I read your book "Unsettled Matters" and I am a former student of the Inosanto Academy and trained under Yorinaga Nakamura. (Yori once told me that you trained with him.) I am very fascinated with the whole Bruce Lee phenomena and there are lots of important lessons about life that can be learned from studying Bruce Lee. We learn how incredible he was, and, how far from perfect he was. When training in martial arts, Bruce always stressed to take what is useful and discard the rest. I apply that same principle when learning about Bruce Lee. I take what is positive and useful to me in my life and discard the rest. I did not know that you knew Bruce Lee personally and I am so glad I found your TH-cam channel.
I have learned from experience that we can learn as much from the positive things people do in their lives as we can from the negative things they do. As an aside, I do not recall training under Yorinaga Nakamura). Thanks for your post.
@@TomBleecker Please forgive me Mr. Bleecker. It has been over 27 years since I was at the Inosanto Academy and my memory, like the rest of my body, is showing signs of age. The more I think about it, I believe Yorinaga Nakamura said that it was Guru Dan that you had some association with (not him). I hate when I erroneously misrepresent what someone else has told me. The error was mine, not Mr. Yorinaga's. I apologize.
@@derekmitchell1738 No apology necessary. You and I are in the same aging boat. My association with Dan Inosanto is that we are both black belts under Ed Parker. Although Dan received his black belt a year or so before I received mine, my instruction in Kenpo was primarily under Ed Parker. Thanks for you post.
@@TomBleecker I heard a middle-aged evangelist from South Africa once say about the slipping memory of the aged, that in his country they call it the 'olderdoms' or 'elderdoms'...something like that.
I accepted Bruce the way he was,and that has not changed,this is what made Bruce so unique,it is the truth that defines your character not the hearsay and conclusions.
Used to eat at Rainbow Acres Health Food store on Washington Blvd in Marina Del Rey and ran into Dan Inasanto several times because his school was around the corner. Brilliant man.
Thank you Tom for your stories. I get exhausted with many documentaries on Bruce and it’s the same stories and words I have seen on other docs. But I’ve never heard of these and that’s what I find so interesting. He was something wasn’t he.
Great Job, Tom. Bruce was a natural showman he felt very comfortable in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Ryan was a terrific actor. Love Story was my first introduction to Ryan.
Bob Bremer said Bruce also had him hold the focus mitt in that horizontal position at head height. Bruce kicked it with an inside crescent kick. Bob said he almost ripped his arm off. He postulated that the kick probably would break someones neck or kill them from the head trauma! Bruce was a ridiculous powerhouse.
Bruce really understood snap and retraction . To whip and pop that target and pullback leaving the shock in the target. Thats how he sidekicked those boards with only one hand and eventually two finger support. Its VERY difficult to snap a board that has no support.
Tom, I don't know you. But you appear to me to be sincere and believable. I have watched/listened to a few of your videos so far, and I have enjoyed them. I appreciate your candor relating your memories and stories of Bruce Lee. I'll be watching them all.
No one's sidekick is/was unblockable, even the best kickers like Superfoot Wallace. No one in the martial arts or boxing has ever been undefeatable. Bruce was certainly good, but so were many others in that era.
@@mtolivesecurityshipping5455 Just because Bruce elected to not compete in tournaments doesn't mean he wasn't a proven fighter elsewhere. His not competing in tournaments only mean he wasn't a proven tournament fighter. Those who sparred with Bruce (myself included) have clearly attested that Bruce was a consummate fighter.
@@TomBleecker Tom, he had a few street fights like the rest of use. I think he would have handled many of the so-called-masters easily in his time; but against the top level champions in Greco Roman wrestling, judo, muay thai and jujitsu. Not gonna happen, Sir.
@@mtolivesecurityshipping5455 If you're talking about the masters who never worked out and were elderly and overweight and smoked, I would agree with you. That said, there were many masters who didn't fit into this category with whom Bruce would have had his work cut out. As an aside, it's known that he was no match for Ip Man, who smoked and was frail and elderly, and Bruce fought to a draw with Wong Jack Man. No doubt Bruce was good.
Tom was married to Linda Lee and his book Unsettled Matters was the first book about Bruce Lee that didn't depict Bruce as a god-like figure. It depicted Bruce as both a genius and man with personal demons. It was also the first book to put forth the theory that the cause of Lee's death was his abuse of cortisone. Bleecker received an incredible amount of personal and legal hate for the content in his book, but he was vindicated a few years ago by Dr. Michael Hunter. Dr. Hunter is the star of the television series Autopsy, and he concluded that the cause of Bruce Lee's death was cortisone abuse that led to adrenal crisis resulting in brain edema.
I remember that fiasco many years as a kid when that book came out. NO ONE believed Tom but today...that sure changed and now Everyone is listening to Tom!
Sadly, in the extract of this bio I read, Tom seems to have confused cortisone with anabolic steroids. But I did not read the book. Cortisone is in the steroids family, BUT is has NO anabolic properties what so ever. I know I had to take heavy cortisone doses for my inflammatory bowel disease. It litterally attack and diminishes your muscles mass. I gives you acne, sometimes water retention, and it can cause bad temper. Cotisone benefits is that it is a anti-inflammatory medecine. Bruce most probably used it for his back pain. BUt it does destry the body after long periods of heavy use.
