Bruce Lee is an excellent example of somebody who really pushed himself

[PhotonGuy]

I've posted before about what I believe how its important to work hard and to push yourself. Well Bruce Lee is an excellent example of that. If somebody doesn't want to rush through stuff that's fine and I think its a good idea not to rush to the point where you do a bad job and miss some of the important stuff but there is nothing wrong with pushing yourself a little harder and getting things done a little sooner than it would've taken you otherwise while still doing just as good a job if not better. Bruce Lee would do that. One example which I learned about when watching a film on his biography is how Bruce Lee made a deal with a kung fu instructor. Bruce Lee was into cha cha dancing and in exchange for some kung fu lessons Bruce would teach the instructor some cha cha. When Bruce started the kung fu lessons, according to the instructor it took him three days to learn what it would take most other people to learn in three months. Unfortunately for the instructor he didn't get to learn all that much cha cha since in three days he had only learned the basic rhythm. So Bruce Lee would be somebody who pushed himself harder than most people and who did more than most people in less time and who did just as good, if not a better job. After all, just look at this awesome JKD system he developed.

 

[Thunder Foot]

A good example of the importance of training attributes.

 

[Mephisto]

A good example of somebody who pushed himself is mike Tyson or any professional athlete for that matter. Bruce lee did as well, but an anecdote shared posthumously should be taken with a grain of salt. It may be true but it seems when someone as popular and talented as Bruce lee does everyone is quick to share their story of how great he was. By sharing a story of how great another is I don't seem too blind and self absorbed, but if that person is famous I can still benefit from it by telling my students that I trained with one of the greats.

Bruce lee was great but I've met too many martial artists who quote and cite him and expect it to be so profound, it was cool when I was a young man, now it's cliche. In everyone's adoration of Bruce they cheapen his image, they put him on a pedestal. He was a human, he wasn't the best fighter ever, I'd bet many modern mma fighters could have given him a run for his money but he was ahead of his time and deserves credit for that. Superior ability tskes superior conditioning, most athletes have that, yet few claim the mystique that Bruce did.

 

[drop bear]

Yeah i agree with the concept.

we do a 12week program that puts a person in the ring at the end of it.

and it definitely gives them a nudge forwards in their mrtial arts.

 

[PhotonGuy]

A good example of somebody who pushed himself is mike Tyson or any professional athlete for that matter. Bruce lee did as well, but an anecdote shared posthumously should be taken with a grain of salt. It may be true but it seems when someone as popular and talented as Bruce lee does everyone is quick to share their story of how great he was. By sharing a story of how great another is I don't seem too blind and self absorbed, but if that person is famous I can still benefit from it by telling my students that I trained with one of the greats.

Bruce lee was great but I've met too many martial artists who quote and cite him and expect it to be so profound, it was cool when I was a young man, now it's cliche. In everyone's adoration of Bruce they cheapen his image, they put him on a pedestal. He was a human, he wasn't the best fighter ever, I'd bet many modern mma fighters could have given him a run for his money but he was ahead of his time and deserves credit for that. Superior ability tskes superior conditioning, most athletes have that, yet few claim the mystique that Bruce did.

I seriously doubt that any, let alone many of the modern mma fighters could give Bruce Lee a run for his money. No doubt there's people that can rival him but give him a run for his money, that would be a long shot, a big long shot. From what I know about Bruce's physical capabilities he could send a man weighing over 200 lbs flying with a one inch punch, that was with just a one inch punch. He could sidekick a 300 lb bag and send it slamming against the ceiling. There's been accounts of him sending linebackers flying across a swimming pool and almost hitting the other end with a kick, when the linebackers were holding big kicking shields. He was fast enough to ride in a jab. If you were to throw in a jab he could move back out of your reach and then move in with your hand as you retract it and be on top of you. He was sometimes told to slow down in his fight scenes in the movies because he was moving too fast for the audience to follow. So, to say a modern MMA fighter could give him a run for his money, perhaps only if they fought under rules that favored the MMA fighter and not Bruce. Otherwise, I seriously doubt it.

But then, Bruce Lee is the epitome of hard work and devotion. There would be times when he would be training, his friends would ask if he wanted to go out with them for pizza and he would say he was too busy training, then when his friends came back from pizza he would say he was almost done before he switches to his other hand. It would be hard to beat anybody who puts that level of devotion into the martial arts.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I seriously doubt that any, let alone many of the modern mma fighters could give Bruce Lee a run for his money. No doubt there's people that can rival him but give him a run for his money, that would be a long shot, a big long shot. From what I know about Bruce's physical capabilities he could send a man weighing over 200 lbs flying with a one inch punch, that was with just a one inch punch. He could sidekick a 300 lb bag and send it slamming against the ceiling. There's been accounts of him sending linebackers flying across a swimming pool and almost hitting the other end with a kick, when the linebackers were holding big kicking shields. He was fast enough to ride in a jab. If you were to throw in a jab he could move back out of your reach and then move in with your hand as you retract it and be on top of you. He was sometimes told to slow down in his fight scenes in the movies because he was moving too fast for the audience to follow. So, to say a modern MMA fighter could give him a run for his money, perhaps only if they fought under rules that favored the MMA fighter and not Bruce. Otherwise, I seriously doubt it.

But then, Bruce Lee is the epitome of hard work and devotion. There would be times when he would be training, his friends would ask if he wanted to go out with them for pizza and he would say he was too busy training, then when his friends came back from pizza he would say he was almost done before he switches to his other hand. It would be hard to beat anybody who puts that level of devotion into the martial arts.

You know, most people above the age of, roughly, 12, have learned the difference between fact and urban myth. Perhaps this could be the subject of one of your therapy sessions?

