Andre the Giant vs. Bruce Lee (is super technique enough against super-size)

[Cobra]

Now everyone knows that size and strenght is all you need to win a fight. If you know martial arts, you are most likely to win anyone of any size or stength.

But what if the opponent is nearly 7'5 and weighed over 520 pounds? Hw about someone who can lift cars on it's back with simple ease. What if it is someone like Ander the Giant?

But a unexperianced giant (and pro wrestling back then wasn't that technical) went against fighter designed to beat up people three times his size. Someone who is a martial arts champ. What about someone as super quick as Bruce Lee?

Consider the two. Both have there respected strenghts and weaknesses.

Andre's strength is his huge body which is the size of three large men Or two six foot obese men). And his strenght is off the charts, recording stronger than 12 men combined (he beat 12 men in a tug of war contest) and lift cars to their back with ease. His weakness? He is pretty slow and doesn't know much fighting arts (well if you consider 1970's pro wrestling a martial art then maybe) and he is a large target (especially the throat).

Bruce Lee is a super fast man and is one of the best martial artist ever in modern times and he can kick people's butts twice his size. His skill in fighting was unmatched. And again he is very quick. His weakness? He is pretty small and not even half as strong as weighlifters. His body is also more fragile.

Now if these to met, would the super big strong Andre be able to take out super fast and technical Bruce Lee.

I think Andre would win, cause he is just too big and strong. But if Bruce Lee can keep his distance and avoid big grappling, he can prevail but it would be hard against someone like andre.

 

[terryl965]

I believe Bruce Lee would have wax the floor with him the speed and agility along with the physical strenghth of Bruce Lee would have made him the over whelmng favorite in any stitiaution. Just my humble opion

 

[MJS]

The size vs strength debate has been going on a loooooooooooooong time!! Size and strength do play a part, but IMO, its not as big as some think. I'm a firm believer in having better technique. A good example that I can give, is when I'm in my BJJ class. I've rolled with some guys that always try to out muscle me. Doing this, in turn makes that person get very tired, very quick. Now, you can look at the other side of the coin. What if the person has size, strength, and tech?? In that case, its a matter of who is the quickest and who can think ahead better. A good example: UFC 7. Marco Ruas fought Paul Varleans. Paul is very strong and very tall. However his tech. sucks!! Marco who is also strong, but not as tall, used superior tech. and easily won the fight.

Just my opinion.

Mike

 

[markulous]

There is no way that Andre the Giant could even get a hit on Bruce Lee. He would probably do the same thing I would do: Take out his knees. Just keep sticking and moving and take out his knees with your kicks and down goes the giant.

 

[MJS]

There is no way that Andre the Giant could even get a hit on Bruce Lee. He would probably do the same thing I would do: Take out his knees. Just keep sticking and moving and take out his knees with your kicks and down goes the giant.

Good point. Thats exactly what Ruas did to Varleans. Thai kicking the legs over and over, and down he went!!

Mike

 

[Cobra]

The size vs strength debate has been going on a loooooooooooooong time!! Size and strength do play a part, but IMO, its not as big as some think. I'm a firm believer in having better technique. A good example that I can give, is when I'm in my BJJ class. I've rolled with some guys that always try to out muscle me. Doing this, in turn makes that person get very tired, very quick. Now, you can look at the other side of the coin. What if the person has size, strength, and tech?? In that case, its a matter of who is the quickest and who can think ahead better. A good example: UFC 7. Marco Ruas fought Paul Varleans. Paul is very strong and very tall. However his tech. sucks!! Marco who is also strong, but not as tall, used superior tech. and easily won the fight.

Just my opinion.

Mike

Yeah that is true that martial artist can beat people bigger than them but Andre is much bigger most likely three times bigger than Paul. I mean he weighed around 520 pounds. That is Gigantic. Especially compared to Bruce Lee. He probably weighs more than 5 Bruce Lees.

 

[MJS]

Yeah that is true that martial artist can beat people bigger than them but Andre is much bigger most likely three times bigger than Paul. I mean he weighed around 520 pounds. That is Gigantic. Especially compared to Bruce Lee. He probably weighs more than 5 Bruce Lees.

Yes, you're correct, he is much bigger and heavier than Paul. I'm still a believer that size isnt all its cracked up to be.

