Bruce Lee's archives with his unique training methods have been published - let's use them! Bruce Lee's training methods
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Most people have their own idols whom they strive to imitate in life. This applies to all areas of human activity, including sports. Bruce Lee continues to be one of these for many. For most of us, this man is an outstanding athlete and martial artist. Not many people know that he was also a writer and teacher. However, today we will talk about how Bruce Lee trained.
Undoubtedly, it was Bruce Lee's training that became the foundation on which his success was built. He became an unsurpassed martial artist only because he worked on his body every day. This outstanding person still has quite a lot of fans today, but they cannot achieve the same heights. This is primarily due to the fact that most of them rely on physical training. At the same time, they completely forget that Bruce Lee actively worked on the mental preparation of his body, and also constantly honed the technique of performing all movements.
Technique is of fundamental importance in all sports. Looking at the photographs of the master, you can immediately notice that Bruce Lee’s training was not primarily aimed at the physical component of the body. He did not have a mountain of muscles, but tried to make them stronger and more resilient. You can achieve great heights only if you devote yourself wholeheartedly to your studies.
The basis of Bruce Lee's training was isometric exercises, working on the abdominal muscles and jogging. Of course, Bruce Lee also worked with weights, using a high-repetition regime, to increase muscle endurance. Bruce Lee himself has repeatedly stated that the basis of a good fighter is a high-quality muscular corset. This is due to the possibility of carrying out a long battle, in which endurance is of utmost importance. That is why he spent a lot of time working on his abs.
How were Bruce Lee's training sessions structured?
We have already said that Bruce Lee paid a lot of attention to isometric training. We will begin our conversation with them about the master’s training program.
Isometric exercises
These are fairly simple exercises, which, if used correctly, are also very effective. The main advantage of isometric training is that you can do it anywhere and you do not need any sports equipment for this.
Of course, your workouts will be even more effective if you use weights. For example, you can take a barbell whose weight exceeds your physical capabilities and try to lift it off the ground. When your muscles are at maximum tension, you should remain in this position for 6-12 seconds. Despite its apparent simplicity, with the help of isometric exercises you can effectively develop muscles.
Strength training
The basis of Bruce Lee's strength training was working with free weights. Here are the movements that the master used:
- Bench presses.
- Work on the abdominal muscles.
- Squats.
- Rotations with a barbell placed on the shoulders.
- Biceps curls.
Bruce Lee's training program
After Bruce Lee's death, a lot of information remained about his training program. We have already said that he paid special attention to cardio exercises and especially running. After a long run, there was a warm-up and sparring. To avoid unnecessary injuries, appropriate protective equipment was used during training battles.
Bruce Lee began his training by practicing punches on a wooden dummy and bags filled with sand. Only after this did sparring with a real opponent begin. It should be noted that the master constantly alternated his classes and this is one of the reasons for his success. To achieve a positive result, you should not focus only on strength training or sparring. It is also necessary to develop endurance, flexibility, agility, etc.
It is very important to never stop there and always keep moving forward. Discipline is very important here. This applies not only to strict adherence to the training schedule, but also to those moments when, in the absence of the necessary sports equipment, it has to be replaced with improvised means. For example, Bruce Lee could perform isometric exercises in such situations.
If we talk about strength training, we can give an approximate training plan for Bruce Lee with a barbell:
- Standing presses - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Biceps presses - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Squats - 2 sets of 12 repetitions each.
- Forward bends - 2 sets of 8 repetitions each.
- Bench presses - 2 sets of 6 repetitions each.
Speed training
What does it mean to hit quickly in wrestling? Is it just the acceleration of the movements of your arms, legs or body? Or are there some other important characteristics of a good wrestler? And what does it mean, in general, to be a good wrestler?
The answer to these questions is as follows: a good wrestler is one who can hit his opponent faster, harder, without visible effort, and thanks to this avoid being hit by the opponent. He not only controls the speed of his movements, but also knows how to not inform the enemy of his intentions, has good coordination, has perfect balance and close attention. And although people are naturally gifted with some of these qualities, most of them are developed only through hard training.
However, all the strength developed through training will be wasted if you are slow and cannot make a quick grab on your opponent. Strength and speed go hand in hand.
A wrestler needs both of these qualities if he wants to win.
One way to increase the speed of your strike is to jerk your arm or leg a second before making contact with the target. This is the same jerk that is used in other sports, for example, when throwing. If you throw the ball with your hand, a little tug at the end of the swing will give the ball much more speed.
Naturally, a wide swing and jerk will give greater acceleration than a small swing and jerk. When struck with a whip, the jerk is easier to catch: a whip three meters long will have much greater speed and force than a whip half a meter long, with the same jerk by hand.
