How Good was Bruce Lee? (1 Viewer)

[EYLive]

If Bruce Lee could do this with stones, what do you think he would do to a puny Canadian like GSP?

 

[flapgreen]

If Bruce Lee could do this with stones, what do you think he would do to a puny Canadian like GSP?

Exactly

 

[The Z Machine]

How good was Bruce Lee?

A damn fine actor and bodybuilder. Much like Arnold.

 

[Irish]

he'd probably lose most of the time... only the guys who stand up at all times (when they have control) would lost to him...

there is a reason that NO ONE in the UFC even studies karate or kung fu for the UFC, because they are useless disciplines in the UFC...

But Bruce was possibly the pioneer in studying mixed-martial arts. I'm pretty sure if he lived long enough he would have learned all forms of fighting and possibely held his own in the modern UFC (w/ weight classes) due to his power and speed.He did bicep curls with 80 pound dumbbells for 80 reps straight to build endurance and power.

 

[Dreamer]

I think he would do better than Ron Van Clief did.

 

[Bob Wiley]

he'd probably lose most of the time... only the guys who stand up at all times (when they have control) would lost to him...

there is a reason that NO ONE in the UFC even studies karate or kung fu for the UFC, because they are useless disciplines in the UFC...

But Bruce was possibly the pioneer in studying mixed-martial arts. I'm pretty sure if he lived long enough he would have learned all forms of fighting and possibely held his own in the modern UFC (w/ weight classes) due to his power and speed.He did bicep curls with 80 pound dumbbells for 80 reps straight to build endurance and power.

That's no . My grandfather's best friend's wife's sister relayed this same story through a homeless guy that crashed one of my family reunions a couple years ago. Also, Bruce Lee regularly ate glass as a snack if he had a heavy lunch and didn't want to eat dinner. Plus he could fart fireballs that would singe your eyebrows from 30 feet away. Man, that guy was a bad mothereffer. Also, back in the day I would have Tekken tournaments in between classes in college and I never lost using the character that was based on him. Yup, true story.

 

[mr. id]

God,

I love Larry_Boy. Thank you for bringing him back to the FFA.

Faithfully Yours,

id

 

[B-Scott]

He could kill at least 3 MMA fighters before they could blink.

Would they come at him strategically -- i.e. all at once? Or one at a time like in the movies?

Thats a good one

 

[Tough As Nails]

Aren't you the one that follows MMA/UFC/Pride? Why don't you weigh in, or do you think this is beneath you?

I do follow MMA and I am a fan of Bruce Lee. I'm sure he would do well in his weight class if he chose to compete. However, some of the claims being made are nonsense.

It's beneath him. Bruce Lee vs. MMA fighter threads are always hysterical. People actually think that Bruce Lee would get into the ring with a trained MMA fighter and literally KILL him? Those sort of thoughts are just not worth responding to. To think that anybody...ANYBODY would get into the ring with a Fedor or a Chuck Liddell or a Georges St. Pierre, and destroy them just doesn't know much about fighting. These guys train hours on end to win these types of fights. Bruce Lee was very dedicated and extremely talented. If he was born in 1980 and had that same dedication to today's evolved world of Marital Arts competitions...he would probably do very well in his weight class. If he could find a competition where numchucks and throwing stars were legal and they fought in a maze of mirrors...he'd be the greatest of all-time.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Dude. He whooped Kareem. Case closed.

Dude he whooped CHUCK NORRIS!!!!!

Chuck Norris was the one who had Lee killed. Otherwise all those facts would belong to Bruce.

 

[matuski]

My dad could kick Bruce Lee's ###.

 

[Sheriff66]

Tat's My dad could kick Bruce Lee's ###.

 

[Sabertooth]

great thread..... I love the Levin comments. All true. Of course I could kill any one of these martial artists by using the modern art of click-pow.

 

[Bonfire]

i always find it hilarious when someone brings up how size doens't matter, or go as far to say that being smaller is an advantage because they are quicker.

yes, smaller guys win fights all the time. but, give me two individuals with equal skill levels and trainning, and i will take the 6'4 240 guy over the 5'8 160 guy every time. if you are significantly smaller than your opposition you are immediately at a large disadvantage, to think otherwise is ridiculous.

