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I’ve been watching footage of Bruce Lee training James Coburn and there’s a clear distinction between yesterday’s idea of combat compared to today. Bruce was teaching James all these high and spinning kicks, in which case, James performed them very poorly. In all honesty, James Coburn would have been better served developing simple low kicks and strikes.
Before the 90’s, the typical idea of fighting was two guys trading blows while standing. At this time, a general consensus was that grappling techniques were nonsense. Thus, a wave of TKD, karate and kung-fu schools emerged.
However, even Bruce Lee whose theories were in the right direction, struggled to find realism. He was too intent on the idea of “one hit knock outs†and high fancy kicks, etc. In one footage, Bruce teaches the backfist to James Coburn. Bruce moves in and James throws a backfist, then Bruce falls to the ground. In reality, a backfist would not stop an opponent, let alone send him to the ground.
Today, guys who used to rely on side kicks, high roundhouse kicks and spin kicks like Chuck Norris are now learning BJJ, Muay Thai tactics or NHB techniques.
Don’t get me wrong... High kicks and backfists have their place, but with less theorizing today and more simulation through combat training, one has a better understanding of “WHEN†such techniques can be used.
Don “the Dragon†Wilson was commenting during one of the UFC’s. He kept saying how someone should slip inside and throw body blows... The whole time, I’m wondering if he recalls that in Thailand, he got rocked by knees and elbows while throwing to the body. Guess not.
Before the 90’s, the typical idea of fighting was two guys trading blows while standing. At this time, a general consensus was that grappling techniques were nonsense. Thus, a wave of TKD, karate and kung-fu schools emerged.
However, even Bruce Lee whose theories were in the right direction, struggled to find realism. He was too intent on the idea of “one hit knock outs†and high fancy kicks, etc. In one footage, Bruce teaches the backfist to James Coburn. Bruce moves in and James throws a backfist, then Bruce falls to the ground. In reality, a backfist would not stop an opponent, let alone send him to the ground.
Today, guys who used to rely on side kicks, high roundhouse kicks and spin kicks like Chuck Norris are now learning BJJ, Muay Thai tactics or NHB techniques.
Don’t get me wrong... High kicks and backfists have their place, but with less theorizing today and more simulation through combat training, one has a better understanding of “WHEN†such techniques can be used.
Don “the Dragon†Wilson was commenting during one of the UFC’s. He kept saying how someone should slip inside and throw body blows... The whole time, I’m wondering if he recalls that in Thailand, he got rocked by knees and elbows while throwing to the body. Guess not.
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