Randy Couture's manager Sam Spira tells Bruce Lee sparring Chuck Norris story - Part 3 

While filming The way of the Dragon Chuck Norris told Jon T Benn that Bruce Lee is unbeatable. There is an audio recording of these words.

Jon Benn's book relates how he was having dinner with Chuck Norris and asked him who would win in a real fight, "You or Bruce?" "Why, Bruce of course. Nobody could beat him." A few days ago I read an article on Linda Lee: "Once Bruce sparred with Chuck Norris and Mike Stone at the same time, and he made them look like amateurs."

I'm 64 and trained with a black belt from Chuck Norris's school when I was 19 and he told me point blank that Bruce just completely dominated Norris in the sparring he witnessed, especially with his trapping hands which nobody knew back then.

The best part of that Jim Kelly Interview was when you could actually Sense Jim Rewinding back in Time in His own head, remembering how Nasty Bruce's Skills were. For a few seconds there, Kelly almost studders while speaking when he was thinking back all them years ago during that Interview. To me, that means that it had to be an Extremely Unusually High Frequency of Skill that Jim saw Bruce use that We don't get to see very often.

when i was at the Filipino kali academy, Floyd told me richard bustillo ( or dan inosanto i cant remember) asked bruce who waa better him or chuck? ( this was at bruces school in Los Angeles where chuck was a studying under bruce.) bruce told Richard"watch this" and went to chuck and they started to spar" well,bruce locked chuck up in a standing ketsugo or jujutsu type lock ,and walked chuck like a puppet around to richard and said " see"?

You kick like you punch and punch like you kick. - Bruce Lee -

Joe Lewis would have an extremely difficult time trying to make any contact swinging at bruce.

I watched Chuck fight in Madison Square Garden in 1967 at Jun Rhee’s Internationals. I watched the prelims on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. I had not yet met Chuck, but he was clearly head and shoulders the best of a large field of fighters. Bruce Lee did demos at that tournament. It was there that Chuck and Bruce met. As I understand it, they were staying at the same hotel and ended up practicing in the hallway. Chuck asked Bruce why he didn’t use high kicks and Bruce said something about being left vulnerable. Chuck said if your opponent gets tired and his hands drop, why not kick him in the head. I read later that the next time Chuck met Bruce, Bruce was one of the best kickers Chuck had seen. I think they both respected one another. In 1970 (I think), I saw Chuck fight at Ed Parker’s Internationals in Long Beach, CA. After that tournament, I happened to run into Chuck in the parking lot. We spoke briefly and my impression was that he was a very respectful and humble guy. I think Bruce may have done a demo at that tournament too, but I’d have to check the program to be sure. Chuck’s group was the first outside group to be invited to my group’s Special Training in 1966. He participated and brought 2 of his first Black Belts. Many years later, I became friends with Chuck’s first Black Belt, who had joined us in 1967. He always speaks very respectfully of Chuck and is greatful for Chuck introducing him to the Martial Arts.

at the end of the day Bruce Lee will always be the superstar of martial arts full stop. Renowned throughout the entire world no one will ever take his place

There is an audio interview of Chuck Norris on the net that I heard a few years ago. It was done a very short time after Bruce Lee's death. Chuck states that he could have never beaten Bruce, because his movement's were just simply too fast... and you can't hit something that you can't catch. He also said that Bruce's striking speed and power were unequaled... Period, end of story.

Bruce intentionally showed the difference in movement and ability between him and Chuck Norris in return of the dragon.

Jim Kelly proves this guy is lying on Bruce Lee, who was the best of the best

Chuck was a point "fighter". Joe Lewis was the contact Champ, Joe knows the Bruce beat Chuck, Bo W. knows Jim Kelly, Taky Jhoon Rhee... Nobody who knows disrespects the fact that Bruce didn't brag on it.

OPEN YOUR MIND : REMEMBER BRUCE CHALLENGED THE SYSTEM THE WAY WAS TAUGHT & BRUCE WAS EXPLAINING & DEMONSTRATED HIS SKILLS . IF BRUCE WAS ALIVE HE WOULD OF PROVE THOSE NEGATIVE RESPONDERS WRONG & MOST MARTIAL ARTIST WOULD OF AGREE & FOLLOW HIM .

