The internet is a strange place. A very strange place. As a Bruce Lee fan, I’ve always wanted to write something about the legendary Chinese martial arts actor. Naturally, I searched Google for ideas. It appears one of the most popular debates on the internet (Reddit, Quora, Comic Vine) is whether or not Bruce Lee could actually win in a fight with a silverback gorilla. Really. No kidding.
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And since none of the other sites has managed to tackle the subject yet, here is our piece on “Bruce Lee vs A Silverback Gorilla”.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee has always been the subject of controversy. Fans, fighters, actors and the general public have always questioned whether the 1,72m tall and 58kg Chinese martial artist could actually be as lethal as the legend claims him to be. We know he had speed. We know he had power. And we know he was certainly quick on his feet.
But what chance does a relatively average-height man who weighed a feather really stand against some of the biggest and the baddest fighters of the world?
Was Bruce Lee actually dynamite in a small package, or was he simply an actor playing out a part, both on-screen and off? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that an actor or a celebrity has had to carry a certain persona when the cameras stop rolling. Close friends of 2Pac swear that he wasn’t as thuggish as he portrayed. The same goes for Michael Jackson, who many claim was just a regular guy who spoke with a much deeper voice.
But Bruce Lee was a little different.
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And even though his legend sometimes might be even bigger than the man, he was something special. That’s exactly why you have questions like “Who would win in a fight between Bruce Lee and a Gorilla?” Lee was an anomaly.
We know he was trained as a fighter. We know he trained many other successful fighters. We know he trained with some of the best in the world. We also know that he knew what he was talking about when he demonstrated advanced fighting techniques, many displayed in his books and even his public presentations. We know he had a super-fast kick. We know he had a one-inch punch. We also know he trained his body to be a deadly weapon.
Bruce Lee wasn’t a fraud.
The thousands of images, the movies, the books and the legend attests to that. He was definitely one of the greatest martial artists of our time (and he starred in some of the best kung fu films).
But he was also just a man.
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The Silverback Gorilla
I don’t know much about gorillas, but when I read that “a gorilla’s strength is estimated to be about 10 times their body weight”, I know that I don’t want to ever get into a ring with one. In fact, reading further, the article suggests that a silverback gorilla is “actually stronger than 20 adult humans combined”.
I don’t know how they know this, but a silverback gorilla can bench press 1,810 kg.
That’s no joke.
Bruce Lee was a man. A super man. But not Superman.
I don’t care how fast you kick or high you can jump… but science tells us who the winner here is.
In a fight between Bruce Lee and a silverback gorilla, my money is on the gorilla.
According to the article, muscled gorillas also have thicker skin and skulls than humans. Meaning it could take more blows than a human can.
So even with the best training in the world, even with the best fitness routine, even Bruce Lee, at his peak, would not stand a chance against a gorilla. They’re incredibly strong wild animals that could easily tear a human apart.
Why anyone would want to fight one is another topic altogether.
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There, it’s settled. Another internet mystery solved with a quick Google search. Bruce Lee, unfortunately, loses in a fight with a silverback gorilla.
This article was fun to read . It tickled ones mind for a brief moment . A more realistic , apples to apples question would be – who would win , a Silverback Gorilla against a Bear or Tiger . Now that would be something to see if either one of those animals were caught in the wrong territory and what would be the outcome. Now when you mention Bruce Lee against one of todays MMA Practitioners or a Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao or Mike Tyson in an all out no holds barred fight – I would put my money on Bruce Lee . As a matter of fact , a Million Bucks on Bruce Lee . Bruce Lee , by far was way ahead of his time. Always thinking and training outside the box. He was faster than Floyd Mayweather , Bruce For his size 5’8″ 140 LBS , he could hit like a heavyweight . His fighting IQ was out of this world . His advantage against those opponents mentioned above , Bruce had many explosive weapons at his disposal . Bruce Lee trained every part of his body . . He was a scientific street fighter who trained for worst case situations. No rules , no referees, no tap outs. One of Bruce Lee’s student / friend Leo Fong stated – Sparring with Bruce was like fighting a shadow . Bruce was so perceptive that he could feel your thoughts. what impressed me the most was his sensitivity and ability to close the gap quickly . once in , he trapped your limbs and could feel every move. He took your offensive ability away like a snake would its prey. Bruce could close the gap and shut you down quickly. He was all over you like a bad smell. He was a fighters worst nightmare – He trained for the streets not tournaments, or Olympic competitions – No RULES it was all out or nothing ! no points, no tap outs no referees . The testimonies are out there. Bruce was the real deal and we will never see another fighter with his abilities in this lifetime. He made his techniques look so easy. We have yet to see anyone who can move with the agility , finesse power and speed like Bruce Lee .. Another student and friend named James DeMile stated DeMile first saw Bruce Lee on stage, performing a kung fu demonstration during an Asian Day celebration at Edison Technical School. “He was performing a form called ‘Chong que”, DeMile explained. “Bruce did a lot of leaping around and slapping his feet. He then went on to explain how effective it was for fighting – which really amused me because I thought he looked like a butterfly flapping its wings. I thought this kid is living in a fantasy world.” Afterwards DeMile went up on stage and said, “Well, that’s fine. This might work over in China but this is America and it’s a whole different ball game.” Bruce then asked DeMile to punch at him. DeMile took a good swing at him, but Bruce just trapped him, tied him up, and slapped him a couple of times, tapped him on the head and asked if ‘anyone was home.’ This was a shock for DeMile because he had never been beaten, and until then had never questioned his own ability. But this little punk kid, 18 yrs of age, weighing about 135 pounds, had embarrassed him. He then asked Bruce if he could join his martial arts group. Bruce Lee is The Founder Of Jeet Kune Do.. for more please go to Bruce Lee The Legend The best Ever on Face Book . #BruceLeeTheLegendTheBestEver – Be water my friends !