Who are the most unstoppable fighters in the world of MMA today? What are their styles? What are their disciplines?
One of those three questions are simple. The other two, may prove more difficult to answer. Who can be used as an example? How about The Last Emperor, Rush, The Spider, maybe even The Prodigy.
Unstoppable may be an exaggeration, but this is a small group of elite fighters, who anyone, even world class fighters, have a serious problem defeating, or even competing with in some cases.
What styles or disciplines do these fighters employ? It could take hours to break it down. There is no simple answer. That is the point of this article.
There is a legend. A legend of a Dragon. A man born both in the year and even the hour of the dragon, according to the Chinese Zodiac. A man destined to transcend history, and permeate the world of martial arts forever. A man who may very well exemplify the true nature of MMA, more so than any other icon that can be named.
Lee Jun Fan, Bruce Lee as he is better known, was the pinnacle of what Martial Arts is all about. He broke down centuries of theory, approach, and discipline. He turned the world of martial arts upside down to both develop, achieve, and display his theories.
Many more traditional practitioners of martial arts, took serious offense at Lee's practices. The teaching of non-Asians was thought to be sacrilege. Lee paid this simple quarrel no mind, he taught whom he pleased.
The idea that ideals, disciplines, and forms that withstood centuries, were sub-par, limited, and obsolete was a slap in the face to both students and teachers of martial arts in the Asian community. History would not allow for the questioning of their most respected practices.
The intention wasn't to discredit the historical arts, but to improve upon them. Not just accept and learn, but to learn and expand upon the teachings. To take what was taught to him, and make it better.
Lee's entire existence was dedicated to the search of purity in combat. Not just in fighting dominance, but physical superiority, nutritional knowledge, and most importantly, the search for spiritual enlightenment. A perfect Chi.
The true essence of conflict and its idiosyncrasies were his goal, but much more was involved than kicks and punches. Lee discovered something very important on his journey.
"The highest art, is no art at all. The highest form, is no form." "Be formless... shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend..."
Lee had found that no one approach was superior. To take that a step further, most techniques were limited by boundaries. Boundaries that most disciplines would disallow a student from exceeding or breaking. Lee found this to be disappointing. Lee developed his own theories based on his findings.
Don't limit yourself to one way of thought, or action. Never accept one option, seek all alternatives. Take only what you need and can use, discard the rest. Combine what you find, become a mosaic of styles, become a fighting masterpiece.
Do not allow yourself to become a slave to your own teachings. Remember you are the teacher and the student; be both. These are but a few of the ideas inspired by the teachings of Bruce Lee.
This ideal, this theory, this approach is seen throughout the world of MMA today. Long gone are the days when a man could come to the fight with his respected fight style, the teachings of his school, his one-track approach and compete with any intentions for true success.
Now one must be the mosaic, the eclectic grouping of many styles to become a complete mixed martial artist. Bruce Lee was trying to tell us something a long time ago. Be like water, change to your environment, move when you must, be strong or soft when called for.
The best practitioners of MMA today exemplify this approach. Georges St. Pierre is the prime example of what is being stated here. One would have to imagine, GSP and Bruce Lee might make the best of friends. GSP, may or may not realize it, but he epitomizes the theories of Bruce Lee's fighting style, Jeet Kun Do.
To learn so many styles, to practice so many disciplines, to train in so many theories, is simply amazing to say the least. Like Lee, not only does GSP pursue all things fighting, he excels at them with a vengeance. He is one of the most natural fighting talents the world has ever seen.
The theories of Bruce Lee have permeated styles of the very best fighters known today. It may not be their goal to be monumental examples of this ideal, but by naturally becoming the best fighters they can be, they have inadvertently become the prime examples of what Bruce Lee was trying to tell the world.
These fighters have become like water, they have no style to speak of, they have taken even what Lee advised and possibly made it better.
Bruce Lee would be proud of that indeed. Surely he is smiling down at the world of MMA, knowing that his theories were not only being employed but improved upon in today's fighting world.
There is no doubt at all, watching GSP flow like water through a brook, only to become a Tsunami breaking on the shores of his opponent, that the Dragon is content that his roar has been heard, his flame felt, the beat of his wings echoing through time.
Xie Xie, Lee Jun Fan. Thank you, Bruce Lee. Much is owed to you and your superior fighting mind.
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about 1 month ago
A couple of notes on the ever popular Bruce Lee topic:
People have been mixing styles and creating new ones, taking in what works and throwing out what doesn't work, for thousands of years. Bruce Lee was MARKETED as a unique individual, but he was not. He was a great individual, but far from unique in this respect. For example: Russian Military Commando Sambo is a hybrid system with no forms or dogmas, just like Bruce Lee's ideas. And Combat Sambo pioneers precede Bruce Lee by several decades...
