Bruce Lee’s disgust for fake martial arts ‘cowards’ revealed in rare phone call recording
- In a recently unearthed conversation, Hong Kong martial arts icon praises effectiveness of boxing and also discusses Muay Thai
- Lee rails against ‘pathetic looking, very amateur’ tai chi and self defence practitioners, saying they embarrass true martial artists
Bruce Lee is fondly considered the “godfather of mixed martial arts”. And a recently unearthed, rare phone call helps show just why he was so ahead of his time.
Speaking to his friend and martial arts student Dan Lee, around the time he was looking to leave Hollywood for Hong Kong after growing frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the US, Lee outlined some of his major philosophies on the effectiveness – or lack thereof – of traditional martial arts.
“You saw the tai chi, the self defence … well, I hate to tell you this. If you were there, Jesus, we were so embarrassed,” Lee said.
“Joe Frazier is a man who is capable of using his tools and who is very determined in his savage, relentless attacks. Whereas those son of a b***** are cowards, turning their heads and swinging their punches. After the second round they’re out of breath. I mean, they’re really pathetic looking, very amateur.”
The Game of Death and Fist of Fury star was constantly looking to increase his understanding of martial arts and felt he could never stop learning, despite having such a profound influence on its popularity.