Hand strike speed
Punching is neither the fastest nor the strongest punch because you cannot use all the movements of the body.
But a punch is exactly the kind of blow that can be used to use a jerk similar to a whip. In addition, this strike maintains more flexibility and freedom of movement in the joint, which rotates in the direction from the thumb to the little finger. This way you can perform a snatch quite well, as shown in Photo 135.
Photo135
The punch is used primarily to hit the opponent's head. Most often it is combined with technical techniques " lop-sao" (hand grip) as shown in photo 136.
The fist should be at shoulder level at the moment of striking, but the blow can also be sudden, executed from any position at the level between the belt and the shoulder. It's hard to block once you develop the ability to hit without telephoning your intentions.
Although some power is lost with this strike, the loss is compensated if you combine the strike with lop-sao techniques. This blow will be very strong, like in a head-on collision between two cars, if you can pull the enemy towards you with a sharp, unexpected jerk and simultaneously strike with your fist.
To develop punching speed, light a candle and try to extinguish it with a quick punch. You can do another exercise: you throw a blow, controlling it, into your partner’s face, and he tries to block this blow. If he fails to block it, you should be able to stop your hand at least an inch from his face.
Lee also used special equipment for training. It was a board on a spring, covered with linen and leather, located at head level (look at photo 137).
Punching with the outstretched fingers of the leading hand is the fastest punch. It instantly reaches the target, as it is applied from a short distance. This is the strike with the greatest possible reach because the fingers are not clenched into a fist, but extended, which lengthens the arm by several centimeters (see photos 138 and 139).
Photo 138, 139
Force is not needed here, since the target of the blow is the enemy's eyes.
With this strike, the most important elements are accuracy and speed. A piercing blow is a dangerous weapon, because it can cause serious damage, and it is very difficult to defend against it.
To avoid damaging your fingers when striking, if you suddenly miss and hit your opponent’s head, learn to hold them correctly. Press your fingertips together as shown in Photo 140 so that your long fingers are slightly bent and your thumb is bent inward. The hand should resemble the tip of a spear.
You have to practice a lot to develop speed when hitting with your outstretched fingers. Speed depends on the economy of movement, and this stroke provides good opportunities for experimentation. Like all strikes in DKD, it must be thrown forward without prior preparation. So the snake strikes its prey without warning.
The more time you spend practicing your shots, the more speed you will achieve. During training, use a piece of paper as a target for striking.
The thick leather tape shown in photo 141 is also very good for strengthening the fingers.
Photo 141
In addition, use a sheathed board with springs (photo 142). It is quite hard, but still bends when hit, and therefore you will not damage your fingers.
To strengthen your fingers, you must use various combinations of exercises, and this is where the wooden dummy comes in handy (photo 143). It looks almost like a real opponent and has "arms" that can be used to block your strike, so you can clearly mark your strike and test its accuracy.
We have already said that punching with the outstretched fingers of the leading hand is the fastest punch along with punching with the fist of the leading hand. In DKD style, these are the most important strikes and are the main weapon of attack and defense. With these blows you can prevent the enemy from attacking or even stop him.
Although we talked about punching with the leading hand in the chapter “Exercises for Developing Strength,” strength is not the main characteristic of this punch. In fact, this blow can be called a "fast" punch. Like a punch with the outstretched fingers of the leading hand, this punch is only on its way to the target for a short time (Photos 144–146) because the arm is already extended to some extent before the blow begins.
In addition to speed, a punch is also the most accurate, because it is delivered straight forward from a short distance and does not threaten loss of balance. It is difficult to block, just like a finger strike, especially if you perform it in a fast and continuous movement. In addition, this blow can be performed faster while in motion than at rest. Like the outstretched finger strike, it poses a great danger to the opponent and can therefore be reserved for defense.
By jerking your hand before making contact with the target, you will add more force to the strike. Let your hand be relaxed, clench your fist only at the moment of touching the target. To put impact and explosiveness into play, use the "flow" of energy we've already talked about.
Punching with your dominant hand is not in itself the end of your action, but is a means to an end. This kick does not have the power to knock an opponent unconscious, but it is the main weapon of a JKD wrestler, and is most often used in combination with other punches or kicks.
The punch with your lead hand is thrown from a guard position and the point of contact with the target should be in line with your shoulder, as seen in photos 147-149.
If your opponent is short, bend your knees so that your shoulder is level with the punch. If your opponent is tall, stand on your tiptoes.
Later, when you become more proficient, you should be able to strike from any position your hand happens to be in, without any additional movement. But for the strike to be effective, you must maintain balance during the strike.
