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MadameMarque -> RE: Rate the toughest martial arts stars (5/26/2007 8:55:16 PM)
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Yes, lest we forget (and for those who don't know),
Bruce Lee *trained* Chuck Norris.
Bruce Lee majored in philosophy and at the same time, broke new ground in ancient arts of training the human body, expanding its limits. His writing and interviews are substantive and fascinating.
He broke with convention to make his own path, in various significant ways. He crossed racial barriers in accepting students of all races - and he trained women alongside men. He married interracially, when it was not commonly acceptible to do so. He changed the rules for martial arts competition and training. He was (I believe) the first international cinematic hero of Asian descent, who crossed over to the west.
He developed his own martial arts technique. Then, as his schools for this new technique were prospering, he decided that people were becoming dogmatic about his new style; they were missing his point, which was to react spontaneously and adapt, and to put that ahead of limiting oneself to a series of moves from any one school. So, he shut the schools down.
Not to say that those others aren't tough. As others have pointed out, Brandon Lee should have been included in this list. Tough and elegant in form, he proved one can be both. Jet Li and Jackie Chan each had their own very tough times, in their youth, on top of the considerable inner resources it takes to become the martial artists - and actors, too - that they are (Jackie Chan's a great comedian, and has anyone else noticed - Jet Li can really act.).
Bruce Lee, though - what a spirit! What an inspiration.
"Understanding requires not just a moment of perception, but a continuous awareness, a continuous state of inquiry, without conclusion." - Bruce Lee
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