Mike

 

[Rick Wade]

I agree with all of you; However what happens when you run into the Kellys for the American Kenpo Guys. Those men are big also and they don't sit on there butt they work out alot and hard.

Thanks

 

[Cobra]

Good point. Thats exactly what Ruas did to Varleans. Thai kicking the legs over and over, and down he went!!

Mike

One of the reason I think Bruce Lee would not win is because of it impossible to win by grappeling because if Andre gets a hold him he can probably break off a leg (he has done it to a leopard one time on accident).

And strikes can be caught when thrown. Bruce Lee's recoil better be quick, or it's lights out. I mean he probably has the best kicking recoil, but it is even hard for a martial artists to recoil in a situtation where they are facing a grapler. But then a again it Bruce Lee.

 

[MJS]

I agree with all of you; However what happens when you run into the Kellys for the American Kenpo Guys. Those men are big also and they don't sit on there butt they work out alot and hard.

Thanks

Yup. Sean Kelly is a big man. However as I said before, when you're dealing with 2 people, then the person with the most skill or the one that gets in first just might have the most success.

Keep in mind also, that the bigger you are, the more mass you have to move. That in itself plays a big part.

Mike

 

[MJS]

One of the reason I think Bruce Lee would not win is because of it impossible to win by grappeling because if Andre gets a hold him he can probably break off a leg (he has done it to a leopard one time on accident).

And strikes can be caught when thrown. Bruce Lee's recoil better be quick, or it's lights out. I mean he probably has the best kicking recoil, but it is even hard for a martial artists to recoil in a situtation where they are facing a grapler. But then a again it Bruce Lee.

Royce Gracie as well as many of the Gracie family members have fought some pretty big guys. Rickson is undefeated and I'm sure hes fought some big ones. If all else fails...resort to the groin and eyes. Those are 2 parts of the body that CANT be conditioned.

Mike

 

[Blindside]

One of the reason I think Bruce Lee would not win is because of it impossible to win by grappeling because if Andre gets a hold him he can probably break off a leg (he has done it to a leopard one time on accident).

I can't believe you don't remember that Andre lost to the Dread Pirate Roberts in a unarmed match, to a rear-naked choke no less.

 

[7starmantis]

if Andre gets a hold him he can probably break off a leg (he has done it to a leopard one time on accident).

What? Your telling me that Andre the Giant ripped off the leg of a leopard? Whats even more is that it was an accident? You can't be serious?

7sm

 

[7starmantis]

I can't believe you don't remember that Andre lost to the Dread Pirate Roberts in a unarmed match, to a rear-naked choke no less.

Yes and had dreams of very large women :ultracool

7sm

 

[Marginal]

I think it's gonna be a tie. Andre and Bruce both bein' dead and all...

 

[KennethKu]

There are maximal strength, explosive strength, and endurance strength. If you talk about strength without specifying which it is, then you may be comparing apples to oranges.

 

[Cobra]

What? Your telling me that Andre the Giant ripped off the leg of a leopard? Whats even more is that it was an accident? You can't be serious?

7sm

Yes he did. While training in Africa while visiting a wildlife park while playin with a trained leopard, he accidently broke the leopard's leg. I saw it on a biography on him one time. But then again, they phrased it (rumor has it) so maybe it is just a rumor.

 

[rmcrobertson]

It is useful to remember that they are both dead. In fact, it is useful to remember that they both died young, which maakes you wonder about the limits of their technique.

Personally, I'd have rather hung out with Mr. the Giant. There's, "The Princess Bride," to consider, and then too there's the fact that he was apparently a personal friend of Samuel Beckett.

 

[8253]

In theory Bruce Lee should be able to take Andre the Giant with technique. However sometimes you run across someone so big that maybe you just cant hurt them. The one plus is that if your opponent is that big you should be able to outrun him pretty easily.

 

[7starmantis]

Yes he did. While training in Africa while visiting a wildlife park while playin with a trained leopard, he accidently broke the leopard's leg. I saw it on a biography on him one time. But then again, they phrased it (rumor has it) so maybe it is just a rumor.

Breaking a leg and ripping it off are two different things! I find it hard to believe that the leopard didn't retaliate, but who knows, I was just blown away by the wording of ripping the leg off!

7sm