A Punch Is Just a Punch

In martial arts as in life, you don't win the trophy without a fight.

"Before I learned the art, a punch was just a punch, and a kick, just a kick.
After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick, no longer a kick.
Now that I understand the art, a punch is just a punch and a kick is just a kick."
-- Bruce Lee

One of the major influences throughout my life has been the years of martial arts training I took during my twenties. I first studied under Steve Sanders (now Sifu Steve Muhammad), one of the foremost practictioners of American Kenpo Karate as developed by Ed Parker. I then studied the Filipino arts of Kali, Escrima, and Arnis from Dan Inosanto, who was a friend and protege Bruce Lee. That's when I first heard the quote above, which I must confess didn't make much sense to me at the time. My moment of enlightenment didn't come until a few years later, when I began studying Zen and Tai Chi Chuan.

Maybe you're wondering what any of this has to do with photography. Patience, grasshopper. The simple explanation is this: Before you begin learning an art such as photography, the techniques it takes to practice the art are undifferentiated to you. All cameras and lenses look pretty much alike, you're not aware of differences in quality and direction of light, and differences in visual style appear subtle at best.

As you begin to learn the art, however, your mind and awareness begin to expand. You see things you never noticed before. Things that were once unimportant become extremely important. It's easy to become obsessed with a particular style or technique, the Right Way to do something, or owning The Perfect Lens. You might even look down on photographers who lack your refined knowledge and sensibilities.

If you're fortunate and you stick with it long enough you'll find yourself coming out the other side. Where you were once focused on differences you now begin to look at things more holistically. Equipment and techniques are simply means to an end and your vision is far more important than the tools it takes to achieve it. A camera is just a camera, a lens is just a lens, and software is just software.

In short, the path to mastery is to integrate what you learn so that it becomes as much a part of you as the way you walk, the way you talk, and the way you sign your name. You do them all without thinking and without effort, yet they express more about who you really are than all the clever tricks you know or masks you wear.

Comments

[John]

This explains a lot about your photography. A couple of things you may find interesting: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and Miksang.com.
You are always a good read.

Cheers

John W

[ken ross]

Interesting column, some further initial reading: Zen in the Art of Archery; anything by Minor White in Aperture 50's-70's.

[Miserere]

Gordon,

Having been a big fan of Bruce Lee as a kid and after studying a couple martial arts myself (Judo and Muay Thai), I knew exactly what you were going to write after I read the initial quote. And right you are, by the way.

As an aside, I am very jealous that you got to study with Dan Inosanto. I've read a few interviews with him and he seems to be one of the few to have truly grasped Bruce Lee's teachings--did you take any photos of him?

[Tim]

Good quote; I *think* I understand it. ;)

I remember the feeling of breakthrough when I realised some techniques (HDR, panorama, enfuse etc) were just tools, last summer. Quite a different mode of operation from "see how it looks"; after spending some time researching and playing, I got enough of a feel that I could drive the output using whichever tool I wanted, not being subservient to the techniques. Now to carry on practising that... :)

[RichL]

Yes.

[Dennis Ernst]

The Tao of Photography: Seeing Beyond Seeing by Philippe L. Gross and S.I. Shapiro (Jan 9, 2001) describes what you are talking about very well.

Having come a similar path, seeing art in the world around me has been a rewarding journey. Photography has given me a way to communicate what I have seen, so that the viewer can have an experience with it too.

[Sven W]

I read a few variations of this quote over the years and had a reasonable notion of what it meant. I loved your explanation. Thanks.

[Paul Van]

The amazing thing is how universal that process is.

You start with little or no knowledge or skill (technique). Also with little critical ability to judge or compare your work with what has gone before. Then, you have to practice to learn and develop skill and technique. After you internalize that knowledge, you are again free to pursue your own path.

[Nikhil Ramkarran]

I read this almost as soon as you posted it and since then I have recalled it over an over. This is possibly the best (and most succinctly stated) writing I've ever seen on this issue (apart from Bruce Lee's, of course :). Excellent (and bookmarked for future reference).

[Syed]

Great Bruce Lee quote. In my first regular job (not related to photography and just fresh out of college) one of the senior guys told me that I would typically go through four stages of development: (1) unconsciously incompetent; (2) consciously incompetent; (3) consciously competent; and (4) unconsciously competent. With regards to photography I think I am still on Level (2).