The transcript below is from the video “Bruce Lee vs Jet Li Real Fight | Wing Chun vs. Tai Chi” by Trendy Trendy.
Trendy Trendy:
When it comes to martial arts as a form of entertainment, Bruce Lee and Jet Li are undoubtedly among the top performers of all time. Both men were phenomenal athletes in their peaks and both demonstrated jaw-dropping abilities which left many audiences stunned as well as their on-screen enemies. The two never had the chance to meet in life but they enjoyed similar levels of success in the movie industry and both are renowned as masters in martial arts. We can’t help wondering what would happen if Bruce Lee and Jet Li had the chance to face off against each other in their prime.
Trendy Trendy:
Let’s take a closer look. But before we start, don’t forget to punch the subscribe button and ring the notification bell. Also like and share the video with your friends.
Bruce Lee was raised in Hong Kong where after getting involved in one too many street fights as a teenager, he began learning the art of Wing Chun under legendary Yip Man. He also took part and won the Hong Kong schools boxing tournament in 1958 at the age of 17, knocking out the competition’s previous champion, and what would be Bruce’s only appearance at an official fighting tournament. In 1959, after beating up the son of a feared triad family, Bruce’s parents sent him to the United States, where he set up his own martial arts school and would later find fame as an actor.
Trendy Trendy:
Jet Li was born in Beijing, China and was brought up in poverty after his father died, when Jet was just 2 years old. When he was 8, he was noticed for skill in the art of wushu whilst attending a school summer course. He joined the Beijing Wushu Team soon after and performed the display at the All China Games. Famed coaches Li Junfeng and Wu Bin helped the young Jet Li to develop his talent and while still very young, Li participated in the Chinese Wushu Championships where he won 15 gold medals and 1 silver medal. By the age of 12, the young master was beating the competition who were more than twice his age.
Trendy Trendy:
In America, Bruce Lee impressed with his demonstrations and martial arts events and increased his abilities by making connections with other prominent martial artists. These included people like Taekwondo master Jhoon Goo Rhee, national champion Judoka and Hollywood stuntman Gene LeBell and fellow actor/ karate champion Chuck Norris. Through these contacts, Bruce learned and incorporated different moves such as kicking and grappling into his own form of kung fu, which he dubbed Bruce Lee’s kung fu. This eventually developed into Jeet Kune Do which many now refer as to the grandfather of mixed martial arts.
Jet Li was no stranger to mixing things up either. He mastered many different forms of kung fu, including Northern Longfist Style, Tumbling Fist, Drunken Fist, and many others. He also became proficient in the use of wushu weaponry including the Three Section Staff, Broadsword and Straight Sword.
Trendy Trendy:
Jet Li was only 10 years old when Bruce Lee passed away. Having watched him on film though, Jet Li has expressed a lot of respect and admiration for Bruce’s work. In interviews, he has referred to Bruce as a great martial artist, going on to say Bruce’s steps are similar to dancing and his movements are very similar to Muhammad Ali. His punching style is wing chun. In a nutshell, Bruce Lee combined all the good stuff from each martial art style he used to learn and put these together to create Jeet Kune Do.
If they were to square off against each other at their peak, Bruce Lee would have a slight height advantage, standing at around 5’7’’ – 5’8’’ compared to Jet Li who was a little over 5’5’’. Both men were in incredible physical condition, weighing close to 150 pounds of mostly pure muscle. Some sources suggest that Jet Li may have been the heavier of the two by a small margin though despite being shorter.
Trendy Trendy:
In terms of stamina, well, let’s just say it would probably take a while before either man gave up due to being out of breath. Both men were capable of unleashing devastating punches and kicks using significant amounts of pain and suffering to any poor extra who happened to get in their way. Some have suggested that Jet Li’s attacks could have hit slightly harder, seeing as how he probably had a bit more weight behind them. However, there are plenty of people who say that Bruce’s power was unbelievable. So, the advantage here could go either way.
As for speed and agility, Bruce Lee was more well known for his lightning quickness and light footwork. So, the edge would have gone to him. Other factors that could play a deciding role in the fight are both fighters’ mentalities and their real world experiences. Whereas Bruce Lee grew up fighting thugs and developed his own style of martial arts that was essentially to win by any means, most of Jet Li’s performances throughout his career were heavily choreographed and only for show. He was never really tested in a no holds barred street fight scenario.
Trendy Trendy:
Bruce Lee, on the other hand, was known to have accepted at least a couple of real fights held behind closed doors. He allegedly took down a karate practitioner by the name of Yoichi Nakachi in just 11 seconds and defeated the highly skilled Kung Fu master Wong Jack Man in around 7 minutes. While Jet Li would certainly be capable of putting on some decent moves, there’s no substitute for experience. And you have to feel that Bruce Lee would be the more clinical of the two. It seems as though he would be able to adapt quicker to random situations and switch between styles on the fly like an MMA fighter. It would be a lot tougher for Jet Li to change his style instinctively despite knowing a great many of them.
Trendy Trendy:
One thing’s for sure, it would certainly be a fantastic fight. If weapons were thrown into the mix, maybe we’d give the edge to Jet Li. However, if we’re talking about a regular martial arts fight, then the speed, experience and toughness of Bruce Lee wins out 6 times out of 10.
Who do you think will win in a fight between Bruce Lee or Jet Li? Let me know in the comments below and I will handpick and feature your comment in the next video. So, don’t forget to comment. If you enjoyed the video, please make sure you hit the like button to show your support. It was a pleasure to talk to you guys. Please like and share the video with your friends. Until next time.
