Andre the Giant vs. Bruce Lee

[Powerboy]

Andre and the many promoters who worked with him were notorious about exaggerating his size.

It's also why he didn't like working with other 'giant' wrestlers.

There are also photos of him at various ages in airports and auditoriums, such as standing under a ceiling that the height has been measured and he's standing under it.

In France, I think he started out being billed as 7 feet. He got a little more popular and he was 7'1. A while later, he was 7'2 then 7'3. He came to Canada and was 7'4. He was even 7'5 for a while but it didn't catch on.

Most "wrestling scholars" based on meeting him when he was young or having photos from that era with landmarks to compare him to estimate he was between 6'10" and 6'11", probably closer to 6'11". On his death certificate, he was listed as 6'9" but that was likely due to the spinal curvature he suffered in later life.

[Sharpandpointies]

Bruce Lee was literally a man of ahead of his time in terms of martial arts, combining various aspects of numerous martial arts together in terms of practicality, effectiveness, and style. He didn't ONLY practice the moves, but he also weight lifted and exorcised on the side. I highly advise looking up some of his stuff.

And his actual, recorded fights are somewhat thin. And the one famous fight he has is suspect, given the multiple different versions of the story that came out from witnesses.

And a lot of the things people say about him are utter crap; it's amazing hearing people say with a straight face that Lee could cross a room and pluck a coin out of someone's hand before they could close their fingers. Or that he kicked 200+lbs heavy bags so hard they flew up and hit the ceiling, when there are home movies of him kicking heavy bags much, much lighter than that and not accomplishing nearly that much.

[Jackalope89]

I don't know about some of those claims, but some of the footage out there, his speed is actually really impressive. By any standard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QDOr2oxoYs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdnGg72L2Oo

[big_adventure]

I don't know about some of those claims, but some of the footage out there, his speed is actually really impressive. By any standard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QDOr2oxoYs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdnGg72L2Oo

Those inanimate boards and those people being paid to stand still while he waves his hands around them definitely can't match his speed, that's true.

Lee was fun, and entertaining, and AN ACTOR. He was not a fighter. He never fought. He would have had his ass throughly handed to him by any actual fighter in his weight class in his day, and he knew it, it's why he never, you know, fought anyone.

[Nik Hasta]

A bunch of those clips are from his movies.

You know, things that aren't real.

[Cyke]

Whenever a match-up like this pops up, I'm always reminded of Jet Li's behind-the-scenes interviews, which tend to boil down to this: "Sure, in the movie, I'm supposed to beat up this big guy, or six big guys at once. But in real life? Against just one of them? Who isn't just a stuntman but also happens to be an MMA fighter in real life? Oh no."

It's going to be the Red Viper vs. the Mountain all over again, this time without the stabby weapons, and therefore ending much faster.

[Kuro]

And his actual, recorded fights are somewhat thin. And the one famous fight he has is suspect, given the multiple different versions of the story that came out from witnesses.

And a lot of the things people say about him are utter crap; it's amazing hearing people say with a straight face that Lee could cross a room and pluck a coin out of someone's hand before they could close their fingers. Or that he kicked 200+lbs heavy bags so hard they flew up and hit the ceiling, when there are home movies of him kicking heavy bags much, much lighter than that and not accomplishing nearly that much.

Bruce Lee couldn't do the coin thing, but Van Damme sure can!

[master of read]

Bruce Lee couldn't do the coin thing, but Van Damme sure can!

yes. van damme. and not frank dux.

[Kuro]

yes. van damme. and not frank dux.

Frank Dux is a real life figure and this movie accurately depicts everything that happened in the Kumite. Including the split roundhouse kicks. And fighting blind. And the death touch. And Geese Howard.

[Powerboy]

Frank Dux is a real life figure and this movie accurately depicts everything that happened in the Kumite. Including the split roundhouse kicks. And fighting blind. And the death touch. And Geese Howard.

I think I saw that movie after I had been in martial arts for a while. I was still in the color belts but knew enough that this looked silly. Most of the time, both Van Damme and his opponent do one move and then just stop, be it a punch, a kick or whatever. Not that I'm so nitpicky that it ruins the movie for me but I'm just saying.

[Kuro]

Bloodsport was never about martial arts, dude. It was about one of Stan Bush's greatest songs.

[master of read]

I think I saw that movie after I had been in martial arts for a while. I was still in the color belts but knew enough that this looked silly. Most of the time, both Van Damme and his opponent do one move and then just stop, be it a punch, a kick or whatever. Not that I'm so nitpicky that it ruins the movie for me but I'm just saying.

its a good movie. just so long as you totally ignore the whole "based on a true story" bits.

[Powerboy]

its a good movie. just so long as you totally ignore the whole "based on a true story" bits.

Yes I remember Dux saying that he did get momentarily blinded by the sweat from his opponent hitting his eyes and the liniment on his opponent's hands but that it was an accident and that, had his opponent really thrown powder into his eyes, he would have been instantly disqualified as this isn't professional wrestling.

I remember the movie being pretty good as long as you accept that Van Damme either has very little real martial arts experience or that the fight choreographer sucked.

And I say this as someone who is okay with these CW fights. But this one move and stop stuff in Bloodsport, to me, was even more obvious and worse.

[master of read]

Yes I remember Dux saying that he did get momentarily blinded by the sweat from his opponent hitting his eyes and the liniment on his opponent's hands but that it was an accident and that, had his opponent really thrown powder into his eyes, he would have been instantly disqualified as this isn't professional wrestling.

I remember the movie being pretty good as long as you accept that Van Damme either has very little real martial arts experience or that the fight choreographer sucked.

And I say this as someone who is okay with these CW fights. But this one move and stop stuff in Bloodsport, to me, was even more obvious and worse.

frank also said he set the record for most KOs in a single kumite at 52. now, if this tournament was single-elimination, that number is IMPOSSIBLE!

[Kuro]

Yes I remember Dux saying that he did get momentarily blinded by the sweat from his opponent hitting his eyes and the liniment on his opponent's hands but that it was an accident and that, had his opponent really thrown powder into his eyes, he would have been instantly disqualified as this isn't professional wrestling.

I remember the movie being pretty good as long as you accept that Van Damme either has very little real martial arts experience or that the fight choreographer sucked.

And I say this as someone who is okay with these CW fights. But this one move and stop stuff in Bloodsport, to me, was even more obvious and worse.

Nonsense.

One day, you will reach the level of martial arts mastery where your opponent stands as still as a tree as you execute a 5 minute kick.