By the way, Fedor, and many other top fighters are exponents of the above system.
just my two cents, in no way to discredit the genius of Bruce Lee by the way, but his personal life was a disaster, leaving his wife with huge debts, drug use, mistresses etc. And finally his fighting ability has been exaggerated to extreme, but that is a separate and probably a very LONG discussion, which would need me to list dozens of facts and technical and historical data. And that would take us away from this nice little tribute to his teachings that you wrote. Props.
from about 1 month ago
I actually wrote an article on the history of MMA speaking about Sambo momentarily and some of the oldest forms of wrestling found in the middle east and early china. I understand the history of combat sports, and obviously Lee wasnt the end all or even the beginning of that evolution. As you said, he was well marketed, and a movie icon. I tend to see more the man than the image when I think of him. Ive read his teachings and found them very relevant to todays world of MMA.
Bruce lee has a fight record, that shows him with victories in all but one which was a draw. Street fights included. Many times on his movie sets he was challenged and would avoid conflict if possible, if not he became a teacher, first defeating the opponant then taking them on as a student. He isnt the super human, invinicible character portrayed in movies of course, but a very solid practitioner of the arts.
As for the glorification of Lee, that is understood and a point well taken. As for his personal life, none of my business, no one is a saint and I tend not to judge. Shoot, if I died today at 31 Im sure the same could be said about me, no glaring detriment there. He died young, not his fault.
Lee did develop a highly respected style in the world of Martial Arts based on his findings and theories, that was the point. Those theories are inadvertantly permeating the sport today. A sport that was built on one diminsional fighters has given birth to mosaics like Silva. His teachings and the ideals of many eclectic forms of fighting resinate in the fight world today. It just amazes me thats all. I hope that point was made clear.
Im a huge fan of the history of martial arts, I started learning as a small boy and learned about Bruce Lee at a young age. He is one of my personal heroes. Just wanted to write something and this came to me. Either way I hope you enjoyed.
from about 1 month ago
agreed,
About Bruce's fighting ability thou:
Yes he has a fight record, but who did he fight? Were they world's best fighters? No. I have deep respect for Lee's ideas and teachings. But I also have even more respect for people who actually don't mind bleeding in a cage to make a living. And I feel that often general public assumes that Bruce Lee would just wipe the floor with Fedor or BJ Penn, when just the opposite is true (to say the very least), and I feel that is disrespectful to the actual fighters, as Bruce was not one, he was a Martial ARTIST, not everyone gets it, it's a pity.
again, nice tribute, peace,
from about 1 month ago
I have been a Bruce lee fan over the last 30 years or more, allot of crap written today, allot of people trying to make money off of his name, I would like to get in on this conversation later, I have allot to say about what was written about Lee when he was alive, the years after he died and up to the first UFC event held in the early 90's. He never left his wife, his drug use is way too exaggerated, the man became famous after a 3 year period of making kung fu movies, his life as a martial artist was much, much longer, and was considered a very respected martial artist within the martial arts community, but people dwell on the 3 years he spent making movies. And from what I read over the years, the guys he taught at his schools, before his movie career, were more better suited for the mixed martial arts than Lewis, Norris and Stone, they had real fight experience, unlike Lewis, Stone and Norris who fought in non-contact competition; Lewis became a kick boxing champ after lee passed away.
I hope to comment on this more, when I have more time; lee was not the god some make him out to be, but he is certainly not just an actor who can fight on screen that allot of people today seem to think.
Just keep this in mind, lee was all about real life situations, not sport, mainly because there was no sport like the UFC back than where his skills could be tested.
about 1 month ago
Regarding your title:
As great as Bruce Lee is I feel he is not the father of MMA.
MMA was around in Ancient Greece, and was called Pancration, fighters were allowed to do anything they want, wrestle, subs, strike etc. It was even in the Olympics. In fact Pancration MEANS MMA, Pancration means "maximum force" -as in use "maximum" of your skills and abilities. Multifaceted ability is usually a "mix" of various aspects, hence MIXED Martial Arts, or MMA.
Bruce Lee certainly did a lot, and is one of the modern pioneers of Martial Arts and Mixed Martial Arts. But I feel that Dana White was simply playing for an audience when he called him the father of MMA. Dana just wants new fans. That kind of a statement is slightly disrespectful to the many pioneers of MA and MMA who had nothing to do with Bruce, and in many instances preceded him, in some case by thousands of years.
sorry for long post,
from about 1 month ago
Some editor change the name. Drives me nuts when they do that. Its for readability I know but I prefer edits to grammer and punctuation. Not content.
