Message #59 Bruce Lee’s Secret

Today’s message is dedicated to the great Stephanie Schwartz.

Bruce Lee was only 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighed less than 150 pounds. He had an amazing 1/4 inch punch that could knock ANYONE over.

“I relaxed until the moment I brought every muscle of my body into play, and then concentrated all the force in my fist,” he said. “To generate great power you must first totally relax and gather your strength, and then concentrate your mind and all your strength on hitting your target.”

Joe Hyams, one of Bruce Lee’s students found an interesting way to apply that to tennis. “Again, I decided to try to apply the principle of focused concentration to my tennis game. During a warm-up, when I was normally a bit tense, I made a conscious effort to relax and gather all my strength until the moment I made contact with the ball. Then I concentrated only on stroking the ball properly, keeping my mind on the area of the court where I wanted the ball to land. The ball left my racket with tremendous speed and went exactly where I intended it to go. It was a far better shot than I have ever before made. And whenever I remember Bruce’s demonstration of focused power, I have been able to duplicate it.”

Homework: Try Bruce Lee’s technique the next time you’re practicing.