Success didn’t come easy for famed martial artist and actor Chuck Norris. After suffering a brutal defeat in his first three tournaments, Norris had to struggle to prove his worth. In 2022, Chuck finally told the untold story of his days fighting and training with Bruce Lee.
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Chuck’s statements described what was happening behind the scenes. Not only did Chuck’s statements provide new information about Bruce Lee, but they also showed Chuck’s struggles. The opinions expressed by Chuck also highlighted a key difference between him and Bruce Lee.
Chuck Norris’ frank admission of his struggles and Bruce Lee
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In 2022, Norris admitted to training with Bruce Lee. The karate expert also said their exercise program will continue for three hours and will include push-ups, bag kicks and sparring. Referring to the iconic climactic scene he fought with Bruce Lee in “The Way of the Dragon,” Norris said it was his honor to work with Bruce Lee.
Speaking about his journey, Chuck Norris revealed how his struggles were different from those of Bruce Lee. “He didn’t have to go the competitive route, you know. Bruce was already a star and he didn’t need to become a fighter to develop this stuff. I did it. I had to become a fighter to develop this stuff,” Norris explained. By comparison, Chuck Norris received movie offers after winning karate championship titles in the 1960s.
Norris also gave his opinion on Lee in another interview. The karate champion shared how very agile Lee was and learned from others around him. “Bruce never believed in just one style, or one style is the best, he felt there were so many ‘best’ of everything,” Norris has spoken.
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DIVE DEEPER
The story behind Bruce and Chuck’s memorable fight
Recalling the popular scene with Lee in “The Way of the Dragon,” Chuck said they didn’t have the necessary permissions to shoot the scene. The karate champion went into more detail about how Lee had to resort to bribing officials to film the scene. Continuing, Norris said they then shot the climactic scene an hour before officials ordered them to finish filming.
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Watch Now: Relive GOAT Bruce Lee’s Iconic On-Screen Fights From His Film Collection
Norris’ statements about his struggle and those of Lee reflect how without hard work, nothing can be achieved. For martial arts fans, Chuck and Lee movies will always be vintage and iconic.
