Whenever I have a discussion with someone about Bruce Lee vs modern mma fighters they act like Bruce can beat anyone in a fight to the death. They agree the mma fighters will win in the cage but in the street Bruce would win. Even in forums most people takes Lee’s side.
It really bugged me when someone was saying Bruce can beat Jon Jones. He can’t!!! No way in hell. I understand he pioneered martial arts in a way that makes him great and was a very popular movie star.
You can’t convince me that Bruce lee can beat GSP, Jon Jones or any other high level mma fighter. I understand that their is levels to this and Bruce isn’t a god. Why do people act like he is?
Bon2018-12-06T02:05:35Z
For the same reason that their attitudes bugs you - insecurity. You and they are actually cut from the same clothe. People who are insecure cannot stand the opinions of others that run contrary to their beliefs. It is one thing to disagree, but to have your sphincter twisted in a knot such that you need to ask others to validate YOUR beliefs is something else.
There is a lot of misinformation concerning Bruce Lee out there these days. He was great; there's no denying that, but was he the "end all, be all" of martial arts? Certainly not! He ruffled a lot of feathers with his philosophies with regard to the "elegant mess" he considered many traditional martial arts to be, but shortly before his death, he began to understand the rationale of many methods of martial arts. Early on, he took short-cuts, relying on his natural prowess and speed to compensate for lack of understanding of more complex concepts. His technique itself also wasn't as good as many others out there today, but here again, his natural prowess and speed more than made up for any shortcomings. Only toward the end of his life did he begin to understand what he previously criticized, and was just short of coming full circle when his life was tragically cut short.
These days, "Bruce Lee" is a brand, and that brand has to be protected to remain financially viable. How does it do this? Fabricated stories of Superman-style fights, video game tie-ins, and even misquoted statements to make them appear relevant for modern times.
As far as his contribution to the world of martial arts, it is huge. He began propagating the benefits of diet and cross-training (weights, running, all-around fitness) in conjunction with traditional training methods. The greatest impact, though, is that his films drew a wide western audience, popularizing martial arts in markets where it was previously unknown. And that alone is why so many people practice martial arts today.