Bruce Lee is one of the most well known martial artists in the world.
Robert Clouse remembers his first meeting with Bruce Lee very vividly. Robert recalls that: “The first time he meet you, you’d expect him to shake hands but instead he’d step back and flick out his foot so fast you could feel the air move right at the tip of your nose. Then he’d take your hand and place it on his stomach. It was kind of his calling card.”
Bruce Lee is known around the world as being one of the best marital artists ever. Throughout his entire career in martial arts, he only lost one fight. That fight occurred at the early age of only thirteen when he was attacked by a gang, and because of this he started training in the martial arts.
At an early age, Bruce Lee was already in show business. He appeared in his first movie at the age of three months old. He then appeared in three movies at the age of six and later in childhood appeared in a few other films.
However, his movie career did not end there. Later as an adult he stared in well known movies such as: Fists of Fury, The Chinese Connection, Return of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon. Not only was he in the movies, but he also wrote and directed some of them. He also appeared on television many times. His biggest appearance on television was when he co-starred in the series called The Green Hornet.
Now the thing about Bruce Lee is that he wasn’t just some stuntman/actor, he really knew martial arts and knew them almost to perfection. He started out training in Wing Chun Kung-Fu. Later on he started the first Jun Fan Kung-Fu institute in Seattle, a second one in Oakland, and the third one in Los Angeles. He also has trained some very well known fighters such Chuck Norris and Kareem Abdul Jabar.
Not only did he train in Kung-Fu, but he also developed his own style of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do, which means “The art of the intercepting fist.” This style included techniques from all styles of fighting, such as: American Boxing, Thai Kick Boxing, and Japanese Karate. He wrote a couple books on his training and techniques in Kung-Fu and Jeet Kune Do. His most well known and mind blowing move is called the “One-Inch Punch,” this is where he would hold his arm straight out just an inch away from your body, and with a shrug of his shoulder, could knock a man straight across the ground.
Using martial arts is a unique way of trying to connect back to his ancestors and be prideful about his culture. Many aboriginals are taught in residential schools that being First Nations is something to be ashamed of, but Wayne does not want to be ashamed: “Lillian spent long hours teaching the boy the intricacies of the Anishnawbe, so know he spoke it better than most seventy–year-olds” (150). Wayne is trying to live a more traditional life than his sister, but the world has become less and less traditional in its own way. By living on an island by himself, Wayne is trying to live off the land. He couldn’t do it on the reserve, but he can easily do it on the island. He is also spiritual like an aboriginal, and demonstrates this spirituality a couple times. One example of him doing this is “I know that she was contributing to what we call the circle of life. She passed on so that somewhere out there, a baby could be born in her place.” (187) She was clearly in tune with nature and spiritually, and I think that some of that passed on to Wayne. Wayne seems to understand that his mother was okay with dying, just so that a child could be born. In his eyes, it could not be stopped and a family with a young child would be made. His martial arts use a variety of animal tactics to be more tactful. “It took me a while, but I have based a style of fighting on each of the
James Braddock took his father’s lessons to heart when he practiced fighting in the old schoolyard before he reached his teenage years. He practiced for several years to be an amateur fighter. When Braddock first started boxing he avoided professional competitions for two years. Instead, they froze the title, which means Braddock earned money touring the country giving public appearances and boxing exhibitions. In 1926, he entered the professional boxing circuit in the light heavyweight division. Braddock started out well, knocking out opponent after opponent in the first few rounds.
Lee’s first formal education took place on a plantation school and succeeded by a private tutor, and he then attended Alexandria Academy. Lee saw himself as an extension of his family’s greatness and proceeded to enroll at West Point Military Academy. He was appointed by President James Monroe at the age of eighteen due to his intelligence, quick decision-making, and his family name and educational background. West Point was considered to be the best military academy in the Americas due to its institution of discipline and outstanding character. At West Point, Lee learned about marching customs, battlefield formations, and principles of war. Lee also became competent in the construction of forts, bridges, and canals. He became was one of six cadets in his graduating class to finish without a single detriment. Lee also scored perfect scores in artillery, cavalry, and infantry.
Robert E. Lee will always be remembered as one of the best generals the south had in the civil war. He won key battles and he had the best war strategies in the war. He was the overpowered weapon for the south in the war. But most people only remember him from the civil war, unless you are into wars and American history.
Jack Dempsey was best known for his intriguing knockouts and his fists of steel (“Biography”). In his fight against Jess Willard, former champion, Dempsey knocked him down seven times within three minutes (Smith). This was the boxing match that began Dempsey’s reign as heavy weight champion of the world (Hadden 161). After the fight he earned the nick na...
Jun Fan other known as “Bruce Lee” made a name for himself in the martial arts. According to a biography, “The Japanese occupation was Bruce’s first prescient memory, but Hong Kong had been a British Crown Colony since th...
