT Ip Man that was the philosophical inspiration behind Bruce Lee’s martial art Jeet Kune Do.
It is something not well know or discussed, but what IS well known is that in what would have been the height of Bruce Lee’s prosperity, he paradoxically shut down all three of his schools:
I was teaching martial art in the United States. I had three schools; one in Oakland, one in Seattle, and one in Los Angeles. And then later on I just closed them, you know, and just taught private lessons. I do not believe in “schools”.
Lee had come to an insight in regard to how martial arts are taught and learned:
I do not teach because I do not believe in styles anymore.
I have asked many martial artists and instructors specifically why they think Lee shut down his schools and what this meant. If Lee had insight to spread, and myths to dispel, what sense does it make not to teach them to a class?
I have never received an adequate answer, one that truly addresses the observation that Lee’s actions were clearly paradoxical. I never understood Lee’s reasoning either, until I came across Krishnamurti (fatefully) in one of his documentaries.
Krishnamurti stuck me so deeply, mostly his eyes and the way he spoke, that I searched until I finally found who he was and what he was about (internet was not what is was now as this was at least 10 years ago etc.). K, as he is often called, was brought up to be the “Jesus” of a certain group that studied what they call “Theosophy”.
K was to be inaugurated to represent an order that would bridge all religions, however, on the day he was to give his inauguration speech, instead he had this to say:
I maintain that Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or to coerce people along any particular path.
— Jiddu Krishnamurti, The Dissolution of the Order of the Star[72]
My claim here, rather bold (but supported!), is that Bruce Lee pulled the stunt he did, closing his schools, in order to point to this event by Krishnamurti. That is, Lee eventually came to learn of the wisdom K lectured about, and he transferred every ounce of his (martial arts) being to be a light that channeled and pointed to Krishnamurti’s teachings.
