Bruce Lee is NOT the "Father of MMA"
In 2004, UFC President Dana White made a comment that he still has people talking. He said the late Bruce Lee is the “Father of MMA”. In this article, I will lay out the reasons why I do not agree with this statement and also give my opinion on the real “Father of MMA”.
“Actually, the father of mixed martial arts, so to speak, was Bruce Lee. If you look at the way Bruce Lee trained, the way he fought, and a lot of the things he wrote, he said the perfect style wasn’t style. You get something out of everything. You get the good stuff out of each different discipline, you use what works and you throw away the rest. “ (1) Dana White, 2004
Let’s first look at some of the reasons given for Bruce Lee receiving the title “Father of MMA.”
- I believed that you should free yourself from the traps of any martial arts style.
- I thought you had to be a complete fighter.
- According to his daughter, Shannon, he was the first to say that the best style is “no style.” (two)
- His training mirrored the above while he was still alive.
These are compelling points. And I have to say that I had to reconsider my position after delving into this article.
Before continuing, we need to clarify some of the terms we use here. Although the following may not be official definitions, I think they will serve us well for this review.
MMA- “Mixed Martial Arts”
This term has come to mean the most popular sport we enjoy today. This would include organizations like the UFC “Ultimate Fighting Championship”, WEC “World Extreme Cagefighting” (now involved in the UFC), Bodog Fight (now defunct), Bellator Fighting, etc.
While the term can mean almost anything, its popular meaning is more towards the unified rules that are observed by most state athletic commissions.
NHB- “No restrictions”
This term is almost synonymous with “MMA”, although it could be considered a more extreme version with fewer rules.
Ok Tudo
This term is more popular in Brazil, where the Gracie family forged their fighting system. It means “anything goes”, but it often still has rules.
Using the term “MMA” with the definition above, Dana White makes a compelling argument.
If you think of this in terms of “styles,” then today’s MMA fighter is more related to what Bruce Lee described and practiced than it is to the unique style artists of the past. Just look at the first few CFUs like I, II and III. Those were the “good old days” of the vs. style and more similar to the definitions of “NHB” or “Vale Tudo” than to MMA.
Today’s MMA fighters have to be more “complete”. They may not be masters in all aspects of the fighting game, but they must be able to handle all ranks.
I think a perfect example of this is someone like Georges Ste. Pierre (GSP). Georges started in Kyokushin karate. (3) But look at it now. He is one of the most complete fighters in MMA today. It would be difficult to find a weakness in his game. And if he meets someone better than him in a certain area, he changes his game plan so that this area is difficult to exploit.
There is evidence that Bruce Lee followed a similar path in his own training. Rather than trying to beat someone at their own game, you’d try to exploit the weaknesses of a particular individual strategy, attack, or style.
Woof! Pretty convincing so far, right?
Now let’s look at some reasons AGAINST Bruce Lee receiving this title.
- Bruce Lee was not the first person to train in martial arts.
- Jeet Kune Do is not a sport and Bruce Lee was never in favor of creating a new sport.
- Bruce Lee never competed. (Except for a boxing match in his youth).
- There is not a shred of evidence that Bruce Lee or JKD have in any way influenced modern MMA.
- MMA would have happened independently of Bruce Lee.
All you need to do is look at the Greek martial art of Pankration to see that cross training has been with us for a long time. First introduced in the Greek Olympic Games in 648 BC. C., this art included striking, joint locks and grasping techniques. (4)
Another curious point is that Bruce Lee did not advocate sports wrestling. If you didn’t compete or train to compete, how could you be the father of a sport?
Yes, he trained some competitive sports fighters of his day, such as Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, and Mike Stone. But these guys were already sports fighters. So this would appear to be a null point.
I haven’t found a shred of evidence that Bruce Lee or JKD influenced modern MMA in any way. Yes, there are occasional wrestlers who have trained at JKD, or who pay tribute to Bruce Lee. But I’m willing to bet there are hundreds of MMA fighters who don’t even know who Bruce Lee was or know anything when it comes to his training, philosophy, etc.
While there is evidence that JKD Concepts trained similarly to MMA, there doesn’t seem to be much support that they actually influenced any of the major fighters or training grounds today. (Of course, there are always exceptions. I’m talking about a general influence on the sport of MMA).
But the most important question is this …
“Would MMA have happened without Bruce Lee?”
My answer to this is a resounding “Yes!”
Helio Gracie as “Father of MMA”.
In my opinion, the nickname “Father of MMA” is more appropriate for the late Helio Gracie. These are some of the reasons why I feel this way.
- Helio was facing everyone who had arrived since 1931. (5)
- He passed on this tradition of the “defiance match” to his children.
- The UFC was originally started by his son, Rorion, to continue this tradition and bring it to the US.
- If it weren’t for Helio, the UFC and the sport of MMA might never have been.
Now I realize that Helio’s goal was to show the superiority of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. And in this, it goes against the “mixed” part of MMA.
But the inescapable truth of this is that if it weren’t for Helio, the UFC probably would never have come to light. At first it was an exhibition to show the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu style. But it has grown to be more than that now.
As a parent, you want your child to exceed his capabilities. The UFC “kid” has done this in abundance.
In writing this article, I have come to appreciate the idea of naming Bruce Lee the “Father of MMA.” I can see some valid arguments up to this point.
But I contend that Helio Gracie is a more appropriate option.
After reviewing all the pros and cons, I think it boils down to this question:
“Would the sport of MMA be where it is today without Bruce Lee?”
And then ask this question:
“Would the sport of MMA be where it is today without Helio Gracie?”
Answer these questions honestly.
Trust me, I want to give Bruce Lee all the credit in the world and all the publicity he deserves. But I can’t give you credit in this case. I’d love to say, “Bruce Lee IS the father of MMA.” But I can’t do that with a good conscience.
Bruce Lee deserves so much praise and appreciation for the many things he did and has given us. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t have gotten into martial arts, as I’m sure many of you can relate to.
But let’s give credit to whom the credit is due. I feel like it takes a long time to give him the title “Father of MMA”. Sorry Dana!
Kip brockett
http://www.JKD101.com
(c) 2011 Kip Brockett All rights reserved
1 Wickert, Marc. 2004. Dana White and the future of the UFC. fighttimes.com
2 Lee, Shannon. 2010. Bruce Lee: Father of MMA? youtube.com
3 Pollard, Edward. 2006. Exclusive interview with Georges St. Pierre. blackbeltmag.org
4 Wikipedia. Pankration. wikipedia.org
5 Gracie Academy. A tradition of excellence. gracieacademy.com