In the beginning of his career, he stood at 6' 3" and he had a highly irregular style for a heavyweight boxer btu that didn't mean he wasn't good. Rather than the normal boxing style of carrying the hands high to defend the face, he instead relied on his ability to avoid a punch. The person who first introduced him to boxing was the police officer who started it all. Joe E. Martin. Martin lead Clay to his first trainer, Fred Stoner, who trained with Cassius during his entire amateur career. With the aid of Stoner, Clay went on to win 6 Kentucky Golden Gloves titles, 2 national Golden Gloves titles, an Amateur Athletic Union National Title, and the Light Heavyweight gold medal in the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
America has had many people that have made a positive difference to this nation by showing perseverance and putting others first for the greater good for the cause. People from low levels of society and from high levels of society have contributed to change this to become great. Robert E. Lee and his family did not enjoy fantastic wealth (“American Experience”). Robert E. Lee had an impact on this nation from the military standpoint. He had many difficult choices and decisions to make, like to stay with Virginia or to lead the Union Army. Lee served his country with everything he had. He fought on the battlefield, and commanded troops to victories and defeats. Lee never complained about the situation he was in or gave up when the going got tough. How did Robert E. Lee’s successful military career affect his life and how is he considered a prominent figure in American history?
Muhammad Ali was a man made to box. He had a great career before him since he made his first professional fight under President Eisenhower presidency. His Professional Career was really impressive. His had a great balance and was able to move his hands and feet in great speed and coordination. Ali was said to dance in the ring while destroying his opponents. Ali started fighting at a very short age, and his first teacher was Joe Martin (Hauser 18). Through hard work and discipline, he became a professional fighter and eventually the Heavyweight champion of the world. Although he lost the title twice, he regained it three times, putting him in the history books. His boxing career was put to an end when he started suffering from Parkinson's disease. This was the end of his boxing, but his greatness will never die.
Mark Salzman was perfecting his calligraphy skills and as weeks had passed he began to make progress. He was getting tired of the models and wanted to try something new. When he told Hai Bin,(his teacher), he frowned and said,”Some people spend their entire lives researching a single model. You should be willing to spend a year on this one.” This is an example of the dedication and perseverance these men have towards their chosen artform or skill. Another example of this theme, was Mark’s Wushu teacher, Pan, who punched a fifty pound plate of steel up to ten thousand times a day. Mark’s relentless practicing of the many forms of Wushu was influenced by Pan.
After his bike was stolen when he was 12, he reported it to a police officer. This mans name was Joe Martin. He saw Clay's ferociousness and his competitiveness and took him in and trained him to be a boxer. He then gave him over to his main trainer, Fred Stoner. He would train 6 days a week with him and Clay was very committed to being a boxer. Stoner knew Clay was something special so he worked very hard with him. Clay then started to fight in amateur leagues and he did phenomenal. Over the next six years from when he was 12 Clay won six Kentucky Golden Gloves Championships, two National Golden Glove Titles, and 2 AAU crowns.
Second, he brought the art of martial arts and film to America. The martial arts that he brought influenced many people in the U.S (Roensch 7). He also influenced many other Asians to act these days such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan (Roensch 9). When Bruce Lee auditioned for upcoming movies, he was turned down and was rejected because he was too "oriental" ("The Bruce Lee Story 2" 3). Even though he was rejected in American movies, he was still able to make movies in Hong Kong. His goal was to make five movies in Hong Kong but he ended up making four and a half movies because he died during the fifth movie ("The Bruce Lee Story 2" 3). The movie that he didn't finish was called Game of Death. Bruce Lee practiced the nunchaku with Mr. Dan Inosanto and this also made him famous. The nunchaku is made up of two short wooden or metal rods that are connected by a short chain.
Jean-Claude Van Damme’s Kickboxer portrays the story of a kickboxer who learns Muay Thai because of a vendetta. The movie starts with Jean’s character- Kurt watching over his older brother as he wins the heavyweight title in kickboxing. After having won the title, his brother yearns for more recognition which leads him to join a competition in Thailand. Upon arrival, the brothers are quickly faced with the fact that they aren’t facing their routine kickboxing partners but rather the Martial art of the area that is Muay Thai. Kurt’s older brother steps into the ring against a contender by the name Tong Po, who is named the champion of Thailand. The fight ends abruptly, after the brother
ethic. He overcame his legal matters, and survived through the persecution of his religion, he still managed to accomplish more than any boxer, and a majority of any athletes. Though it was just self-proclaimed confidence, he turned out to be just what he told the world, “The Greatest”
He was talking about dominantly expressing ones self through martial arts by letting go of rigid styles or patterns you’ve learned, and freely adapt in combat so as to fluidly move with your opponent, as in a dance, then to “crash” into your opponent in victory. What Bruce Lee described was a state of total awareness of one’s environment so as to continuously be able to entrain one’s self to it.