Bruce Lee appeared at the 1967 Long Beach International Karate Championships and performed various demonstrations, including the famous “unstoppable punch” against USKA world Karate champion Vic Moore. Lee allegedly told Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to the face, and all he had to do was to try to block it. Lee took several steps back and asked if Moore was ready. When Moore nodded in affirmation, Lee glided towards him until he was within striking range. He then threw a straight punch directly at Moore’s face, and stopped before impact. In eight attempts, based on footage, Moore failed to block any of the punches. However, Moore and grandmaster Steve Mohammed denied this and stated that Lee had first told Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to the body, which Moore blocked. Lee attempted another punch, and Moore blocked it as well. The third punch, which Lee threw to Moore’s face, did not come nearly within striking distance. Moore stated that Lee never successfully struck him but he was able to strike Lee after trying on his own. Moore further stated that Bruce Lee said he was the fastest American he had ever seen and that Lee’s media crew repeatedly played the one punch towards Moore’s face that did not come within striking range, allegedly in an attempt to preserve Lee’s superstar image.
Victor Moore holds a 10th Degree Black Belt in Karate and was one of the late Robert Trias’ Chief instructors of the Shuri-ryÅ« Karate system. Moore was one of the first ten original members of the Trias International Society and also studied and trained with William J. Dometrich in the style of Chito-ryu. Moore has studied martial arts for over 50 years, and is a four-time world karate champion.
Moore began to travel with a handful of his students to several tournaments as far away as Canada. He later ventured out opening karate schools throughout the Cincinnati area and began traveling the Midwest and East coast. Being successful in competition, he meets the father of American Karate Robert A. Trias. Robert Trias with his skills and ability took Moore under his wings. He continued to train with Trias at various tournaments and seminars, learning the Kenpo and Goju-Ryu styles of Karate, Moore traveled many times to the USKA headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona where he had received rank up through his Masters level while in the USKA. Trias taught many style, but his main style was Shuri-Ryu. While Moore spent time in the USKA, Maung Gyi took him under his wings, taking him as a personal student. Gyi taught him Bando, stick fighting, and all the various weapons too numerous to name. Gyi was also Moore’s kickboxing instructor, teaching Moore all the moves of thai boxing. Later, Vic Moore and Joe Lewis introduced kick boxing to America on the Merv Griffin TV show in 1973. Moore and Joe Lewis were the first to introduce kickboxing on national TV and were some of the first professional kickboxers in the United States. Jim Harrison defeated Moore in the first kickboxing tournament in the United States. Vic Moore gives seminar’s all over the USA and lives in Lumberton, NC where he teaches privately from his home.
The transcript below is from the video “Bruce Lee Real Fight: Karate World Champion FAILED to block His Punch!” by BruceLeeRealFight.
Bruce Lee appeared in 1967 Long Beach International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California. 4 Times Karate Champion
Vic Moore appeared at the same place and participated in a martial arts speed drill against Jeet Kun Do founder, Bruce Lee. The point of the speed drill challenge was to stop Lee’s famous unstoppable punch. Lee allegedly told Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to the face, and all he had to do was to try to block it. Lee asked if Vic Moore was ready. When Moore nodded in affirmation, Lee glided towards him until he was within striking range. He then threw a straight punch directly at Moore’s face, and stopped before impact. In eight attempts, Moore failed to block any of the punches. If this was a real fight between Bruce Lee and Karate World Champion, who do you think will win the fight? Leave your comment below.