I think if you want to keep giving me lessons you should check out my article on MMA not being a sport. You may save yourself some typing time. I get it, and have covered it. My definition of pankration differs from yours to mean all powers but generally speaking im not speaking out my arse over here. I understand the history and like I said have studied it. I do thank you for attempting to educate me but its not necessary. Ive been involved in martial arts since 3rd grade in some capacity or another.
Overall, an opposing opinion is always welcome, and you and I dont always see eye to eye. Overall, its cool chatting with you though. You obviously know your stuff. I change the title to its original form by the way, I think it is more relevant to the content of the article. You may not agree with my topic but I hope you enjoyed the read my friend.
from about 1 month ago
I do agree with the opinion that Lee wouldnt beat todays fighters. But had he lived in these times with the same dedication to the fighting science, I think he would have been a formiddable opponant in MMA. That much can be said with certainty. Would he beat GSP or Fedor, who knows, different times, different circumstances. Hard to say, but I get your point totally.
from about 1 month ago
my understanding is that you can change the editor's corrections again, or back to what you had before (I had a similar issue)
I think that Bruce had the discipline and talent to be the best in his weight class in whatever competitive art he would choose to try himself at. But I feel that since he was about 135lbs, he would never be able to overcome 100lbs deficit to challenge the likes of Fedor in any form of full contact combat. I hold that opinion because history shows us no precedent where a lightweight or below would defeat a heavyweight of similar age, experience and skill.
To me the best thing about Bruce was how he realized the importance of grappling. It's rare for traditionalists, especially strikers to be so open minded and self critical.
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, practically speaking its nonsense to even really consider that a realistic topic. I think the argument some might make is more on a PFP basis. Its all moot regardless though. Besides, nowadays, Im not betting for anyone against Fedor. Thats just a silly bet. Lee put a lot of stock in jiu jitsu, the japenese style. He understood and broke down human moves and emotions when fighting. His every movement, the sounds he made, the head shake were all part of his technique. No way to predict his movements or actions. My favorite thing he said was, a punch is usually like a board hitting the body, he wanted his strikes to be like a ball on the end of a chain. Great stuff to research. Overall, I think he had some great ideas that are still seen today. He was known for his teachings and more well known like you said, but there are many great historical disciplines out there that led the way as well, if not led the way for his very theories.
about 1 month ago
I think Lee would have done very well in MMA.
At 135-pounds, he'd have to bulk up to 155. The gloves and all those rules in MMA would obviously limit his arsenal. And he would have to learn confined wrestling and Jiu-jitsu for combat effective methods in a cage. But he would probably win a title at 155.
I never dismiss the idea that certain non MMA fighters can do very well against MMA fighters.
What if they put BJ Penn and Bruce Lee in a large field and let them fight anyway they want while wearing whatever they want. My money goes to Lee. In that sort of environment, Bruce Lee is going to kick some major butt on most MMA fighters regardless of weight.
Throw them in a cage with gloves and 31 rules, then of course it's a different strory. Still, Lee as the UFC ruler at 155.
from about 1 month ago
Joseph,
Out of curiosity, a question: by what means would Bruce Lee defeat BJ Penn in a no-rules fight out in a field?
Thanks,
from about 1 month ago
Funny thing is, in Jeet Kun Do, they wear gloves similar to UFC gloves, except the fingers are fully covered. Point is, he had experience with gloves, but as Joe said, it wasnt his style to necessarily wear them in fights. I agree Joe, just on pure talent and athletecism, Lee would have held his own if not rise to the top. Thanks for reading Joe.
about 1 month ago
TODD wow!!.. YOU DAH MAN..5 STARS AND PICK OF THE DAY ..(maybe you could go read and comment on mine buddy)-i miss your input-......LEE WOULD BEAT PENN WITH A FRONT KICK AND SPINNING BACK FIST FOLLOWD BY A FLYING KARATE JUMP KICK...HAHAHA..LMAO..WHO KNOWS..
from about 1 month ago
Thanks stoker. Did you do an article on this too? I talked to Jeff Wackerly about this once, and he never got it going. I got bored and had to do it yesterday. Im glad you enjoyed bro, thanks for the pick.
about 1 month ago
Bruce Lee is more then Marketing and only a super retard would think so. He and is the true Father of MMA. He fought and risked his life to get the world of Martial Arts was it is today. He could beat Fedor's ass!!!
from about 1 month ago
Im glad you enjoyed Adam. I agree Lee was more, but probably did get more credit due to popularity. That being said, I think its silly to take away from his natural talents. Some of the physical pheats he was capable of state the case. He could grab grains of rice out of mid air with chopsticks according to some accounts. He kicked a guy so hard once that he flew backwards, flipped over a chair and broke the arm of an extra that was standing there watching. Thats undeniable. Im glad you enjoyed bro. Take care.