@@francoismorin8721 imagine “abusing” cortisone lol, that shit destroys your body in the long run and doesn’t do any good for your health or body. I was on corticosteroids for most of my life and it shut down my endocrine system when I was younger so I had to have other hormone treatment to restart my endocrine system
@@francoismorin8721 Where have I confused anabolic steroids with cortisone, which is a corticosteroid? In all my writing and in my videos, I have been careful not to mislead anyone by confusing the two. You are correct in stating that corticosteroids do not have the properties of anabolic steroids.
@@TomBleecker Sorry Tom if I have deformed your words in any way. I was actually remembering an article in a Bruce Lee special magazine edition. I believe the 25th year of his death. So it can be two things. One, my memory played tricks on me. Two, the article misquoted you! Now, the magazine is probably stashed somewhere in boxes of my basement. I would have to dig it out! Internet, especially social medias like TH-cam grants us this ability to exchange easily. so I have the chance to verify this with you. The article I read said, If my memory is clear, that you had found vials of steroids still in Bruce Lee's pharmacy cabinet. So maybe this never even happened. Now the article, most probably did not go into details about your understanding of it being medicinal or anabolic. My take on it from what you say is that the author of the article might have been the culprit that did not know the difference between cortisone and anabolic drugs.
One of my teachers, Bob Bremer, said something similar to what Blake Edwards said. He said that Bruce could make you feel like a superman. He said when he told Bruce he wasn't sure if he could beat this or that fighter, Bruce would show him how he could indeed beat that fighter.
@@AztecUnshaven He was Bruce's "gladiator" at the China town school. He sparred everyone who wanted a challenge. The only one of note I know was the Mr. California, black belt guy. Bob said he just replaced step (rear pendulum,) when the guy attacked and then straight blasted him across the room several times. He said Bruce told him he could beat Joe Lewis. Bob said I don't know about that, but Bruce told him how he could do it. Bob actually thought out of all the Karate guys, Mike Stone was the most fearsome.
@@chrisbera7952 Yeah I remember hearing that Mike Stone was a top level killer. Puts into perspective how amazing Bruce was, since Mike Stone gave Bruce huge praise and was the first of the "big three" from Karate to study under him.
Tom! You are so sharp as a tack and so well-spoken. I'm envious of being able to retell accounts and stories so articulately. I recall hearing about the Ryan sidekick demonstration, but I hadn't heard about the taking an angle and the straight blast at Ryan (I dont recall this being in your book.) Taking the angle is something I wanted to see more of in Bruce's sparring demo in Long Beach. I had heard Julie Andrew's witnessing Bruce, but this is the first time hearing about Bruce delivering the full power sidekick to the shield on you. I hadn't heard about Bruce dislocating a guy's arm with a jab, but it makes sense. His power is something this current generation doesn't know much about (seems kids think Bruce was just fast.) Very strong man. Bruce using his two fingers to walk the heckler out of Dan Inosanto's class is a new account to me. This is GOLD. I had also heard from people's interviews, some of Bruce's other demos that we never got real footage of. There's the two-thumb push up, jumping high and kicking cans off the top of ceiling boards on set during break, Bruce leaving a crack/foot imprint in the side of a wall, punching speed ball with ease before they were common, jump kick with elastic resistance bands, lifting 70 lbs with one arm outstretched, flinging and throwing Pat Burleson around using "Chinese arm wrestling," and more. Bruce seemed to be a very lethal but playful showman when it came to his demos. I was wondering are there any more demonstrations that you remember that aren't in any book or interview so far?
@@TomBleecker No problem! Just a big fight fan interested in Bruce's fighting talent! Do you recall seeing other feats of power while working out with him? Not necessarily demonstrations, but maybe something in sparring or on the workout equipment that surprised you? I think there are quite some Bruce haters out there and others who see him as a god. I'm curious about his real self, his fighting approach!
@@voiceoverandmocapguy Unfortunately, I don't have anything more to add in regard to the questions you asked. As an aside, I've found that it's not the Bruce Lee haters who view Bruce as a god but a diminishing number of diehard Bruce Lee fans who became convinced of the marketed "Saint Bruce" image. Thanks for your post.
@@TomBleecker @@TomBleecker Tom you are an absolute gem! We love you over at the bruceleelivestributeforum. (I am solely interested in Bruce's fight skills and not so much about how he died or worshipping him.) Thank you for telling us in your honest words. These youtube videos are a real treat. And yes, I agree ! I dont believe Bruce was invincible nor do I believe he always came out on top in every sparring exchange. (I'm curious about your thoughts on a few of his somewhat known fights/scuffles.) I always say if you're a seeker of the truth, then you have to be prepared to accept that he was not untouchable. What I love is this grey area of a man that Bruce represents. He was no saint (anyone following Bruce for a while shouldnt be surprised about the drug letters.) But he for sure had talent and some real fighting experience. I don't think he was invincible and I do think every man has their limitations. Thank you for your book/s (I still want to see a updated edition!) I remember reading your book in one day. Thanks for sharing your memories and humanizing this very iconic martial arts athlete. The way you tell a story is like we're in the room with you!
@@voiceoverandmocapguy Thank you for your kind words. I'm pleased that you have found these videos worthy of your time. While Bruce wasn't invincible (no fighter is), he surely had an extraordinary talent that Ed Parker stated was one in two billion. Thanks for your post.
