Uploaded December 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Bruce Lee famously said that, “He would fear a man who practiced 1 technique 10,000, and not the one who practiced 10,000 technique one time”
I would adjust that statement. Fear a man who practiced 1 technique 10,000 different ways.
This simply means that the technique is automatic due to so much training, but also unpredictable, because it can be thrown many different ways.
Should you practice few techniques or many?
That depends, what is your goal in marital arts? To “Know” techniques or to master them. The human body can move in unlimited number of ways. This leaves a martial artist with huge number of choices. Some artists are fine with practicing a very large number of technique. Others practice very small amount of techniques.
Which is better? To answer that, one must know what is the goal? If the goal is complete mastery and ability to use the technique, than the fewer the better. If the goal is to learn and be exposed to the arts as much as possible, than multiple technique is the way to go.
The pro-fighters and self-defense oriented martial artists often choose to focus on small amount of technique. To some of them this can mean 3 punches and 2 kicks. To others it can be 4 punches and 6 kicks.
I used a palm strike as an example, but it could have been any technique.
The biggest argument I get form “10,000” technique martial artists is that once you do a technique, you can’t use it again because your opponent expects it.
If this was true, boxers who are limited to just few techniques would not be able score after each technique landed once.
In real life where there one technique, and two targets for it, (both of which can’t be covered at the same time), the ability to use that one technique effectively falls on how it’s used, with timing, speed, fakes, Rhythm, etc.
Also some techniques need to be adjusted depending on the situation. This was the point illustrated in the video.
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Bruce Lee famously said that, “He would fear a man who practiced 1 technique 10,000, and not the one who practiced 10,000 technique one time”
I would adjust that statement. Fear a man who practiced 1 technique 10,000 different ways.
This simply means that the technique is automatic due to so much training, but also unpredictable, because it can be thrown many different ways.
Should you practice few techniques or many?
That depends, what is your goal in marital arts? To “Know” techniques or to master them. The human body can move in unlimited number of ways. This leaves a martial artist with huge number of choices. Some artists are fine with practicing a very large number of technique. Others practice very small amount of techniques.
Which is better? To answer that, one must know what is the goal? If the goal is complete mastery and ability to use the technique, than the fewer the better. If the goal is to learn and be exposed to the arts as much as possible, than multiple technique is the way to go.
The pro-fighters and self-defense oriented martial artists often choose to focus on small amount of technique. To some of them this can mean 3 punches and 2 kicks. To others it can be 4 punches and 6 kicks.
I used a palm strike as an example, but it could have been any technique.
The biggest argument I get form “10,000” technique martial artists is that once you do a technique, you can’t use it again because your opponent expects it.
If this was true, boxers who are limited to just few techniques would not be able score after each technique landed once.
In real life where there one technique, and two targets for it, (both of which can’t be covered at the same time), the ability to use that one technique effectively falls on how it’s used, with timing, speed, fakes, Rhythm, etc.
Also some techniques need to be adjusted depending on the situation. This was the point illustrated in the video.
Want to Win $100 Gift Card from ElasticSteel or EasyFlexibility Store, to use it to purchase 100’s of flexibility, strength and martial arts programs?
Got to ElasticSteelCommunity.com and register.
Take 1 minute to register . You will be entered into the contest automatically.
