Author: Bret Gordon
Recall the lynch mob and hear me out. Yes, Bruce Lee paved the way for more well-known pioneers to step out on their own and break the "traditional" mold. Yes, he gained international acclaim as a movie star. Yes, he brought a lot of attention to the martial arts. But that's about it.
When you look at Bruce Lee from a technical perspective, he wasn't that good of a martial artist. He was extremely fast, which made him an excellent fighter, but there's more to being a martial artist than that. He certainly doesn't deserve the title of "Greatest Martial Artist of All Time." His technique was sloppy. He was a very one dimensional fighter. His system of Jeet Kune Do offered very little innovation, was mainly a degraded form of Wing Chun and was designed specifically for him and his body type. As an instructor, we're supposed to impart the arts in a manner that's most beneficial for our students. Not us. Yet I will say this. His record as a fighter, competing against mainly traditional martial artists who were stuck in their ways, was phenomenal. He shocked the world, and like I said paved the way for people like me to step away from that classical mindset and create their own system. I cannot take any of that away from him, but we need to remove his divine pedestal and remember he was just an above average martial artist.
When you look at Bruce Lee from a technical perspective, he wasn't that good of a martial artist. He was extremely fast, which made him an excellent fighter, but there's more to being a martial artist than that. He certainly doesn't deserve the title of "Greatest Martial Artist of All Time." His technique was sloppy. He was a very one dimensional fighter. His system of Jeet Kune Do offered very little innovation, was mainly a degraded form of Wing Chun and was designed specifically for him and his body type. As an instructor, we're supposed to impart the arts in a manner that's most beneficial for our students. Not us. Yet I will say this. His record as a fighter, competing against mainly traditional martial artists who were stuck in their ways, was phenomenal. He shocked the world, and like I said paved the way for people like me to step away from that classical mindset and create their own system. I cannot take any of that away from him, but we need to remove his divine pedestal and remember he was just an above average martial artist.
As I said, he was an exceptional fighter. I'm sure in a tournament he could school me in under 10 seconds, because he was faster than I am. But when you call someone a "martial artist," there are certain criteria they must meet before carrying that honorable title.
In my mind, a martial artist is someone who studies the art of combat in it's entirety. Empty-handed fighting is only one aspect of the martial arts, and even empty-handed you must study both striking and joint manipulation, both stand-up fighting and grappling. You need to also study weaponry, both disarms for self defense and offensive use of weapons. You must embody the spirit of the warriors who have gone before us, and truly "walk the walk." When I think of someone worthy of the title of "Great Martial Artist of All Time," every single member of the Samurai class of feudal Japan outranks Bruce. They studied not just one or two disciplines but the entire bugei juhappan (18 arts of war).
Bruce Lee's system of Jeet Kune Do is entirely striking based, with a few basic joint locks and takedowns while incorporating some of the Wing Chun trapping. It was an accumulation of what worked for Bruce, which is perfectly fine but it's simply his personal fighting style, not a martial arts system.
So if you want to worship Bruce Lee, I guess there's nothing wrong with it. He did beat Chuck Norris after all. But please keep it in perspective. He was a great fighter. He was a pioneer. He was a prominent advocate and spokesperson for the martial arts. However, he was certainly not the "Greatest Martial Artist of All Time."
In my mind, a martial artist is someone who studies the art of combat in it's entirety. Empty-handed fighting is only one aspect of the martial arts, and even empty-handed you must study both striking and joint manipulation, both stand-up fighting and grappling. You need to also study weaponry, both disarms for self defense and offensive use of weapons. You must embody the spirit of the warriors who have gone before us, and truly "walk the walk." When I think of someone worthy of the title of "Great Martial Artist of All Time," every single member of the Samurai class of feudal Japan outranks Bruce. They studied not just one or two disciplines but the entire bugei juhappan (18 arts of war).
Bruce Lee's system of Jeet Kune Do is entirely striking based, with a few basic joint locks and takedowns while incorporating some of the Wing Chun trapping. It was an accumulation of what worked for Bruce, which is perfectly fine but it's simply his personal fighting style, not a martial arts system.
So if you want to worship Bruce Lee, I guess there's nothing wrong with it. He did beat Chuck Norris after all. But please keep it in perspective. He was a great fighter. He was a pioneer. He was a prominent advocate and spokesperson for the martial arts. However, he was certainly not the "Greatest Martial Artist of All Time."
