So what if Ali and Lee had gotten together? Game of Death co-stars Dan Inosanto and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who were students of Lee, discussed Ali with their master on several occasions and the fluency of his footwork was what always caught Lees eye. Have you seen kickboxing? Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is now playing in theaters. In fact, Complex reported that Lee once said that Ali would kill him if the two ever fought. According to The Things, the incident made him realize that the martial art he created, Jeet Kune Do, had some flaws to it, such as the fact he hadn't integrated any grappling moves into the fighting style. Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali. If Bruce Lee truly believed that Ali could defeat him, that would be reason enough for Lee to take inspiration from him. "Bruce Lee was often a cocky, strutting braggart, but Tarantino took those traits and exaggerated them to the point of caricature," says Polly, who takes exception with Lee boasting about. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Here's how the fighting style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee was influenced by the moves of heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo, and is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, "A Man Against the World." Lee actually incorporated Alis footwork into his own fighting style. 25 Things You Didnt Know About Muhammad Ali, Ali's funeral in Louisville, Ky. on Friday. . Maybe he was cocky in as far as martial arts because he was very sure of himself. Tate then introduced Lee to her husband, director Roman Polanski, who trained with him as well. Things change dramatically in a mixed martial arts bout. Besides, Ronda Rouseytold Maximlast year that Ali would absolutely crush Lee in a street fight. Is what he admires are warriors. "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" is writer/director Quentin Tarantino's love letter to 1960s Hollywood, revolving around fictional fading star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his faithful stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Providing the egos didnt clash, this would have been a match made in heaven. I played Pookie (in New Jack City). In 1964, Rhee met Bruce Lee at Ed Parker's International Karate Championship in Long Beach, California. And the UFC, meanwhile, might still be a barely-regulated promotion with fighters specializing in only one style, as opposed to the mixed martial arts (emphasis on mixed) juggernaut it is today. George Dillman, who trained with both the People's Champion and Bruce Lee, revealed the two icons then went antique shopping after the King of Rock and Roll sobered up. Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. Bob Greenwade said. This Article is related to: Film and tagged Bruce Lee, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Quentin Tarantino. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Assuming Polly is correct, Tarantino may have either misread the passage originally or be misremembering Lee's description. With the show's stuntmen complaining that Lee's punches and kicks were too realistic (read: painful) for comfort, stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins had a plan to teach the future "Enter the Dragon" star a lesson he was going to hire a stuntman who also happened to know a thing or two about martial arts. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. Ahh, a test of skills, than I shall say Ali, Ali is as described by *I've handcuffed lightning *Thrown thunder in jail *Murdered a rock, Tyson respected him, Foreman did, Holyfield . So it looks like Lee has settled this debate long ago. Bruce Lee was 5'8 130lbs while Ali was 6'3 215lbs. Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! A closer look at the early rise of the beloved iconic three-time boxing champion. Throughout the years, Muhammad Ali has been involved in so many hypothetical fight scenarios. I heard him say things like that to that effect. A wonderful, wonderful man and a great martial artist.". Many people have said throughout the years that Bruce Lee had a lot of respect for Muhammad Ali. If were talking about potential, then there is no doubt that Lee could have been a magnificent professional fighter. After watching a lot of Alis fights, Bruce Lee actually admitted that he would lose to Ali if they ever came to blows [via Complex]. "I went and worked out with [Lee] at his school," LeBell was quoted as saying. I was reading the Tyson vs Lee thread and I thought he'd have a chance here. Still, I was interested in what Tarantino had to say, and I suspect many of you are, too. In these 1967 bouts, the now-famous Lee uses the techniques of Jeet . Bruce was looking into the mirror, moving along with Ali.Bruces right hand followed Alis right hand, Alis left foot followed Bruces left foot. "Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy," Tarantino said. Inosanto said, He was never, in my opinion, cocky. So yeah, Lee was probably right. The documentary showed Ali in several of his fights. "After a 32-year battle with Parkinson's disease, Muhammad Ali has passed away at the age of 74. Legendary Boxer Muhammad Ali Has Died at Age 74. Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could. Cadwell found the depiction to be "just . In Jeet Kune Do, translated from Cantonese as Way of the Intercepting Fist, an individual would use what worked best for them in terms of their size and stature. Ali was world heavyweight champion at the time and Bruce saw him as the greatest fighter of them all. With that in mind, Lee started training with LeBell as both men developed a friendship that would last until Lee's death in 1973. Martial arts icon Bruce Lee admitted that the legendary Muhammad Ali would have 'killed him' in a crossover fight, according to Robert Clouse. In this scene, Booth takes exception to Lee's claim that he can "cripple" Muhammad Ali if they ever got the chance to duke it out. Bruce Lee was kind of an arrogant guy, Tarantino said at a recent press junket in Moscow. A cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) had claimed the life of this extraordinarily gifted 32-year-old, who would achieve posthumous superstardom when his seminal movie Enter the Dragon was released in U. S. theaters the following month. One has to wonder if this will come up when the new Bruce Lee documentary airs on ESPN on June 7. In a straight boxing match, Lee, a 5-foot-7 lightweight, or junior welterweight at best, would have no chance. And then we remembered something important: We know Bruce Lee's biographer. Its a fictional character. He admires combat, and boxing is a closer approximation of combat as a sport. Bruce was fighting in Alis shoes. Even if they were the same size, Id still go for Muhammad Ali, because he actually had competition experience where Bruce Lee did not.. According to Clause, Lee considered both sides of the argument and even practiced fighting Ali by using a full-length mirror. On September 10, Ali scored a close split-decision victory at The Forum in Inglewood, California, which is only a half hours drive from Graumans (now TCL) Chinese Theater, where Enter the Dragon had premiered 22 days earlier. More so, Bruce Lee certainly didnt ever think that he could beat Muhammad Ali if the two actually ever fought in real life. Almost 8,000 miles away, in Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, Muhammad Ali was training hard to avenge his second professional defeat. Muhammad Ali, who has long been called "The Greatest of All Time," was at the center of national attention during his days as a professional fighter. On July 20, 1973, the great martial-arts movie star Bruce Lee mysteriously died in Hong Kong. Warning:Spoilers ahead for "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.". The event was the Long Beach International Karate Championships, where three years earlier Lee's demonstration of such improbable physical feats as two-finger push-ups and one-inch punches got him the attention in the U.S. that led to the role of Kato on The Green Hornet. Lee set up a wide mirror so that he could follow along with Alis movements as they occurred on screen. "That was a must-have and we showed quintessential Hollywood locations that have survived. Bruce set up a wide full-length mirror to reflect Ali's image from the screen. Lee was all about taking care of business on the street in seconds. And there you have it. One of those people was the director of Lees most famous film, EntertheDragon, Robert Clouse. 4 During the 1960s, Lee also wrote a series of volumes and notes that would be assembled and released after his death in a book titled Tao of Jeet Kune Do. This was the fighting system that Lee himself founded a lethal blend of effective techniques from any and all forms of unarmed combat. "Muhammad Ali Unfiltered: Rare, Iconic, and Officially Authorized Photos of the Greatest", p.118, Simon and Schuster 180 Copy quote 93K Most relevant Isaac Irvin Bruce him self said in a interview that he would watch Ali's fights by pointing his projector at his mirror this way he could emulate Ali's move in a south paw stance. Not sure if this was intentional, but apparently Bruce Lee was known to carry a gun at all times, in case some crazy fan decided to pick a fight. COMPLEX participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means COMPLEX gets paid commissions on purchases made through our links to retailer sites. Plus Muhammad Ali was way bigger than Bruce Lee. The up-and-coming martial arts star Lee did befriend Tate and trained the actress for 1968's "The Wrecking Crew," according to Polly. 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood': Everything you should know about Sharon Tate, Box-office winner: 'Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' is Tarantino's biggest debut ever. "When Bruce Lee kicks, you don't shut your eyes because when you shut your eyes, you can't see Bruce Lee kick," mentioned Chan, who couldn't shut his eyes for some time. "'Everybody says I must fight Ali someday.' Brad [Pitt] would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could, said Tarantino. Because he was a brilliant and seasoned professional who took hits for a living. Lee was a boxing fan. Cliff is not part of the sport. Nicholas Raymond is a staff movies & TV features writer for Screen Rant. Thats a little Chinese hand. He probably wouldn't have stood a chance. If you havent seen Quentin Tarantinos OnceUponaTimeinHollywood yet, go ahead and skip to the next section. "Bruce Lee was my friend and teacher," he explained. Again, I'm not sure this is going to change anyone's mind about the scene at this point, but I encourage you to read our own Hoai-Tran Bui's thoughts about it, and listen to the /Film Daily spoiler conversation about the film for more on our complicated feelings about this scene. He likely has more accurate strikes, and is significantly more durable. They share an almost mystical fan affection because of their unique skills, which are sometimes overlooked because of their impact on worldwide culture. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. 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