"Better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in war" references a paraphrased Chinese proverb: "It is better to be a warrior in the garden than a gardener in war," meaning that it's better to be prepared in any situation, including in tranquility, rather than be tranquil ( read: ignorant ) in a violent situation. This was notably quoted by Bruce Lee . However, the context of Lee Sin's quote is more literal than the proverb's intended meaning.