Out of all Bruce Lee advocates, saving Jim Kelly, you sir really paid your dues telling these stories to enlighten the public that the Qi/Chi force if harnessed can wreak havoc! ✌️
Wow..the story of Bruce putting his fingers on someone neck and leading him out the door during Dan Inosantos clas was crazy to hear! Thats having balls!!!! I guess times were different because a person today would pick up their cell and call the cops for assault if that happened today. Also the part that you and bruce traded sidekicks together was something a person would dream of experiencing! Thats first increidible to hear that story!
Yeah the nickle dime trick I learned form another JKD student. You hold the dime in the cup of your palm and when you strike down on the other persons hand with the nickle. Relaxing the palm a little allows the dime to fall, and the rebound force form your finger tips hitting the person's palm flings the nickle upward. It's really not too hard if you practice it a little.
I read the book as well. I admire the way you spoke the truth as you see it. Admirable. I always thought that BL was an early example of a bodybuilding steroid / diuretics death that seem so common these days. I'm in the medical field and the Cortisone misuse is seriously dangerous. It isn't hard to see the downfall. The 'Baker' correspondence was disappointing but definitely gave me am "A-Ha!" moment.... explained things further. Thank you for being you.
Just because Dan didn't mention that doesn't mean it isn't true. I've been on the receiving end of Bruce's jab, and in my view, it could have knocked out an opponent, although I perhaps should have mentioned an opponent in the same weight class. Of course, there are all kinds of opponents ranging from those with weak jaws and those who can take a strong punch. I may have mentioned this in the video, but Bruce's jab once dislocated the shoulder of a man holding a focus glove.
@@TomBleeckerthanks for the reply, Tom. Fascinating to hear these stories. I think people who die early tend to reach deity like levels sometimes. In addition to Bruce Lee, I see John Lennon and Kobe Bryant given the same treatment. Which boxers, if any, would you compare Bruce’s jab to?
@@edmondlau511 Sugar Ray Leonard Leonard's blazing hand speed made his left jab a formidable weapon. He would snap it out rapidly to disrupt his opponent's rhythm. Julio Cesar Chavez Chavez's relentless left jab was a major part of his aggressive pressure fighting style. He used it to walk down and wear out his opponents.
@@TomBleecker I also thank you Tom for all your videos and responses to everybody, and as I'm sure you have heard Sugar Ray Leonard was a HUGE Bruce Lee admirer.
Mr. Bleecker, I would be interested in hearing your take on Bruce Lee's fight with Wong Jack Man and the circumstances surrounding that before and especially after the encounter. Is it possible to provide a video for this situation in the near future?
Personally, I don't consider it a fight, but rather a brief encounter. I say this because these two highly skilled kung-fu practitioners allegedly entered into an all-out no-holds barred fight, at the end of which neither one had so much as a scratch, and both reported for work that evening. Moreover, when Bruce began bragging that he had won the fight, Wong Jack Man took out a full-page ad in the Chinese newspaper challenging Bruce to a rematch, which Bruce declined. In my view, the best accounting can be found in Rick Wing's book "Showdown in Oakland" that is available on Amazon. Thanks for your post.
Hey Tom. I have a question for you sir. Michael Jai White (hope you know him), who is a really great martial artist if I may say so myself, once said he could take on Bruce and win. Of course he later apologised for saying that, but he still believes he could defeat Bruce in his prime (if you listen to Michael's interview with Scott Adkins on the matter). What do u think? From your experiences with Lee does Bruce stand a chance against Michael? Or let me say, does Michael stand a chance against Bruce? Eagerly waiting to hear your take on this one.
I'm often asked about my thoughts on whether Bruce would win a fight against whomever. Recently, I've been conversing with an individual who is convinced that Bruce would have slaughtered Mike Tyson in a street fight. The problem I and others have is that Bruce has no fight record as an amateur, professional, or street fighter. As such, one can only speculate as to how he would do in any of these arenas. As I have stated many times, I, personally, feel that, knowing Bruce as I did, he would have done very well in both competition and the real deal. A couple of aspects no one knows are could Bruce take a shot (some have said he had a weak jaw) and how would he have done on the ground (he really had very little ground game). So, to answer your question, in my opinion, given the skill levels of both Bruce and Michael, either of them could win that fight on any given day. Thanks for your post.
Michael Jai White is very good, but also has no professional fight record, and also said he could beat Mike Tyson in a pure boxing match as a matter of course. th-cam.com/users/shortsNbpNyN1rg6Y So I think he basically says he can beat anybody...no matter what.
@@TomBleecker I cannot believe I missed your response for a full year!! If wasn't it wasn't for Chinareal3594 commenting I probably wouldn't have seen it until much later perhaps. Thank you Tom sir for sharing your thoughts on this. I really appreciate.👍🙏👍
@@chinareal3594 O I know he's very good bruh. But then see here, he also denied that about beating Mike when David Kurtzal (the Viking Samurai) asked him about it.😶😂🤷
So that was you flying into the ivy? I heard that story many times but never knew who held the shield. Lee worked on Blake's film " A walk in the spring rain" and had to do the same thing to a mouthy stuntman. Right into the pool.
