American Martial Artist Recounted His Strange Confrontation With Bruce Lee in 1967: ?Didn?t Have a Lot of Respect for Little Guys?

Famously known as “the Muhammad Ali of karate?, Joe Lewis has earned an excellent name for his grip in Karate. The 68-year-old has been voted twice as the greatest fighter in karate history. Although Lewis was quite renowned as a karate fighter, he did not have a good rapport with the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee. In a resurrected interview, Lewis explained his first meeting with Lee.

Initially, Lee and Lewis were not good friends for their differences in martial art techniques. However, they did develop friendship and mutual respect eventually. Lee also named him ?The Greatest Karate Fighter of All Time.”

Joe Lewis did not have much respect from small guys like Bruce Lee

Joe Lewis and Bruce Lee indeed differed from each other. However, their frequent meet-ups made them understand each other?s fighting dimensions. In an old interview resurrected by Beerdy – Bruce Lee Central, Joe explained how he met Lee for the first time when he acted very uncooperative.

In 1967, Joe Lewis was with the Black Belt Magazine in Washington, Boulevard. As he was coming out of the office, Bruce Lee came to meet him in the parking lot. For starters, Lewis did not know who he was as he did not watch the Green Hornet series. Bruce confronted him with things about several martial art styles. Joe revealed that Bruce talked to him about Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun movements, and some sticky hand techniques.

Lewis confessed how he felt meeting Lee for the first time:

I got a little confused here because back in those days. I didn’t have a lot of respect for little guys, and if you’re under five foot eight in my book, you were little, and if you were under 150 pounds in my book, you were little plus most of the Chinese styles weren’t into fighting, weren’t into the combat aspect of it like the Muay Thai fighters or other point fighters of today.

Read More: ?I Sent a Few of His Teeth Flying!?: Bruce Lee Was Cursed by His Father Despite Winning a Gruesome Fight Once

In the estranged meeting, Joe acted recalcitrant as he did not like Chinese techniques and small guys. He admitted that he got turned off by him the first time. However, in their following meeting, Joe began liking him.

How’d the Lee?Lewis second meeting go?

Things became a little more friendly when the two martial artists met for the second time. In 1967, United States Championship, Bruce Lee was invited as a guest alongside Joe Lewis. Lee introduced himself to Joe. The Karate champion found Lee very well-dressed and cordial.

In fact, he developed a liking for Lee as Joe’s partner, Bob Wall, from?Enter The Dragon, who?talked a lot to him about the martial artist. Eventually, they became friends and learned a lot from each other.

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