Bruce Lee was a real innovator. Most karate guys and martial artists of the time and many athletes weren't into lifting weights like Bruce Lee was. They had the idea that lifting weights would slow you down etc.

Norris knows nobody thinks he's on Lee's level. but Norris don't want to upset Norris fans by saying Lee beat him. Norris fans don't want Norris to admit anything

Idk, multiple sources say Bruce was untouchable....too fast.

When bruce lee died , Chuck started to disrespect him

chuck and bruce worked out together between 1965 and 1968 so sam was aged between 1 and 4, he has a very good memory :P

Like so many he's hesitant to talk about Bruce's skill but Jim Kelly said he was unbelievable. Seems like some ego involved in ruining their reputation and others don't say anything because it's comes across as if they are using him or because they can't prove it

That dude Sam looks so young yet he was there watching those great men trained and sparred. That's all bull shit.

Well, Chuck trained with Bruce off and on whenever they could, and he does credit Bruce with helping him improve his footwork and his hand speed. Joe Lewis as well, Bruce helped him improve his footwork and hand speed, and both credit Bruce for helping them become better fighters. Chuck has continued to evolve as a fighter, working with the Gracie’s to learn BJJ. I could believe they went back and forth. Chuck was a multiple time world champion, and Bruce’s fighting philosophy has always been no holds barred, meaning if your going to fight, groin strikes, eye jabs, etc were all on the table, so in just a sparring match where your focus is on footwork and technique, yes I could easily see Chuck and Bruce going back and forth.

I don't believe any mma fighter could beat Bruce Lee

You can tell from his first response that Bruce whooped on Chuck 😄

This chump is clearly making it up as he goes.He would have been 4 or 5 years old at the time and his story is convoluted.First he says they used "heavy contact"...then he implies they equally knocked eachother down...then he says they never aimed to hurt each other.....malarky...Not to mention Steve McQueen only grew a full beard in the late 1970s.

The interviewer should have called him out hes too young to know any thing about bruce. The interview would have stoped right away.

That's a great memory for a mere 7 year old. I'm 51, that's virtually 'Spira's' age and I can't remember that much about the early 70's, and I can't remember fuck all about the 60's.

What people do not realize is that the Kato Bruce Lee does not compare to the Enter The Dragon Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris introduced the Gracies to the USA audience long before the UFC.

There's only one word to describe this interview.

Another ego maniac trying to downgrade Bruce’s abilities. The wise will pierce through his lies.

the truth remains with Jim kelly. .. one thing jim kelly said was that bruce lee was "untouchable" and only can answer He was unbelievable????

i dont think this guy is credible,,i think he is making it all up

Bob Wall said that Bruce was the best out of all of them, learned new techniques and adapted amazingly fast as well. They all lost to each other as they were learning according to Wall, but Bruce won the most and lost the least.. In Bob's words, he was embarrassing us and the loss was worse because he was an unknown and not a well known tournament fighter who "paid his dues in the sport!"

He's still very young, he doesn't know what's really going on, he's just observing two guys sparring/fighting for fun. And that was what it was, nothing more.

I think people are not catching what he said. He said "if Norris can hit him" well let's be honest if anyone got caught by Norris clean then they would be hurt but here's the thing about Bruce Lee is that he couldn't be touched. He was so fast he couldn't be touched. Sparring and real life are different, if Bruce didn't want you to hit him you weren't gonna hit him.

This guy was in movie called "The Little Dragons" released in 1980. He was one of the 9 karate kids in the movie (even though I couldn't identify him). Since those kids were between 8 and 15 at that time, the oldest he could have been when he claims he saw Lee sparring with Norris was 6 or 7. There is also the possibility that he wasn't even born yet.

this shits a joke if he got hit by chuck it'd hurt yeah but no way Norris is beating Lee his speed and foot speed was unquestioned

Bruce died in 1973. Also, can the interviewer check if the sparring sessions were during the start of JKD, or after Bruce went deeper into it? I'm asking because many top fighters of that era said Bruce could not be touched, and even Chuck admitted nobody could beat Bruce. Muhamad Ali's bodyguard sparred Bruce and said Bruce was like a shadow - untouchable. Also - I detect the interviewee being a little biased - because even Joe Lewis himself said Bruce could hit extremely hard.