 

[Koya]

i always find it hilarious when someone brings up how size doens't matter, or go as far to say that being smaller is an advantage because they are quicker. yes, smaller guys win fights all the time. but, give me two individuals with equal skill levels and trainning, and i will take the 6'4 240 guy over the 5'8 160 guy every time. if you are significantly smaller than your opposition you are immediately at a large disadvantage, to think otherwise is ridiculous.

This is true. But physics plays a role in regard to quickness and size. When you have a 6'4 240 guy, it will be that much tougher for them to have and/or maintain the quickness of the smaller guy. 99% of the time Im going with the much larger guy... but if someone is skilled and quick enough to get debilitating strikes in without being harmed themselves, doesnt much matter that they are far smaller.That 1% might be a Bruce Lee.

 

[DCThunder]

Just curious, but what about the other Hong Kong actor/martial artists, like Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Are those guys real martial artists or just actors who have been taught some moves? I know Jackie Chan has become a cartoon, but didn't he do some real stuff back in Hong Kong before he came to America?

 

[Chase Stuart]

he'd probably lose most of the time... only the guys who stand up at all times (when they have control) would lost to him...there is a reason that NO ONE in the UFC even studies karate or kung fu for the UFC, because they are useless disciplines in the UFC...

But Bruce was possibly the pioneer in studying mixed-martial arts. I'm pretty sure if he lived long enough he would have learned all forms of fighting and possibely held his own in the modern UFC (w/ weight classes) due to his power and speed.He did bicep curls with 80 pound dumbbells for 80 reps straight to build endurance and power.

Sorry, I'm a big fan of Lee and I'm sure he would beat all these UFC guys, but at 80/80.

 

[moleculo]

A few thoughts:By the time the UFC and all this came to be, Bruce would be in his 50's. At least. Maybe one of his students would get involved...The fighting theories, styles, and philosophies have changed dramatically in the last 15 years because of these matches. From 500 B.C. to 1990 A.D., upright fighting was the main fighting style. Bruce was a student of all martial arts, not just wing chun. It would take a bit, but I think he would adapt pretty well. A main skill of wing chun is 'chi sao', which loosely translated means 'sticky arms'. The idea is: being able to either intercept a punch or put your hand(s) on your opponent and immediately know where all the extremities(arms/legs) are. My sifu would be able to put a blindfold on, and start chi sao with me. Someone would call out 'stop' and my sifu could touch, blindfolded, my elbows and my knees. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but trust me, its really hard to learn. That skill would help immensely with ground fighting, no?

this is the best thread of this post. IMO, ground fighting is all about understanding where your body is in relation to your opponents - not getting caught in some joint lock, etc. Give Lee 9 months to train, and learn what opponents would try to do, and he won't get caught in stupid stuff. Wanna go ground and pound? if you are punching him, you aren't controlling his arms. would you really want to give a guy like Lee unlimited kidney shots (albeit from a restricted range) while you try to pound his nose in. my money here would be on Lee.so - standing up, there should be a clear advantage to Lee vs anyone in UFC (can anyone dispute that?)on the ground, I'd say Lee would be even with the best in purely defensive terms.Based on that, you'd have to conclude that Lee would win most MMA fights, regardless of competition, within his weight class.

 

[Minotauro]

If you guys are so interested in stuff like this, why aren't many of you watching fights?

I guess it's because Bruce Lee is built up into this myth and legend and that is more interesting for you than reality - which is a fair enough reason. The problem is I see a lot of you underestimating some of the athletes competing today and overestimating "deadly techniques."

One thing I really like about Bruce Lee was his philosophy of not blindly following tradition, but finding out what really works. Like it or not, MMA is one of the best places to see that put into practice.

Bruce Lee was an amazing guy and devoted his life to fighting, but so do many of the Olympians, World Champs, NCAA Champs etc. that compete in MMA today.

 

[oddball]

A few thoughts:

By the time the UFC and all this came to be, Bruce would be in his 50's. At least. Maybe one of his students would get involved...

