Bottom line is this. Martial Arts “existed” hundreds of years before Lee, but it was Lee who made it known in every corner of the planet. Noboby gave a damn about even Karate which was far more mainstream than anything happening in Brazil. Lee took it global and did it, not only with a few low budget movies from Golden Harvest and ETD, but through tireless promotion of the arts in other forums like books, personal appearances, interviews and training other legends.

Outside of Brazil who even cared about BJJ? The Gracies made BBJ popular in the 90s but Lee’s foundation had already opened the door globally. Imagine the gracie’s bring BBJ to American without Lee’s influence. It would have fizzled. Karate had been in America for decades, nobody cared until Bruce Lee.

Lee trained with Labell and have a young Labell cleaning any Gracies clock you can name, including Hickson. Funny that with all their challenges, and the fact Labell never turned one down, they never fought.

Can’t do a proper side kick?

If you want to get technical, it started with the ancient greeks with Pankration between around 650 B.C. I think what Eden machine was referring to was the beginning of modern MMA, incorporating multiple styles into a fighters training, not just staying with one disipline. Bruce Lee really was the first to do this sucessfully and actually stirred up some controversy back in the day by doing so.[/quote]

I was more referring to modern age era..thx bringing me back though..I look at the MMA sport..I see what ur saying..but I think him training in different styles and fighting systems to be a complete martial artist is not the point. He never competed in Valetudo/MMa events..(none that I know about).
Maeda and the Gracies even though did little to no cross training..They were and are just Jijitsu fighters..they competed in ValeTudo/MMa events. Just my opinion where everyone is open to disagree..I feel the Gracie Family had a much more significant affect on our modern day concept of MMa than did the legend of Bruce Lee. MMa is because grappling (BJJ)blew up in the 90’s here in the US..Japan..and Europe..but in Brazil they held valetudo events b4 Bruce Lee was born.[/quote]

There’s a reason why Valetudo goes back before Bruce’s birth. The Japanese population in South America is the largest outside of Japan. That said, it’s not surprising to see the influence of Japanese martial arts. Remember, Capoeria was in Brazil centuries before Bruce. Bruce isn’t the first nor the last martial artist. But Bruce did studied vale tudo under Gene Labelle and Wally Jay. Both were Ju Jitsu experts.[/quote]

Nah, mixed martial arts didn’t start in Greece. While there was barbaric combat there, mixed martial arts started centuries before the Greeks even became a society. If anything, the Indians of India taught the Greeks martial arts. Asian citizens have always traveled to different countries studying other martial arts and combats in tournaments have been going in this places way before the Greeks. What is a joke to me i how some try to claim martial arts came from out of Greece. Get real.

If you want to get technical, it started with the ancient greeks with Pankration between around 650 B.C. I think what Eden machine was referring to was the beginning of modern MMA, incorporating multiple styles into a fighters training, not just staying with one disipline. Bruce Lee really was the first to do this sucessfully and actually stirred up some controversy back in the day by doing so.[/quote]

I was more referring to modern age era..thx bringing me back though..I look at the MMA sport..I see what ur saying..but I think him training in different styles and fighting systems to be a complete martial artist is not the point. He never competed in Valetudo/MMa events..(none that I know about).
Maeda and the Gracies even though did little to no cross training..They were and are just Jijitsu fighters..they competed in ValeTudo/MMa events. Just my opinion where everyone is open to disagree..I feel the Gracie Family had a much more significant affect on our modern day concept of MMa than did the legend of Bruce Lee. MMa is because grappling (BJJ)blew up in the 90’s here in the US..Japan..and Europe..but in Brazil they held valetudo events b4 Bruce Lee was born.[/quote]

There’s a reason why Valetudo goes back before Bruce’s birth. The Japanese population in South America is the largest outside of Japan. That said, it’s not surprising to see the influence of Japanese martial arts. Remember, Capoeria was in Brazil centuries before Bruce. Bruce isn’t the first nor the last martial artist. But Bruce did studied vale tudo under Gene Labelle and Wally Jay. Both were Ju Jitsu experts.

And in a fantasy fight, Helio Gracie and probably a few Gracie’s would kick Bruce Lee’s ass anytime of the week :)[/quote]

Seriously, seriously wrong! Bruce was well versed in submissions and grappling, ever hear of a living legend named “Judo” Gene LaBelle? Designed and inovated grappling and submission moves and was a training partner of Bruce Lee’s. What ever the Gracie’s know, Bruce was already 2 moves ahead!

He punched harder than most heavy-weight boxers and with his speed no Gracie on the planet could keep up and their glass jaws wouldn’t last!

Well this match up could of taking place in Japan. Or just a open weight division. but if Bruce is 155/160 I like to see him fight the prodigy.

I dunno. I don’t even know if Bruce was exposed to BJJ, but I don’t think he’d have a problem adding it to his arsenal. The dude was like clay, his fighting style constantly being molded. The thing is Bruce conditioned his body as if it was only made for one purpose: fighting.[/quote]

Rickson Gracie.

And in a fantasy fight, Helio Gracie and probably a few Gracie’s would kick Bruce Lee’s ass anytime of the week