A strike is performed in a completely different way in the classical style of Chinese boxing or karate. In photographs 150–152, the blow is delivered from a position where the arms are pressed to the sides, the hand clenched into a fist is at waist level. This is impractical because most of the body is exposed to enemy attack.
In the previous chapter, we already described that the lead hand will have more power if you use body rotation and other elements of the power strike. But sometimes these techniques can give away your intentions to the enemy, and it is worth sacrificing strength for the gain in speed. It all depends on the enemy. If he is slow and clumsy, you can use a power punch and hit him. However, if your opponent is fast, you may want to focus on punch speed rather than power. Among the best props for developing speed and accuracy in punching is the old-fashioned boxing punching ball shown in Plate 153.
The ball is attached to the floor with a rubber rope and the strap should be at the level of your shoulders. To use this ball correctly, you must have quick hand movements.
You have to hit the ball very accurately so that it can bounce right in front of you and have perfect timing to hit it again.
First, hit the ball with both hands, place your feet shoulder-width apart, feet parallel to each other. The ball should be struck along a line that mentally connects the tip of your nose to the middle of the ball. You need to put as much force into hitting the ball as possible because it won't come back as quickly if you just push it. But when you become good at punching, you should stand in a guard position and combine a series of punches and elbow strikes.
First, hit the ball with your fist, then block the returning ball or hit it with your elbow or forearm, as shown in Photo 154.
You cannot hit the ball while standing in the classic position with your hand pressed to your side, because you will not be able to react quickly enough after the first hit. The ball will hit you in the face, and you will not be able to protect yourself from this blow.
The striking gloves shown in photo 155 are very good for training speed and heavy punching, for kicking and various punching combinations. You can train with one or two gloves.
Photos 156,157 show Lee practicing an explosive lead hand strike with one glove. One glove is also good for developing punching speed. Have your partner hold the glove and, as soon as you try to hit it, quickly raise it up or down so that you miss. Try to guess his movements and still hit the glove.
In Photos 158-160, Lee begins the attack with his right lead hand, followed by a left hand strike to the other glove. Your partner will help you develop speed, ability to hit the target and maintain coordination by moving, because there will be two moving targets in front of you.
If you hit with full force all the time, you sacrifice speed. Even when you hit a heavy bag like in photo 161,162, you can hit with a combination of power and speed.
Use your lead hand primarily for speed and your left hand for power. From time to time, you can use both hands to throw power punches as you approach the bag and throw a series of punches in a "close fight."
And a wooden dummy can be used for exercises that develop the speed of striking, as well as combinations of strikes and blocks, as shown in photographs 163,164.
Anyone who has not previously practiced punches on a wooden dummy should be careful not to get hurt if their fists are not sufficiently trained.
Lead punches are very similar to lead punches, but have less force. Introductory blows are used to clarify the situation at the beginning of a sports competition or at the beginning of a fight between insidious opponents. The introductory blow is carried out in order to see the reaction of the enemy; when two equally experienced and skillful wrestlers meet, it happens that throughout the fight they use introductory blows.
The opening punch is often found in boxing, but in the JKD style the most commonly used punch is the lead punch. In terms of execution technique, both strikes are very similar: fast, accurate, short, during the strike the body is in balance, and both strikes are difficult to block.
During an attack, the opening blow is used to knock the opponent off balance and create the conditions for a strong blow. In defense, this blow is used to stop an attack. For example, you can get ahead of your opponent by hitting him quickly in the face with an opening punch while he's preparing for a big punch.
This blow can be used to keep the enemy at a distance and thus prevent him from fighting at close range.
The opening blow is most often applied to the face, because it does not have enough force and cannot harm the enemy if applied to the body. This is a weak blow, but it is very good for tactical combat. It is applied with a relaxed hand, making a jerk at the moment before touching the target.
An excellent children's game can serve as a very good exercise for developing speed. Extend your arm in front of you and open your palm. The thumb is turned up and the little finger is turned down.
Your partner also holds his hands and tries to hit you on the palm, and you, avoiding this, quickly pull your hand up or towards you, trying to prevent your partner from hitting you. When the enemy hits you, switch roles.
A blow that does not “telephone”
Bruce Lee took one of the most important elements that characterizes the JKD style and distinguishes it from the classical styles of kong fu and boxing from fencing - a blow that does not “telephone.” From fencing he took the principle of leg and arm movement, as well as fast punches, wrist strikes and opening strikes that are almost unblockable.