about 1 month ago
Great Article my POTD
about 1 month ago
Great article, but I have to admit that I am more of a Tony Jaa fan. Sorry, it's the muay thai thing. Of course, if you are looking for a complete mind/body/soul connection for a fighter, Bruce is the pimp.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks JON GRILZ. I caught that article where the guy was lambasting you over the fight for the troops. Thanks for reading and commenting bro. Take care.
about 1 month ago
TRUE VERY SPIRITUAL..CHECK OUT BRUCE LEE QUOTES ON WIKIPEDIA..
from about 1 month ago
I did some of my homework for this there. As well as personal knowledge from reading his book, and studying him as a whole most of my life. Great stuff.
about 1 month ago
Todd,
Nice job. For once we agree on something.
Bruce Lee is a GOD!!!!
Anyone who thinks that Lee would even have the slightest bit of trouble completely dismantling one of these so called MMA fighters today has absolutely no perspective on the true awesomeness of this man.
Lee could have fought and completely destroyed any MMA fighter ...including heavyweights, and ANYONE in ANY weight class. It wouldn't even be a fight.
Lee would incapacitate a super heavyweight like Tim Sylvia in less then 30 seconds without even building up a sweat.
Lee did things that are still, to this day, seemingly impossible for the human body. He is without a doubt the most dangerous human being that ever walked the face of the earth.
I actually believe that he would probably be able to take out the top five MMA stars all at once (including the great Anderson Silva).
There has never been, and probably will never be anyone like him. He is the closest thing the world has ever seen to Superman.
Way to recognize.
P.S. The Yankees are still (and will forever be) the scum of the earth.
from about 1 month ago
I assume you're joking, which is cool. But in case you're not:
Gene, who easily took Bruce down and choked him 4 times in a row, doesn't agree with you. Bruce doesn't agree with you either, as he began learning ground game with Master LeBell following this.
Also, Bruce close friend and training partner Joe Lewis stated (you can read his actual interview on Divine Wind website) that Bruce Lee was a NON-COMBATIVE Martial Artist, and would not beat him (Joe Lewis) even in a movie :)
Bruce also wrote: "My moves will be outdated before this book is even published" now we are 40 years later... Lots of progress has been made in techniques.
Anyway, I assume you were joking, so I'm sorry for taking time to write this.
peace,
from about 1 month ago
Anthony,
Not joking. A guy like GSP wouldn't last 30 seconds with Lee. GSP, as a student of the arts, would probably be the first to admit this.
One kick from Lee would break a bone in any one of these guys' ribcages. And how do you think they could ever even touch him? He was the fastest man alive. He also could put guys down with "one inch punches" if they got too close. The fight would have no chance of even going to the mat because it would be over so quickly.
I saw Bruce Lee. Were you even alive back then? These guys are all toys compared to him. It's like comparing beef jerky with steak.
Maybe you want to tell me about nuclear fission too. I'm all ears.
from about 1 month ago
I still am 90% convinced that you're joking :)
In case you're not:
Do you have GSP's quote about how he'd fair VS Bruce Lee, or are you assuming?
Bruce Lee was fast? Of course he was, he was 130lbs. 130lbs athletic people are very fast, it's just physics.
Bruce Lee's kick would break bones? Many people's kicks break bones. But notice how you used the word "would". Do you know why you used that word? Because he DIDN"T ever even fight anyone good, so you were unable to use the word "did" instead of "would".
Bruce Lee was a great man, but there is no evidence to suggest he was a top fighter, and in fact there is evidence to suggest the opposite.
best regards,
from about 1 month ago
Im glad to have gotten you fellas debating. For what its worth. I think Anthony has some valid points. I think Drac is exaggerating a bit, Adam seems to be the voice of reason. Overall, had Lee lived in the times of MMA, I think within his divisions he would have been a force. Overall, we have top conditioned athletes in MMA, but Lee was in top shape at all times too. I think its a fun topic, but difficult to really discern any fact, its all speculation. I belive Lee is the pinnacle example of a true martial artist. That is a different animal from todays MMA, the article was speaking to his ideals, not so much capabilities. But I do believe he would have held his own. He has been recorded doing things that have not been duplicated. See wikipedia for some examples. Great debat guys.
Drac, we finally agreed on something. Amazing. Enjoy it while it lasts sir, Ill be back on the Yanks page soon.
from about 1 month ago
Yeap Todd.
By the way I definitely have something good to say about Bruce. One of the things that really revolutionized and modernized MA is his belief that fitness is paramount in unarmed combat. There were all these fat, old weak "masters" that believed skill to be the only relevant aspect of the fight game. Bruce argued with white foam at his mouth (lol) that a fit, young, hungry, alert and determined individual with no fight training will defeat any such "master" of fighting with the greatest of ease. And in today's MMA we see just that! Fighters paying special attention to conditioning, fitness and mental game. All universally accepted truths today, but 40 years ago only few knew this to be true, and even fewer said anything about it.