The fighting theories, styles, and philosophies have changed dramatically in the last 15 years because of these matches. From 500 B.C. to 1990 A.D., upright fighting was the main fighting style. Bruce was a student of all martial arts, not just wing chun. It would take a bit, but I think he would adapt pretty well. A main skill of wing chun is 'chi sao', which loosely translated means 'sticky arms'. The idea is: being able to either intercept a punch or put your hand(s) on your opponent and immediately know where all the extremities(arms/legs) are. My sifu would be able to put a blindfold on, and start chi sao with me. Someone would call out 'stop' and my sifu could touch, blindfolded, my elbows and my knees. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but trust me, its really hard to learn. That skill would help immensely with ground fighting, no?

this is the best thread of this post. IMO, ground fighting is all about understanding where your body is in relation to your opponents - not getting caught in some joint lock, etc. Give Lee 9 months to train, and learn what opponents would try to do, and he won't get caught in stupid stuff. Wanna go ground and pound? if you are punching him, you aren't controlling his arms. would you really want to give a guy like Lee unlimited kidney shots (albeit from a restricted range) while you try to pound his nose in. my money here would be on Lee.

so - standing up, there should be a clear advantage to Lee vs anyone in UFC (can anyone dispute that?)

on the ground, I'd say Lee would be even with the best in purely defensive terms.

Based on that, you'd have to conclude that Lee would win most MMA fights, regardless of competition, within his weight class.

I will dispute that. Personally I've never seen Lee fight. I'm not sure if any of us here have. Can he take a punch? Can he punch and kick without leaving himself vulnerable to a take down? Does he have knock-out power? I'm not denying that Lee was a very talented athlete but to assume that the skills he displayed in his MOVIES would translate well to the octagon is silly.

I think if you just grabbed Bruce and threw him into the octagon, he would get his butt kicked. The skills he possessed would not translate too well into the MMA of today. Given the skill set he had, and couple that with two or three years of ground fighting, I think he would be devastating.

 

[[icon]]

Interesting facts from the wikipedia article:

# Bruce Lee's striking speed from 3 feet away was five hundredths of a second.

# Bruce was able to break a 150lb bag with a sidekick. (Coburn[16])

# Bruce was able to hold a 125-pound barbell at arms length in front of him (with elbows locked) for 20 seconds.



.05 sec from 3ft? That's pretty much impossible to defend. Combine that with enough force to destroy a 150lb bag, or to swing a 300lb bag to the ceiling? Not saying he'd win vs anyone, but with that speed and power you're looking at some serious damage if he sees an opening to your chest or face.

 

[GStrot]

It is a sad day when larry_boy is the voice of reason in a thread.

I don't know what that sabbatical did to him but I miss the old, irrational larry.

 

[larry_boy_44]

if Bruce Lee's fighting styles are so great for MMA...

why does not one person in major MMA study what Bruce Lee studied???

MMA fighters use boxing, kick-boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and shoot wrestling ...

Lee seemed to have known some Judo (his assistant instrucer in Jun Fan Gung Fu was a "Judo practitioner")... his style also incorperated some elements of American boxing and Fencing (?) in it.... Lee later adopted what he called Jeet Kune Do, which he felt was "less restrictive"...

either way, Lee's fighting style was not a style used in MMA, and there is a reason it is not.... if it were truely as good as some of you claim it was, everyone in MMA would use it...

 

[Sabertooth]

he'd probably lose most of the time... only the guys who stand up at all times (when they have control) would lost to him...

there is a reason that NO ONE in the UFC even studies karate or kung fu for the UFC, because they are useless disciplines in the UFC...

But Bruce was possibly the pioneer in studying mixed-martial arts. I'm pretty sure if he lived long enough he would have learned all forms of fighting and possibely held his own in the modern UFC (w/ weight classes) due to his power and speed.He did bicep curls with 80 pound dumbbells for 80 reps straight to build endurance and power.

Sorry, I'm a big fan of Lee and I'm sure he would beat all these UFC guys, but at 80/80.

No, no he couldn't.

Yes, yes he could. ALL of them.

 

[Dreamer]

I think he would do better than Ron Van Clief did.

That was a joke.

This thread is ridiculous every time we do it. It's a different world out there now and instead of having to wonder how different styles match up in a fight, we now know.

