Bruce Lee Part 5 - Training & Other Key People
Training
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf12iowNH38
The practitioner should be balanced at all times so that he can maximise his stability and mobility. The practitioner must developed conditioning so that his legs do not give up under strenuous pressure. In the old days, training of Chinese martial artists were conservative as they believe weight training would slow them down but Bruce was innovative as he found a way to combine by using heavy weight at low repetition and then reduced weight at increased repetition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAy6bKRdED8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GGiQCoHMxE&feature=related
This way he built muscles and developed power without losing speed. Wing Chun training provides the practitioner to train with individual or group of muscles then coordinates by involving other muscles and Bruce mastered these techniques. Many folks do not understand or got impatient with Wing Chun training where you have to use both arms to punch alternately where the other arm being pulled back is placed high so as to train the brain to think that both arms can work independently at the same time and when needed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GGiQCoHMxE&feature=related
This way he built muscles and developed power without losing speed. Wing Chun training provides the practitioner to train with individual or group of muscles then coordinates by involving other muscles and Bruce mastered these techniques. Many folks do not understand or got impatient with Wing Chun training where you have to use both arms to punch alternately where the other arm being pulled back is placed high so as to train the brain to think that both arms can work independently at the same time and when needed.
Bruce always trained for speed and strength. You can say the way his body looked was like a by-product. He would also shadow box with dumb bells in his hands. He would do a 12 series of 100 punches per series using weight from 10 pounds and then the reverse order.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94eXRcanuOk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv20NK1XhAM
Good Mornings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S_xqnPRLGo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUpOZnhS4FI
Warning: Good Mornings is a dangerous exercise. Whoever is reading please do not follow at home or anywhere. This exercise is used to strengthen the lower back. Good Mornings is an exercise which some pro athletes would even shun. You place a barbell across your shoulders and bend forward at the waist with legs rigid until your upper body is parallel with the floor. Bruce actually added more weight than recommended and one day his back snapped. May be L4 was badly injured and was hospitalised and bed-ridden for some time and had to live with the excruciating back pain for the rest of his life.
Incredible Physique
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWUdkLvfIHc
Bruce's body was like "warm marble". You would be amazed if I told you how Bruce Lee have influenced entire communities not just in the martial arts world but also in other sports including body building, break-dancers and Parkour practitioners. World famous body builder Joe Weider was astounded by his muscular refinement and perfect abs and even Lou Ferrigno was impacted. Bruce never had massive muscles but to some his was the "most defined physique in the world".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBxqptNa6-8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QG2M9yVJ_s8
There was a report by John Little that a lady Ann Clouse (wife of Robert Clouse) who directed Enter The Dragon ventured into the movie film set. She was totally mesmerized by Bruce's incredible physique as he went through the paces of the fight scenes. She asked the young man if she could feel his biceps. Bruce agreed as this is an usual requests sometimes. One touch and she withdrew her hand instantly: "My God, it is like feeling warm marble!"
Bruce was once walking with his close friend Dan Inosanto a JKD instructor, when they saw a guy with huge arms muscles and remarked: "Man, look at those arms!" to which Bruce replied: "He's big but is he powerful and can he use those extra muscles in a most efficient manner?" To Bruce, power is how to effectively summon and coordinate strength. For those who have the opportunity to work with Bruce, pound for pound, Bruce was the most powerful man in the world.
Abs
Bruce's most incredible part was his abs. His abdominal muscles were to developed strengths needed for martial arts by doing sit ups, leg raises, V-ups and crunches. He was a multi-tasker way ahead of time - watching boxing on TV while doing full splits, holding a book while pumping a dumb bell. Watch how the Dragon Flag is done:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4r_5s4bYUY
Bruce had formidable forearms that look like steel. This was to improve punching and gripping power. Bruce has huge forearms (imagine Popeye) in relation to his size. He would also design his own exercise machines. His abs and wings are special. The abs were deeply cut out while the wings span out and put Batman to shame for using a cape.