I just feel that separating terms "fighter" and "Martial Artist" is very important, and unfortunately it's not something that everyone is capable of doing.
about 1 month ago
Bruce honed his body to weapon of mind and body. Your Right Todd Bruce could take them all down. I think I read some where that Bruce said his move would be out dated before this book is publish and he was right HE made more an honed them more. It sad that no one else could match in He is clearly the greatest P4P there ever was.
from about 1 month ago
who did he fight?
about 1 month ago
This was a very well thought out and written article. I don't know how Buce would have fared in the octagon, because all of the greats in the octagon have taken from his style and improved it. At the same time without Bruce, there probably wouldn't be mma today. It's like saying how would Muhammad Ali fare in the modern boxing game. I really cant call this one.
Keep up the good work, I really liked this article.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks so much for reading and your comment. As I told the guys above, its mere speculation, no one can no. Different circumstances. Im glad you enjoyed the read, take care.
about 1 month ago
Bruce was kato on the green hornet..and he was the dude they had in mind for the kung fu series,,but at the time the networks felt that the American audiences wouldn't accept him..David Carridine got the job and did great (the story line was from Bruce lees idea called "the warrior").."the way of the intercepting fist"
BOB WALL(source wiki)USPK karate champion and co-star in Enter the Dragon, recalled a particularly serious encounter that transpired after a film extra kept taunting Lee. The extra yelled that Lee was "a movie star, not a martial artist," that he "wasn't much of a fighter." Lee answered his taunts by asking him to jump down from the wall he was sitting on. Bob Wall described Lee's opponent as "a gang-banger type of guy from Hong Kong," a "damned good martial artist," and observed that he was fast, strong, and bigger than Bruce.
Wall recalled the confrontation in detail:
"This kid was good. He was strong and fast, and he was really trying to punch Bruce's brains in. But Bruce just methodically took him apart." "Bruce kept moving so well, this kid couldn't touch him...Then all of a sudden, Bruce got him and rammed his ass into the wall and swept him, he proceeded to drop his knee into his opponent's chest, locked his arm out straight, and nailed him in the face repeatedly."
After his victory, Lee gave his opponent lessons on how to improve his fighting skills. His opponent, now impressed, would later say to Lee, "You really are a master of the martial arts."
from about 1 month ago
Thank you for quoting your source. Most people around here like to rip off other sources just to show everyone how "smart" they are. Good job. Much respect on that one.
P.S. Is this Anthony guy just trying to get a rise out of people with his uninformed comments, or are there really people out there that are just that ignorant?
from about 1 month ago
Great reference there Stoker, I read that story and used part of it as an example further up. Lee avoided conflict unless provoked indefinitely. Then he taught a lesson of sorts, and was always humble, even when taunted. A great example of a martial artist. A master.
about 1 month ago
thanks db..he is usually very well informed..but his approach needs work..Todd was debating with him and he would know more than i would about ..i agree that Bruce was a fighting machine..and that's what killed him -over training-a heart attack..although people will debate me on that also..once again great job on the article Todd..im dating myself here but "green hornet" and "kato" was my favorite show as a child..
/thanks buddy
stoker
from about 1 month ago
Thank you Stoker. There are many theories on his death. Its like Tupac and Biggie, no one knows. But its fun to debate. Take care my friend.
about 1 month ago
There have been like 5 other articles about Bruce Lees involvement with MMA, me and I think Jad wrote 2 of them.
from about 1 month ago
Ive only been on BR for a few months. I did not realize this had been covered. Dont want to take away from what someone else has already done. Hope you enjoyed this perspective.
about 1 month ago
thanks todd..
CJ,
its great to get so many perspectives...I've written over 80 articles.(deleted 2 BECAUSE OF SPAMMING)..and I come across articles that are very similar to things I've written about last august..but its pointless to bring it up..no-one on here does that purposely..my opinion..
THANKS/STOKER
about 1 month ago
lmao../check out my boxing article..im on my way to greatness..lmao...no ego here of course.
/stokerxo
about 1 month ago
Great article.
I smell a 'Bruce Lee vs Chuck Norris' argument coming. :)
from about 1 month ago
Nope Chuck said Bruce was better and look up to him. They trained together. Bruce didn't really start kick till he got with Chuck and they worked together.
from about 1 month ago
Adam,
Actually Norris never said Bruce was better than him. Another person involved in movie making Baer has claimed that he heard Norris say that, but Norris has declined to comment on this topic whenever asked.