Well, you're right about half of your post. I was definitely the one who went flying into the ivy. I first mentioned this in an article I wrote for Black Belt magazine in the summer of 1978. I'm also seen in an A&E video holding a kicking shield for Bruce in the backyard of his Bel Air home. Blake Edwards is the voice over that identifies me as the person holding the shield. The second part of your comments, however, isn't correct. Bruce never worked on a Blake Edwards film and kicked anyone into a pool. Thanks for your post.
I spent a fair amount of time with Bruce. That said, in the mid-to-late 1960s, I was a teenager who had interests outside the martial arts like girls, cars, the beach, and parties. :-)
A standing sidekick from Bruce would just break your ribs and crumple you on the spot. You think Bruce didn't train standing kicks? He could dislocate shoulders with a simple jab. I think he potentially could cause multiple internal ruptures with his kicks. A soft but quick roundhouse made a challenger's teeth fall out before he knew he had been hit by it. It happened on the set of ETD.
I'm not sure if you've commented on this already. But, I wonder what your take is on the trend in young clowns on TH-cam doubting that Bruce Lee could fight. To me, there would be no reason pro fighters would come to him for training if they weren't convinced he could.
It's a misconception that professional fighters came to Bruce for training. That said, there were professional tournament fighters like Chuck Norris, Mike Stone, and Joe Lewis who occasionally worked out with Bruce at his home. During those sessions, those who attended (I attended now and then) exchanged ideas. With regard to my view of Bruce's fighting ability, please watch this video: th-cam.com/video/hufj65L7NCw/w-d-xo.html
@@TomBleecker Greetings ! But how did Lee arrive at those two muscle groups? Did he have that lat spread when you knew him? He ever discuss it? Maybe those groups did the heavy lifting in Wing Chun like the wooden dummy impact training. He started on them very early probably before he met Joe Louis credited with inspiring Lee's approach to weights...which I doubt..
@@shihanUKS I honestly don't recall being all that interested in Bruce's weight training, probably because I wasn't around him when he was doing his personal workouts. I do know that Joe Lewis was very knowledgeable about bodybuilding and did influence Bruce in this area.
He was Chuck's and Joe Lewis' Teacher. Ever hear Jim Kelly talk about Bruce smashing every great martial artist of that era? th-cam.com/video/2CYHzi7jDG8/w-d-xo.html
More Bruce Lee hype. :) Notice people are always talking about Lee's demo's. :) That''s all Lee had since he never competed. And never a champion on any level. Nor did he have a black belt. Or finish studying any MA. He was as said a "showman" and I think a master at self-promotion. That was his forte. Not martial arts.
There are many great martial artists who never competed (and a good number of those are legends). In my view, what is key is that none of a long list of champions who knew Bruce personally and worked out with him ever said that he was all show. Every one of them attested to Bruce's extraordinary martial arts skills and prowess, which I believe speaks volumes.
Anderson C, Bruce didn't waste time competing because it had too many rules, not enough reward, and his time was better spent teaching rich celebrities how to fight at around 300-500 bucks per session. On top of that, he was too busy making movies. If you had the same opportunity, you wouldn't waste time competing either because you would want to make the higher income. There are a few fights he agreed to, but they were held privately in remote location with a few select people to watch. The fights were over very quick because Bruce made quick work of them. The accounts are explained on videos that you can find online. If Bruce competed, it would only take a few fights before no one would agree to fight him.
![Write Your Life And Become A Better Storyteller - Mark W Travis [FULL INTERVIEW]](/img/n.gif)
What an enlightening video from someone who knew and saw Bruce in action. Thank you
I read your book "Unsettled Matters" and I am a former student of the Inosanto Academy and trained under Yorinaga Nakamura. (Yori once told me that you trained with him.) I am very fascinated with the whole Bruce Lee phenomena and there are lots of important lessons about life that can be learned from studying Bruce Lee. We learn how incredible he was, and, how far from perfect he was. When training in martial arts, Bruce always stressed to take what is useful and discard the rest. I apply that same principle when learning about Bruce Lee. I take what is positive and useful to me in my life and discard the rest.
I did not know that you knew Bruce Lee personally and I am so glad I found your TH-cam channel.
I have learned from experience that we can learn as much from the positive things people do in their lives as we can from the negative things they do. As an aside, I do not recall training under Yorinaga Nakamura). Thanks for your post.
@@TomBleecker Please forgive me Mr. Bleecker. It has been over 27 years since I was at the Inosanto Academy and my memory, like the rest of my body, is showing signs of age. The more I think about it, I believe Yorinaga Nakamura said that it was Guru Dan that you had some association with (not him). I hate when I erroneously misrepresent what someone else has told me. The error was mine, not Mr. Yorinaga's. I apologize.
@@derekmitchell1738 No apology necessary. You and I are in the same aging boat. My association with Dan Inosanto is that we are both black belts under Ed Parker. Although Dan received his black belt a year or so before I received mine, my instruction in Kenpo was primarily under Ed Parker. Thanks for you post.
@@TomBleecker I heard a middle-aged evangelist from South Africa once say about the slipping memory of the aged, that in his country they call it the 'olderdoms' or 'elderdoms'...something like that.
I accepted Bruce the way he was,and that has not changed,this is what made Bruce so unique,it is the truth that defines your character not the hearsay and conclusions.
