Bruce Lee opened the doors. The Gracies/MMA was the next big evolution since Bruce.
amen!!!!!!!!!
If it weren't for Bruce Lee, there wouldn't have been hundreds of thousands of people doing martial arts when the UFC came out. They would have had no audience.
TTT 4 BRUCE LEE!!
That medallion he's wearing in that picture has the inscription "Using no way as way, using no limitation as limitation" it reflects his philosophy of using that works, "no way as way" means taking the parts that work best for you without getting trapped into some sort of restrictive style.
Bruce and his son live on their own planet now.......
Chuck Norris was cross training befor Bruce.
Chuck also competed and won.
Bruce Lee was a certified champion in dancing.
Bruce was also a plagerist, lifting whole sections of a book (Dempsey?) on boxing and using it without attribution.
ttt for the LEGEND!
"However, I do believe that he would have beaten Muhammad Ali."
please tell me you're joking."
Unfortunately a LOT of people believe this.
As influential to bringing martial arts to the masses as Bruce Lee was, he also forever stereotyped asians.
"Seriously though, Bruce would have been beaten by a Gracie, Gene LeBell, or even Chuck Norris. However, I do believe that he would have beaten Muhammad Ali."------------------------Actually , if I recall, Bruce was asked about Ali n an interview and he admitte that Ali would kick his ass. Too big, skilled,fast, strong, and tough.
aCTOR? No u silly rapscallion Jet LE is an actor. I would call Bruce a warrior but that is to lowly of a word to define his aura!
Bruce said in an interview while he was alive that Ali would kill him. Use google, it can't be too hard to find.
He loved Ali, where did you think Lee's dancing footwork came from ?
** "Bruce was also a plagerist, lifting whole sections of a book (Dempsey?) on boxing and using it without attribution." **
Thats not true. Unlike the movie 'Dragon', Bruce never published a book. He took notes for his own personal use. Respect to him for realising that boxing made far more sense than the bullshit they teach in kung fu.
The books were all published from his notes, long after his death.
Bruce is so awesome!
What happens when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object?
Whatever Bruce Lee decides will happen...
I love Bruce as much as anyone, maybe more, and he definately had the right idead in a time when styles were cults.
However, MMA certainly didn't come about after the release of Enter The Dragon in 1973, and his Jeet June Do languished as an obscure art of boxing combined with wing chun (with the odd variation here and there) over the next 20 years until the Gracies started up the UFC.
Ironically, what they brought in inventing modern MMA ("mixed" martial arts), was a pure singular style. It took the study of their art, and the combining of many counter measures from many other styles to create what we now know as MMA, to be able to compete and even beat the pure style of BJJ.
So Bruce's philosophy of JKD was correct, but the actual style itself never succeeded. Interstingly, the greatest living guru of JKD, Dan Inosanto, has recently earned his BB in BJJ.
Thank u WPB, I'm currently sending u positive telepathic brainwaves, enjoy.
Funny u chaps should mention Mr. Ali I once read in a interview Mr. Ali was asked about the Bruce Lee phenomena. His response was cryptic but seemed to indicate that pound for pound he himself couldn't hold a candle to the man! Now that's saying alot!
Yeah, it still says that Ali would beat him just like Bruce said.
ttt