This principle consists of performing your strikes without any external signs that could warn ("telephone," as wrestlers say) the opponent about your intentions: shrugging your shoulders, moving your legs or body. If the enemy notices that you are preparing a strike, he will have time to dodge or block it. If he realizes your intentions too late, he will not only be unable to block the blow, but also to strike back with a counterattack. The moment you move your arm back after throwing a punch, your body moves forward. This is the movement of a fencer.
If, while striking, you simultaneously make at least some movements, you are already warning your opponent of your intentions. The secret to a punch that doesn't telephonicate your intentions is to keep your body and arms relaxed and make only "soft" movements. Dash with a relaxed arm and clench your fist just a second before making contact with the target. You should maintain a poker player's expression while you look at your opponent. Even a small movement on your face can give away your plans and alert your opponent.
Lee was so good at performing lightning strikes that it was difficult to find volunteers to compete with him in tournaments. Even champions were afraid to perform with him because they knew about the art of his hands. In photographs 165, 166 he demonstrates his speed skills while performing with a karate master. This wrestler failed to block a single punch in eight attempts, even when Lee told him in advance where he intended to throw the punch.
Lee was successful not only because of his really fast hand movements, but also because of other impeccable movements that he did not “telephone” his attack.
Practice this type of kick while kicking your legs at the same time (see chapter on footwork). Practice the wrist strike first, then the outstretched finger strike, then the dominant fist.
Hit the air first and then hit the paper target later.
Then practice with a partner who has a hitting glove. As with speed drills, have your partner move the glove as you hit and try to keep you from hitting it.
The second exercise that you can include in your training is the clapping game. Stand opposite your partner at arm's length. The partner holds his hands at shoulder level with his palms facing each other. Try hitting him in the face or to the body between his hands before he slams them down.
If you are faster than your partner, let him reduce the distance between his palms. You might as well stand a little further away from him. But before you start this exercise, be sure that you can control your strikes so as not to injure your partner. You must stop the blow a centimeter from his face.
Test it this way: stand opposite your partner and slowly throw a punch, stopping it a few centimeters from your partner's face.
Gradually increase the speed of the strike and decrease the distance to your partner's face. Your partner should only feel the air flow and, while you practice, learn not to squint when he sees your fist in his face.
Kick speed
The most important kicks in the DKD style are the side kick and the round kick. The side kick is used when a quick and powerful strike is needed, while the round kick is used more only when speed is required. Most DKD style kicks are thrown with the lead leg, as this reduces the distance to the opponent.
The circular blow hits the opponent mainly from the waist to the head. This blow is especially useful if you hit your opponent in the ribs or under the arms, as shown in photo 167.
As we said in the previous chapter, the leg is stronger than the arm, and a quick kick, such as a round kick, is powerful enough to disable an opponent.
The round kick is harder to learn than the side kick because it is more difficult to execute. This blow easily throws you off balance, especially if it is “high,” that is, delivered to the upper part of the body.
Get into the defensive position as in photo 168.
Raise the knee of your leading leg until it is parallel to the floor, as in Photo 169.
The leg should hang freely above the floor at an angle of 45°. The center of gravity, of course, should be transferred to the left leg, the knee of this leg is slightly bent, and the body is tilted forward. Pivot then on the front of your foot and automatically turn around. Drive your lead leg out from the knee while straightening your standing leg as shown in Photos 170 and 171.
The circular kick is delivered in a single motion as your foot leaves the floor. The eyes must constantly study the target, and you must strike as if “through” it. The leg, like the hand when striking with a fist, must make a jerk a second before touching the target.
One of the mistakes that beginner athletes make is leaning forward too much and the circular kick breaks into two parts.
After a beginner lifts his knee, he will often swing his leg back before throwing a punch. Look at the picture that shows the movement of the leg.
Incorrect movement slows down the blow, weakening it, because it makes it impossible to use the power of the leg swing and body rotation, as Lee shows in photos 172-175.
The round kick is usually delivered after a quick forward movement. From the guard position (Photo 176), step forward 10 cm as in Photo 177, then slide your left foot forward (Photo 178).
A second before your left foot touches your right, lift your lead foot and kick as shown in Photo 179.
Sometimes the enemy will get too close to you and such a blow will become impossible. In this case, take half a step back and strike from the guard position, as in photo 180, with your left foot quickly sliding forward (photo 181).
Before the opponent reacts, you must strike to the side, as you see in photo 182. It must be one single movement - without pause or hesitation.
Sometimes it may happen that you do not find yourself in any of the situations described. You may be too close to your opponent or too far away to immediately initiate a strike, as in Plate 181. When you are in this position, throw yourself forward (Plate 183) before striking.
Although the circular blow is usually applied high, it can be applied to the groin (photo 184,185).
