Bruce and NHB?

[T-Rex]

Hi Sifu Richardson,

Just a quick question. How do you think Sigung Lee would Handle himself in NHB contests? As far as fighting the bigger opponents that he might have faced. Especially with all the Ground fighting thats going today.
Need some insight from a very knowledgable person.

[Burton]

Hi T-Rex,
This is, of course, a hypothetical question, and we must also acknowledge that Bruce Lee was more focused towards street battle than tournaments. That said, here is my point of view. A person with Lee's attributes and drive to excel would do very well in NHB with the right training. If he were to stick to what he was doing at the time of his death, the octogon would be a very hostile environment for him. But, being a driven fighter, he would surely find good coaches, adapt his training, and become one of the standouts. Dealing with larger opponents is another thing. Mark Kerr and Igor are difficult to deal with for a fighter of equal weight and strength. Without weight classes, anyone is going to have a long night fighting someone who is of comparable skill, but who weighs substantially more. These are merely my guesses from my point of view. Since it is a hypothetical situation, we will never know. Enjoy!

[T-Rex]

Thanks for the insight.

[shuyun]

Hi T-Rex,
This is, of course, a hypothetical question, and we must also acknowledge that Bruce Lee was more focused towards street battle than tournaments. That said, here is my point of view. A person with Lee's attributes and drive to excel would do very well in NHB with the right training. If he were to stick to what he was doing at the time of his death, the octogon would be a very hostile environment for him. But, being a driven fighter, he would surely find good coaches, adapt his training, and become one of the standouts. Dealing with larger opponents is another thing. Mark Kerr and Igor are difficult to deal with for a fighter of equal weight and strength. Without weight classes, anyone is going to have a long night fighting someone who is of comparable skill, but who weighs substantially more. These are merely my guesses from my point of view. Since it is a hypothetical situation, we will never know. Enjoy!

This is ASHTANGA's beef? There is nothing disrespectful about Sifu Lee here. I think he got hit in the movies to show just that. He took quite a lot of sucker punches as well to prove the point of the consequences of being caught off guard even as Hai Tien in the Game of death (no not the card board cut out Game of Death, the one in "Warrior's Journey").

Live lone and prosper.

[Vio]

Lee was a judo black belt he would be able to do okay on the ground I think.

[Vio]

Proof

[Burton]

Bruce Lee was truly great, far, far ahead of other martial artists of his time. But he was not a judo blackbelt, although he may have put on a uniform for photos. Also, judo people, while competent on the ground, are nowhere near as skilled as BJJ practitioners. Top judo people train with BJJ to enhance their ground games for NHB. Again, Lee would probably have stayed far ahead by training harder and smarter than other NHB people.

[Tee Sok]

Bruce Lee was truly great, far, far ahead of other martial artists of his time. But he was not a judo blackbelt, although he may have put on a uniform for photos. Also, judo people, while competent on the ground, are nowhere near as skilled as BJJ practitioners. Top judo people train with BJJ to enhance their ground games for NHB. Again, Lee would probably have stayed far ahead by training harder and smarter than other NHB people.

I agree, I still didn't hear of a martial artist training as hard and maniacally as Bruce Lee did, always improving himself or finding a better way for improving himself. And in my opinion, he is to be looked on as the one who started what today is called "mixed martial arts", and he proved to be superior to the best martial artists/competitors of his time, so I'm sure that he would have been at the top even in NHB tournaments. I said "would have" not only because he is not among us anymore, but because he said that for him martial arts were basically a form of art and self-defense, and therefore he wasn't interested in competing in tournaments.

[Burton]

Well-said.

[sihing]

I think the thing that really impressed me about Bruce with his work ethic and absolute determination to achieve his goals no matter what. He was into NLP type techniques and goal setting psychologies way before they became "it words". Remember, he was not gifted as a athlete, with one leg shorter than the other and bad back, poor eye site, small stature/bones, but he overcame all of these "challenges" and prevailed as one of the premier physical specimens of the 20th century, never mind his mental capabilities too.

For Bruce's weight class, he would wipe the floor in a NHB type tournament today, and IMO with no special training needed, just the way he was back in 1970 or somewhere there, when he was in his prime. He could just look at it, understand the rules and adapt quite well I believe.


James

[DragonAE86]

In my opinion...

Bruce would have been in NHB tournys what Mo Ali was in boxing, f'ing awesome.

[Studiobuddy]

Also, judo people, while competent on the ground, are nowhere near as skilled as BJJ practitioners. Top judo people train with BJJ to enhance their ground games for NHB .

This is a very false statement. If Judo is nowhere near as skilled as BJJ practioners on the ground. Then why did Royce Gracie lose against Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, on Pride; New Year's Eve 2003?

[Tee Sok]

This is a very false statement. If Judo is nowhere near as skilled as BJJ practioners on the ground. Then why did Royce Gracie lose against Judo gold medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, on Pride; New Year's Eve 2003?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burton".... Top judo people train with BJJ to enhance their ground games for NHB ."

Here's your answer. I wouldn' t be surprised to read that Yoshida had trained in BJJ before going to fight in a NHB. Actually I am pretty sure he did. The Gracies are very famous in Japan and it would have been foolish from Yoshida not to cross-train before a fight with Royce.

[Studiobuddy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Burton".... Top judo people train with BJJ to enhance their ground games for NHB ."

Here's your answer. I wouldn' t be surprised to read that Yoshida had trained in BJJ before going to fight in a NHB. Actually I am pretty sure he did. The Gracies are very famous in Japan and it would have been foolish from Yoshida not to cross-train before a fight with Royce.

sorry sir

i read wrong

please excuse my remark