Used to eat at Rainbow Acres Health Food store on Washington Blvd in Marina Del Rey and ran into Dan Inasanto several times because his school was around the corner. Brilliant man.
Thank you Tom for your stories. I get exhausted with many documentaries on Bruce and it’s the same stories and words I have seen on other docs. But I’ve never heard of these and that’s what I find so interesting. He was something wasn’t he.
I’ve been studying Bruce Lee for awhile now and just found your channel. GOLDMINE OF KNOWLEDGE
Glad that you're finding the videos worthy of your time.
So happy that you came through that kick to tell us the story Tom. Brilliant.
Great stories Tom, thanks!!
Thank you for sharing your stories of "Bruce lee" ,love your videos. God bless
I love listening to your stories they're very fascinating and you tell them so well
Thank you.
Great Job, Tom. Bruce was a natural showman he felt very comfortable in the spotlight and behind the scenes. Ryan was a terrific actor. Love Story was my first introduction to Ryan.
Awesome. Thank you very much for this.
Thank you for sharing your stories about Bruce Lee Tom.
You're welcome.
Great Bruce Lee story.
Thanks 4 sharing
Wow! Those were the best Bruce Lee stories I've heard!
Best Bruce Lee stories on TH-cam.
I enjoy listening to all your stories Tom. Thanks!
So ..so good to hear you telling these stories .please...don't stop I hope you could talk about his green hornet times
These stories are great! Its awesome to tell the world all this!
Bob Bremer said Bruce also had him hold the focus mitt in that horizontal position at head height. Bruce kicked it with an inside crescent kick. Bob said he almost ripped his arm off. He postulated that the kick probably would break someones neck or kill them from the head trauma! Bruce was a ridiculous powerhouse.
Bruce really understood snap and retraction . To whip and pop that target and pullback leaving the shock in the target. Thats how he sidekicked those boards with only one hand and eventually two finger support. Its VERY difficult to snap a board that has no support.
Very interesting take on Bruce Lee's life we never eard of. Good story telling. I enjoyed!
Great stories, Tom. The straight blast has been used by MMA fighters around the world. It is a proven technique.
Tom great to hear this storys❤
Tom, I don't know you. But you appear to me to be sincere and believable. I have watched/listened to a few of your videos so far, and I have enjoyed them. I appreciate your candor relating your memories and stories of Bruce Lee. I'll be watching them all.
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the videos. Thanks for your kind words. Cheers
Amazing!
Bruce Lee Wars on touchable
and wars a True Street Fighter
Love from Mik Roy from Denmark
Real love hearing your memories with Bruce
Great stories
Great insight. Thanks!
This is why I thought Bruce was so dangerous,his sidekick was unblockable and had deadly force like no other practitioner I have ever seen.
No one's sidekick is/was unblockable, even the best kickers like Superfoot Wallace. No one in the martial arts or boxing has ever been undefeatable. Bruce was certainly good, but so were many others in that era.
@@TomBleecker He was not a proven fighter. He was a proven martial artist and action star.
@@mtolivesecurityshipping5455 Just because Bruce elected to not compete in tournaments doesn't mean he wasn't a proven fighter elsewhere. His not competing in tournaments only mean he wasn't a proven tournament fighter. Those who sparred with Bruce (myself included) have clearly attested that Bruce was a consummate fighter.
@@TomBleecker Tom, he had a few street fights like the rest of use. I think he would have handled many of the so-called-masters easily in his time; but against the top level champions in Greco Roman wrestling, judo, muay thai and jujitsu. Not gonna happen, Sir.
@@mtolivesecurityshipping5455 If you're talking about the masters who never worked out and were elderly and overweight and smoked, I would agree with you. That said, there were many masters who didn't fit into this category with whom Bruce would have had his work cut out. As an aside, it's known that he was no match for Ip Man, who smoked and was frail and elderly, and Bruce fought to a draw with Wong Jack Man. No doubt Bruce was good.
Thank you I thoroughly enjoyed that
Tom was married to Linda Lee and his book Unsettled Matters was the first book about Bruce Lee that didn't depict Bruce as a god-like figure. It depicted Bruce as both a genius and man with personal demons. It was also the first book to put forth the theory that the cause of Lee's death was his abuse of cortisone. Bleecker received an incredible amount of personal and legal hate for the content in his book, but he was vindicated a few years ago by Dr. Michael Hunter. Dr. Hunter is the star of the television series Autopsy, and he concluded that the cause of Bruce Lee's death was cortisone abuse that led to adrenal crisis resulting in brain edema.
I remember that fiasco many years as a kid when that book came out. NO ONE believed Tom but today...that sure changed and now Everyone is listening to Tom!
Sadly, in the extract of this bio I read, Tom seems to have confused cortisone with anabolic steroids. But I did not read the book. Cortisone is in the steroids family, BUT is has NO anabolic properties what so ever. I know I had to take heavy cortisone doses for my inflammatory bowel disease. It litterally attack and diminishes your muscles mass. I gives you acne, sometimes water retention, and it can cause bad temper. Cotisone benefits is that it is a anti-inflammatory medecine. Bruce most probably used it for his back pain. BUt it does destry the body after long periods of heavy use.