It depends on your position relative to the enemy's position.
To practice circle kicking, use a paper target. From a guard position, strike the hanging piece of paper without taking any steps. Once you feel the impact and maintain your balance, you can perform the entire kick. Watch for the jerk of your leg when touching the target.
Gradually you can move on to solid objects, such as a light bag (Photo 186) and a heavy bag.
For combination exercises where you throw punches and kicks, use a wooden dummy like in photo 187.
When you automatically perform a circular kick, start practicing with a moving target, which is the kicking glove. Train with one glove first and later with two gloves to train both legs.
Most often, the circular kick is performed with the top of the foot, but kicks can also be performed with other parts: the forefoot, big toe, or shin. If you train barefoot, avoid hitting your big toe.
We have already said that, as a rule, strong blows are slower than light ones. However, the side kick, which is the strongest, is also very fast. It usually hits the opponent's knee or shin (Plates 188 and 189), and can be as fast as a round kick.
Bruce Lee threw low side kicks almost as quickly as he punched with his lead hand. It was interesting to watch him run after his opponent, falling backwards, completely thrown off balance.
To develop a quick side kick, get into a guard position and imagine your opponent's lead leg is in front of you. Consider the face of an imaginary opponent and strike a series of blows to the side in a downward direction. The goal of this exercise is to kick hard, but at the same time extremely quickly, and perform a jerk at the moment of impact. For a low kick to the side, you can also use the wooden dummy shown in photo 190; this prop is also convenient for exercises consisting of a combination of punches and kicks.
There is another quick forward kick - this is a groin kick.
It is performed almost exactly like a round kick. Only the direction of movement of the leg changes: the leg moves not obliquely towards the opponent’s side, but upwards.
If here you also use the side turn of the body, which we talked about in the chapter on exercises for developing strength, you will receive a blow much stronger than with a circular kick.
The DKD-style forward kick is not used often because the guard position limits its ability to execute it. However, it is a very good weapon against many wrestlers who do not protect their lower body enough.
Although this kick can be performed with the front of the foot or the toes, the top of the foot and shin are most commonly used. With these parts, the forward kick can be performed much more accurately. The leg moves up between the opponent's legs, as shown in photo 191,192. As you can see, it's almost impossible to miss here.
In sparring you will very rarely have the opportunity to use this punch. For example, after you have avoided an attack, you can use a technique so that the enemy turns his back to you, as shown in photos 193 and 194.
In daily training, you can practice this blow on a heavy bag. Dummies or light bags hanging from slings can serve as an excellent device for practicing striking at auxiliary targets. And a striking glove can be used if the partner holds it with the palm facing down. The wooden dummy shown in photo 195 is practical for practicing punch combinations, but do not try to hit it too hard as you may injure your leg.
Ability to sense attack
Some athletes have a wide field of vision, much larger than others. For example, there are basketball players who always know which teammate is best to pass the ball to, or football players who accurately choose the only opportunity to score a goal. Some experts believe that the unusually high level of visual field in such athletes is innate. But they also agree that the field of vision can be expanded with constant training.
If you are fighting against one opponent, then you no longer need a large field of view. But if you are surrounded by neocalco attackers, then “seeing” the situation is simply necessary and important for you.
To develop peripheral vision, direct your gaze to distant buildings: a tall building or pillar. You must adjust your gaze so that the subject appears sharp and the surrounding objects appear dull. You should follow every movement out of the corner of your eyes.
During training, work with three or more partners and try to keep them at a great distance from each other. With your eyes, follow the partner who is standing in the middle, but you should see all the partners. As soon as one of them makes any movement, call his name.
When you are fighting with one opponent, fix your gaze on his eyes, but watch all his movements, as shown in photo 196.
Your field of vision becomes wider if you look into the distance, but if you focus your gaze on a nearby object, your field of vision decreases. When you are fighting against one opponent, it is harder to watch his hands because, although they are closer to your eyes than your feet, the hands move faster.
One famous expert in the art of wrestling was amazed at the quick reaction of Bruce Lee's arms and legs. Lee always struck a second before his opponent. Those who saw him for the first time thought that he had some kind of special instinct or sixth sense with which he read the thoughts of the enemy. It was very difficult to fight with a person who always reacted faster than you could blink an eye.
The secret of Lee's quick reaction lay in his highly developed ability to sense an attack, which he developed over the years. It organically complemented the brilliant mastery of the technique of working the arms and legs. In other words, the speed of your strike does not guarantee that it will reach your opponent before he hits you. But by developing the ability to sense attack, you greatly increase your chances of being faster.