 

[B-Scott]

A few thoughts:

By the time the UFC and all this came to be, Bruce would be in his 50's. At least. Maybe one of his students would get involved...

The fighting theories, styles, and philosophies have changed dramatically in the last 15 years because of these matches. From 500 B.C. to 1990 A.D., upright fighting was the main fighting style. Bruce was a student of all martial arts, not just wing chun. It would take a bit, but I think he would adapt pretty well. A main skill of wing chun is 'chi sao', which loosely translated means 'sticky arms'. The idea is: being able to either intercept a punch or put your hand(s) on your opponent and immediately know where all the extremities(arms/legs) are. My sifu would be able to put a blindfold on, and start chi sao with me. Someone would call out 'stop' and my sifu could touch, blindfolded, my elbows and my knees. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but trust me, its really hard to learn. That skill would help immensely with ground fighting, no?

this is the best thread of this post. IMO, ground fighting is all about understanding where your body is in relation to your opponents - not getting caught in some joint lock, etc. Give Lee 9 months to train, and learn what opponents would try to do, and he won't get caught in stupid stuff. Wanna go ground and pound? if you are punching him, you aren't controlling his arms. would you really want to give a guy like Lee unlimited kidney shots (albeit from a restricted range) while you try to pound his nose in. my money here would be on Lee.

so - standing up, there should be a clear advantage to Lee vs anyone in UFC (can anyone dispute that?)

on the ground, I'd say Lee would be even with the best in purely defensive terms.

Based on that, you'd have to conclude that Lee would win most MMA fights, regardless of competition, within his weight class.

I will dispute that. Personally I've never seen Lee fight. I'm not sure if any of us here have. Can he take a punch? Can he punch and kick without leaving himself vulnerable to a take down? Does he have knock-out power? I'm not denying that Lee was a very talented athlete but to assume that the skills he displayed in his MOVIES would translate well to the octagon is silly.

I think if you just grabbed Bruce and threw him into the octagon, he would get his butt kicked. The skills he possessed would not translate too well into the MMA of today. Given the skill set he had, and couple that with two or three years of ground fighting, I think he would be devastating.

So the skills Bruce Lee possessed before he died in 1973 would not have been good enough to compete in the MMA . He would have to learn ground fighting before stepping in with these guys.If he can't knock these guy's out with 1 shot,i could see Bruce in big trouble. He was only 135 pounds.

 

[larry_boy_44]

Bruce Lee wouldn't just have to learn ground fighting. He'd have to learn boxing, kick-boxing (granted they would be easy to pick up, but whatever), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and judo skills...

 

[Crimson Hawk]

It helps you keep the guy from getting on top of you. Lee could hit one of these guys 3 or 4 times (And kill them) and still move away before they got a hold on him.

Now, you may be right that his style wouldn't work in the UFC. I think they'd probably get better ratings if they allowed killing, but I can understand the legal/moral problems with that.

On the one hand I want to hear what rule "killing" is against and how exactly it would occur. On the other, I'm embarrassed about some of the serious responses in 2007 to this fishing trip.

Philosophically, Bruce Lee was waaay ahead of his time in 1970. Check out "Enter the Dragon" I believe he uses a Triangle Choke at the beginning (very few in the US knew what it was in 1990). He was knowledgeable about the effectiveness of ground fighting even then. He studied boxing as well.I think he was very dangerous as a fighter in 1970. I agree that if he had been born 40 years later and had the same dedication to MA he would have been equally as dangerous in MMA.

 

[belljr]

Used to be a HUGE Bruce Lee fan. Ready a couple books saw the biography movies, etc. Even had a poster as a kid . Still looking for the box set of movies to come down in price.

Anyway, since he pretty much developed his own Martial Arts - Jeet Kune Do which was a mix of styles and disciplines I think he could hold his own.

If I recall correctly someone saw him fighting and thought he would make a great movie character and that's how he started doing films.

Not that guys like Segal, and Van Damme were not fighters at one point but I agree they were too "Hollywood".

I'm sure even with some of the rules now Lee would be a very dangerous competitior

 

[Minotauro]

if Bruce Lee's fighting styles are so great for MMA...

why does not one person in major MMA study what Bruce Lee studied???

MMA fighters use boxing, kick-boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and shoot wrestling ...