Bruce Lee is just too fast for Chuck Norris ;)

He Said Without Saying It That Bruce Gave Chuck The Business

In 2016, if this happened in 1970 during the Bruce Lee fame era, he would have been around 13...assuming he is 59 years old. Highly unlikely.

Chuck sparred with Bruce behind closed doors just one on one no one knows what happened but Bruce was on another level compared to chucks karate

They obviously helped each other which is awesome in itself.

An extremely vague account which raises more questions than delivers answers...

If Chuck could hit him?I guess BL really was untouchable

He's not gonna bad mouth Chuck because that was his trainer and he's still alive! He would have repercussions plus he was a kid he wouldn't be able to differentiate who had better techniques!

Man these comments are gold in the Bruce Lee community

All these fighters that sparred with Bruce don't like to admit that a guy Bruce's size and weight could light them up at will, Jim Kelly is one of a few karate champions that gave Bruce the respect he deserved.

If Roy Jones Jr. (greatest super - midle weight boxer of all time) can fight against Heavy Weight champions, the Bruce Lee (The greatest martial artist of 20. century) can fight against 20pounds heavier karate champion and beat him.

What year was it? " I don't know, I don't remember". really? Just figure out how old you were. Its around early 70s? "yeah". Wtf. Bruce Lee was back in Hong Kong already.

What he is saying without the interviewer's bias, sounds pretty accurate and honest to me. Oh, and Joey Davis who he mentions at the end. He's 7-0 in Bellator now.

Every one does get hit regardless of their or the opponents ability. Never the less Bruce Lee's skill level would make it not to easy.

Chuck was bigger and heavier ? 🙄 Give it a rest. Never seen a matador deal with a bull ?

People were stronger back then. Even today, they may think they're bad ass. But they're all still on their phone and computer with all these things keeping them away from their real fighting spirits. Back then, all they did was train.

There was one story where Jesse Glover and another guy were with Bruce Lee. Some karate guy challenged Bruce. So since they didn't have any place they could fight/spar Jesse advised Bruce to go to the YMCA indoor handball court. So the guy with Jesse and Bruce would keep time and Jesse would also watch. When the guy with the timer said "Go" Bruce and the Karate guy started to fight. Karateka guy tried to kick and punch Bruce. From what Jesse and the other guy recounted from that moment, Jesse said that Bruce was countering and dodging all the guys kicks and punches and countered with punches of his own. The karate guy's head was bobbing back and forth and his arms were flailing from how hard Bruce was hitting his head. Then as the karate guy went on floor Bruce got soo pissed that he kicked the karate guy in the face and he fell on his back. That is when Jesse yelled to stop the fight. Jesse Glover was one of Bruce's black studens who he trained back in the 60's and even gave him permission to train JKD to future students. I don't think Chuck would've stood a chance against Bruce in a real fight. Bruce Lee was one of those guys that really saw the need for things that would help you to survive in a street fight.

i dont take it serious until Bolo Yeung speaks on it

Sorry, but this is utter nonsense. This man was a child, yet has better recollection then adults that were there? Norris was beaten badly by Lee during sparring, Norris admitted this in the early years, but once he became a movie star Chuck's ego kicked in, and soon Chuck was no longer admitting defeat to Lee, rather he started implying that he was better, which is nonsense. James Demile would have DESTROYED Chuck Norris, and James admits that he had absolutely no chance against Lee. The man in this video enjoys promoting MMA propaganda by saying Lee was not a real fighter. Would love to see any MMA fighter against the best of James Demile's students on the street.

Great! I started my training during those days. Because I found Tracy's Karate I was able to learn through my instructor through Joe Lewis who was training with Lee. As Sam says, the so-called point fighting from then was serious. When we trained in the doju, we didn't point fight, we just fought. Obviously thee were holes in our game, but with the evolution of the arts, now we do more variety with both our striking and grappling. However, the techniques I learned back then still work well today.

He talks about his father being there. Chuck was a professional fighter..Bruce was a real Martial Artist down to his bone. Its a big difference..Selfdefence is different to pure fighting..

