Gene Lebell did NOT teach or fought with Bruce, here is the proof
- Thread starter Kung Fu Boi
- Start date
Thonged warrior
Yellow Belt
Exactly LeBell was just a wrestling show man
He really was a bit creepy
Thonged warrior
Yellow Belt
Also in Jeet kune do the Judo is pretty basic so therefore Bruce Lee didn't need LeBell.
Wing Woo Gar
Grandmaster
Did you meet him? Doubt you would say that if you did. Even as an old man he was quite formidable. I don’t know a thing about his history with Bruce Lee.
Thonged warrior
Yellow Belt
Yes I met him..he was actually a fan of the thong
I mean this guy thinks elvis was an amazing martial artist so I think that tells you everything
I met Gene briefly in the nineties in Sherman Oaks, California. (For about thirty seconds)
It was an honor to shake his hand. World Judo Champion, wrestler, grappler, jujitsu man, stuntman in hundreds of films. I know some people who trained with him, they all say they learned a lot. I wish I had been that lucky. I know a bunch of stunt players who worked in a lot of films with him, I wish I had been that lucky, too.
Overrated? Not in my mind. More like a Legend.
It was an honor to shake his hand. World Judo Champion, wrestler, grappler, jujitsu man, stuntman in hundreds of films. I know some people who trained with him, they all say they learned a lot. I wish I had been that lucky. I know a bunch of stunt players who worked in a lot of films with him, I wish I had been that lucky, too.
Overrated? Not in my mind. More like a Legend.
isshinryuronin
Senior Master
"Judo" Gene had a reputation of being a good judo-ka in the years before Bruce Lee (1960's) within the general MA community.
Thonged warrior
Yellow Belt
A legendary story teller
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Well. I don’t know your grandad…. But mine was a tough old codger. Just sayin’.
Steve
Mostly Harmless
Memory is a funny thing, too. There was a podcast I listened to years ago that talked about memory. Worth a listen, if you’re interested. Podcast is called Revisionist History with Malcom Gladwell and the episode is Free Brian Williams (in case the link below doesn’t work).
Free Brian Williams | Revisionist History
"Sorry dude, I don’t remember you being on my aircraft."
www.pushkin.fm
Wing Woo Gar
Grandmaster
Fair enough.
Sammy Naur
Green Belt
It was reasonably easy to find this clip that shows both of them basically know what they're doing.
What was the issue again, that Gene lied about training Bruce Lee? I'll bet it was pretty mutual. They were both excellent stuntment.
What was the issue again, that Gene lied about training Bruce Lee? I'll bet it was pretty mutual. They were both excellent stuntment.
frank raud
Master of Arts
Are you claiming that Bruce Lee NEVER trained with anyone in judo after Seattle? because then you are saying not just Gene Lebell, but Wally Jay is lying about their time with Bruce. And Bruce was so good at judo (which you have pointed out he held NO rank in, a/p Jesse Glover) that a decade later he could pull off an armbar in Fists of Fury? That's impressive.
Kung Fu Boi
White Belt
My point is that Bruce learned Judo from others years prior to meeting Gene, and netting Jesse is the earliest when he was introduced to it. Not denying Wally or Fred Sato since that can be verified. I am saying there is no verifiable evidence that Bruce learned or fought with Gene. Plus why would Bruce train with Gene if he was already familiar with judo and how it works? The techniques Gene claimed to have taught Bruce, he already knew from Jesse. Gene claimed that after the filming of enter the dragon, Bruce came back to the states and told him he did the armbar, but when John Little asked Gene when was the last time he saw or spoke to Bruce, Gene said that in the last few years of Bruce’s life, Gene did not see or talk to Bruce. Which one is it? After the filming of enter the dragon, Bruce was busy in Hong Kong resuming the production for Game of Death but tragically died.
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
I was not paying much attention to this thead, didn’t take it seriously at all. But today i looked at it thinking, “I wonder if @Buka commented, he probably has some info on this”
And you did comment, and you have info, and i will take your word for it sir, thank you
No reason to look at this thread anymore
frank raud
Master of Arts
Why would he train with Wally Jay if he already knew the techniques from Jesse Glover? The same logic applies.
