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Bruce Lee and Jet Li are two of the cinema’s most prominent martial artists. The two Kung Fu film juggernauts followed quite different routes to popularity to the point where Bruce Lee didn’t even make it. Their personal lives and training are likewise radically different. But they do share one key trait; they can both kick rear like it’s nobody’s business, which of course, invites the obvious question; who would win if the two fought? If you want to know all about it, then stay tuned till the end of the video. But before we hop into the details, don’t forget to subscribe to our channel and share this video with your friends. Let’s get ready to rumble!

First, let’s take a short look at the fighter biographies, assuming that both superstars are at the peak of their power and you know, alive. Bruce Lee has a slight size advantage over Jet Li who is a little over 5’7″, according to Celeb Heights. Jet Li, on the other hand, has more formal awards than Bruce Lee.

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According to Biography, Jet Li spent his adolescence winning Wushu championships and touring the world with the country’s most skilled martial artists. According to the same website, Bruce Lee was a rebellious adolescent who discovered Kung Fu and began learning Wing Chun under Ip Man, a great martial artist that Jet Li has ironically played in several films. However, Bruce Lee notably went on to develop his own Jeet Kune Do school, while Jet Li mostly focused on his film career after withdrawing from professional martial arts at the age of 17.

It could go either way at this stage. So, let’s delve a little deeper. Okay, the first idol we have is Bruce Lee, who was raised in Hong Kong and began learning the art of Wing Chun under famous Ip Man after getting engaged in one too many street fights as a teenager. At the age of 17 he had competed in and won the Hong Kong school’s Boxing tournament knocking out the competition’s previous champ and what would be Bruce’s lone participation at an official fighting tournament. After knocking out the son of a notorious triad family in 1959, Bruce’s parents transferred him to the U.S where he established his own martial arts school and eventually, rose to popularity as an actor.

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In America, Bruce Lee wowed audiences with his demonstrations and martial arts competitions and he honed his skills by forming friendships with other notable martial artists; Taekwondo instructor Jun Guri, national champion judoka and Hollywood stuntman Gene LeBell and fellow actor Karate champion Chuck Norris were among them. Through these competitions, Bruce learned and blended various movements like kicking and grappling into his own kind of Kung Fu which he termed Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu. This evolved into Jeet Kune Do which many now consider to be the grandfather of mixed martial arts.

Jet Li was no stranger to deviating from the norm. He learned a variety of Kung Fu styles including Northern Longfist style, Tumbling Fist, Drunken Fist, and others. He also learned to wield Wushu weapons such as the three section staff, broadsword and straight sword. Jet Li was born in Beijing, China and was raised in poverty when his father died when he was only 2 years old. While attending a summer school camp when he was 8, he was noticed for his skill in the art of Wushu. Soon after he joined Beijing’s Wushu Team and performed the demonstration in the All China Games, famous teachers Li Junfeng and Wu Bin assisted Jet Li in developing his potential.

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And when he was still very young, Li competed in the Chinese Wushu championships winning 15 gold medals and one silver medal. By the age of 12, the young master was outperforming opponents who would be more than double his age. Talking about the age gap between the two, Jet Li was just 10 years old when Bruce Lee died. Jet Li, who had seen Bruce on film, has shown a great deal of appreciation and enthusiasm for his work. In interviews, he has described Bruce as a superb martial artist, saying that his steps are similar to dancing and his moves are extremely close to Muhammad Ali’s.

Wing Chun is his punching style. In a nutshell, Bruce Lee took the best parts of each martial arts school he studied and blended them to create Jeet Kune Do. If they met in their prime, Bruce Lee would have a little height advantage, standing at roughly 5’7″-5’8″ compared to Jet Li who was a little over 5’5″. Both males were in fantastic shape, weighing close to 150 lbs of largely pure muscle. Despite being shorter, some accounts claim that Jet Li was the heavier of the two by a little margin.

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Would Jet Li beat Bruce Lee in a fight?

Jet Li is a skilled martial artist and one of the crown jewels of China’s martial arts education system. However, how well he’d perform in a real fight is debatable. According to Jet Li’s website, while his training was incredibly hard and he excelled over everyone at a very young age, his training was primarily aimed upon politically significant shows with painstakingly choreographed choreography. He traveled the world as a child with an elite group of martial artists so when he got to show off his skills in front of, say President Richard Nixon, he didn’t do it by jumping, kicking tricky dicky in the nose. There’s also the problem that even if he were a straight-up fighter, his preferred martial art is Wushu, which as neurological blog points out is extremely vulnerable versus a reasonably well-rounded MMA fighter. At this moment, the possibility of a hypothetical real-life combat against Bruce Lee doesn’t look promising for Jet Li but we’ll see.

Bruce Lee would almost certainly beat Jet Li in a fight.

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Fightline notes that Bruce Lee was a philosophical godfather of MMA and his fame driven manner and inclination to challenge tradition made many traditional martial artists see red. This attracts a number of challenges and Lee did combat some of the conventional critics. He reportedly knocked out Yoichi Nakachi, a Karateka in under 11 seconds, kicking his opponent’s head so hard that it broke.

Wong Jack-man, a hugely accomplished Kung Fu master, fared much better but Bruce Lee still managed to make him capitulate in around 7 minutes. That fight happened in 1964 by the way and according to the Bruce Lee Foundation, Lee didn’t come up with his anything works themed Jeet Kune Do system until 3 years later. Consider what a completely Jeet Kune Do no-holds barred Bruce Lee in his prime could do to a master of ancient Chinese martial arts, particularly one like Jet Li who has focused his skills on performance rather than face punching.

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In terms of stamina, let’s just say it would be a long time before either man gave up due to exhaustion. Both men were capable of delivering deadly punches and kicks while inflicting substantial pain, not to mention suffering on any unfortunate extra who got in their path. Some have speculated that Jet Li’s attacks could have been a little bit more powerful because he presumably had a little bit more weight behind them. However, there are many people who believe Bruce’s power was incredible. As a result, the advantage here might swing either way.

In terms of speed and agility, Bruce Lee was most recognized for his lightning quickness and deft fee. As a result, he would have the upper hand. Other factors that could influence the outcome of the fight include both fighters’ mentalities and their real world experiences. Whereas Bruce Lee grew up battling thugs and developing his own martial arts technique, the kind that was simply to win by whatever means possible, the majority of Jet Li’s performances throughout his career were tightly choreographed and primarily for show. He was never put through his paces in a no-holds-barred street fight. One thing is certain, it would be a fantastic fight. If weapons were added to the mix, we might give a slight edge to Jet Li. However, in a regular martial arts combat, Bruce Lee’s speed, experience and toughness come out on top 6 times out of 10.

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So, given all of that, Jet li, I apologize. You’re a fantastic martial artist but Bruce Lee could definitely knock you out with a one inch punch. However, don’t get disheartened. According to Black Belt Mag, even Chuck Norris, a legitimate and borderline unstoppable fighter who newly personally inspired with him, extols the Jeet Kune Do master’s ability and becomes weirdly evasive and philosophical when asked which one of them would win in a battle.

This was all about Bruce Lee versus Jet Li. What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comment box below and if you like this video, don’t forget to give us a thumbs up and subscribe to our channel too. Make sure you share it with your friends before calling it a day.




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