Bruce wrote William Cheung a letter saying he beat Chuck Norris in a sparring match and everyone who saw it just pretended nothing happened (cuz it must have been really awkward). Jim Kelly also said he saw Bruce beat a very famous fighter in a sparring match and he refused to name the fighter. He just called him "John Doe the great champion". I think we all know who John Doe was lol. I mean just look at the fight scene in Return of the Dragon. Who's faster, more athletic, and more skilled? The answer is pretty obvious

It really stinks. I mean the way how this guy talks about the chances between Bruce Lee and Chuk in real fight, taking care not to hurt or offence Chuck Norris. Because Chuck Norris never admitted that Bruce Lee is a better fighter than him. The whole story on that subject just stinks. :)

The timeline is wrong. He said early 70's. Bruce was in Hong Kong doing movies. Chuck himself had said in interviews he had not heard from Bruce in yrs when he called him to ask if he would do the Way of the Dragon. Maybe between 67 & 70 is where this might of taken place. Sam also says they were very controlled when they sparred. let me say this. Chuck did not box back then. The fight between Chuck & Skipper Mullins Chuck takes a shot in the mouth & time is stopped to let him recover. I dont like the way he reacts when he got hit. Makes me wonder what would happen if he really took a shot from someone with say boxing gloves on during the full contact days. Chuck retired from competition just as full contact kick boxing was getting started.Bruce on the other hand loved boxing & would spar with his crew of students he had. Bruce was way ahead of Chuck in his training. Chuck would eventually do these things like grappling , boxing but Bruce did it first. I think Chuck was lucky those were controlled sparring matches because if not Bruce really does a number on him. Sam said that the lighter guy might land 15 to 20 shots well I dont think Chuck could take that many shots from Bruce where as I think Bruce could handle several shots from the heavier Norris. A prime in shape Kung Fu Master like Bruce lee beats up Karate Champion Chuck Norris.

This guy is lying. You can tell when dude ask the question he had to think of something to say to protect chuck. This guy is karate he trained with chuck of course he is going to defend chuck. He don't give Bruce no credit

Haha, joe lewis said bruce can hit like a heavy weight, so bruce realistic would be able to hit harder than Chuck, so what he says here doesnt make any sense.

Lmaooo damn bro this guys is hiding something CLEARLY. if you hesitate while saying "it went back n forth" someone clearly got their ass kicked. I understand Lee and Norris were close friends so no one got hurt obviously but it's clear Lee must have dominated in the sparring just look at this mans face while talking about it

The last man to beat Norris was 6 times world champion and a real hardman, Louis Delgado...go to the link below and read what Delgado says in one of his Blackbelt magazine interviews regarding Lee...it is absolutely fascinating and a real eye-opener...it tells you EVERYTHING you need to know about how Lee compared to the world champions back then... Also, there is a comment from the truly formidable Mike Stone and it's very revealing re Lee's speed and ability...other comments too from VERY established martial arts people on Lee... www.angelfire.com/ma/jfjkd/Wpt.html

If you watch any of these point fighting here on youtube you can find Joe Lewis,Chuck Norris and so on you don't see that foot work he was talking about.

I knew Bruce Lee and Sam you knew Jack shit.

All of the best who ever done it gave their testimony while BL was alive, and after his death. That BL was the real deal, and was untouchables....Look at the way BL trained, the miles he ran daily. he was in 100% top physical shape, and condition. his skills, power, and speed was unmatched. gloves or no gloves. If BL while alive, mustered all of his energy in one punch, or kick and had an opportunity to hit any of us. he'd kill us with ease. Also, we've all heard alot of these delusional martial artist, and fighter's exclaime they could've easily beaten Bruce. This goes out to the one's who were relevant @ the time when BL was alive, and to the one's who were present during his exhibitions. My question is? if you felt like you were so bad, and that BL was only an action star. why didn't you challenge him while in a no holds barred match? without question, BL would've happily accepted. and would've beaten anybody mercifully without even thinking about it!....The only thing an individual had to do while Lee was alive was challenge him, and beat him, and their name forever would've been etched into the limelight of the one who beat the greatest of all time..nobody was that bold then, but since Bruce's passing. alot of strong words are being spewed out of the mouths of the delusional, and weak.