For example:
In recent Sports-Express interview (Dec 2007) Norris said about this: "I don't want to comment on who would beat whom with regards to Bruce Lee. What would that prove? And who do we want to prove anything to with this discussion? The man is gone, let's respect him, that's all."
Norris went on to answer who he believes to be the best fighter: "Fedor is the best and greatest fighter and Martial Artist of all time, and nobody now, or from the past, would stand a chance VS him in a fight. Standing with him is suicide, and he has complete mastery of ground game".
I have searched and searched, but was never able to find an actual proof that Norris said Bruce was better than him. If you have a link or magazine interview, please let me know. Thanks,
best regards,
from about 1 month ago
Yeah, they did a movie together, ironically about different fighting disciplines being better, the end scene between Chuck and Lee, Chuck was young. They were training partners for many years. Cant remember the name of the flic, damn it!!!! There was a samurai, chuck, a wrestler, it was classic kung fu cinema. Good stuff.
from about 1 month ago
Damn Anthony, youve been on here since five minutes after I wrote this discrediting Lee. You really feel strongly about this dont you. Popular opinion aside the man was a spectacle, bottom line. No one is dissing Fedor by saying that. Hands down Fedor is a monster, anyone doubting that should move on to something they know about, but let us give credit where its due my friend. Lee was a master and deserves better than discontent for his legend. Come on bro, lighten up, we need your support, you argue better than anyone Ive bumped into here, come over to our side, turn away from the dark side, take my hand. LOL, you know Im just playing Anthony,your a good sport, just wanted to give you a hard time this afternoon. Have a great turkey day if that is your thing, if not enjoy the day off.
from about 1 month ago
Mos def Todd,
And I think that by now I have voiced just about everything there is, so I'll stop.
But good debate is all good. By the way, I'm reading Bruce's book JKD (TUTTLE edition) right now! It's everything that didn't make his other books, notes, diagrams, it's really interesting.
from about 1 month ago
Thanks for the heads up on that, Ive never heard of it, Ill be checking it out. I love the debate bro, its a lot of fun, as long is it stays cordial. Its been good talking with you, your alternate view is respected and well taken in my corner. Ill think on it, but more than likely will stick to my guns, however biased those guns may be. Take care and thanks for the great talk.
about 1 month ago
Wow I came to this article late. I am not going to jump into any of the debate. Just to say- very well written article and I love Bruce Lee. I know alot of that has to do with marketing and yet I dont care. There is a Jeet Kun Do school literally across the street from my apt and I was thinking about checking it out. Any thoughts on practicing the art form Todd?
about 1 month ago
The opportunites to learn from a master in martial arts these days seem limited to me. My original Sensei back east was from Okinawa, and attained a black belt both in Japan and in the states during his time in the military.
Ive not done an immense amount of research, I just know in my area I havent seen schools or instructors with too much promise in any discipline, much less JKD. Your in an area with much more diversity, you may find it more prevelant and accesible in your demographic.
My days of athletics are behind me though. Ive transitioned from student to teacher, now that I have kids old enough to compete. You know, soccer, baseball coaching. These kids wear me down and let me know Im not the young buck I think I am anymore. Not that Im an old geezer by any means, I just focus my attention on them now.
I have contemplated a boxing gym down the street, just need to grow some stones and stop worrying about getting punched in the face. Its never led to good things in the past, maybe some maturity now would allow for me to learn, who knows. Thanks for reading, I was wondering where you were, I knew youd show up eventually. Later bro.
about 1 month ago
Anthony there is not one man on this Earth that has a complete folowing and Bruce Lee is no expection and you are the proof and that is OK...but I feel you are taking things AWAY from the Bruce Lee legacy.....did you ever meet bruce lee personally? NO....did I ? NO....but there are a lot of people close to him that really knew him and admired him and tough fighters that after loosing did become his students....I bet the same thing happens with Fedor and you Anthony right?....I feel you are discrediting a legend and yet reading his teaching (JKD book) at the same time......sorry Todd but I think Anthony does not put thought on his writting..... have a good day
from about 1 month ago
You forgot to sign your name at the end of your post. Usually it's "have a nice day, stoker"
Well, to clarify, I have huge respect for Bruce Lee's teachings and genius. But even his own friends and training partners like Joe Lewis have stated in plain English that his feats are hugely exaggerated and often made up all together, and he was elevated to some demi-God status as a fighter, when in fact he was not.
I chose to acknowledge and respect Bruce Lee for his ideas and views, not for unconfirmed anecdotes about his mythical abilities. That's all. Just my opinion.
about 1 month ago
This article is awesome. Anthony needs to stop peeing in the pool.
I totally buy into the Lee "mythology"; he was the most incredible fighter that has ever lived.