@@francoismorin8721 imagine “abusing” cortisone lol, that shit destroys your body in the long run and doesn’t do any good for your health or body. I was on corticosteroids for most of my life and it shut down my endocrine system when I was younger so I had to have other hormone treatment to restart my endocrine system
@@francoismorin8721 Where have I confused anabolic steroids with cortisone, which is a corticosteroid? In all my writing and in my videos, I have been careful not to mislead anyone by confusing the two. You are correct in stating that corticosteroids do not have the properties of anabolic steroids.
@@TomBleecker Sorry Tom if I have deformed your words in any way. I was actually remembering an article in a Bruce Lee special magazine edition. I believe the 25th year of his death. So it can be two things. One, my memory played tricks on me. Two, the article misquoted you! Now, the magazine is probably stashed somewhere in boxes of my basement. I would have to dig it out! Internet, especially social medias like TH-cam grants us this ability to exchange easily. so I have the chance to verify this with you. The article I read said, If my memory is clear, that you had found vials of steroids still in Bruce Lee's pharmacy cabinet. So maybe this never even happened. Now the article, most probably did not go into details about your understanding of it being medicinal or anabolic. My take on it from what you say is that the author of the article might have been the culprit that did not know the difference between cortisone and anabolic drugs.
One of my teachers, Bob Bremer, said something similar to what Blake Edwards said. He said that Bruce could make you feel like a superman. He said when he told Bruce he wasn't sure if he could beat this or that fighter, Bruce would show him how he could indeed beat that fighter.
Much respect to Bob! I hear he was a tremendous fighter, and may or may not have fought some of the pro Karate guys behind closed doors.
@@AztecUnshaven He was Bruce's "gladiator" at the China town school. He sparred everyone who wanted a challenge. The only one of note I know was the Mr. California, black belt guy. Bob said he just replaced step (rear pendulum,) when the guy attacked and then straight blasted him across the room several times. He said Bruce told him he could beat Joe Lewis. Bob said I don't know about that, but Bruce told him how he could do it. Bob actually thought out of all the Karate guys, Mike Stone was the most fearsome.
@@chrisbera7952 Yeah I remember hearing that Mike Stone was a top level killer. Puts into perspective how amazing Bruce was, since Mike Stone gave Bruce huge praise and was the first of the "big three" from Karate to study under him.
Tom! You are so sharp as a tack and so well-spoken. I'm envious of being able to retell accounts and stories so articulately. I recall hearing about the Ryan sidekick demonstration, but I hadn't heard about the taking an angle and the straight blast at Ryan (I dont recall this being in your book.) Taking the angle is something I wanted to see more of in Bruce's sparring demo in Long Beach. I had heard Julie Andrew's witnessing Bruce, but this is the first time hearing about Bruce delivering the full power sidekick to the shield on you. I hadn't heard about Bruce dislocating a guy's arm with a jab, but it makes sense. His power is something this current generation doesn't know much about (seems kids think Bruce was just fast.) Very strong man. Bruce using his two fingers to walk the heckler out of Dan Inosanto's class is a new account to me. This is GOLD. I had also heard from people's interviews, some of Bruce's other demos that we never got real footage of. There's the two-thumb push up, jumping high and kicking cans off the top of ceiling boards on set during break, Bruce leaving a crack/foot imprint in the side of a wall, punching speed ball with ease before they were common, jump kick with elastic resistance bands, lifting 70 lbs with one arm outstretched, flinging and throwing Pat Burleson around using "Chinese arm wrestling," and more. Bruce seemed to be a very lethal but playful showman when it came to his demos. I was wondering are there any more demonstrations that you remember that aren't in any book or interview so far?
That's an impressive list! I believe I mentioned all of Bruce's demos of which I can recall. Thanks for your post.
@@TomBleecker No problem! Just a big fight fan interested in Bruce's fighting talent! Do you recall seeing other feats of power while working out with him? Not necessarily demonstrations, but maybe something in sparring or on the workout equipment that surprised you? I think there are quite some Bruce haters out there and others who see him as a god. I'm curious about his real self, his fighting approach!
@@voiceoverandmocapguy Unfortunately, I don't have anything more to add in regard to the questions you asked. As an aside, I've found that it's not the Bruce Lee haters who view Bruce as a god but a diminishing number of diehard Bruce Lee fans who became convinced of the marketed "Saint Bruce" image. Thanks for your post.
@@TomBleecker @@TomBleecker Tom you are an absolute gem! We love you over at the bruceleelivestributeforum. (I am solely interested in Bruce's fight skills and not so much about how he died or worshipping him.) Thank you for telling us in your honest words. These youtube videos are a real treat. And yes, I agree ! I dont believe Bruce was invincible nor do I believe he always came out on top in every sparring exchange. (I'm curious about your thoughts on a few of his somewhat known fights/scuffles.) I always say if you're a seeker of the truth, then you have to be prepared to accept that he was not untouchable. What I love is this grey area of a man that Bruce represents. He was no saint (anyone following Bruce for a while shouldnt be surprised about the drug letters.) But he for sure had talent and some real fighting experience. I don't think he was invincible and I do think every man has their limitations. Thank you for your book/s (I still want to see a updated edition!) I remember reading your book in one day. Thanks for sharing your memories and humanizing this very iconic martial arts athlete. The way you tell a story is like we're in the room with you!