How to develop the ability to sense an attack? One way is to be aware of who you are around. Learn to react quickly. For example, while in a restaurant or at a stadium, choose one person and watch her movements. As soon as this person makes a movement with his hands, imagine that he is striking you. Gradually speed up your reaction and try to anticipate and guess his movements.
If you have a dog, train this ability with him.
Hold the rag in front of the dog and as soon as he jumps up to grab it, say “uh” or some other similar exclamation and at the same time remove the rag so that the dog does not grab it. At first, hold the rag high, but once you are able to quickly remove the rag, lower it lower. You will be surprised how quickly this simple exercise will develop your reaction time.
If you do this exercise without shouting and just try to remove the rag so the dog doesn't grab it, you will immediately feel how slow you are to react.
You can train in the same way with a partner.
Hold your striking glove and when he tries to throw a punch, say “whoa” and quickly pull your hand away. And this drill can significantly increase the speed of your punch or kick.
Hello dear readers. I think any of you have at least once watched a film with Bruce Lee and involuntarily admired his unique skill and body relief. And, probably, many asked themselves the question: could I do the same? Well, today I will talk about what Bruce Lee's training looked like and how the exercises he used are applicable to people with less physical fitness.
What do we know about this person? Interestingly, the moment of his birth - between 6 and 8 am on November 27, 1940 - fell on the Year of the Dragon and the Hour of the Dragon in accordance with the Chinese time system. So the popular nickname “Dragon” and the frequent appearance of this word in the titles of the actor’s films is not accidental. By the way, Bruce's childhood name was Li Xiaolong, that is, Li Little Dragon.
The parents were Chinese-born Lee Hoi Chen and Eurasian (half German) Grace Lee. Actually, the fact of birth took place in San Francisco, where at that moment his father, an actor-comedian of the Cantonese Chinese opera, was on tour with his wife.
As an actor, Bruce Lee began his career at the age of three months, he was cast as a baby girl in the film Golden Gate Girl. The next filming took place at the age of six, in the film “The Origin of Humanity.”
Despite his excellent body physics in adulthood, Lee was not very well developed physically as a child and teenager. On the contrary, he was considered frail and weak. He tried to train since childhood, but did not have much success. Active studies began only in 1954, but he became interested not in martial arts, but... in dancing. Yes, yes, he was an excellent cha-cha dancer. He even won the Hong Kong championship in this type of dance at the age of 18. At the same time, he took up boxing, which led to victory in competitions between schools. It was after this that he became interested in kung fu.
Martial arts classes began with the study of Tai Chi Chuan, then Bruce studied the style of Wing Chun (Wing Chun) from the famous Ip Man, mastered the techniques of judo, jiu-jitsu, and boxing. He mainly focused on fighting without weapons, although he also owned them. She worked especially impressively – and effectively – with nunchucks.
Bruce Lee's family and civil life developed quite smoothly. In 1959, he moved to the States to confirm his citizenship by birth. Lived in San Francisco, then in Seattle. He graduated from the Seattle Technical School and entered the University of Washington to study philosophy (not bad, right?) Faculty. It was there that he met his future wife, Linda. They got married in 1964, their son Brandon was born in 1965, and their daughter Shannon was born in 1969.
In the USA, the actor starred in TV series, but not in leading roles, and to ensure financial independence he gave private martial arts lessons. Among his students were many famous people, including basketball player Kerim-Abdul Jabar, with whom Lee later staged an interesting fight scene in the film “Game of Death.”
In 1971, Bruce moved to Hong Kong, where his career as an action star began. The shooting of the first film from the Golden Harvest studio, “Big Boss,” where the actor himself choreographed the action scenes, brought resounding success, cemented by the more budget-friendly “Fist of Fury” and “Return of the Dragon.” During his career, Bruce starred in 36 films, but only in the last five did he play the lead role.
The actor’s death occurred in 1973, he was 33 years old... This happened during the filming of the film “Tower of Death.” Under the new title “Game of Death,” this picture was completed five years after Lee’s death, where two doubles were used instead of him.
Achievements of Bruce Lee
As already mentioned, Lee’s main successes as an actor include fame and solid earnings. At the same time, his films, unique for those times, served to actively popularize martial arts. It was then that he gained a huge number of followers around the world.
The Jeet Kune Do system (“Way of the Leading Fist”), developed by Bruce Lee, based on the principle of outrunning the enemy’s blows, is still considered one of the most promising and effective schools of martial art.
As an athlete and fighter, Lee has achieved impressive success. Among his records:
- Highest impact speed. It was not possible to film them at normal speed (24 frames per second); for battle scenes, technology with 32 frames per second was used. A movement of one meter was recorded in 0.02 seconds.
