Would Bruce still be on the cutting edge

[Blendid]

Was wondering to myself would Bruce still be on the cutting edge of Martial Arts if he were still alive today, after all when he first introduced us to what is more commonly called M.M.A, today it was not well received however today over forty years later nearly every school in the world is combining its arts in one way or another to keep up with what has become the current trend in the industry. What are your thoughts?

Blendid

World Class Martial Arts Academy: Home Page

[john55]

Originally Posted by Blendid

Was wondering to myself would Bruce still be on the cutting edge of Martial Arts if he were still alive today, after all when he first introduced us to what is more commonly called M.M.A, today it was not well received however today over forty years later nearly every school in the world is combining its arts in one way or another to keep up with what has become the current trend in the industry. What are your thoughts?

Blendid

World Class Martial Arts Academy: Home Page

I dont think its about being on the cutting edge as it is about respect. He is and would be looked at like the gracies.

[daddydiboy]

He would have been on par with the status and respects we have with Jacky Chan and Jet Li at the moment I think.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by daddydiboy

He would have been on par with the status and respects we have with Jacky Chan and Jet Li at the moment I think.

Way more in my opinion. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are just actors, with the exception of Jet Li being an exceptional Kung Fu practitioner. Where as Bruce Lee made this whole 'cross training' idea popular. He was not the first to think about it (Edward William Barton-Wright, and probably even some before him) but he was the first to popularize it so he is probably seen as a revolutionary of martial arts. And Bruce Lee believed in the constantly expanding his arsenal, so since BJJ had a rise in fame in the last decade, he probably would have dabbled in that. All in all, he is still a legend today, and most likely would have increased his popularity.

[TRIANGLEFROMGAURD]

It would have been interesting. However he didn't come up with the idea of MMA.

[TeamHBJJ]

Originally Posted by daddydiboy

He would have been on par with the status and respects we have with Jacky Chan and Jet Li at the moment I think.

I agree with this...

[kenny decker jr.]

bruce lee was god, and he still would be if he were alive today. Just my opinion.

[complete]

He was the one of the first ones to not accept the limitations of one style, and cross trained to become a better fighter. I think he would've adapted to whatever the fighting style his opponents would bring and done ok. I'm not saying Jeet Kune Do is the best style, I'm saying he would have adapted Jeet Kune Do to be whatever the style it is to be effective.

[WC_Lun]

Being adaptive, efficient, and effective were what he taught. Given that he definitley had the physical skills I can't see how he would not still be thought of with great respect, similar to people like the Gracies, Gene Labell, etc

[Them's Fighting Words]

Originally Posted by kenny decker jr.

bruce lee was god, and he still would be if he were alive today. Just my opinion.

Wow, I like Bruce Lee but not that much. Explains the giant golden Bruce Lee statue outside your house. Just joking with you mate, each to his own aye.
The guy was great and utilised philosophies and training regimes that were cutting edge for his time. If he was still around today, no doubt he would have continued adapting. Big question is wether he would have continued on as a movie star or refocused more fully on actual martial arts training.

[TenTigers]

Bruce Lee was never satisfied with himself, neither as a Martial Artist, or an actor. He constantly sought "A Higher Mountain," striving ever to improve himself and his abilities. Given that, he would continually seek to study, research, train and improve his art. Who knows where he would've taken it, but you can bet it would be constantly evolving and growing.

[souldrum71]

Of course Bruce Lee would still be on the cutting edge. He may not have come up with the term MMA, but that's exactly what he was doing during his career - mixing martial arts styles to make his fighting technique more effective. I'm sure he'd still be involved in film (probably directing, choreagraphing, and producing), but he'd also probably be helping to train MMA fighters and kickboxers.

By the way, he would certainly have studied and trained in BJJ long before the UFC came along because Dan Insonato, one of Lee's greatest students, was training in BJJ back in the early 1980s. He commented on that fact in the extra features of the DVD for Red Belt. Insonato played the jiu jitsu master referred to as "the old man" in the movie.

[ladyfighter]

I absolutely believe Bruce would have been familiar with BJJ long before it was popularized! He was and would still be VERY interested in up and coming arts. Matter of fact.. if he were alive today... HE would have played the "old man" in the Red Belt movie.. and probably directed it and choreagraphed it!! lol

Now, do I think he'd personally be training MMA fighters.. No.. but I'm absolutely certain that a current black belt of his would and he would do it under a "Bruce Lee" Academy.

[TenTigers]

Two things-remember that what he advocated was what he belived. It was his life philosophy. Therefore, how could anyone think otherwise?
Also-remember that he had already been adding wrestling and ground fighting-ne-waza into his art. You saw it as early as Chinese Connection, and Enter the Dragon. It was already in his notes. He exchanged with Gene LaBell, he was ALREADY doing it in the SEVENTIES. Of course he would have evolved and grown. It was what he lived by. And knowing how he did things and how obsessed he was, he would've most likely trained with the Gracies and then surpassed them. Remember, the Gracies simply took a fraction of what already existed in Ne-Waza. Their real contribution to the game was GnP, and the guard.(armbars, chokkes, locks and submissions have been around for centuries) Something which most (experienced)streetfighters all do to some degree. They simply found something that worked and developed and refined it so they can make it work, all the time.
"Fear ot the person who claims he knows a thousand techniques, rather fear the man who knows ONE technioque and practiced it a thousand times"

[flashlock]

I beleive Lee would be very critical of the current status of "MMA".

Advocates of boxing are right when they point out the gap in technique between boxing and MMA. MMA right now is still a bit of a mess. The striking is LIGHT YEARS behind boxing and what Lee did.

Isn't there a predictible aspect to it all? You can almost see the fighters thinking, "OK, throw Muy Thai kick... OK, now I do ground and pound... uh-oh, how do I get out of this mount... how much time is left...?"

Most of the fighters don't FLOW ("Be like water...")

I believe Lee would dismiss current MMA as yet another closed style, basically mixing two styles: Muy Thai and BJJ. This is not what he advocated; Jeet Kune Do was not a style, but a method of stripping things away, getting to the essential, using what works and discarding what doesn't.

He was a huge advocate of timing--and most of the UFC fighters I see look like crap striking. They just stand toe to toe throwing jabs and haymakers. Lee would take those guys apart.