Enter the mind of Bruce Lee

By John Blake, CNN

Updated 1630 GMT (0030 HKT) July 20, 2020

Lee's 'go-to' philosopher

Another thinker who helped Lee harness those energies was Jiddu Krishnamurti, a philosopher
born in India who taught that truth can't be found through any religious tradition or dogma.

"In oneself lies the world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is
in your hand," he wrote. Krishnamurti's emphasis on self-reliance and disdain for mindlessly
following tradition shaped Lee's approach to the martial arts.

When Lee was alive, the martial arts world was rigidly divided by different fighting styles. He
borrowed from virtually all of them to create his own revolutionary fighting called "Jeet Kune
Do," which he later turned into a book.

Today, Lee is often called the father of MMA, or mixed martial arts, for his willingness to be, as
he once said, "not one style, but all styles."

"Krishnamurti was his go-to thinker," Thomas says. "He taught that one must come to the
present moment and not be tainted by rituals and dogmas. He took everything Krishnamurti said
about religion and applied it to the martial arts."