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Full contact karate and kickboxing did exist b4 Bruce's death, ask Joe Lewis who worked with Bruce. Boxing existed and Bruce was a big fan. Judo and wrestling existed too. Yet he didnt compete in any of these sports. Curious.
The Gracies were b4 Bruce not after, they were just in Brazil, so was Luta Vivre.
Reply with the video if you want, im not fishing for it. I hope it is worth it.
..... and Bruce Lee was doing martial arts before then, as well, but we're talking about bringing the arts out of local obscurity and into the mainstream, and, particularly, into the USA, since that's pretty much the topic of this thread.
None of the Gracies even visited the USA until 1969, when Rorion kind of went around, saw some stuff, and then went back home. He returned and started spreading the word on his art in 1978. So, no, not before Lee, in terms of impact on what is known as MMA today.
If you are talking anything related to modern MMA or combat sports competition, the Gracies
Kickboxing did exist before his death, in a very fractured, sparse way, in the USA, you are right - didn't exist when that video was filmed, did not exist when Lee started spreading his teaching, and was just starting in the early 1970s.
My incorrect reference was about the first major mainstream sanctioned event, when the PKA held their first World Championships, in 1974.
I already posted the video, on page 15 of this thread, AS I SAID IN THE COMMENT YOU REPLIED TO. That's only "fishing for it" if you have brain damage. Click on the #15 at the bottom of the screen.