Lee seemed to have known some Judo (his assistant instrucer in Jun Fan Gung Fu was a "Judo practitioner")... his style also incorperated some elements of American boxing and Fencing (?) in it.... Lee later adopted what he called Jeet Kune Do, which he felt was "less restrictive"...

either way, Lee's fighting style was not a style used in MMA, and there is a reason it is not.... if it were truely as good as some of you claim it was, everyone in MMA would use it...

I know you mean well, but please stop. Bruce Lee did study boxing and wrestling, etc. That is one of the things that made him unique for his time - he did not restrict himself to one style. Jeet Kune Do is not a style - it is more of a philosophy of throwing out that which does not work. In that respect he was a pioneer for what MMA is doing today.

 

[Natty Dreadlock]

You're talking how would he do in sport fighting or how he would do in a street fight against someone from the UFC? Two totally different things

 

[Crimson Hawk]

if Bruce Lee's fighting styles are so great for MMA...

why does not one person in major MMA study what Bruce Lee studied???

MMA fighters use boxing, kick-boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and shoot wrestling ...

Lee seemed to have known some Judo (his assistant instrucer in Jun Fan Gung Fu was a "Judo practitioner")... his style also incorperated some elements of American boxing and Fencing (?) in it.... Lee later adopted what he called Jeet Kune Do, which he felt was "less restrictive"...

either way, Lee's fighting style was not a style used in MMA, and there is a reason it is not.... if it were truely as good as some of you claim it was, everyone in MMA would use it...

I know you mean well, but please stop. Bruce Lee did study boxing and wrestling, etc. That is one of the things that made him unique for his time - he did not restrict himself to one style. Jeet Kune Do is not a style - it is more of a philosophy of throwing out that which does not work. In that respect he was a pioneer for what MMA is doing today.

 

[moleculo]

the general attitude about Lee is that his techniques were too limited with regards to the MMA. I think this is completely against everything Lee stood for.

Per Wiki:

Jeet Kune Do - the fighting system Lee developed:

The Principles

I. Be like water

Lee believed that martial systems should be as flexible as possible. He often used water as an analogy for describing why flexibility is a desired trait in martial arts. Water is infinitely flexible. It can be seen through, and yet at other times it can obscure things from sight. It can split and go around things, rejoining on the other side, or it can crash through things. It can erode the hardest rocks by gently lapping away at them or it can flow past the tiniest pebble. Lee believed that a martial system should have these attributes. JKD students reject traditional systems of training, fighting styles and the Confucian pedagogy used in traditional kung fu schools because of this lack of flexibility. JKD is claimed to be a dynamic concept that is forever changing, thus being extremely flexible. "Absorb what is useful; Disregard that which is useless" is an often quoted Bruce Lee maxim. JKD students are encouraged to study every form of combat possible. This is believed to expand one's knowledge of other fighting systems; to both add to one's arsenal as well as to know how to defend against such tactics.

II. Economy of motion

JKD students are told to waste no time or movement. When it comes to combat JKD practitioners believe the simplest things work best.

A. Stop hits & stop kicks

This means intercepting an opponent's attack with an attack of your own instead of a simple block. JKD practitioners believe that this is the most difficult defensive skill to develop. This strategy can be a feature of some traditional Chinese martial arts.

B. Simultaneous parrying & punching

When confronting an incoming attack; the attack is parried or deflected and a counter attack is delivered at the same time. Not as advanced as a stop hit but more effective than blocking and counter attacking in sequence. This is also practiced by some Chinese martial arts.

C. No high kicks

JKD practitioners believe they should target their kicks to their opponent's shins, knees, thighs, and mid section. These targets are the closest to the foot, provide more stability and are more difficult to defend against. However, as with all other JKD principles nothing is "written in stone". If a target of opportunity presents itself; even a target above the waist one could take advantage of the situation without feeling hampered by this principle.

III. Learn the 4 ranges of combat

Kicking

Punching

Trapping

Grappling

Jeet Kune Do students train in each of these ranges equally. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges. Bruce Lee's theories have been especially influential and substantiated in the field of Mixed Martial Arts, as the MMA Phases of Combat are essentially the same concept as the JKD combat ranges.

