There is little to be said about the great master Bruce Lee that has not already been said. At the core of his teachings was his be like water philosophy, which preached that conformity to a situation during a fight would make a fighter much more successful than conformity to a particular fighting style or system.

Bruce, in speaking of being like water is talking about a Tao concept called Wu Wei – knowing when to act and when not to act. Wu Wei can variously be translated as effortless doing or effortless action. It connects to the Greek Rhetoric school and Kairos – recognizing the right moment to act, and knowing in the moment the right way of acting.

According to masters of rhetoric it is impossible to teach a general way to identify these moments and the right methods of action – so we must turn inwards and go back to our intuition, and really become good at listening to our own internal voice.

What about when all the techniques one has learned from all the various fighting styles one has studied seem to fail in the moment? What would Bruce Lee say when all there was left to do was something that many would see as dishonorable or dirty? What if all there was left to do was to bite your opponent?

As with all combat situations, Bruce Lee would tell you to conform to the situation, and if necessary, bite! While it may not be the most honorable course of action, it may save your life.

Jeff Warsaw is the former executive editor of Long Island MMA Magazine, professional combat sports public address announcer for several NY/NJ MMA and kickboxing promotions, and a proud one-stripe white belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the famed Joe D’Arce. He is currently a musician, coffee enthusiast and host of the Stranger In A Strange Land podcast on YouTube.