Jim Kelly was a class act! I would have loved to meet him. You can tell he witnessed Bruce’s genius and what he could really do and how he actually was untouchable. We’ll miss you Jim Kelly!
He seems so pure and full of integrity. He would have made a great motivational speaker for people like me who felt like hell in my younger years ...Bless him...and... R.I.P
I think "Jim Kelly" was a charismatic, a very well spoken man. He is my hero, I remember how impressed, my brother and I were with him, and his fighting ability, his charisma. We wanted to pursue karate, but chickened out the last minute. I was so sad this intelligent, wonderful man had died. Rip, Mr Kelly
As a very young guy back in the day.........not so young now....Jim really stood out in Enter the Dragon.He was a very likeable person both on and off screen!!!!!
Jim Kelly was truly an inspirational figure. A man with a convicted mind and determined soul during a time when it was almost impossible to achieve stardom or recognition on the screen but he did with his talent and passion. Most of us know of him through his work with Bruce Lee but he did much more and would've accomplished even more had the limits of race weren't so prevalent at the time. Most importantly I'd like to remember him as a man who represented integrity and purpose. +E Recording Artist-Edwin Vazquez
In the ego-driven worlds of martial arts and movies, there can't be many people as humble as Jim Kelly. Here we have one of the most decorated martial artists of the 70s, holder of the World Championship title, and he has no problem at all in talking about Bruce Lees achievements over his own.
Jim Kelly is one of the few who actually told the truth about just how good bruce lee really was, no jealousy, complete honesty. He respected and admired him. Where can I find his book.
Jim kelly a real black action hero...I'll never forget that cool walk he took thru the airport in his leather with the theme song 3 the hard way playing....cool confident black brother...remind me of me
@@karriemburton9024 , I am an Asian guy and have admired Jim Kelly and Bruce Lee ever since I was a kid. Jim Kelly had charisma and was a gentleman. Jim Kelly and Bruce Lee were cool and inspirational.
@@stevest8675 I agree...in an interview jim kelly said he and bruce was suppose to do a movie together...which surely would have happened had bruce lived
Jim Kelly my first African American actor to know Black Belt Jones was my first movie of Jim Kelly to see in the early 70s. And ever since I really admire and loved him too. We miss you Jim
I am Asian and liked Jim Kelly as a kid. He had charisma and a great martial artist. I liked him in Enter the Dragon and black belt Jone. An idol. After listening to this interview I have even more respect for him. He is humble and down to earth man. RIP Jim Kelly.
thanks Jim for all those good movies hope you are in heaven bro! i was not born yet when you were here but till i know about you love your movies, i am white but not all whites are bad people to me a human been is just that human like me.
Jim Kelly must have mentioned those names close to him. So maybe they can reveal them. But so refreshing for Jim kellys honest he had no ego, unlike some others.
What a nice guy and I thought he might not be so nice after hearing rumours stuntmen thought he was a bit hard on them in martial art magazines in the past. I wanted Jim Kelly to live for much longer, and not just to write his biography and maybe revealing his anecdotes about bruce lee and those karate champs he beat.
Chuck Norris, Bob Wall, Joe Lewis etc. It's sad in this modern day era other martial artists such as Michael Jai White try to discredit or diminished this man's accomplishments in the martial arts world propagating that he was just an actor or he never had a real fight. However, a plethora of legit, elite level martial artists and fighters of his heyday give account to his prowess and legitimacy. Even more of a shame is how Jim Kelly is not celebrated in our culture heavily today as the positive role model, (especially for black children) and all-around great guy he was in life.
@@lordoffaiyum9727 and WE KNOW why. (Even Jim Kelly knew why which he even goes in about here in this interview at the 23:00min mark) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-g_lV0Fw-uog.html
I will have to say Jim Kelly was a true inspiration to me as a child and one of my main inspirations for becoming a martial artist myself. I grew up watching Jim Kelly, Fred The Hammer Williamson, Jim Brown, and Richard Roundtree. I am the Agent to Fred Williamson and have been for 8 years now. .. I tried working with Jim over the years and while not the easiest person to work with, I will always have respect for Jim's talents. Im just glad I got the chance to meet Jim though brief in 2010. RIP.
My first ever martial arts movie was Black Belt Jones. I watched it on the big screen in Pakistan of all places . I was blown away , it was amazing . In the late 70s
Wow!! Jim Kelly - so humble. Seems a lovely guy. Heard he passed away. I saw black belt Jones in early 80s only because he’d been in etd. Loved a scene where they turned the lights out and beat up the baddies. My recollection’s not that good. But this guy was something else. And now I see this interview - and what a great guy. Bless him.