Kung Fu Boi
White Belt
Wally taught Bruce Jujitsu as well, instead of coming up with a contradictory story about him overpowering Bruce and training secretly with no one to witness it. Wally Jay training with Bruce can be verified and proven. The point of this thread is that Gene created this story to boost his reputation and his story cannot be verified by anyone. Again, have you read the whole article? that way you have a better understanding what this thread is about.
False. Students, friends and others have stated Bruce learned judo from Gene. John little is speculating that Bruce did not largely based on it being absent from a day-timer.
Joe Lewis:
JoMM: Did Bruce do any grappling?
Joe Lewis: He was going down and working with 'Judo' Gene LeBell. If you look at Wing Chun they have sets where a guy comes at you, you trap and sweep the guy to the ground. What Bruce learned from 'Judo' Gene he used in the movie 'Game of Death' where he put a crank, or I think it is called a guillotine, on Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Bruce was starting to get into it.
Roger Kay:
"From my classes in Seattle in 1962 much of what was being taught still focused on "headhunting"...but when I saw Bruce again in 1966 after he moved to California and came back for a visit...it was clearly evolving more to trapping and grappling. He had already learned much from Judo Gene LeBell and Jhoon Rhee and incorporated their knowledge into his new ...soon to be named JKD.
Fortunately for me he always remembered to show his gratitude and pay his respects to my family by tutoring me under his wings whenever I showed up on his doorstep...(which I always made sure to do). He always had No qualms about showing me how he was evolving. That was important.... for I too was stuck in "His" old traditional method, and only his Lifepath was centered on breaking out of this paradigm with MMA and new innovative combat techniques...(not mine). I was always his student ...but had my own goals of spending more time studying the internal Chinese energy arts and other Asian Healing Arts."
Larry Hartsell:
BB: When you went to Parker’s, did you have to drop things you learned from Lee?
Hartsell: Yes, I did because Bruce had adopted boxing by then. He [mixed] it with wing chun kung fu. Also, there were grappling techniques he picked up from Gene LeBell and some stuff from Wally Jay’s small circle jujutsu, which he added to jeet kune do.
BB: What interest did Lee have in grappling?
Hartsell: Before his death, he had added 33 grappling moves to the jeet kune do concept.
BB: He got those from Gene LeBell and Wally Jay?
Hartsell: Wally Jay, Gene LeBell and Hayward Nishioka. And he had some chin-na and silat. He would mix the arts. He would enter to trapping and take down into a submission. If you read Tao of Jeet Kune Do, you’ll see those grappling [techniques].
Shannon Lee:
"Sifu lee vs Gene LeBell-TV Show Ironside. 'Tagged for Murder' an episode that aired on September 14, 1967, Bruce Lee played a martial arts gym owner who inherited a clue to a gang of evil doers whatever evil doers do.
LeBell would teach Lee much of the grappling that later became an integral part of Jeet Kune Do, both on screen and in Lee’s own teachings."
Bob Wall:
MPM: So, when did you first hear of Bruce Lee?
Bob Wall: ... Two time judo national champion, Gene LeBell, a real tough old man, later on, Gene was one of the few guy that Bruce would take lessons from. Gene LeBell is former world heavyweight wresting champion, a two-time champion, I mean he is a phenomenal man. Never lost a fight in his life… You know a REAL fight.
Van Williams:
“Bruce ended up kicking them [stuntmen] or hurting them or doing something. They [stuntmen] did not want to work on the show anymore… the tension grew and it grew and it grew to almost a point where they [Bruce and Bennie Dobbins] got in a fight almost.”
Because, they worked together, were acquaintances and Gene was more experienced and accomplished in grappling.
Top 6 Bruce Lee Judo Moves
1. Ashi barai - Foot sweep 0:18
2. Morote Gari - Two hand reap (Double leg takedown) 0:52
3. Kosoto Gari - Small Outer Reap 1:17
4. Kata Guruma - Shoulder Wheel AKA Firemans Carry 1:54
5. Kata Gatame - Head & Arm Triangle 2:17
6. Osoto Gari - Major Outer Reap 2:41
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