As a kid he probably had the propensity to lean towards the person he wanted to look or do better. These are his leanings but, their accuracy seems a bit off.

MMA have put together many fights with a 20-30lb weight difference, it really depends on the fighters. That alone doesn't guarantee victory

This gentleman appears to be the most honest and accurate evaluation of Bruce Lee.

What a story-uhh-memory.. So much detail except where detail is "required" for legitimacy.. By The Way, as a kid, I watched King Kong and Godzilla spar; it was pretty even too, you know, one had longer a longer reach and greater mobility the other was radioactive and could spew plasma...

If chuck wanted to hurt him, if he could hit him it would hurt. Bruce Lee was to slick of a fighter to be hit.

The time frame was the early 1970's when Norris had his studios. I had the opportunity to have Norris and Johnson (at different times) stop in and do some teaching. It wasn't often; however, it was one of those thing you remember. Pat Coughlan (spelling of last name?) was the resident instructor at the Norris studio in Los Angeles. Good instructor.

How any comparison could STILL be made is idiotic . Bruce was and is considered A Legend . Spend more time , researching every available bit of information . BL was unequalled

"Norris on his fastest day couldn't hit Bruce on his slowest day." by Me When you think of Norris you think of : Texas Walker Karate point fighting champion Expendables Total Gym Hairy chest When you think of Lee you think of: Legend ripped physique and famous washboard abs. One handed two finger push ups One inch punch Nunchucks Kato from The Green Hornet Show Yellow jersey from Game of Death Enter the Dragon kung fu movies his trade mark screams Founder of Jeet Kune Do martial arts superstar kung fu master philosopher father of MMA game changer pioneer action star Trained many famous celebrities

This dude is lying,he must've been 4 to 8 yrs old? Im 53 yrs old,when bruce died I was 8yrs old in 1973.

As i knew him ,no one in the world trained as hard as Bruce Lee,no one in the world was mote dedicated than Bruce Lee. Chuck Norris

Ironic, because much heavier Toney lost to a much lighter Couture. Lee was more MMA than Chuck was at that moment in time.

bullshit, bruce was so far a head of norris in every aspect

jim kelly also said on youtube he knew for certain well known champions and they know who they are but wont name names that deny ever facing off with bruce but it did happen 100 percent and doesnt care who says what, and these guys each got shown up, they couldnt lay a kick or punch on bruce and bruce hit them each time he wanted, he played with them and they were supposedly world champions, Mmmmmm ? wonder who that could have been ? maybe we should call a texas ranger to solve it ? this guy claiming to remember bruce and chuck sparing is a lame ass fucking liar,

Why does he seem so reluctant to just say what he saw?

Body language hes got his leg crossed the wrong way to be open, which means hes guarding something sign he is lying... he wide eye stairs into the guys face each time he makes a statement, another sign of lying and trying too hard to convince and make the other person believe him...

Its not just Jim Kelly that knows Lee was legit : Michael Chan , Tony Liu......but haters will of course claim these are paid by the estate IMO , both Ing Sik and Ji Han Jae are jealous of Lee , Ing Sik was pompous on the set of Way : "Lee is just an actor , I am a real fighter"........then Lee brought him down to earth again pretty quickly lol

Conor beating Aldo wasn't a fluke. Conor knew what would happen before even stepping into the Octagon.

Bruce Lee was phenomenal! He didn't compete because he was only interested in self-defense/survival type fighting. Chuck Norris is also awesome! He has proven stand up skills (Tang Soo Do, Tae Kwon Do, Karate and has trained in kick boxing/boxing) and grappling (BJJ, Judo, etc). Who's the best? Who cares?

Was this interview conducted on 1st of April?