IV. Five Ways Of Attack[3]

A. Single Angular Attack (SAA) and its converse Single Direct Attack (SDA).

B. Hand Immobilization Attack (HIA) and its counterpart Foot Immobilization attack, which make use of “trapping” to limit the opponent to function with that appendage.

C. Progressive Indirect Attack (PIA). Attacking one part of the opponent's body followed by attacking another part as a means of creating an opening.

D. Attack By Combinations (ABC). This is using multiple rapid attacks as a means of using volume of attack to overcoming the opponent.

E. Attack By Drawing (ABD). This is creating an opening with positioning as a means of counter attacking.

V. Three Parts of JKD

Jeet Kune Do practitioners believe that techniques should contain the following properties:

Efficiency - An attack that reaches its mark

Directness - Doing what comes naturally in a learned way.

Simplicity - Thinking in an uncomplicated manner; without ornamentation.

VI. Centerline

The center line refers to an imaginary line running down the center of ones body. The theory is to exploit, control and dominate your opponent's centerline. All attacks, defenses and footwork are designed to preserve your own center line and open your opponent's. Lee imported this theory into Jeet Kune Do from Wing Chun. This notion is closely related to maintaining control of the center squares in the strategic game Chess.

The three guidelines for centerline are:

The one who controls the center line will control the fight.

Protect and maintain your own centerline while you control and exploit your opponent's.

Control the center line by occupying it.

To Larryboy's point about no other UFC fighters training in Lee's style:

The notion of cross-training in Jeet Kune Do is similar to the practice of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in modern times -- Bruce Lee has been considered by UFC president Dana White as the "father of mixed martial arts". Many consider Jeet Kune Do to be the precursor of MMA. This is particularly the case with respect to the JKD "Combat Ranges". A JKD student is expected to learn various combat systems within each combat range, and thus to be effective in all of them, just as in MMA.

from the same wiki page.

 

[larry_boy_44]

if Bruce Lee's fighting styles are so great for MMA...

why does not one person in major MMA study what Bruce Lee studied???

MMA fighters use boxing, kick-boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and shoot wrestling ...

Lee seemed to have known some Judo (his assistant instrucer in Jun Fan Gung Fu was a "Judo practitioner")... his style also incorperated some elements of American boxing and Fencing (?) in it.... Lee later adopted what he called Jeet Kune Do, which he felt was "less restrictive"...

either way, Lee's fighting style was not a style used in MMA, and there is a reason it is not.... if it were truely as good as some of you claim it was, everyone in MMA would use it...

I know you mean well, but please stop. Bruce Lee did study boxing and wrestling, etc. That is one of the things that made him unique for his time - he did not restrict himself to one style. Jeet Kune Do is not a style - it is more of a philosophy of throwing out that which does not work. In that respect he was a pioneer for what MMA is doing today.

even if he did study some boxing and wrestling, I really doubt either was world class, and world class boxers and wrestlers get destroyed in MMA fights if that is all they know... and karate/kung fu/etc. is USELESS in MMA fights...So Bruce Lee has some wrestling and boxing knowledge and a ton of useless knowledge...

Unless you tell me he was a world class boxer or wrestler or he studied jiu-jitsu extensively, he'll lose in MMA fights against anyone in Pride or UFC (with maybe a few exceptions)

 

[Statorama]

Bruce Lee wouldn't stand a chance in the Octagon. I think his legend has been way overblown. The guy was a dance champion in China, but their are no records of him winning any martial arts tournaments. He got in a real fight with a teenager in one of his movies and won. Most martial artists believe that his fight with Wong Jack Man did not go the way it was portrayed in the movies. I think there is a bit to much Bruce Lee koolaid being drunk.

Agreed. Not saying the dude wasn't good, but come on.And all this talk about him and Chuck Norris...well, let's just say Chuck has had the last laugh, hasn't he?

 

[Crimson Hawk]

if Bruce Lee's fighting styles are so great for MMA...

why does not one person in major MMA study what Bruce Lee studied???

MMA fighters use boxing, kick-boxing, Muay Thai, freestyle/Greco-Roman wrestling, sambo, judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and shoot wrestling ...

