Cpl. Hicks said:I have to disagree with that assessment. Lundgren holds a distinct advantage over most Asian fighters simply due to his physical build—there is a massive difference between taking a hit from a 200lb man versus someone weighing 130lbs. That said, Bruce Lee remains exceptionally revered within the martial arts community for his Jeet Kune Do; furthermore, Jet Li was a legitimate wushu master long before he ever stepped onto a movie set.
PS: Holding a European championship title doesn't carry much weight here, as most action stars have likely been "champion" of some organization at least once in their lives. Given how many different federations exist, it isn't exactly profound.
Between Kyokushin karate and Muay Thai, you're looking at arguably the most brutal striking disciplines out there. The only thing "sport karate" actually shares with them is the name. Fighters like Andy Hug (who was a top-tier world and American contender in Kyokushin), Peter Aerst, and Hoost have all trained in it. It wasn't until the passing of the style's founder, Masutatsu Oyama, a few years back, that the movement split into two separate federations; Lundgren secured his title back when there was only one unified body. To suggest that winning a major championship in Kyokushin is meaningless... well, I won't even go there. I'm not interested in getting into the whole "ancient Kung Fu vs. Kyokushin or Muay Thai" debate right now. This isn't the place for it—we're on a movie forum—nor is it the right time. I used to enjoy those discussions, but I've lost interest lately.
Bruce Lee was undeniably a terrifying fighter and a technical genius, but he was also an incredibly charismatic cinematic icon. In terms of pure screen presence, anyone else mentioned here can't even hold a candle to him, and that is the point we are actually discussing.
