R.I.P Bruce Lee but....

[Andre]

Kung fu isnt what it used to be when it was held fast within China. It was a land locked art that got tested against itself only in China by quite small people.

These days alot of those techniques that worked then willnot stand up to alot of the modern mixed arts or wouldnt of stood up to some of the ancient ones from other lands back then either.

You got tough men in each gym these days that are not as well trained as some there who are not so tough men but have much more expertise.

Ive seen a guy picked off the streets out of a pool hall with little to no training just a mean all out mutherfucker offered a wad of cash and more if he won, with a jaw like iron step in against a master of many bouts in a full contact open style and the street guy won it. Its happened alot in many places.

Theres no such thing as this art is better than than that art because of this bloke or that bloke or boxing or karate.

You are lucky if a person with natural champion material great dna and a iron chin comes to train with you. (He'll make your style famous not the style its self,not these days.)

Bruce fought on the streets of Hong kong with his school friend because he was Wing Chun under Yip Man in Hong Kong he got tested by other men from other styles it was rife in those early days. So to say he never saw action or real combat is false.

Him being from that style actually is the reason the whole style of Wing Chun is split right down the middle.

There are ones who have traditional style with close tight footwork which is a bit stilted.
Others like Bruce (who Bruce trained with also) who have more range,freer footwork and also the entry technique you see being used in MMA these days is from the exact roots of where Bruce learned to think outside of a traditional style.

All that said, I think on % you could not go past Jujitsu and Hapkido to become an all round cage fighter those styles stand apart.

Even though Jon Jones gives a nod to Bruces eventual all round style of Jeet kune do, I still recon he Jon is a natural and a good example of the whole mixture.

Jon "Bones" Jones: Jeet Kune Do