Lee seemed to have known some Judo (his assistant instrucer in Jun Fan Gung Fu was a "Judo practitioner")... his style also incorperated some elements of American boxing and Fencing (?) in it.... Lee later adopted what he called Jeet Kune Do, which he felt was "less restrictive"...

either way, Lee's fighting style was not a style used in MMA, and there is a reason it is not.... if it were truely as good as some of you claim it was, everyone in MMA would use it...

I know you mean well, but please stop. Bruce Lee did study boxing and wrestling, etc. That is one of the things that made him unique for his time - he did not restrict himself to one style. Jeet Kune Do is not a style - it is more of a philosophy of throwing out that which does not work. In that respect he was a pioneer for what MMA is doing today.

even if he did study some boxing and wrestling, I really doubt either was world class, and world class boxers and wrestlers get destroyed in MMA fights if that is all they know... and karate/kung fu/etc. is USELESS in MMA fights...So Bruce Lee has some wrestling and boxing knowledge and a ton of useless knowledge...

Unless you tell me he was a world class boxer or wrestler or he studied jiu-jitsu extensively, he'll lose in MMA fights against anyone in Pride or UFC (with maybe a few exceptions)

World class ju jitsu guys get destroyed in MMA all the time.I would have matched BL up against anyone of his era. I think he could have held his own.

 

[Minotauro]

Why do I get the feeling furley is pulling a lot of strings in this thread and sitting back and laughing?

 

[Statorama]

I think the better question to ask is how long an average FBG would last in a UFC fight.

 

[belljr]

I have found 2 fighters so far that listed Jeet Kune Do as their discipline.

A discipline that Bruce Lee invented. That has to count for something.

Fighters In UFC 5

Event Date Apr. 7, 1995

Medina, Todd

(Jeet Kune Do)

 

[larry_boy_44]

ok, so now we have the age-old question from every other sport...

examples:

how would Babe Ruth do against Roger Clemens...

Barry Bonds against Cy Young...

Shaq vs. Kareem

Unitas in the 90s, Manning in the 50s...

etc., etc., etc...

as he was, he'd probably get killed... (read: time-warp him and throw him in the octagon)

if he was born in 1980 and studied like he did in todays world, he'd probably be a pioneer of MMA and have dominated MMA feds for hte last 10 years...

 

[Statorama]

Why do I get the feeling furley is pulling a lot of strings in this thread and sitting back and laughing?

Was he the guy that started the "who would win, a team of 40+ year old NFL vets or the 2006 OSU Buckeyes?"

 

[B-Scott]

Bruce Lee wouldn't just have to learn ground fighting. He'd have to learn boxing, kick-boxing (granted they would be easy to pick up, but whatever), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and judo skills...

Even if he did master all of the above,wouldn't he still have to fight guys that are in his weight class. He wouldn't be able to handle guys that are 6-2 240 pounds with similair skills.

 

[Natty Dreadlock]

Bruce Lee wouldn't just have to learn ground fighting. He'd have to learn boxing, kick-boxing (granted they would be easy to pick up, but whatever), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and judo skills...

Boxing and Kick-boxing are "easy to pick up"? Larry you sound like a guy who hasn't done any of these things. Mastering Boxing is as difficult as mastering any martial art. Sure, learning the 5 basic punches might be easy, but so is learning a basic top or side mount or an arm bar - mastering is something else entirely and boxing is no"easier" than anything else in this regard.

 

[larry_boy_44]

I have found 2 fighters so far that listed Jeet Kune Do as their discipline.A discipline that Bruce Lee invented. That has to count for something.Fighters In UFC 5Event Date Apr. 7, 1995 Medina, Todd(Jeet Kune Do)

there were guys who just studied karate in the first UFCs... in fact there were guys who were sumo wrestlers in the first ones...start in like 2000 or so and move forward, the beginning of the UFC means little... that or tell me this guy beat guys like Shamrock or Gracie...

 

[Minotauro]

I have found 2 fighters so far that listed Jeet Kune Do as their discipline.

A discipline that Bruce Lee invented. That has to count for something.

