Your Thoughts On Bruce Lee?

[Southpaw Great]

Bruce Lee fought a Texas amateur boxer in a 3 round fight in Texas in 1962 Lee won a majority point decision and by all accounts he was slumped on his stool at the end completely knackered... Bruce Lee was nothing other than a Holywood film star he was not some kind of super human fighting machine... prime 4 prime if he was to fight Mike Tyson in the street Tyson would pick him up pull his arms and legs off and toss what was left into the pond... so get real instead of living in Mary Poppins Holywood dreamland.

This coming from a man who says ''What's Sam Langford's Claim To Fame'' Or That ''Thomas Hearns Would KO Charley Burley In 2'' Or ''Jack Dempsey Is A Greater Heavyweight Than Joe Louis''

Everything you say, people should think the opposite. Becuase for the most part you talk utter rubbish.

[CarlosG815]

This coming from a man who says ''What's Sam Langford's Claim To Fame'' Or That ''Thomas Hearns Would KO Charley Burley In 2'' Or ''Jack Dempsey Is A Greater Heavyweight Than Joe Louis''

Everything you say, people should think the opposite. Becuase for the most part you talk utter rubbish.

I have always read that for the most part he was more just an actor than a real fighter.

I've never known him to have any impact on boxing.

[Toney616]

DW Forum - Lee trained Norris, Lewis, Stone...etc, why did Lee never enter competition? Surely this would have been a sure way to prove his fighting methods. Did Lee train Norris, Lewis, Stone in order to build up his own hype and image?

Davis Miller - Of course Lee used these guys to develop and support his reputation. Those guys, not Bruce Lee, were the biggest names in the martial arts in the late 1960s. And Lee recruited them, not the reverse. None of those guys ever called Lee their teacher or "master." Lee said that of himself. Lee in effect said that he did not enter competition because it was basically beneath him. Those guys weren't good enough, and that such competion was not to be confused with real-world fighting. There is a truth in what he said. In 1971 and 1972, however, Bruce Lee gave interviews in Hong Kong in which he claimed to have thrown and/or given away all of the trophies and plaques he won in competition in the United States. He did not say this once to one person who misquoted him. He said it again and again. The truth, of course, is that he had never entered competition in the U.S. And he was never going to. It's my opinion that Lee was afraid to put it on the line against real guys he'd have to prove himself against. Who did Lee spar ever? Inosanto, who can't fight a lick; Ted Wong, who's less capable than Inosanto; Herb Jackson, who's also incapable, Dan Lee, who wasn't very good but who hurt Lee badly with a single shot, maybe a couple other geek kune doers. BUT NO ONE REAL. No Lewis, no Stone, no Gene Lebell, no amateur boxers or wrestlers, much less the likes of world champs of his own size and weight, much less the Alis, Fraziers and Foremans of the world, who have the juice in their shots to kill guys of Lee's size with a single punch.

The reality is this: Bruce Lee was light years ahead of almost everyone else in martial arts anywhere in the world at the time of his death. Does this make him the most lethal unarmed guy on the planet? Not even close. Am I putting Lee down by saying this? Not in the least. Simply demythologizing him, making him the human being he was, instead of some martial arts world's greatest warrrior deity.

http://www.bruceleedivinewind.com/davismiller.html

[Yael The Great]

Bruce lee was definately not strong, but he was skilled and fast and was smart and an amazing martail artist.

[Sugarj]

I'm a huge fan of Bruce Lee. He is one of my idols.

The man had loads of charisma, he was clearly a terrific athlete and an inspiration to many. His films vary in quality, but I enjoy alot of the fight scenes. His skills on the nunchaku are breathtaking in Way of the Dragon, Enter the Dragon and in the uncompleted original Game of Death. So much for him being just an actor......

Enter the Dragon was an iconic film from the 70s. I own the uncut version on Blu Ray, its terrific.

I've read his complete Jeet Kune Do manual and also his complete physical training guide and I rate both. He was extremely intelligent, well read and a terrific martial arts source and training guru.

There is enough footage to see that he had superb hand and footspeed as well as the athleticism to carry out moves with flawless martial arts technique.

Anyone wanting to know more about him should read 'Fighting Spirit' his biography.


Now on the other side of the coin.............there was alot of exaggeration about his abilities, alot of folklore about his feats of strength, how high he could jump, that he could 'sprint' for miles. One report I read said that he could do 50 full one handed chinups..........naa, ridiculous! Not Lee's fault that after his death he attained some kind of superhero status. His lifestory and death are fascinating!

Sonnyboyx is right when he says about Lee's amateur boxing history. But in 1962 he wasn't much of an athlete, just a spindly kid. 1971-73 are the years in which his physique and fitness seemed to reach some kind of prime. He did say that he was absolutely exhausted after some streetfights too, that they inspired him to train as hard as he did. I dont doubt that he trained ridiculously hard, close friends remarked on his fanaticism.

As for his abilities as a fighter? No one truely knows, he of course sparred with many prominent martial artists of the day......Norris, Inosanto. They all sing praises for his ability.

Could he have been a successful boxer in the lower weight divisions? Possibly, he had a good work ethic, athleticism and speed of hand and foot...........but we dont know how well he would have taken a punch, no one does!

We dont know how well he would have relished a tough 15 round battle either. You have, of course got to be a bit crazy to be a proper professional fighter! I dont think he would have been jumping up and down at the thought of fighting a snarling Roberto Duran at lightweight in the early 70s! Were it not for his death, he would have been under pressure to prove his abilities at some point, whether in a martial arts tournament....or something!

Could he have beaten Mike Tyson in a streetfight? Sorry but I'm with Sonnyboyx here, its a little unrealistic, 5ft 7 and what? 135lbs!!!!. Lee's only chance would be to get some sort of debilitating sidekick to a kneecap or to gouge at Mike's eyes before shipping something life threatening! I dont really buy into all the 'one inch punch' ballyhoo.....I'm far from impressed by all the footage of him administering it and there is some on You tube.

I enjoy Bruce Lee for what he was, a martial artist, an author, an athlete, an actor and an inspiration. I rate the great Boxers in history for what they were......professional fighters!!!

[Toney616]

Bruce lee was definately not strong, but he was skilled and fast and was smart and an amazing martail artist.

He was a top martial artist no doubt but to be fair he ideas are not as innovative as people like to make out. Mixed martial arts has been around for a while, Pankration for example is a mixture of boxing and wrestling and thats at least 1000 years old. Even Wing Chun (his base art) is a synthesis of various Shaolin kung fu styles.

[Sugarj]

Hi Yael,

I dont know why you said that Bruce Lee was 'definately not strong'. Bit of a sweeping statement. Based on what?

I dont doubt that he would have been very strong in a pound for pound sense. His physique was superb with excellent muscular development. There is you tube footage of him doing 2 finger one arm press ups, most people cant do 1 regular one arm press up!!!!

[DR.ORGYY]

not a fan.....

[sonnyboyx2]

This coming from a man who says ''What's Sam Langford's Claim To Fame'' Or That ''Thomas Hearns Would KO Charley Burley In 2'' Or ''Jack Dempsey Is A Greater Heavyweight Than Joe Louis''

Everything you say, people should think the opposite. Becuase for the most part you talk utter rubbish.

yeah i will stick by those statements.

1/. what is Langfords claim to fame?
2/. Hearns would KO Burley no problem
3/. Dempsey was a greater heavyweight than Louis yes

and your claim is that Bruce Lee would beat all three of them .. ha

[JAB5239]

He was good at karate.