Other Key People In Bruce's Life
Ip Man - Grandmaster of Wing Chun in Hong Kong. He came from Foshan and has a big reputation taking in few students. Bruce was said to have been beaten up by thugs and approached him and finally accepted after some persistence. Here's Dan Inosanto talking Wing Chun & Jeet Kune Do:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNdKBMOKXh8&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SbQZrgijcw&feature=related
Mohammad Ali - They have never met but Bruce was a fan as he would watched countless fights of Ali. I supposed he was just trying to see what he could learn there. I could see that there were resemblance of the way he sometimes threw his punches, the footwork especially the prancing and dancing around. Floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. Watch Ali's dance and jabs.
Ali dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu2nKcfMS9A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW5qF9fheXw - The Black Superman. I heard it when I was a boy. Well, I still am.
Raymond Chow - Was a producer with Shaw Brothers before he founded Golden Harvest. This is the dude who discovered Bruce Lee and brought Bruce to us all. They have awesome respect for one another and later formed a joint company which Bruce called Concord. This was the company you see when you watch The Way Of The Dragon where Bruce was involved in everything.
Steve Golden - Is a Kenpo Karate expert and a friend of Ed Parker. Steve knew many martial experts and their philosophies but seemed to believe that only Bruce translate them into action. Steve believe that no one could hit him if he was told in advance what technique would be used. When he visited James Lee with Ed he met Bruce and was told to stand five feet away and was told to stop Bruce from hitting his face with Bruce's right hand. Bruce proceeded to incredibly do so repeatedly. Steve could not block a single attempt. Amazing!
Wong Jack Man - This was the man sent by the Chinatown elders as their best fighter to challenge Bruce to a duel. There was conflicting account on how the fight went as the only witnesses were some of Bruce's friends/students and the elders behind closed door. The certainty was that Bruce won. There was a report from the Wong camp that he was so powerful and was afraid he might hurt Bruce if he used more powerful techniques and thus avoided Bruce at times and that Bruce used techniques that were too violent. Bruce camp reported that Bruce was too good and chased him around delivering punches and kicks. Other sources reported that Bruce's back injury was a result of this contest. To me, if not for this fight things might turn out quite different. It was here that Bruce realised that he needed techniques to finish a fight quicker as he thought it lasted unnecessarily long.
Wong Jack Man - This was the man sent by the Chinatown elders as their best fighter to challenge Bruce to a duel. There was conflicting account on how the fight went as the only witnesses were some of Bruce's friends/students and the elders behind closed door. The certainty was that Bruce won. There was a report from the Wong camp that he was so powerful and was afraid he might hurt Bruce if he used more powerful techniques and thus avoided Bruce at times and that Bruce used techniques that were too violent. Bruce camp reported that Bruce was too good and chased him around delivering punches and kicks. Other sources reported that Bruce's back injury was a result of this contest. To me, if not for this fight things might turn out quite different. It was here that Bruce realised that he needed techniques to finish a fight quicker as he thought it lasted unnecessarily long.
Lo Wei (deceased) - Director of The Big Boss and The Fist Of Fury. An unorthodox director, he is said not to have used scripts and while on the job he would often tuned in to horse racing. There were rumours he and Bruce never got along as Bruce would not be happy with certain way the job was done or how the script was like. It was said he once made a police report lying that Bruce used a knife to threatened him.
Betty Ting Pei - She was the Taiwanese actress who was supposed to play a female role in The Game Of Death and was with Bruce when he died in her home. According to reports, they were discussing the script of Game of Death when he developed a severe headache and she gave him a strong aspirin after which he laid down to rest. Raymond Chow called when Bruce failed to turn up for their meeting. Betty was the last person who saw Bruce alive. She kept quiet for years living with the insults thrown at her. Some believed a mafia gang arranged his death. Others think it was a curse as he was said to have premonitions that he would die at half his father's age. Cerebral edema could be the truth. Bruce possibly lived with great and extreme stress and tremendous physical exertion perhaps with injuries combined.
Jhoon Rhee - Is considered as the Father of Taekwondo in America. Both were friends based on their mutual respects for each other's abilities. Rhee invited Bruce to appear in many tournaments throughout the US to demonstrate his skills and prowess.
Doing push ups at 75? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNWiMoypQ8
I always thought Bruce's kick has got some Jhoon Rhee in them.
Ed Parker - Is considered the Father of Karate (Kenpo) in America and himself a legend there. He invited Bruce to several Karate International Championships where Bruce demonstrated his power and ability.
Watch carefully Bruce doing push ups with two hands but only resting on both thumbs. I bet you didn't know that.
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