Martial Arts Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old martial arts quotes, martial arts sayings, and martial arts proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.

Understand that the essence of martial arts is not the art itself, but what's hidden deep within yourself. Gogen Yamaguchi
Martial arts are a vehicle for developing your human potential. Joe Rogan
Martial arts is not about picking your fights and picking how things go; it's about adapting to the how things are. Gunnar Nelson
It's not what you're going to take from martial arts, it's what you have to give to martial arts. Saulo Ribeiro
Martial arts is the kind of action that does tie in well to the supernatural. Scott Derrickson
A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough. Bruce Lee
You win battles by knowing the enemy's timing, and using a timing that the enemy does not expect. Miyamoto Musashi
In the martial arts, the guys respect the women fighters. Bonnie Canino
Think of your opponents hands and feet as swords. Gichin Funakoshi
The path of Martial Arts begins and ends with courtesy. So be genuinely polite on every occasion. Mas Oyama
All martial arts is simply an honest expression of one's body with a lot of deception in between. Bruce Lee
Mixed Martial Arts is a dangerous practice that could result in injuries and loss of life. Akshay Kumar
A martial art that has no rules is nothing but violence. Kenji Tomiki
Martial arts is not about fighting; it's about building character. Bo Bennett
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright
He landed on cheap shot, but I knocked him out of the tournament. Josh Waitzkin
In jiu jitsu, we often fall into the trap of simply trying a technique harder, rather than recognizing that it is a poorly chosen tool for the task at hand. Chris Matakas
The very essence of martial arts is the thirst for knowledge and the truth about ourselves. Frank Shamrock
Tenderness relieves strength that encumbers. Toba Beta
I try to keep the martial arts up. It's a good thing, not just physically but also for your mind. Dolph Lundgren
The true martial artist yields to the weak, while withstanding the strong. Neil Young
Karate is action, survival, living; hesitation is paralysis, reaction, mortality Soke Behzad Ahmadi
Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it. Bruce Lee
In martial arts, the biggest enemy is self. Inside you struggle because you want to prove something. Jet Li
Martial Arts does not teach you how to fight, it teaches you why not to. Lakshya Bharadwaj
I see martial arts as moving forms of meditation. When you're sparring or drilling techniques, you can't think of anything else. Joe Rogan
I practice martial arts not to win over other people but to win over my own heart. Tony Jaa
For me, the martial arts is a search for something inside. It's not just a physical discipline. Brandon Lee
We learn martial arts as helping weakness. You never fight for people to get hurt. You're always helping people. Jackie Chan
Put Karate into your everyday living, that is how you will see true beauty. Gichin Funakoshi