So, alot of talk has gone on about what a great martial artist Lee was. and I have to say he was a great instructor, motivational person with great ideas on the martial arts. But he was not the best fighter in the world. Lets face it he was never challeged in anyway we can watch and confirm to a fight!
He did not enter tournaments, from what I was told he did not "Spar" with people, he did drills and attacked them with set up drills only.

Now that he is dead we will never know if he is any good, and from the stories I have been told he did not fight, he taught others and even in some situations were a story exists about a fight it was not a fight!

My question is, why do we not just say he was a smart, good instructor that had great ideas to help the martial arts. whey do we have to keep saying he was a great fighter?

He did alot for martial arts in North America, for that we owe him alot, but I agree to call him a great fighter....not so much

this is a vid of him sparring one of his best students http://youtube.com/watch?v=NX3HxlZJNDQ

I like this video better because it shows what Bruce was the BEST at - http://youtube.com/watch?v=f1BeT45Ze70

I thought that the sparring was of very low intensity. I think we should remember Bruce Lee for what he really focused on - Martial Arts Movies.
The fact that he believed that Mixed Martial Arts was the way to go - is very inspirational - but his records on Martial Arts competitions remain obscure (I think he was an amateur boxer in his early years).

Even at the time that Bruce Lee was an instructor, there were fighters who had extremely good records in Vale Tudo (MMA) competition - such as Helio Gracie, and Rolls Gracie.

well there is no denying his speed and i've heard wicked rumors about his power. maybe he never fought anyone because "when you have the muscle you don't need to flex".

he trained with some of the best people in the world and read books like a mad man. I am not saying he was not a smart guy or even a decent instructor....but he was not a fighter, nor was he a boxer. The fact remains that Lee was not a fighter nor did he ever compete in any events. He demonstrated at several Karate tournaments and even had some great students compete...but he did not. I just finished readhing a book about him and they say as much. and that is John Little using Lees own notes.

he had to tools, but his reasons for not using them were probebly not "you dont need to flex" type stuff.

Lee was a genius with tones of tools, but for one thing he was also a buisiness man and movie star. Back then if he had lsot a fight he would not be worth as much money in the box office or as an instructor. that is the facts. and he topped out his weight at about 150 pounds at most. Norris weighed in at 210 lean, he would have killed lee with pure strength and power.

he competed in events dude he boxed man he said the most important thing in training was to SPAR! the bags and pads can't hit back
he whouldn't even say he was the best fighter

linda lee said the most he weighed was 140 he usally weighed 135 but for enter the dragon he weighed 127
i doubt norris whould have won bruce had more stamina and endurance

he founght some dude for teaching gung fu and wing chun and finished it in 3 minutes he thought he was slow so he started bbing and running more and eating healther dude have u read any bruce lee books?

Sorry dude he did not compete....name one that he boxed in...thats what I thought! He was not a fighter, he was by all means one of the most forward thinking martial artists of our time, but he did not compete!

I own them all, and have read them all. I trained with Kimura for a short stint in Washington. "dude" if you dont know by now...the story about the fight was greatly exagerated. the fight was long and no one was hurt. it was more of a shoving match and then the other side backed down when they knew he would not.

dont think I am trying to take away from Lee, I am not. I am simply saying that some people have to be realistic and view him as the genius that he was and not make him into something he was not. as much of a showman as I he was, he would not have wanted others to think him a god in an area he was working on. I have no doubt that he was fast, I have seen the tapes of him training myself. I have no doubt that he was a good martial arts instructor. but he remains fairly untested. Unlike the guys like Norris who were fighters and who did compete. Lee did not enter any boxing, kick boxing, Karate, Full contact bouts anywere at any time....but he was the Cha Cha champion of Hong Kong if that helps.

whatever to each his own

LOL

So, my showing information out of books and arguing that he was not a fighter is "what ever, to each his own" a response to? What ever is right. If you make grand statements and can not support them, or re-tell Kwoon stories that everyone knows is false and then get confrunted with them being false "what ever" is probably the best I can expect.

Remember I am not saying he was crap, false or not a real martial artist, I am just saying he was not a fighter!

I am saying he was a genius and should be recognized for what he was and not what he was not.

Sorry to offend you or knock your false Idol. Hey I love watching the 5 movies and his books were some of the most eye opening things I have ever purchased, He was one hell of a thinker and he was a great instructor as well. He should be looked upon as a inovator and a incredible person, just not a fighter.