Bruce Lee quote displays wisdom easily transferable to our hobby

[badhangover]

Attributed to the martial arts legend:
"Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I've understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum. It is the halfway cultivation that leads to ornamentation."

I find this quote very prescient of our hobby and its many accoutrements. When I first began cigar smoking, I casually stored them in makeshift containers and clipped and lit them with cheap materials. I then heavily delved into the hobby and gleefully spent many hours in search of and procuring exotic and expensive accessories to store, clip and light them. Now I find myself regressing back into simplicity. With a greater understanding of cigars and their common embellishments, I employ simple and nominal methods of storage, clipping and lighting with greater frequency.

Where I once eschewed all but the most solid and ornate (obvious signs of quality, so I thought) humidors, I know find perfect use of plastic cigar bags and plastic containers. Where I once prized and sought out the highest grade surgical steel cutting implements available, I now find great pleasure in the simple effectiveness of my fingernail(s). Where I once considered nothing less than the most handsomely striking butane lighters, I now pack wooden matches into my pocket with complete confidence in their useful abilities.

No, I do not regret my past purchases. Yes, I still commonly use them. I do, however, appreciate the segue into my greater appreciation for the cigars themselves and give scant attention to their overhyped and overpriced trappings.

The Jeet Kune Do master certainly displayed a measure of wisdom in this quote (as it may be applied to far more than just martial arts or cigars). RIP, Mr Lee.

 

[Macion Grey]

Very good point you raised.

This was sort of the point of one of my earlier posts about 'cigar etiquette'. A lot of marketing for cigars goes for the money-makers, thus the simple hobby is turned into a 'sophisticated lifestyle' by magazines like CA etc.

Then you see the $5000 Davidoff humidors and the $1500 Dupont lighters emerge, simply because they know there is a market for their VERY expensive editions of what should be a simple accessory.

I congratulate you for keeping it real, and for realising that having the best of accessories does not make your cigars any better. As long as you keep them well conditioned (eg plastic container) and don't use a candle to light them up, you will still have a good smoke.

 

[TMarquis]

Bruce Lee was far more intelligent than people give him credit for, very impressive man both physically and intellectually.

 

[Obanion]

I'm glad you posted this quote. Bruce was a very intelligent man. Unfortunately, very few people took him seriously. He perfected martial art imho. I understand he was quite a student of philosophy. His Tao of Jeet Kune Do is an incredible book.

 

[coolboxers255]

Our daily lives are complex enough. Our beloved hobby should be as simple as possible.

 

[badhangover]

It somehow seems bad form to me to top my own thread, but I had an occasion recently which has kinda stuck in my mind.

I was out and about and smoked a cigar during some unexpected free time. It's a good thing I thought ahead to fill and tote along a small travel cigar case for the day. It was a bad thing I lacked the same foresight about checking my lighter fluid level. So I partially lit my cigar with my lighter until it conked out on me and left me scrambling in search of more fuel or fire. I happily found a book of matches and carried about my business. Unexpected cigar smoking time = bliss, right? Well, it was.... until I was interrupted by another cigar smoker who was nearby and monitoring my predicament (but not helping until now). He approached me and said, ever so knowingly, "You know, you really should only use butane to light a cigar." And away went my knight in shining armor; good deed done for his day.

It left me cold in my tracks. WTF? Does he sell butane on commission? Sure, I realize matchbooks aren't the ideal flame source for cigars, but unless we're talking slow roasted barbecue or lighting something with a road flare, who can really discern negative flavor nuances imparted by momentary fire exposure? Fire is fire. Yeah yeah, I let the sulfur burn off first.

I really don't understand people gettin' all snobby over another person's enjoyment. Like how they should do things and what products they should avoid - and the inference they are not real cigar smokers if they don't toe the Kool-Aid line. I've seen and heard many cigar smokers tell others (mostly new to the hobby) they really shouldn't smoke flavored cigars - even though it is likely they themselves may infuse other consumable products with flavorings (e.g. coffee with sugar/cream and alcoholic beverages with soda pop/Red Bull/fruit juices). I've seen and heard many cigar smokers tell others how crazy they are to use cat poop as cigar humidification control - though it is likely they themselves at one time or another stored their own cigars in Igloo containers (let's call 'em what they really are.... beer chests) or grandma's converted curio cabinet. It sure isn't up to me to tell another person what to enjoy and how to enjoy it. That's a far cry off from giving friendly pointers to a solicitation for advice.

I just think we get too wrapped up in this hobby at times. I'd resubscribe to Cigar Aficionado again in a heartbeat if they'd sack up and run an article that boldly stated all the accessories advertised in their magazine were nice but wholly unnecessary. All you need is a cigar, a sharp edge (and that could even be from your teeth or fingernail) and a simple flame.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

Well, I like a triple torch lighter, because it's more windproof than matches and lights my cigars really, really quickly, something I've come to consider beneficial. But I buy them for durability and economy, not aesthetics and "bling."

True confession time: I have no freakin' gauge in my humidor. I've got beads. I look at the beads, and they tell me when they're dry. I smoke my cigars, and they tell me when they're smoking well. Simple.

Some people really like the fancy accessories and can afford them, and I do understand how artistry and craftsmanship bring a little joy and luxury to everyday life. On my salary, I'd rather spend those $$$ on really, really good cigars.

As for Mr. Lee, he was truly a legendary individual. We'll not see his like again soon.

~Boar

 

[The Black Cloud]

The whole marketing of the accessories and the cigars themselves has got me in the past but I try to not be swayed these days. Good for everyone clamoring to get the latest hard-to-find-super-secret-most-epic-completely-roxxzorz-OMG!-must-have-extra-special-limited-release-only-from-this-certain-small-town-in-this-state cigar from the god that is cigar brand X, but I'll be happily smoking my Padron 2000, readily available and at half or a third of the price.

Maybe I have reverse-snobbishness.

As for your story, I would have taken glee in pointing out to the person that cedar matches are far superior to any butane lighter.