The 70/20/10 Rule of Success: Do Important Work or None at All
A life lesson from a cult-classic Kung Fu movie
Ip Man, a Kung Fu movie about the legendary martial arts teacher of the same name, is rated a staggering eight out of 10 on IMDb and considered a cult classic among fans. The movie is almost two hours long, but if you skim through it, you’ll notice something: There’s not a lot of fighting.
Isn’t that what Kung Fu movies are about? Apparently not. You’ll see the master having tea, helping his friends, and struggling with everyday life. You’ll see him muse about politics, about war, and about philosophy. You’ll see Ip Man training and spending time with his family.
Why do people love this movie so much if, as it turns out, there are only three major fight scenes? They love it because each fight means something. Ip Man doesn’t fight just to fight. Only if the fighting serves a higher goal does he break out his fists: In the first fight, Ip Man must defend his home against an intruder. In the second, he avenges a friend to send a message. In the third, he makes an example of the leader of the occupying forces.
Family, loyalty, and culture. Those are the themes behind Ip Man’s fights, and they’re much bigger than himself. There are a lot of lessons in the movie about values, about…
