There Are No "Secrets"

When I was a kid, on the outside back cover of a lot of comic books you would see advertisements proclaiming such things as “I’ll make you into the world’s deadliest fighter in seven days!” or “Defeat any attacker in 10 seconds or less with karate secrets!” Often the guy making such proclamations wore a mask to conceal his face so he couldn’t be recognized for giving away such deadly secrets. If you shelled out your hard-earned allowance to buy the book you’d get some cheap-ass publication from someone who more often than not in reality knew little or nothing about martial arts. I actually sent away for one of these books myself, because I believed in such “secrets.” Believe it or not, if you look around you can sometimes still find similar ads in magazines today.

On the wall of Bruce Lee’s JKD school in Los Angeles he had a small set of curtains beneath which is small plaque containing the words, “The Secret of Jeet Kune Do.” When someone pulled back the curtains, they would find themselves looking at their own face reflected in a mirror. Across the bottom of the mirror were the words “You Are It.” The reason for this, according to Lee, was that many would-be martial art students, when they came to talk to him about training, would ask about “secrets,” some sort of magical or mystical moves or techniques that they believed would handle any situation for them or turn them into some kind of “ultimate fighter” in a three easy lessons. Their attitude is, “Show me the secrets that will make me invincible.” What these individuals failed to realize is, that in martial arts, there aren’t any ‘secrets.’ There is only the individual’s willingness to work hard at developing themselves and cultivating their innate ability to the highest level. Lee admonished not only his own students, but all martial artists, “Don’t go looking for secret movements. If you’re always searching for secret techniques, you’re going to miss it. There are no secrets .It’s you, your body that’s the key.”

When it comes to such things as success, fulfillment, happiness, etc., many people today are, like the would-be martial artists just mentioned above, looking for “secrets.” They are searching for the secret to success, the secret to happiness, the secret to peace of mind, etc. However, in life, just as in martial art, there aren’t any “secrets” and the time and energy a person dissipates in looking for them could be better put to use in their own personal development. You are the key.

Don’t fall into the trap of believing that success is the result of some “secret.” Ultimately, success in life resides in the heart and soul of the individual, not in “secrets” or magical methods. Remember, there are no secrets -- the key is YOU -- You are it!

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