You could tell looking into his face and tell he was ill many martial artist die young many practice the fight part of martials art but do not practice the health technigues from the far east especialy western martial artist Jim Kelly was discriminated against as a black man. Many of the movie company's he film with made good money while he earned peanuts. His equivlant today would be Micheal Jia White who Stone Cold Steve Austin said pound for pound is the best martail artist in hollywood.
The late ark Wong charged only 100 dollars a month for lessons. He was the kungfu trainer of the stars. His income supplemented his social security retirement he was getting. He was in the movie " mother,juggs, and speed" RIP SIFU ARK WONG
24:06 Joe Lewis himself said he knew how Jeet Kune Do felt because he 'got popped with it a few times', also, that Bruce hit as hard as a heavy weight.
Funny how joe knows that Bruce hit as hard as a heavy weight kind of makes me think he may have been hit by him sparring. Of course because of his gigantic ego Joe Joe is famous for trashing Bruce saying that he wasn’t a real fighter yada yada yada
I can't get my copy of Jim's book anymore. Any idea where i could get one? My other question is what's the reporter's name and the title of his book since I'm might interested in it as well.
Martial artists should be on his knees kissing Jim Kelly’s pinky toe for not writing them out for getting beat by Bruce Lee. Jim refused to reveal the names but we all know at least two people who is probably in that number Joe and chuck to be sure
1. 23 any brother or sisters. no brothers no sisters. so were you an only child. wow ric myers powers of observation in coming to that conclusion are good.
Grand Master Kelly fans check out my original song dedicated to him one of my childhood heroes. The song is called "fists full of dynamite" thanks. R.I.P grand master.
This interviews with the late Jim Kelly were Ok but so many opportunities wasted. Case in point, Jim mentioned in many interviews just how skilled Lee was but no details. He did not want to name names of who he saw Lee spar with and got the better of. The big two names back in that era were Joe Lewis and of course Chuck Norris. Even if names were not used I wished that the interviewer asked for details;when ,what happened etc, in these encounters. Now it is too late. I don't doubt his thought especially that did not give names therefore it cannot said that he mentioned someone because he had a ax to grind. There is so much hearsay about Lee's skills that I wish Kelly,as a named karate competitor would have set the record straight on just how good Lee and just saying that Lee was a step better than the rest is ok but that quote leaves a lot of room for interpretation./ So finally from being involved in the MA's since 1966 way before the "Bruce Lee era' i think that Lee was one on the best MA's strikers even and THE best MA theorist ever. He studied the MA like a scientist would.
+Charles Watts When he says Bruce was a step above 'everyone' else should tell you the full story. Why else would world champs including kelly himself lined up to be coached by bruce? remember bruce was an unknown quantity back then, even as a coach.., he wasn't even that famous..Because they tested him (bruce) and got found out, and when the word got out, bruce was deemed the deadliest man on the planet, and thats how the legend grew..It didnt just happened by rumors, there were witnesses. Also when Kelly said people don't know how 'great' not just good bruce was, tells you any other story, which means what we know bruce could do in his films was nothing compared to what he has seen bruce can do in sparring. Just think about it for one second, bruce was great from what we see him do on his films, imagine how great he would be if we saw him take apart world champs?? Bruce admitted this himself, that he schooled them all, he didn't hold back in his words either.
Exactly. Kelly liked basking in the glow of Bruce Lee's fame. "I know stuff, man. I really know stuff". What do you know? "I can't tell you, but man, I know stuff".
Jim was a very likable person. However, he sure used the race card often. Many blacks have been extremely successful in acting and other professions without bitching about the “man.”
actually he said "no" john saxon was much more famous at the time so he understood why he was killed in the movie and not saxon and had no problem with it he also said he experienced no racism in hong kong which interview were you watching?
Can’t understand how a guy as handsome as a Jim Kelly could ever be confused with Clarence Williams the third who played Lincoln on Mod Squad comparatively speaking he looks like a troll compared to Jim
Problem detected in Jim Kelly's testimony about Bruce Lee: According to Jim Kelly, he didn't personally know Bruce Lee yet until he showed up in Hong Kong for the making of Enter the Dragon. How did he know who Bruce Lee sparred with then? If he was having in mind the famous American karate guys such as Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, Mike Stone, Bob Wall ( It is very likely Jim Kelly was thinking about them ), he couln't have seen Bruce Lee sparring with them in the USA before he moved to Hong Kong. I don't think those guys went to Hong Kong in 1973 except Bob Wall. Something DOES NOT ADD UP THERE