If you are interested in current incarnations of JKD, check out Straightblast Gym and the concept of 'Aliveness' from Matt Thornton

 

[larry_boy_44]

Bruce Lee wouldn't just have to learn ground fighting. He'd have to learn boxing, kick-boxing (granted they would be easy to pick up, but whatever), wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and judo skills...

Boxing and Kick-boxing are "easy to pick up"? Larry you sound like a guy who hasn't done any of these things. Mastering Boxing is as difficult as mastering any martial art. Sure, learning the 5 basic punches might be easy, but so is learning a basic top or side mount or an arm bar - mastering is something else entirely and boxing is no"easier" than anything else in this regard.

I didn't mean easy for me or you or a normal guy...I meant relatively easy for a guy with years of martial arts experience and some boxing skills like Lee had...and isn't kick-boxing really, really, really similar to boxing???But, to clarify, I meant EASY FOR BRUCE LEE TO PICK UP GIVEN PRIOR TRAINING AND SKILLS not easy for a normal guy to pick up...

 

[Natty Dreadlock]

Most of the claims surrounding Bruce are unfounded. He was a great icon but not much else. His true strength was his acting. Mike Tyson would crush him.

What do you base this on? I'd be more inclined to listen to accomplished practitioners like Dan Inosanto who trained with Bruce Lee and say that he was very, very good.

 

[belljr]

Here is a list of what Jeet Kune Do "contains".

I think too many people are writing it off as just a "martial art"

un Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do, From Bruce Lee's Research Includes:

* 1) Wing Chun

* 2) Northern Praying Mantis

* 3) Southern Praying Mantis

* 4) Choy Li Fut

* 5) Tai-Chi Chuan (Wu family style )

* 6) Paqua

* 7) Hsing-l

* 8) Bak Hoo Pai (white crane ) Bak -Fu Pai (white tiger )

* 9) eagle claw

* 10) Ng Ga Kuen ( five family system )

* 11) Ny Ying Ga (five animal system )

* 12) Bak mei pai (white eyebrow )

* 13) Northern Shaolin

* 14) Southern Shaolin

* 15) Bok Pai

* 16) Law Horn Kuen

* 17) Chin Na

* 18) Monkey style

* 19) Drunken style

* 20) western fencing (foil )

* 21) western boxing

* 22) western wrestling

* 23) Ju Jitsu

* 24) Escrima

* 25) Sikaran

* 26) Muay Thai ( Thai boxing )

Not saying Bruce Lee would just rule UFC or anything but I wouldn't write him off either

 

[Natty Dreadlock]

Most of the claims surrounding Bruce are unfounded. He was a great icon but not much else. His true strength was his acting. Mike Tyson would crush him.

What do you base this on? I'd be more inclined to listen to accomplished practitioners like Dan Inosanto who trained with Bruce Lee and say that he was very, very good.

Go easy Tosh...Most people who aren't blinded by Lee's celebrity will agree with my statement.

Leaving aside, the abiguity of "most people". What people specifically? More importantly, what people that actually trained with Bruce Lee?

 

[larry_boy_44]

Here is a list of what Jeet Kune Do contains.I think too many people are writing it off as just a "martial art"un Fan Gung Fu / Jeet Kune Do, From Bruce Lee's Research Includes:* 1) Wing Chun* 2) Northern Praying Mantis* 3) Southern Praying Mantis* 4) Choy Li Fut* 5) Tai-Chi Chuan (Wu family style )* 6) Paqua* 7) Hsing-l* 8) Bak Hoo Pai (white crane ) Bak -Fu Pai (white tiger )* 9) eagle claw* 10) Ng Ga Kuen ( five family system )* 11) Ny Ying Ga (five animal system )* 12) Bak mei pai (white eyebrow )* 13) Northern Shaolin* 14) Southern Shaolin* 15) Bok Pai* 16) Law Horn Kuen* 17) Chin Na* 18) Monkey style* 19) Drunken style* 20) western fencing (foil )* 21) western boxing* 22) western wrestling* 23) Ju Jitsu* 24) Escrima* 25) Sikaran* 26) Muay Thai ( Thai boxing )

the only ones really used in MMA now are 21, 22, 23, & 26... how important were they to his system? That is the question that is important to this discussion... if they were minor, his system is of very little use as it was, if they were important parts, then it is probably a very useful system...