Why does everyone worship Bruce so much? Why do people think that everything he did was the manifestation of perfection in the martial arts?
Physically: I mean, seriously. He wasn’t that strong, there are people faster than him. His bodyfat levels were unhealthily low.
Mentally: He wasn’t a very nice person… I’ve heard he was sparring with a student who got a shot in, and Bruce got so pissed that he broke the students nose. He cheated on his wife. He was a druggie. Hey, there’s someone I want to emulate.
Was he a pioneer of martial arts? Yes. Was he innovative and influential in his training techniques? Definately. Could he kick my arse? Most likely. Were his methods the best? Absolutely not.
Sorry, I’m already in a pissed off mood today, and I just read an “I wanna do what Bruce did” post on another board and it pissed me off even more.
I agree with you so damn much. I heard he was so damn full of himself that he had a gravestone put in front of his house that said “death to all traditional styles” or something like that. People say that he is undeafeatable, oh wait I forgot he is dead. I don’t think he will be beating anyone now.
I don’t mean to be disrespectful. He definitly could beat me if I was alive in the 60-70’s.But people need to let go. There are a lot of better martial artist in the world now.
He’s undefeatable? Who did he ever fight!?!
16 year old extras on the set of Enter the Dragon? come on,and some of you say the competition in the UFC is bad.
Nowadays, everybody thinks its ok to “create” their own art. This bothers me because it washes down traditionalism(is that a word)
Soon it will be almost impossible to learn stricly shaolin kung fu, or Chou Lay Fut or Wing CHun or whatever. It will be so diluted.
Bruce man- so many philosyhies, so little inner peace.
I totally loved the guy. However, I do think someone on this board earlier put it in perspective when they said that Bruce never really attained a high level of understanding in the traditional arts. I agree that he was physically awesome, but that is no grounds to dismiss the other aspects that could have taken his art to even higher levels.
There is no guarantee that he could perform like he did at that level when he was older if he had lived longer.
Look, I respect all great athletes. Brue was one of them. He could apply a lot of things quickly because he was talented. But he does not make wresting invalid, or boxing invalid because he was fast as lightning at kung fu. Nor does he invalidate thousands of years of tried and true experience and truth with traditional kung fu
holy shite, 12 replies already and they mostly all agree with me!
Yeah guys!
You know what else is bullshìt, those electronic things they sell in BlackBelt that have the little electrodes that you put on your abs or chest or whatever and it shocks you and they call it a work out. Their main sales pitch? “Bruce Lee used one every day. Shouldn’t you?”
A guy I worked with recently is James Coburn’s son. Bruce Lee was in my friend’s backyard everyday for years, training James Coburn. He personally witnessed Bruce moving a 200 lb heavybag with a kick. When YOU can do that, then playa hate all you want to. Give the man his props already.
As far as him not being a nice person, cheating on Linda, doing drugs, etc. all of that is conjecture. The only person who can substantiate all that died in 1973. Maybe Brandon could, but he’s gone too. Shannon would be too young to remember. So outside of Linda Lee, all that’s available on his lifestyle is people either making up lies to boost themselves, or half truths, or people who want to **** on his grave in death.
Ralek - you continue to show your youth and ignorance. You weren’t even born when Bruce died, yet by watching his movies you can tell that a BJJ Blue Belt could have beaten him. :rolleyes: I don’t blame you, though. I’m sure most of us on this board (including me)thought we knew everything when we were your age, but most of that most of us knew enough to shut the fck up when we had no idea what we were talking about. That is what sets you apart from the rest of us. Oh, when I was your age, I was a junior at an Ivy Leage university and serving in the Marines - just thought I’d toot my own horn for a minute…
He did mention a lot about classical kung fu (“be like water, etc.”), but his first book(s) were on classical kung fu, and Jeet Kune Do borrowed liberally from kung fu. :eek:
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“I’ll be too busy lookin’ good!”
Bruce Lee was in my friend’s backyard everyday for years, training James Coburn. He personally witnessed Bruce moving a 200 lb heavybag with a kick. When YOU can do that, then playa hate all you want to. Give the man his props already.
Chill out, tough guy. Moving a 200lb heavybag doesn’t necessarily mean you are strong. It just means you are adept at the biomechanics of a kick. Is a kung fu master who can break a stack of 10 bricks with is palm strong if he can’t even bench 100 lbs? I don’t think so. Bruce Lee squatted with like 90 lbs on the barbell. Yes, I realize that’s not his max, but regardless of anything he most likely couldn’t max out at more than 180-200 (if even that. I once read that his 1RM was calculated to be about 135lbs) because you don’t get strong (muscular strength) without training heavy.
Like I said, Bruce didn’t suck by any stretch of the imagination, he just wasn’t the best by any stretch, either.
Iron
For the record, I’m sure there are plenty of Thai boxers who can move a 200lb bag with a kick, too.
Most people like (worship) Bruce Lee because he is a famous movie star.
Regardless of his Kung fu/ Jeet Kune do/ bla bla bla actual ability.
There are too many books by him, about him, etc etc, read one, absorb the knowledge appreciate what he was trying to say/do.. etc.
Who cares if he ate pot?
Or cheated on his wife?
Bruce Lee might have had some martial arts achievements, before, even after his injury, again who cares he is dead.
His major achievements had to do with the american consuming public. He was in some movies that did well, people liked the guy on the screen beating up Karate champions, teaching young people, throwing hand made darts, breakin mirrors, etc.
Ironfist: Why are you annoyed or whatever by peoples like or dislike of Bruce Lee for whatever reasons they like or dislike him?
If someone else absolutly worshiped Bruce Lee, why would you really give a damn, or anyone for that matter?
he arrived on the scene at the right time. If Jackie Chan or Jet Li or even Van Damme had been doing their stuff in the late sixties, early seventies, they would have become just as much of a martial arts legend as Bruce.
Let’s be real! Have you watched any old episodes of Star Trek or Batman or Mission Impossible? The fighting scenes sucked! Bruce was just the best that Hollywood had seen at the time.
So, yes, Bruce was ahead of his time, but..
by todays standards, Bruce would just be another wannabe kung fu movie star.
Ironfist 