Btw... uh... who is this "Fedor" character? LOL Ya see? I know very little about MMA, but I know who Bruce Lee is (everyone does), but I've never even heard of Fedor.
Bruce was so incredible, even average people instantly recognize his name. Can't say the same for these other dudes whose names are being dropped like stink bombs.
from about 1 month ago
Im glad you enjoyed, thanks for reading and commenting. BTW, Fedor is the baddest man walking the planet today. Check him out, impressive. I think Anthony is just trying to down play the myth and keep it clear that this was just a man. Not the god some make him out to be. I have my own opinions about it as you can see but all POVs are welcome here. Im glad you shared yours. Take care.
from about 1 month ago
Popularity doesn't mean one can fight.
If bruce Lee was the best fighter you ever saw, than name me his world class opponents that he defeated.
thanks,
about 1 month ago
I take that back, Fedor sounds vaguely familiar. But I can't put a face with the name.
about 1 month ago
Hey Todd,
I really liked this story as I'm a big Lee fan myself. I thought you'd find this video interesting.
http://www.clipupload.com/clip/showphoto.php/photo/14565/cat//Ping Pong with Nunchucks
I also found another one taken at the same time where they glued a strip of sandpaper to the bottom of one of his nun-chucks and then they threw wood matches at him and he'd swing his chucks and light every match.
The amount of skill with those he has is unreal. It just lends credibility to your article about his vast abilities and technical prowess.
from about 1 month ago
Hey bro, glad you enjoyed and I will definitely be checking those links out. You actually inspired the article when we were commenting in the past. Glad you like it, take care sir.
from about 1 month ago
Jeff,
Please tell me you didn't think the ping pong clip was real!!!!!
(just checking)
from about 1 month ago
Hey Todd, I was thinking of doing a similar article and something that I was imagining putting into it was a breakdown of the main principals of JKD. I took it for awhile and it's really very different from most martial arts.
I think a lot of people wouldn't realize that it was mostly just four ranges and four main arts that he used to deal with those positions. He stripped the forms and "art" off of them.
Kicking: He said there was the far range which he felt was best controlled by muay tai. He said no one kicked harder than a muay tai practitioner.
Punching: Next range was punching which he felt was best exemplified by western style boxing. He liked that it was about power, causing damage while hiding body movement and all the while protecting ourselves at the same time.
Trapping: Next was close range while standing. From this he had several main sources including judo, but a main one was Sabot, a form of French kickboxing that uses lots of head butts, elbows, knees and such.
Grappling: Lastly was on the ground. He was a big proponent of Japanese Jiujitsu (there wasn't any knowledge of Brazilian back then) along with both free style and Grecko Roman wrestling.
He did away with all the mannerisms of "sport" and "tournament" and was one of the first to start using real pads and protective gear to spar all out with people through the entire fight range. He felt the "point system" of most fighting styles weakened their effectiveness as a self defense.
You probably know all this but since I didn't see it in your article I thought you might want to do a follow up that could really show people who've' never studied JKD why it's so relevant to MMA today and why Lee would have definitely been good at it. I imaging he would have been great at seeing the value of small differences in situations and creating game plans to neutralize an opponents strengths, similar to Couture.
from about 1 month ago
Jeff, thank you for the info. Ive read his teaching but never been instructed. Ive pretty much taken my own ideas away from it. I would be very interested in learning from a reputable teacher, but nothing is available to me. I just wanted to write an article explaining how his theories are everywhere in MMA, even without the knowledge of the fighters and trainers themselves. The best MMA fighters employ his theories by design without ever studying him or his ideas. Its amazing. Thank so much for your input bro. Take care.
about 1 month ago
Jeff,
It's a chinese cell phone commercial!!! lol
They inserted Bruce Lee's chuk form to the footage of a ping pong match. It's not real.
(just making sure everyone know this. I'm not saying you're one, but many people DO think it's real)
from about 1 month ago
That sucks. I did think it was real. I saw the cell phone part at the end but that didn't make me think that it wasn't some old bad ass footage. I know Lee used to do all sorts of demonstrations and fun prank type things on set so I just figured it was something like that.
I did think it was amazing that not a single one of those matches or ping pong balls got away from him, especially when there were two guys at the same time. The flair he used spinning around sure seemed awfully hard compared to just swinging his chucks also.
I'm actually decent at them myself and used to rewind videos of Lee over and over to learn his moves and still couldn't get down his mid swing reverse handing.
Ok, so I guess I'm gullible. Thanks for the straightening out.
about 1 month ago
Has anyone here, besides me, actually seen Bruce Lee fight? It's not so difficult to watch old footage.
