Bruce Lee was an interesting man.
A martial arts legend and cultural icon, he captivated the world with his lightning-fast moves, philosophical insights, and groundbreaking impact on both cinema and the development of modern martial arts.
But today, I’m interested in just one of his most famous quotes:
“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.”
Because MORE is almost never the answer.
There are literally thousands of things you can do every day that are intended to help you look, feel, and perform better.
Some are cutting-edge; others are boring.
Some are consistently effective; others are anything but.
But here’s another one of those uncomfortable truths:
If everyone—including coaches—focused on just nailing the “boring basics” and avoided all the flash, sizzle, and industry drama, they’d ALL see results.
And this was a fact not lost on many of the world’s sporting legends.
Basketball legend Michael Jordan routinely emphasized the power of focusing on the fundamentals:
“The minute you get away from fundamentals – whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation – the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing.”
Or three-time Mr. Universe winner (1951, 1958, and 1965) and Arnie’s role model, Reg Park—also a huge advocate of the fundamentals, focusing on basic compound lifts and simple routines:
“Success doesn’t come overnight. It takes years of hard, consistent work to build a great physique. Don’t be fooled by the shortcuts. Stick to the basics and never give up.”
Yet people still search for hacks, shortcuts, icy baths, and sweaty saunas in a misguided attempt to “trick” the body into expediting progress… or to avoid the daily grind of the boring basics.
Even though all these “extras”—whether they work or are merely smoke and mirrors or minutiae—are just the icing on the cake.
Cause without the cake, icing is just a sugar coating.
– Coach Bryan