So many people here boost bruce lee. What is your BASIS for thinking he is any good?

Question

Have you ever seen any fight footage of him?

Have you even seen the sparring videos of him?

Is it based on his acting in the movies?

Is it based on 3rd person accounts of other people?

Is it based upon bruce lee's OWN statements?

Is it based upon the legth of time he spent training?

Is it based upon his ideas?

Is it based on the fact that you are a nut-hugger unable to look at something objectively?

Is it based on his role as Kato?

Is it based on his ideas about sparring?

Is it based on the fact that he was a pioneer to help get chinese actors more work in TV and film?

I'll tell you my basis for my thoughts after I pick a best answer. And what my actual opinion of him is.

I was going to keep from adding anything but JKD is far from unbeatable- if it is so unbeatable then please show me any undefeated professional MMA fighter who uses SOLELY JKD.

Answer 1

Yes.
Yes.
No.
No.
No.
Yes.
Yes.
Nope.
No.
No.
No.

Bruce Lee is considered a great martial artist not just for his background in martial arts, but also for his philosophies, ideas, and for bringing martial arts to the forefront in society. I have serious doubts that many of today's martial artists would be practicing if not for Bruce Lee bringing popularity to it. One may also argue he was the first mixed martial artist for shunning traditional systems and emphasizing to use what works regardless of its origin.

For these reasons alone, he should be considered a great martial artist. If he were alive today, he might still possibly be ahead of his time.

I will also mention that his speed and power more than compensated his sometimes sloppy style. Watch some old footage of his fighting, and even his movies, and you will see that he is in far from perfect form!

He was a great man, but certainly not invincible.



******

Concerning JKD:
Bruce Lee was very apprehensive about even giving this method a name. He did so only to group together his principles and ideas. In doing so, though, it seems that some of what he had hoped to attain grew stagnant, that is, something he had hoped would be ever evolving has become like every other traditional martial art. Whether that is good or bad remains to be seen, but it wasn't what he had hoped, at least not according to his own writings.

Also, I am frankly surprised. You are usually very good at keeping "real fights" and MMA competitions separate. I know that if I were to get in a choke hold, I would bite my opponent's thumb or arm as hard as I could while trying to gore his eyes or even his groin! Not exactly proper UFC protocol... MMA competitions merely show who the better fighter is, not what the better system is, JKD or otherwise.

Answer 2

Bethy is a moron first of all. The Absolute truth of the matter is that Bruce Lee is such a huge icon and Legend because he died at a young age. He was very much a martial artist because he studied martial arts and enhanced what he saw were flaws in them, especially kung fu. He was a philosopher and read very many books and studied the works of Nietzsche, Plato,Kierkegaard and all of the greats. JKD or "way of the intercepting fist" was created by him and even he later on in his life altered his views of it and almost denounced it completely. Bruce strove to have a body and soul that were as close to perfection as possible and he was always striving to expand his mental horizons. He was arrogant until his back was broken and he became humbled. He did in fact fight many masters of other martial art disciplines and kicked some serious butt. I don't know if he was ever beaten in a fight.

Bruce Lee himself before he died said he would rather be known as a philosopher. I consider him to be a man who strived to accomplish as much as he could while he was on this earth. However if he were alive today most likely he would've been in movies or tv shows, several of which would have lessened his iconic, god like status. Maybe he wouldve wrote a book that made you think or helped his sons career out, but like so many famous people who die young, it was his premature death that made him a legend.

Answer 3

i have seen his sparring vids, his workout vids, i own afew of his books (even the very old thin kung fu manuals that were reprined years ago), have his movies, etc. just look at the original footage of game of death (seen in the collectors version of enter the dragon), there is footage of him and kareem abdul jabarr training together and both moving fast as lightning. his philosophy was a brilliant one in a time where style meant everything and today still does to a degree. he adapted many technique into one system, but practical techniques with pure substance and no flash. he devoted his life to the martial arts and it reflected in the way he lived and not just how he fought. he is a pioneer in martial arts (to me not so much in asian cinema, jackie chan had more of an impact than he did). had he lived longer and had game of death produced the way it was meant to be, the industry would have immediately changed.

Answer 4

Well, I never heard Jesus do a sermon on a mountaintop but I hear he was a pretty enlightened fellow. Call me dumb for believing the disciples and I guess because I never actually seen him or anything.

Ofcourse it's true, people who are still alive will tell you they've seen him fight 1 on 1 and multiple opponents and they will swear he could throw down with the best. I believe them before you, one of his students was Kareem Abdul Jabbar the Muslim hall of famer, even he'll tell you that Bruce could drop him with ease.

Answer 5

Bruce entered the 1958 Boxing Championships and defeated the reigning three year champion,
Gary Elms.
Several instructors challenged Bruce to fights as well, and all failed terribly. Bruce said he would then go back through these fights in his head and figure out why they took so long.(even though he would completely annihilate his opponents.)
The art of Jeet Kune Do is simply to simplify. Jeet Kune Do avoids the superficial, penetrates the complex, goes to the heart of the problem and pinpoints the key factors. Empty your cup that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.He was a well rounded fighter. Anyone who has seen his demo videos knows he has super human ability. He was as agile as a cat and as hard as a rock. It seems to me like it would be ridiculous not to boost a man like that.
Now...am I saying that he could go toe to toe with any of the UFC lightweights today....NO! not the way things have evolved. However, due to his physical ability it wouldn't take long for him to master new techniques.
People who hate on Bruce Lee are just plain ignorant!!!
IGNORANT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

Let THIS be clear...Bruce Lee is NOT a MARTIAL ARTIST...he IS a FIGHTER/ACTOR. There is a difference...and unfortunately....by him making these pathetic movies and him TRYING to claim to BE A MARTIAL ARTIST he grossly misinterpreted what the ART is in the REAL word.

Thus amateurs..who didn't have a clue as to what martial arts was...began to seek martial arts out in hopes of becoming like Bruce Lee...much like many do when they want to become like their favorite Idols or Stars in any favorite movie they see.

Sadly, even some who claimed to be martial "artists" opened up "studios" which shadowed that of Bruce Lees FIGHTING abilities.... just as a way of brining in the suckers and who knows these fools/"artists" may have even bought it themselves.

Presently people see Bruce Lee, the FIGHTER as a Martial Artist when all he has ever been is nothing more than a hard core fighter dressed in martial arts clothing...a poser if you will....a wanna be... a discrace to the traditional art of Martial Arts.

Martial ARts is alot of things...one main thing is about self discipline....Bruce Lee if you study him is SEVERLY LACKING in that! It is evident in his movies. No traditional and true martial artist would kill as he does.

Does modern art EVER replace traditional art? Hardly! Bruce Lee... myself and others know the truth..roll over!

Answer 7

He just an act, I mean c'mon, they made a theme park for him. What king of MMA fighter gets a theme park? Can you imagine a Chuck Liddell theme park, LOL!

Check out some real MMA here- http://main.bbsphere.com/modules.php?name=News&file=categories&op=newindex&catid=6

Answer 8

He Was Willing To Be Open And Honest
Then He was a Great Man
Then He Was A GREAT MARTIAL ARTIST

Answer 9

no, it's based on the fact that most people dont' even know another martial artist by name besides chuck norris (who doesn't even count in my opinion)

Answer 10

Yup, he is in the movies have seen him. He is a legend!!