No one here seems to understand the basic concept here. Bruce Lee was the Wayne Gretzky of martial arts. He was practically inhuman. To compare Lee with any of these fighters of today is completely ignorant and an insult to one of the most truly unique human beings who ever walked the earth.
Lee was more than capable of ENDING THE LIFE of three Fedors in under a minute if he chose to do so. Those choreographed fights that you witnessed in his movies were merely mirror images of what Lee could do in actual combat. And Chuck Norris didn't have to acknowledge that Bruce was the man (even though he did), it was a given.
Comparing ANY MMA fighter to Bruce Lee is the equivalent of comparing a televangelist preacher to Jesus. Smarten up guys. Get your heads out of your buttocks and ...LEARN ABOUT LIFE!!!!
from about 1 month ago
You saw Bruce Lee fight???
Who???
There are NO Bruce Lee fights. You probably are referring to demos, but a demonstration is not a fight. Could you be so kind as to name World Class fighters that bruce Lee has fought in an actual full contact fight?
Also, what is the FACTUAL basis for the claim that Bruce Lee could kill 3 Fedors in under a minute?
thanks,
from about 1 month ago
Appreciate the comment Drac but I need to agree with Anthony. Bruce Lee was a very good Martial Artist and the greatest face of Martial Arts probably ever but I believe Fedor would dispatch him in a match or a real fight.
He did have crazy potential to be great and considering he was naturally 135 that means if he so chose to he could have competed around 125. I really gotta believe he'd destroy just about anyone in that low of a weight class and be a P4P favorite with todays knowledge, diet, supplements, etc....
from about 1 month ago
That's it Jeff!
You nailed it on the head. Modern training methods, nutrition, not to mention drugs (lol), modern techniques (think about it, Bruce Lee wrote: "Do NOT study my moves, they will be outdated before this book is even published"), huge size and reach advantage for Fedor too.
Bruce was a teacher, a pioneer and philosopher. Not a top fighter. it wasn't what he chose to do in life. He COULD have been the best fighter in his weight class with his talents and dedication, but he embraced a different view on life. Training for months for specific opponents in near seclusion was not his idea of life. He wanted to share his views with other people. He was a Martial ARTIST, not a fighter.
It's not the same thing.
about 1 month ago
Here is a wonderful post from MMALinker website, the kind of post I feel many people here need to read and grasp:
"Bruce Lee is in no way the Godfather of MMA. No more than the Gracie's are the Godfathers of Gung fu.
Although JKD had many progressive and forwarding thinking philosophies, the JKD community never developed techniques to substanciate their ideas. After Bruce's death the JKD community has promoted Wing Chun and pursued arts like Kali and Silat; none of which have impacted the development of MMA. In fact JKD has never produced quality MMA fighters. They have no professional MMA camps, anywhere. They do seminars.
Hartsell's grappling books and videos are pretty horrible. Not trying to be rude, but no one credits Hartsell with developing any innovations in high level grappling or MMA competition. He never trained an ADCC champion or competitor. Nothing.
Dan Inosanto went to the Machado to learn grappling. He deserves credit for being willing to learn at an old age, and earn his Blackbelt in BJJ.
IMB Academy students have competed in CA amateur boxing, but they never set the boxing world on fire. They do Muay Thai also, but have you ever heard to a MT champ from JKD community?
Question: Who is the greatest fighter, real fighter to come out of JKD? Bruce Lee?! OK, I mean in the last 30 years. I can't think of one."
from about 1 month ago
Bruce Lee could jump off the Empire State Building and land on his feet. He could also throw a rock from California to Kansas (on the fly).
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!
Bruce Lee is GOD!!!!
about 1 month ago
If Bruce was alive and in his prime today, I truly believe that he would be on top of his division. If you guys studied the book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce covered not only striking aspects, but grappling as well. He covered Judo throws and takedowns, Jujitsu: joint locks and submission holds. Lee included many illustrations of these techniques that you would see in MMA; Mixed Martial Arts cage fights today such as double leg take downs and single leg take downs. I even saw an illustration of an arm bar included in his book and keep in mind, many people in his era were oblivious to Jujitsu as the only thing they had in mind was striking disciplines such as boxing. Bruce was truly a martial artist ahead of his era.
My friends, if you watch some of Bruce's movies again, you will notice several techniques that MMA fighters use today. In the Big Boss, the final fight is ended with a mount followed by a ground and pound. In Return of the Dragon when Bruce fights Bob Wall, the fight is ended with a double leg take down followed by a punch to the groin. In Enter the Dragon, the opening fight sequence shows Bruce demonstrating Judo throws on his opponent Sammo Hung. The fight ends with an armbar rendering Sammo to "tap out." In Game of Death, when Bruce was fighting against a Hapkido master, Bruce