?The Pain in My Chest Was Unbearable?: Victim of Bruce Lee?s Famous 190 km/Hr ?One-Inch Punch? Once Had a Humble Request for the Martial Arts Legend

Martial arts legend Bruce Lee once shocked the world with an insane punch. In 1964, Lee showed off the one-inch punch at the Long Beach International Karate Championships. Instead of a traditional strike, Lee barely moved his body when he punched Bob Baker’s chest. Baker flew back into a chair behind him and later made a humble request to Lee.

Robert “Bob” Baker had trained under the Little Dragon since 1962. Baker had been of the first men to train under Lee when he came to California, and Lee trusted Baker enough to make him part of his demonstrations. However, after the 1964 incident, Baker had to speak his mind.

Bob Baker didn’t want to go through it again

In her book ‘Bruce Lee: A Biography’, Zofia Stone wrote Baker met the Little Dragon to make a humble request after the demonstration.?“I told Bruce not to do this type of demonstration again,”?recalled Baker.?“When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable,” said Lee’s student.

Lee’s famous one-inch punch was not a traditional martial arts technique. Despite being a master, the Little Dragon studied martial arts other than Wing Chun. Although Lee trained and mastered Wing Chun under the legendary Ip Man, he always looked to improve his skills. A former student once explained how Lee achieved the punch.

READ MORE: ?Training for Fights Not for Showing Off?: Stern Lesson From Master Ip Taught Bruce Lee the Importance of Cutting the Clutter in 1953

While the martial arts legend barely seemed to move his body, the one-inch punch involved every muscle in Lee’s body. The student said that Bruce had developed a way to bend the explosive movements of Wing Chun with a technique to pivot from the hip. Lee’s whole body generated so much power that the punch hit Baker at 190 km/hr (118 mph).

When Bruce Lee silenced a doubter

After Lee showed off his iconic punch, many were in awe. However, many skeptics thought Baker had taken a fall for his teacher. In Matthew Polly’s book Bruce Lee: A Life, Lee’s student recalled when a tall, 230 lb man showed up at the martial arts legend’s California dojo. While the Little Dragon was teaching students, the man asked Lee for a demo.

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The man doubted the master’s ability to produce so much power with such a short range of motion. However, instead of getting angry at the insinuation, Lee said, “let me show you.” According to the student, the Jeet Kune Do founder had further polished his technique when 230 lb came to his dojo. Lee punched him so hard that the man flew back and lost consciousness after hitting a wall.

Watch this story – The Real Reason Why Bruce Lee Had His Armpit Sweat Glands Removed

What do you make of Lee’s iconic punch? Let us know in the comments.?