@@voiceoverandmocapguy Thank you for your kind words. I'm pleased that you have found these videos worthy of your time. While Bruce wasn't invincible (no fighter is), he surely had an extraordinary talent that Ed Parker stated was one in two billion. Thanks for your post.
Out of all Bruce Lee advocates, saving Jim Kelly, you sir really paid your dues telling these stories to enlighten the public that the Qi/Chi force if harnessed can wreak havoc! ✌️
Would love to see you on the JKD dialogues and KFG podcasts, fantastic stories Tom.
Wow..the story of Bruce putting his fingers on someone neck and leading him out the door during Dan Inosantos clas was crazy to hear! Thats having balls!!!! I guess times were different because a person today would pick up their cell and call the cops for assault if that happened today. Also the part that you and bruce traded sidekicks together was something a person would dream of experiencing! Thats first increidible to hear that story!
Good to knw wat happen outside the door lol
Yeah the nickle dime trick I learned form another JKD student. You hold the dime in the cup of your palm and when you strike down on the other persons hand with the nickle. Relaxing the palm a little allows the dime to fall, and the rebound force form your finger tips hitting the person's palm flings the nickle upward. It's really not too hard if you practice it a little.
EXCELLENT🙂
I read the book as well. I admire the way you spoke the truth as you see it. Admirable. I always thought that BL was an early example of a bodybuilding steroid / diuretics death that seem so common these days. I'm in the medical field and the Cortisone misuse is seriously dangerous. It isn't hard to see the downfall. The 'Baker' correspondence was disappointing but definitely gave me am "A-Ha!" moment.... explained things further. Thank you for being you.
It's always gratifying to have someone in the medical field basically agree with the assessment expressed in my book. Thanks for your comments.
Brilliant
Dan Inosanto had said Bruce’s jab would absolutely shell shock the recipient. He didn’t mention it having knockout power.
Just because Dan didn't mention that doesn't mean it isn't true. I've been on the receiving end of Bruce's jab, and in my view, it could have knocked out an opponent, although I perhaps should have mentioned an opponent in the same weight class. Of course, there are all kinds of opponents ranging from those with weak jaws and those who can take a strong punch. I may have mentioned this in the video, but Bruce's jab once dislocated the shoulder of a man holding a focus glove.
@@TomBleeckerthanks for the reply, Tom. Fascinating to hear these stories. I think people who die early tend to reach deity like levels sometimes. In addition to Bruce Lee, I see John Lennon and Kobe Bryant given the same treatment. Which boxers, if any, would you compare Bruce’s jab to?
@@edmondlau511 Sugar Ray Leonard Leonard's blazing hand speed made his left jab a formidable weapon. He would snap it out rapidly to disrupt his opponent's rhythm. Julio Cesar Chavez Chavez's relentless left jab was a major part of his aggressive pressure fighting style. He used it to walk down and wear out his opponents.
@@TomBleecker
I also thank you Tom for all your videos and responses to everybody, and as I'm sure you have heard Sugar Ray Leonard was a HUGE Bruce Lee admirer.
Mr. Bleecker,
I would be interested in hearing your take on Bruce Lee's fight with Wong Jack Man and the circumstances surrounding that before and especially after the encounter.
Is it possible to provide a video for this situation in the near future?
Personally, I don't consider it a fight, but rather a brief encounter. I say this because these two highly skilled kung-fu practitioners allegedly entered into an all-out no-holds barred fight, at the end of which neither one had so much as a scratch, and both reported for work that evening. Moreover, when Bruce began bragging that he had won the fight, Wong Jack Man took out a full-page ad in the Chinese newspaper challenging Bruce to a rematch, which Bruce declined. In my view, the best accounting can be found in Rick Wing's book "Showdown in Oakland" that is available on Amazon. Thanks for your post.
Cool, dont think I had previously known that bruce was friends with Ryan o'neal 👍
Hey Tom. I have a question for you sir. Michael Jai White (hope you know him), who is a really great martial artist if I may say so myself, once said he could take on Bruce and win. Of course he later apologised for saying that, but he still believes he could defeat Bruce in his prime (if you listen to Michael's interview with Scott Adkins on the matter). What do u think? From your experiences with Lee does Bruce stand a chance against Michael? Or let me say, does Michael stand a chance against Bruce? Eagerly waiting to hear your take on this one.
I'm often asked about my thoughts on whether Bruce would win a fight against whomever. Recently, I've been conversing with an individual who is convinced that Bruce would have slaughtered Mike Tyson in a street fight. The problem I and others have is that Bruce has no fight record as an amateur, professional, or street fighter. As such, one can only speculate as to how he would do in any of these arenas. As I have stated many times, I, personally, feel that, knowing Bruce as I did, he would have done very well in both competition and the real deal. A couple of aspects no one knows are could Bruce take a shot (some have said he had a weak jaw) and how would he have done on the ground (he really had very little ground game). So, to answer your question, in my opinion, given the skill levels of both Bruce and Michael, either of them could win that fight on any given day. Thanks for your post.
Michael Jai White is very good, but also has no professional fight record, and also said he could beat Mike Tyson in a pure boxing match as a matter of course.
th-cam.com/users/shortsNbpNyN1rg6Y
So I think he basically says he can beat anybody...no matter what.