 

[donald1]

bruce lee was good, maybe great. but im not going to say the best. i dont know much about bruce lee i never met him. but im pretty sure nobody is undefeatable.

 

[PhotonGuy]

You know, most people above the age of, roughly, 12, have learned the difference between fact and urban myth. Perhaps this could be the subject of one of your therapy sessions?

I've spoken with instructors who've trained under Dan Insanto and I've spoken with people who've worked with Bruce himself so I know what Im talking about.

 

[PhotonGuy]

bruce lee was good, maybe great. but im not going to say the best. i dont know much about bruce lee i never met him. but im pretty sure nobody is undefeatable.

There are people who could rival him but he was certainly one of the best.

 

[Mephisto]

lol oKay, Bruce was the best ever. I heard he once killed a lion with one punch, it was from a reliable source

 

[Dirty Dog]

I've spoken with instructors who've trained under Dan Insanto and I've spoken with people who've worked with Bruce himself so I know what Im talking about.

Yes, well, you also consider a guy who claims to make magic swords a reliable source, so you may consider me skeptical of this claim.

Bruce Lee was a talented martial artist and an ever better self-promoter. He was, however, human. And the nonsense you've been attributing to him defies the laws of physics and physiology.

 

[yak sao]

. After all, just look at this awesome JKD system he developed.

I admire Bruce Lee. Seriously, what's not to admire? He had tremendous attributes, had a well developed physique, he had charisma, great technique, a tremendous work ethic and on and on and on.

But JKD was simply a retooling of what he had learned from WC. He spent only a few years learning WC before he was cut off from the source so he "recreated the wheel". He researched other methods and applied WC theory to them. Even the name "Way of the Intercepting Fist" is a WC principle.

Can't we just accept the fact that he was a good martial artist, one that we can follow as an example in one way or another without deifying him?
The best of men are men at best.

 

[Tony Dismukes]

Bruce Lee was undoubtedly an example of an individual who accomplished excellence in his art through dedication and pushing himself much harder than most martial artists ever do.

Other examples: any high-level professional fighter in any style (boxing, kickboxing, judo, MMA, whatever), many high-level professional "performance" martial artists (Chinese opera, modern Wushu, movie-fu practitioners), and a whole batch of martial artists that you've never heard of because they aren't movie stars and they aren't into self-promotion.

At the highest level, these people are athletes who are pushing the limits of what the human body is physically capable of. They are riding the fine line between pushing as hard as possible and pushing so hard that they damage themselves. The gap between these individuals and even a dedicated hobbyist like myself is rather greater than the gap between myself and most white belts.

 

[yak sao]

At the highest level, these people are athletes who are pushing the limits of what the human body is physically capable of. They are riding the fine line between pushing as hard as possible and pushing so hard that they damage themselves. The gap between these individuals and even a dedicated hobbyist like myself is rather greater than the gap between myself and most white belts.

Now that is humbling.

 

[PhotonGuy]

lol oKay, Bruce was the best ever. I heard he once killed a lion with one punch, it was from a reliable source

And just what was that reliable source?

 

[PhotonGuy]

Yes, well, you also consider a guy who claims to make magic swords a reliable source, so you may consider me skeptical of this claim.

Bruce Lee was a talented martial artist and an ever better self-promoter. He was, however, human. And the nonsense you've been attributing to him defies the laws of physics and physiology.

Daniel Watson never claimed to make magical swords. If you heard of him making such claims perhaps you could give the source.

 

[drop bear]

And just what was that reliable source?

that was sarcasm.

for all of Bruce lees martial prowess he never fought anybody any good.

so although you can say Bruce lee was the best ever. There is no evidence to suggest he would have dominated the professional circuit.

but considering we can all be our own source if you said it. It is evidence i guess.

 

[Chris Parker]

that was sarcasm.

for all of Bruce lees martial prowess he never fought anybody any good.

so although you can say Bruce lee was the best ever. There is no evidence to suggest he would have dominated the professional circuit.

but considering we can all be our own source if you said it. It is evidence i guess.

Good god, learn to recognise context… and not take your lack of ability to grasp an argument across multiple threads just to have another snide dig, kay?

To the topic, yeah… Photon Guy, learn to differentiate between urban legend and reality… Bruce was good (personally, I'm less impressed by him than others, when it comes to his approach to martial arts, but that's a personal thing), but that's it. His publicity and personality counted for more than his combative skills did… although, by all accounts his combative skills weren't lacking, they are just one part of the reason his legacy continues.

 

[Buka]

Orville and Wilbur's plane wouldn't last two seconds in todays Air Force.

There's urban legend, and there's the backlash to urban legend. So many today discount Bruce Lee as "not all that" and they do it so damn easily. Having spent time with several well known Martial Artists who've trained with Bruce, he was real damn good as a Martial Artist.
At the very least, he was the first modern day child to cry out "The Emperor’s not wearing any clothes!" For that alone, I will always be thankful.

 

[Mephisto]

And just what was that reliable source?

Me some guy on the Internet, trust me!

Bruce had some skills, people say he could fight, we don't really have any proof though as mentioned. He also had charisma and parlor tricks. Take the one inch punch, in every video his "uke" stands straight up feet parallel and in the same plane, perpendicular to Bruce, not anything like a person would fight, this basic "at attention" stance makes the uke weak from and force applied from the front. It's not hard to send someone tumbling backwards when they stand this way. With some training and skill a one inch punch can be made to look more impressive than it actually is. Show me video of him doing it on someone in a different stance or better yet on a moving target and I'll be impressed. It's like tearing a phone book in half, looks impressive and takes some skill but it's easier than you'd expect.