Martial arts is not for hurting people, it's for protecting people.
Interpretation
Martial arts emphasizes self-defense and protection rather than aggression or causing harm.
In this quote, Jackie Chan highlights the true essence of martial arts, which is often misunderstood as a means to inflict pain or dominate others. He emphasizes that martial arts is fundamentally about safeguarding oneself and others, fostering discipline, respect, and inner strength, rather than promoting violence or aggression.
In practice
This quote can be used during a martial arts demonstration to explain its true purpose.
American stuntmen are smart - they think about safety. When they do a jump in a car, they calculate everything: the speed, the distance... But in Hong Kong, we don't know how to count. Everything we do is a guess. If you've got the guts, you do it. All of my stuntmen have gotten hurt.
One thing I did pick up from Cannonball Run was the use of bloopers and outtakes under the final credits, which I've done in all my movies since.
Martial arts is for defense. It's not for attacking. So when people are fighting, always, always, defend.
We learn martial arts as helping weakness. You never fight for people to get hurt. You're always helping people.
In the past when I was in Hollywood, I was like a dog. I felt humiliated. My English was not good. People would even ask me 'Jackie Who?'.
Why did I become Jackie Chan? Mostly because I work very hard. When people were sleeping, I was still training.
The thing that hurts, that became anger, was when I realized that if you tell the truth, in a country that says youβre entitled to tell the truth, you get your face slapped and you get put out of work.
Cancer is messy and scary. You throw everything at it, but don't forget to throw love at it. It turns out that might be the best weapon of all.
I will not take 'but' for an answer. Negroes have been looking at democracy's 'but' too long.
Who then will dare to say I'm weak or timid? No, they'll say I'm loyal as a friend, ruthless as a foe, so much like a hero destined for glory.
The IWW [Industrial Workers of the World] has been accused of pushing women to the front. This is not true. Rather, the women have not been kept in back, and so they have naturally moved to the front.
No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.
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