@@TomBleecker I cannot believe I missed your response for a full year!! If wasn't it wasn't for Chinareal3594 commenting I probably wouldn't have seen it until much later perhaps. Thank you Tom sir for sharing your thoughts on this. I really appreciate.👍🙏👍
@@chinareal3594 O I know he's very good bruh. But then see here, he also denied that about beating Mike when David Kurtzal (the Viking Samurai) asked him about it.😶😂🤷
So that was you flying into the ivy? I heard that story many times but never knew who held the shield. Lee worked on Blake's film " A walk in the spring rain" and had to do the same thing to a mouthy stuntman. Right into the pool.
Well, you're right about half of your post. I was definitely the one who went flying into the ivy. I first mentioned this in an article I wrote for Black Belt magazine in the summer of 1978. I'm also seen in an A&E video holding a kicking shield for Bruce in the backyard of his Bel Air home. Blake Edwards is the voice over that identifies me as the person holding the shield. The second part of your comments, however, isn't correct. Bruce never worked on a Blake Edwards film and kicked anyone into a pool. Thanks for your post.
How much time did u actually spend with Bruce Tom?? How long a period. Your storys are incredible good work.
I spent a fair amount of time with Bruce. That said, in the mid-to-late 1960s, I was a teenager who had interests outside the martial arts like girls, cars, the beach, and parties. :-)
A hopping side kick is suppose to do that , but a standing side kick of Bruce lee would have not been the same.
Well, to be fair you never felt Bruce's power firsthand. Tom did.
A standing sidekick from Bruce would just break your ribs and crumple you on the spot. You think Bruce didn't train standing kicks? He could dislocate shoulders with a simple jab. I think he potentially could cause multiple internal ruptures with his kicks. A soft but quick roundhouse made a challenger's teeth fall out before he knew he had been hit by it. It happened on the set of ETD.
So the lady gets jumped lucky she survives and she tells the police I don’t get it I clapped my hands and the dame thing didn’t work! Thank you Bruce.
What do you think about "Frank dux" is he full of it?
I really don't know much about him.
👊🏼☯️
Tom u knew Bruce personally that is real cool do u think Bruce would of had more kids
That's a good question. I've never been asked that. Personally, I don't think he would have.
I'm not sure if you've commented on this already. But, I wonder what your take is on the trend in young clowns on TH-cam doubting that Bruce Lee could fight. To me, there would be no reason pro fighters would come to him for training if they weren't convinced he could.
It's a misconception that professional fighters came to Bruce for training. That said, there were professional tournament fighters like Chuck Norris, Mike Stone, and Joe Lewis who occasionally worked out with Bruce at his home. During those sessions, those who attended (I attended now and then) exchanged ideas. With regard to my view of Bruce's fighting ability, please watch this video: th-cam.com/video/hufj65L7NCw/w-d-xo.html
@@TomBleecker Thank you!
You think that kind of power and snap came from deliberate lat and forearm development?
That certainly makes sense to me.
@@TomBleecker Greetings ! But how did Lee arrive at those two muscle groups? Did he have that lat spread when you knew him? He ever discuss it? Maybe those groups did the heavy lifting in Wing Chun like the wooden dummy impact training. He started on them very early probably before he met Joe Louis credited with inspiring Lee's approach to weights...which I doubt..
@@shihanUKS I honestly don't recall being all that interested in Bruce's weight training, probably because I wasn't around him when he was doing his personal workouts. I do know that Joe Lewis was very knowledgeable about bodybuilding and did influence Bruce in this area.
@@TomBleeckerdo you think bruce learned and practice covering distance like 5 feet away cause most people don't train like that
@@Danny-el7ok Possibly. I don't for sure.
Where is the footage of Victor Moore and Bruce lee . Not the staged demonstration but all of them !
I believe there's plenty of footage of Victor Moore and Bruce Lee on the Internet.
Why didn’t he demand chuck norris and bill Wallace to spar .
This is all fluff !
He was Chuck's and Joe Lewis' Teacher. Ever hear Jim Kelly talk about Bruce smashing every great martial artist of that era?
th-cam.com/video/2CYHzi7jDG8/w-d-xo.html
here's Chuck's letter to Bruce th-cam.com/users/shortsd5nJVWltFN0?feature=share
More Bruce Lee hype. :) Notice people are always talking about Lee's demo's. :) That''s all Lee had since he never competed. And never a champion on any level. Nor did he have a black belt. Or finish studying any MA. He was as said a "showman" and I think a master at self-promotion. That was his forte. Not martial arts.
There are many great martial artists who never competed (and a good number of those are legends). In my view, what is key is that none of a long list of champions who knew Bruce personally and worked out with him ever said that he was all show. Every one of them attested to Bruce's extraordinary martial arts skills and prowess, which I believe speaks volumes.
Anderson C,
Bruce didn't waste time competing because it had too many rules, not enough reward, and his time was better spent teaching rich celebrities how to fight at around 300-500 bucks per session. On top of that, he was too busy making movies. If you had the same opportunity, you wouldn't waste time competing either because you would want to make the higher income. There are a few fights he agreed to, but they were held privately in remote location with a few select people to watch. The fights were over very quick because Bruce made quick work of them. The accounts are explained on videos that you can find online. If Bruce competed, it would only take a few fights before no one would agree to fight him.
18:00
I love Bruce but he does sound like a bully