In 1967, I would say was my Golden Year.
I won probably more tournaments that year than any other.
Bruce Lee started making his movies and people are
asking his promoters - "How good is this guy for real?"
'He's good for real! He can keep up with any of them Champions.'
Will he compete with them?
'Oh, well now... We we might put on a demonstration sometime... We do not know.'
Well, if he's that darn good, why won't he get out there and compete?
He is doing movies with these nunchucks.
Can he compete in the Kata Competitions?
Or the Weapons competitions?
... We will eventually one day."
They kept getting pressured that eventually
At Ed Parker's Tournament
The Internationals out in California,
Ed Parker said that Bruce Lee challenged ANY of us National Champions
To a speed match.
That he's so fast that he's got a punch that he could
come in and hit you and out you won't even be able to touch it.
Well all these Champions out there in California they were just they were just laughing at him.
Snickering, "Well who is he?
He's no Champion!
He's a Movie Star
He's not a Karate Champ!
Ed Parker who runs the Internationals every year
He said, "Bob!", talking to Master Robert E. Trias,
I believe he just might be that fast.
Ain't nobody take him up on his offer.
Master Trias said, "Ha! I got three guys here, one of them can take him!
They know Shuri-ryū (首里流) (Karate) Ha ha!
One of the fastest there is!"
Master Trias looked down at me
I was sitting on the end he said
"Victor, GET UP THERE!"
I jumped, ran up there! Because when your instructor speaks
you better get to moving!
Bruce Lee steps back and says,
"Hello! We have a Volunteer!
Give him a hand! Ha ha ha!
I will back up four steps here
and I will come in and I will tag you in the chest
and you won't be able to touch it."
And I looked at him and I smiled and said,
"You said What?!"
The crowd and everybody starts laughing.
I said, "Now, I'm gonna have to see this!"
He says, "Are you ready?"
He comes in with this fast, lighting speed punch.
I saw his eyes flinch, I saw his ears move.
I said, "Here he comes. He is coming in on the right side..."
Now. When I was a kid growing up...
We had to ride the back of the bus.
Black folks were not allowed to sit up front or in the middle of the bus
You had to go all the way to the back
I used to sit in the back of the bus and watch these white folks come in.
I watched them and played a game.
I had a contest to see if
they were going to sit on the left or the right.
Were they going to reach for the rail with the left hand or right hand?
And I'm watching their facial expression, body expression.
Their eyes would move, their ears would move.
Their nose would move.
They would take an inhale and breathe.
The eyes would lead them to what they were gonna do first.
And I studied so when I started competing,
I could tell what a person was gong to do
Because I had read so much body language
From a young boy all the way to a grown man!
That's how I knew when Chuck Norris was going to do his spinning back kick...
That's how I knew when Joe Lewis was going to throw his powerful sidekick...
Now here's a guy who's going to stand four feet away from me
And going to come in and punch me in the chest
And I'm not going to be able to touch it?!
Well...
He comes in for his punch.
And he punched at my chest with my hands down to my side,
And I blocked it with an 'Agashi Palm Heel Block'.
BLAM!! I blocked it!
Ooooh! The crowd was so loud.
Bruce Lee was a little embarrassed. You know?
Huh?... Oh! ... Hmm?!
He was shocked.
He said, "Well let's try it again."
I said, "Okay!" He said "You ready?", I said "Yeah."
I know he's coming in faster this time.
I'm looking at him...
Here he comes. I see his movement. He telegraphed.
He comes in just as lightning speed. Even faster.
To punch me in the chest and I blocked it.
BAM!!
Bruce Lee reached out and pat me on my RIGHT arm.
He said, "You're fast!
You're the fastest American I've ever seen!"
He said, "We'll try it again!"
He does not ask me if I'm ready this time!
And there was so much noise up in the audience.
I looked over with my eyes.
He threw a back hand strike at my head...
Two and a half feet away! Without me looking.
I swung at his hand. And started laughing at him.
and I pointed - saying "Here you are striking to the head"
You were only going to strike my chest!
You were going to throw a punch that is so fast!
and here you are trying to sneak one at the head!
and doing THAT when I was not even looking!"
I'm laughing almost down to the ground.
Here's this movie actor.
He's supposed to be so fast. I blocked a few of his punches,
Now here he is trying to sneak one in at the head.