This guy is a LIAR !! Yes, I am a True Bruce Lee Fan, however, I can put my bias aside, if someone was speaking the TRUTH ! How do I know the truth when I was only 1.5 years of age when Bruce Lee passed away and wasn't around to see shit. That is true but, if you can understand the art of fighting, the mind set needed along with the desire and the belief in your abilities to come out on top and be the Warrior, Chuck had some of those qualities Bruce had them all. I have listen to, watched, read many many books, listened to many stories, from the people who all new Bruce well and from their stand point, I cannot take it in that they were all conspiring to lie and make Bruce Bigger then he was without anything to gain. Danny Inosanto, has no reason to lie. Neither does James Coburn or anyone else for that matter. They all said that Bruce was the best of that time. Jim Kelly said it many times, NO ONE IN OUR ERA, COULD HAVE BEATEN BRUCE. BRUCE WAS JUST THAT GOOD. JUST A STEP AHEAD OF EVERYONE. what does he have to gain for saying these things when Bruce was All ready dead ? The 3 assholes who NEVER GAVE BRUCE CREDIT WERE, MIKE STONE, CHUCK NORRIS AND JOE LEWIS. However, it was all 3 of them that came to Bruce's house to train. Not the other way around. Mike Stone trained with Bruce. CHUCK NORRIS HAS THE AUDACITY TO SAY, we trained together. More exchanging Idea's. I taught Bruce the high kicks. Bruce got all three of those fuckers involved in the Movies. Even gave Chuck Norris a big part which made him. Not the other way around. Bruce lived and breathes Martial arts from the time he got up until the time he went to bed. His forearms were like grabbing a steel pipe. His punches were as fast as lighting. His kicks were sent out with such force that once he stood there and kicked a palm tree so hard the tree shook and vibrated all the way to the top. Bruce while training them did have his way with each of them that while given interviews with all three, the interviewer asked Bruce if he thinks he is the best fighter in the world. Bruce humbly said, I will never ever claim to be number one. But I will never ever claim to be number two either. Why didn't one of them Say, hey, Bruce don't you remember that I beat your ass in sparring yesterday? Because they knew he was the best and they respected their sensi, or teacher at the time. Now that Bruce is no longer with us. They talk like Bruce was nothing but a movie star and Bruce was not a real fighter. Really? Ok. Oh and by the way, out of all the movies Chuck has made or played in none of them can match the greatest martial arts movie ever made. Enter the dragon. Guest who the lead actor was ??? Lol. RIP Bruce even in death I have your back !!!

Stuttering. .and shit. .can't remember the approx year..but clearly remembers multiple sparring sessions ??? how old was he in 1970 ???

Well this guy is like everyone else. He doesn't think out side the box like Bruce did. In his opinion chuck had the upper hand because he was bigger. The problem is everyone back then and to this day are still very inside the box. Bruce was always a street fighter. No rules and anything goes. He taught people to bite, scratch, eye poke and so on. Bruce would drag people to the ground by the ear. In a fight who would expect someone to go for their ear? It's definitely effective! All the greats back then had sport fighting engrained in them not real fighting. To me that gives Bruce the advantage.

Now I love Chuck Norris I'm a huge fan he's awesome I love his movies he's a great fighter was a great fighter is a great martial artist hands down but I've seen this so-called super fast spin kick in his movies as well as in his matches it is not super fast is about the same speed as I would do it if I was in better shape like I used to be and I was not super duper fast Bruce Lee was super duper fast and that does not even cover his speed

Chuck still knows this to this day hitting Bruce in sparring session was like trying to hit a ghost zero chance he'd last in a real fight with Bruce Lee. Bruce was so strong he could take a 120lb barbell or 75 barbell and hold it straight out for over 30 seconds. You know why there is no Bruce Lee Jokes because Bruce Lee was no joke..

Here's a guy that actually trained alongside them telling you that if Chuck wanted to hurt Bruce he could, then I'm reading all these hearsay BS stories that differ. Bruce was great, Chuck was better, even guys like Joe Lewis and Bill Wallace say Chuck was the best, Chuck beat them too.

people don't wanna hurt chuck norris legacy by saying he wasn't as good as bruce! but they also don't don't dare say that chuck was better even though bruce is dead, because they couldn't and wouldn't tell that lie out of respect you know your respected when they won't lie about a dead person!

He is,not being honest on Bruce & Chuck

Sorry I'm allergic to bullshit

This man looks about 60-64 so he was a young guy and a young guy can memorise things better than a 30 or 40 yrs old man so why are you guys complaining again..... BL was the greatest you can observe it from his real footages and stop comparing any ufc or anyone to BL coz he is above them all

No way Chuck could have even touched Bruce, unless Bruce let him, to be kind.

lies! Jim Kelly kept it real