Bruce Lee. Nostradamus of MMA. (long read)

[GnQuarterPoundr]

Had a little bit of a revelation while watching the Bruce Lee UFC MMA gameplay video. (awesome, btw) While I'm a fan of all of his films, i do believe that Game of Death was his personal movie/mission of explaining his art of Jeet Kun Do, translated "way of the intercepting fist."

Now think about what that means as it applies to martial arts. The ability to intercept, to interfere, to "fail" someone's attack with an attack of your own, or to be able to know your enemies movements to the point of pattern and strike accordingly. It's to be completely unpredictable and adaptable. Formless and shapeless, like water. (had to do it

The pagoda in the movie represents 5 different fighting styles, each with strengths and weaknesses. Some weaknesses are more visible then others, but every level involves Bruce Lee adapting to his enemies style to win. When he gets to the top floor, he encounters Kareem who represents a style of fighting that Bruce Lee always preached as the ultimate style of fighting, which is having no style at all. For Kareems height he should not be as fast as he is, but he is. His lankiness and reach also make him difficult to deal with, and his kicks remind me of fighting Dhalsim. He fights in a way that you could never expect based on his appearance.

So, during this video tribute to Lee I noticed current champions commenting on his greatness, including Jon Jones. Now I'm no Jones fan but I couldn't help but come to a certain conclusion about 2 things.

1. Bruce Lee predicted what would become the greatest fighter, represented by Kareem's "no style" of fighting.

2. That fighter is Jon Jones.

Jones is an enigma of a fighter with no "apparent" weakness. He fights like he's 7 feet tall, and moves jaguar fast. On top of that, Jones is one of few fighters who is never predictable, always a step ahead. His physicality represents the perfect hybrid of physical gifts and abilities as well as high level fighting ability and training. This is what Bruce Lee believed was the true ultimate fighter. Someone who always adapts, always changes, and always learns how to defeat his opponent. Now if the Bruce/Kareem fight in that movie was real, and Kareem wasn't blind, he would have killed Bruce Lee.

Just some of my personal thoughts. Others may feel different or nothing about it either way, but after a few glasses of wine the thought just formed.

Thanks for reading :icon_chee

 

[BlancaDiablo]

Bruce Lee had amazing speed. He knew then what we know today

 

[BLAGA DARU**]

Fascinating read. It is true that Jones is the GOAT, partly because he adapts to circumstance and uses his athletic gifts to exert his will upon his opponents.

 

[TmacRmac**]

Terrible thread tbh.

 

[trendnick]

thank you


__jbj fits

 

[Vektor]

in b4 bruce lee was an actor

 

[Ricki]

So you're comparing Jon Jones to Kareem because they are lanky, tall black men. And then your connection of the two based purely on looks was taken as something much more complex because of your intoxication, so you rambled and tried to make it sound less racist, but clearly you just think all black people look the same.
If you wanted to articulate your point more efficiently you should have smoked a joint.
(Btw I'm not claiming you're racist of course, or that wine is bad lmao. Just keeping the debate going, good read but no conclusion.)

 

[GnQuarterPoundr]

So you're comparing Jon Jones to Kareem because they are lanky, tall black men. And then your connection of the two based purely on looks was taken as something much more complex because of your intoxication, so you rambled and tried to make it sound less racist, but clearly you just think all black people look the same.
If you wanted to articulate your point more efficiently you should have smoked a joint.

They both happen to be tall and black, you're right. But it makes you the racist for pointing that out. If that's all you got out of it, maybe it's yourself that needs Sir Jeoffrey, not I:icon_chee

 

[justblaze717]

The guys on the different levels were cans, did they even land one shot on Bruce? What weakness were they supposed to be going after?

 

[RawDawgBob]

This is what you consider a "long read"????? Ever pick up a book?

 

[Jamoke]

Nice read, gotta agree. Kareem was weird as hell, super tall and lanky and looked to have no weakness, an A-level athlete. Till he got poked in the eyes by sunlight.

 

[AvengeAll]

Had a little bit of a revelation while watching the Bruce Lee UFC MMA gameplay video. (awesome, btw) While I'm a fan of all of his films, i do believe that Game of Death was his personal movie/mission of explaining his art of Jeet Kun Do, translated "way of the intercepting fist."

Now think about what that means as it applies to martial arts. The ability to intercept, to interfere, to "fail" someone's attack with an attack of your own, or to be able to know your enemies movements to the point of pattern and strike accordingly. It's to be completely unpredictable and adaptable. Formless and shapeless, like water. (had to do it

TS, the video below shows dozens and dozens of examples of opponents attacking and being intercepted in mid attack by counter attacks...

 

[D.R.H.]

Bruce Lee plagiarized Musashi. Not really because of nonexistent copyright laws and public domain and what not...but he still stole all his best ideas.

 

[Alexandergreat3]

Nice read, gotta agree. Kareem was weird as hell, super tall and lanky and looked to have no weakness, an A-level athlete. Till he got poked in the eyes by sunlight.

Good thoughts TS. Good post.

By the way, I just noticed Kareem did the hand-on-forehead move like Jones. Since Jones is a big Bruce Lee fans, there is a good chance he copied that move after watching and rewatching this film.

 

[MigitAs]

only time I saw jon jones "JAGUAR FAST" was when he broke brandon vera's orbital after the illegal upkick

 

[Senzo Tanaka]

The problem is MMA is now its own style. MMA went from having no style to MMA being a very specific style of being well rounded in all areas but master at none.

Bruce was right but I don't think he would like that there are "MMA" fighters these days. That's why people like Rousey and Machida will always come along every so often and go on huge winning streaks because fighters aren't prepared for people that are masters at one style.

 

[riitzni]

This is what you consider a "long read"????? Ever pick up a book?

How long have you been on this forum? Anything longer than a single paragraph is considered a long read by these troglodytes.

Interesting concept TS. While I don't think Jones is Wilt's character incarnate there are some funny coincidences between them and how Jones just happens to currently be the best fighter on the planet.

 

[Jamoke]

Just rewatched that fight and I never recalled that Bruce goes for an arm triangle and then gets swept cause of it.

 

[Alexandergreat3]

Nice read, gotta agree. Kareem was weird as hell, super tall and lanky and looked to have no weakness, an A-level athlete. Till he got poked in the eyes by sunlight.

 

[mmafan604]

Bruce Lee had 0 fighting record and was only an actor is the fact. Deal with it. More importantly, Lee did not have the balls to compete in real fight competition to prove his skills and that proved that Bruce Lee was fake. Any mid-tier woman mma fighter would school Lee.