“A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Not thinking, yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come. When the opponent expands, I contract; when he contracts, I expand. When there is an opportunity, I do not hit — it hits by itself.”
Share this quote
About this quote
It calls for calm preparation, practiced skill, and the discipline to stop forcing outcomes. Build quiet competence so reactions become automatic instead of desperate. Look honestly at where tension wastes your energy and replace habit with steady readiness.
When to use it
- Before a big meeting, breathe and prepare your points instead of over-rehearsing every word; be ready, not tense.
- In a heated argument, relax your grip on being right; step back when the other person pushes and move in when they pull away.
- Train a skill until responses are automatic so when opportunity appears you act without panic or hesitation.
- When facing setbacks, stop wasting energy on fear—use calm focus to adapt, contract when pressure comes and expand when space opens.