- Unique endurance. He could hold his legs in a “corner” position on his hands for more than half an hour, and held a 34-kilogram weight in one hand for several seconds.
- Incredible precision of movements - the fighter managed to catch thrown grains of rice with chopsticks;
- The force of the impact - Lee punched his fingers through sealed steel cans of Cola.
- Incomparable strength of the hands and forearms - the actor did push-ups on two fingers and pull-ups on the little finger of one hand.
How Bruce Lee trained
Nowadays the network contains a huge number of scattered and sometimes contradictory materials about the actor’s training methods. Having collected and analyzed the main sources, I identified the following main points.
- It’s wrong to think that Bruce Lee only practiced martial arts. Bodybuilding, fitness, special nutrition systems - all this was in his career as an athlete.
- At the peak of his form, the athlete worked out with a load equal to or greater than his own weight. At the same time, he preferred to practice bodybuilding at home rather than in the gym, having all the necessary arsenal of tools for pumping.
- The training consisted of isometric and static exercises, aerobic exercise and professional training - striking techniques.
- Even on rest days, Lee did not stop exercising, doing strength, speed, and flexibility exercises while reading and watching TV.
Training principles and methods: thoughtful and grueling
Personal notes and videos, photographs taken at different moments in Bruce Lee’s life, his communication with other athletes and journalists allow us to draw conclusions about what the principles and methods of his training were.
- Absorb what is useful and cut off what is useless. These words are attributed to Lee, and although it is unknown whether he actually said this, his style of fighting and training fully supports the phrase. This style can be described as "instinctive".
- Train to fight. Absolutely all of the actor’s activities were aimed at making the body the most perfect, ideally functioning mechanism. Strength training provided the necessary endurance and energy, aerobic training helped improve blood circulation and reaction, combat training helped to hone technique.
- Training every day. As you know, Bruce Lee performed sets and repetitions for speed and flexibility every day, and worked with heavy iron at least three times a week.
- Practicing strikes cannot be impersonal. Lee recommended imagining the most hated person in the place of the punching bag or exercise machine and putting emotions into every blow.
- The training must be progressive.
What colleagues and eyewitnesses say
The person closest to the actor, his wife Linda, claimed that she was amazed by her husband’s ability to perform many activities at the same time (watch boxing, read in between interesting moments and simultaneously perform kicks and pump his biceps with a dumbbell). His fanatical attitude to training, daily “torture” of his body, bringing it to unimaginable perfection was the most significant part of their family life. She reported in her memoirs that Bruce devoted a lot of time to searching for information about new possibilities for improving the body and developing his own training systems, including meditation.
The US wrestling champion noted that Lee, who weighed 40 kilograms less than him, managed to defeat him in arm wrestling, and without visible strain. Bruce's incredible physical strength is also noted by his colleagues John Lewis and John Rea. Herb Jackson, who designed new simulators for him, reported that wooden products broke instantly, and only those reinforced with metal had a chance to last at least a few workouts.
Interestingly, Chuck Norris claimed that Lee did not use kicks above the waist, considering them impractical in martial arts. However, Norris managed to convince him of the effectiveness of such techniques on the screen, after which Lee mastered a full arsenal of high kicks within six months.
Technique and types of exercises
Reconstructing diary entries, eyewitness accounts and photos of Bruce Lee, experts came to the conclusion that he worked using the following physical training techniques:
- Basic exercises in three sets with 15...30 approaches depending on the weight.
- Alternate exercises, they change in each workout.
- Constantly increasing load.
One of the programs for training the abs and leg muscles is shown in the photo.
The table below summarizes the basic principles of operation.
Workouts by day
Another photo from his personal notes:
Regarding combat techniques specifically, I managed to find the following program:
- Punching on Monday/Wednesday/Friday - jab, cross, hook, cross from below, speed training, series. All exercises, except speed ones, are done on a pneumatic bag, punching bag, regular bag and wall pad; speed exercises are done only on a pneumatic bag in the gym or at home.
- Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday kicks - side, side hooks, twist, heel, straight and back.
Records (not complete) for January 1968 report that the following training sessions took place per month: 15 for stretching and punching, 12 for speed, 121 and 129 for twisting (including lifting the torso) and hanging leg raises. , for legs (squats and others) 19, running (including sprints) - 10 hours.
Almost all the exercises were performed at home - sports equipment for this occupied the entire actor’s house, and there were even exercise machines in the garage. Eyewitnesses report that dumbbells and a barbell were available everywhere he spent at least half an hour - even in the office.
