in my view: Dao + Bruce Lee = water/flexibility; ice/fight; vapor/chill out.
Sorry, I needed to step away for a while. Had a visitor.
Petar, your view is sound.
Water is a metaphor for the Way (Dao/Wuji). One of the main teachings is 無為, wu-wei, (literally "not doing" or effortless action). Water shapes everything in nature
through effortless action/not doing.
Tai Chi is Daoist in principle and training. It is a soft form (like water) utilizing effortless action (flexible). Martial Tai Chi can be very deadly, lightning quick, if/when required. Balanced Tai Chi is truly Yin/Yang. It is highly efficient and economical in motion (wu-wei). Soft and fluid movement(s), effortless action, or natural flow. Or, flowing with the nature of the Dao. ;-)
Bruce Lee was a Daoist and a Chan (Zen) Buddhist. Many have said he was a very diligent practitioner of both. He incorporated both in his many martial arts training(s) and teachings. He was in opposition to the conservative views of Confucianism (true of most Daoists).
The Daoist path as taught by the ancient ones (passed
through oral tradition/long lineage) was passed to Lao-tzu, Chuang-tzu and numerous others. There are current Daoist master's whose lineages can be traced all the way back to ancient Daoism.
Currently there are "quality" lineage holders teaching Daoism
throughout the world. Finding a true lineage holder (teacher) is difficult, they do not advertise. LOL, it's much easier to find quality lineage holder of Chan (Zen), Tibetan (Mahayana) or Theraveda Buddhist teacher (Rinpoche etc.) in the world (by far!).
Some masters in Daoism and Buddhism say they are religions, an equal number of masters say they are not religions. I don't wade in those dualistic waters. I do not subscribe to any type of religion. Nor do I subscribe to atheism. Human beings are extremely limited in intelligence, as such, we do not, and cannot, comprehend or know of what may, or may not, lie beyond the material phenomena of our existence.
LOL, none have ever been "beyond" and come back to tell their tale. None. If someone claims to know, run fast, because they are operating from a position of delusion.
The furthest well trained human beings (practitioners in Daoism, Buddhism or Advaita Vedanta) have been able to go, experientially, is the realization of emptiness or Taiji. Or pure awareness, which each person was born with. It's innate. Pure awareness is Being, prior to any thoughts, feelings, sensory perceptions, and any/all phenomena.
"Form is emptiness, emptiness is form" - common to Daoist/Buddhist (Mahayana) teachings.
Edited to add: Modern scientists (in physics, quantum physics and the like) are truly only beginning to grasp the concept and realization of "emptiness".
