Time Warp Battle: 1967 Bruce Lee Would Teach BJ Penn a Lesson in History
Welcome to the second instalment of "Time Warp Battle," where historical fighting legends meet today's future Hall of Fame candidates.
What started off as a fun, playful idea has slowly developed into a painstaking and stressful labour of love.
I mean, how could I possibly pay homage to a man such as Bruce Lee who has forever redefined what it means to be a martial artist and do it in an excruciatingly brief article?
He is, after all, considered by many as being the most influential and revolutionary fighter in our history.
Originally, it was my goal to compare all of the relatable facts about Bruce Lee and his life against the current UFC lightweight champion—BJ “The Prodigy” Penn.
Where they were born, what styles of fighting they had studied, etc.
Admittedly, this article would have been much easier to write after GSP destroyed Penn at UFC 94, but in light of this past weekend’s fight against Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez, my task just went from easy to very, very difficult.
BJ Penn is no slouch.
He has been criticized for his lack of conditioning, his overly confident behaviour, and his constant (perceived) complaining.
Penn, for as many fans as he has, simply rubs a lot of people the wrong way (admittedly, I used to be one of them).
But the man can definitely fight. There’s simply no denying that.
In fact, what really impressed me the most at UFC 107 was Penn’s ability to counter strike and anticipate his opponents’ every move—very Jeet Kune Do-like.
So the Big Question Is...
How would the current version of BJ Penn, who undoubtedly is at his all-time best, do against the 1967 version (hello, unstoppable punch) of Master Bruce Lee?
Quick Prediction
There’s just no stopping the "Dragon."
Oh and by the way, is it just me, or should this nickname be totally off-limits?
[COUGH ...MACHIDA...COUGH ]
Cripes, even the NHL retired No. 99—to me it just seems like the respectful thing to do.
Recently it was announced that basketball superstar LeBron James will voluntarily be giving up his uniform number (No. 23, in case you didn’t know) after the season, as a way of honoring Michael Jordan.
Food for thought.
Anyway, I digress. Moving on...
So You Think You Know Bruce Lee, Huh?
Perhaps like me, you have read his books, watched his movies, paid attention to his philosophies, and studied his every move? Maybe you even have a poster of him somewhere in your house?
The sad truth, however, is that very few people can honestly say they really knew this man.
What I envision when I think of Lee is a highly intelligent, free-thinking spirit with an open mind and an open heart. I also see a man who epitomizes discipline and work ethic.
A true leader by all definitions.
I also see a man who was driven with a purpose.
A caring teacher. A man with a dark side. A man without fear. A man full of love and hate (and violence).
Yes—Lee was a man like any other man, complete with mistakes and flaws, but what really separated him from anyone was his unrelenting pursuit for truth in a time when cultural and racial bias were his toughest opponents.
A true pioneer.
What Is BJ Penn’s Greatest Weakness, and How Would Bruce Lee Use It To Destroy Him?
Quite simply—his stubborn pride.
Many people would probably be inclined to give Penn the advantage over Lee (in the most respectful way, of course...) because of Penn’s natural grappling abilities on the ground, but this past weekend showed us all that Penn would never take this fight to the ground if given the opportunity.
He would be far too determined to prove that he is the better, faster, and more complete striker.
Penn, being the ultimate warrior he is, would never implement what he would perceive to be the easier fight plan.
Taking this fight to the ground would symbolize fear, and BJ would want to send a very clear message: He fears no man—not even the legend himself.
This would be Penn’s fatal error, and even if he suddenly found himself in enough trouble to want to take the fight to the ground (a place that GSP was more than happy to take him to) it would be far too late.
The fight would already be over.
Death by "Unstoppable Punch."
Hey, if GSP could land a "Superman Punch," I see no reason to believe that Penn could defend himself against anything Lee had to offer.
Lee was amazingly fast and unbelievably strong.
As good as Penn looked this past weekend, let’s not forget folks...Diego Sanchez is not Bruce Lee.
Not even close.
So please do not think Penn would look near as good on his feet against Lee—because he wouldn’t.
To quote Lee himself: “Either you understand, or you don’t, and that is that.”
Please feel free to check out Robert Gardner’s "Time Warp" article, where he believes that Penn would slay the "Dragon."
Let the debate begin...