How Bruce Lee ate: a balanced diet
All his life, Lee preferred Chinese cuisine, preferring protein dishes, including soy-based ones. Relatives claimed that he avoided flour - he ate only out of politeness, when visiting. The emphasis on protein products was also expressed in a large number of protein shakes, the actor drank them every day: with powdered milk, eggs, bananas, peanut butter, sprouted wheat, brewer's yeast and lecithin. The composition was constantly changing.
Lee adhered to the principle of fractional nutrition - small portions five to six times a day. The diet was accompanied by energy drinks based on ginseng and honey, vitamins and nutritional supplements.
What supplements did Bruce Lee use?
According to his wife and other eyewitnesses, he actively experimented with all synthetic vitamins, mainly groups B, E, C, and constantly consumed rosehip syrup and bee pollen. As mentioned above, ginseng was on the menu every day in the form of drinks, like honey.
Conclusion
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Several generations grew up watching the films of Bruce Lee, a famous martial artist, American and Hong Kong film actor, film director, fight director, producer and screenwriter.
He managed to develop incredible speed, coordination and strength. And the main thing is to popularize eastern martial arts in Western countries. Thanks to this, he became a legend in the world of martial arts, and many of his fans and imitators appeared. More than 30 films have been made around the world about his life and work.
Obviously, the training of such a master was unique. There are several key points in this article. Bruce Lee's physical fitness.
Lee was known for being physically fit and energetic, devoting as much time to training as possible.
Looking for the best workout
After his fight with Wong Chek Man in 1965, Lee changed his approach to martial arts. Lee believed that many fighters do not spend enough time on physical training. Bruce turned everything on fitness elements into your workouts: muscle strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance and flexibility. He tried the techniques of traditional bodybuilding to create larger muscles or mass. However, Bruce was careful enough to assert that mental and spiritual training was fundamental to the success of physical training in martial arts skills. In The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he writes:
Training is a neglected phase of athleticism. Too much time is spent on developing skills and too little on developing individual characteristics. Jeet Kune Do is ultimately not a matter of narrow methods, but of highly developed spirituality and physique.
Bruce Lee Strength Training
Bruce's strength training in Hong Kong in 1965, at the age of 24, focused mainly on hand development. At that time, he performed barbell curls with weights of 70-80 pounds (32-36 kg), for three sets of eight reps, along with other exercises like squats, push-ups, reverse crunches, concentrated crunches, and French presses. He always used 6 to 12 reps. Bruce later weighed about 68 kg. Lee had over 2,500 thousand books in his library; the statement “Strong muscles are big muscles” was challenged by him during training.
Bruce Lee's experiments
Bruce has always experimented with his training to maximize his physical capabilities and push his body to the limits. He used many different routines and exercises that included jump rope, which is very good for bodybuilding.
Lee believed that the abdominal muscles are most important for martial arts, since every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Mioto Yuehara recalls that "Bruce always felt that if your abs weren't developed, then you weren't sparring hard." According to Linda Lee Cadwell, even when not working out, Lee often performed various exercises in his daily life during the day, even while watching TV. “Bruce was a fanatic about abdominal training. He always did crunches, Roman chair exercises, and the corner exercise.
Training routine
Lee was training from 7 to 9 am: abs, flexibility, running and from 11 to 12 he lifted weights and used a bicycle. Bruce typically ran 2 to 6 miles in 15 to 45 minutes, speeding up every 3 to 5 minutes. Lee rode about 10 miles (16 km) in 45 minutes on a stationary bike.
Lee often jumped rope after cycling, doing about 800 jumps. Lee also did exercises to tighten the skin on his fists by sticking his hands in buckets of rocks and gravel. He did over 500 repetitions every day. An article by S. China Post writes: “When the doctor warned him to stop abusing his body, Bruce responded: “The human brain can control everything, even real pain.”
Some physical achievements
- The time of a hand strike from a free position is five hundredths of a second.
- Bruce Lee could hold a 32-kilogram weight with his arm outstretched in front of him for 20 seconds.
- Bruce Lee's punches were so fast that they sometimes couldn't be captured using the 24 frames per second technology that was common at the time, so some scenes had to be shot in 32 frames.
- Bruce Lee could hold his legs in an angle position on his hands for 30 minutes or more.
- Bruce Lee could throw grains of rice into the air and catch them with chopsticks.
- Bruce Lee could pierce an unopened can of cola with his fingers (in those days the tin from which the container was made was much thicker)
- Bruce Lee could do finger push-ups with one hand and also do pull-ups using only his thumb and forefinger to grip the bar.
- To demonstrate his speed, Bruce could replace a 10-cent piece in another person's palm with a 1-cent piece before the other person could squeeze it.
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