Bruce Lee was a pioneer who revolutionized how Hollywood movies portrayed martial arts. However, the legendary martial artist and filmmaker tragically passed away at the peak of his career. Despite his short time, Lee’s had immense influence in shaping action cinema. Even 50 years after his death, the legend of Bruce Lee lives on through his art and the stories told by people who worked with the martial arts master. A claim many fans are familiar with is that Lee was so fast that cameras couldn’t capture his moves.

In 1992, Brandon Lee, the son of the Little Phoenix, was promoting his then-upcoming movie Rapid Fire. While appearing on The Midday Show with Ray Martin, Brandon Lee clarified if the claims about his father’s speed were “true or just part of the Hollywood folklore.”

The technology needed to catch up with Bruce Lee

During the interview, Ray Martin asked Brandon Lee if it was true “when they filmed your father in action… they had to slow the film down because the fist and the feet were going too fast.” Lee’s son clarified that the claim was indeed authentic. He also explained when it happened and how they shot the action scenes with the Little Dragon.

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The actor and martial artist said it had happened when Bruce Lee was filming The Green Hornet. “The cameras weren’t as sophisticated back then. And literally, on television, they had to shoot it. You know, they had to over-crank and shoot in slow motion,” the actor told Martin. “Otherwise it just looked like a special effect,” added Brandon Lee.

Brandon Lee also praised his father’s otherworldly skills. “I mean, the man was fast. He was deadly fast. I’ve really never encountered anyone in all of my training since he was as fast.” said the Little Dragon’s son. A talented martial artist, Brandon Lee also gained popularity as an action hero. However, an accident on the set of The Crow cost Lee his life. Like his father, Brandon Lee also passed away at a young age.

The secret to the Little Dragon’s blistering speed

During the interview, Martin asked Lee’s son to reveal the secret behind his father’s speed. Matirn asked if the Jeet Kune Do founder was “just one of those freaks of sports.” The Rapid Fire actor said, “well he obviously had you know great physical gifts.” However, he also revealed that Bruce Lee trained incessantly.

“I think a tremendous amount of speed and reflex training is just muscle memory,” Brandon Lee told the interviewer. ‎In his book, Bruce Lee: A life, Matthew Polly also writes how Lee trained each technique to perfection.

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What do you make of Bruce Lee’s incredible speed and skill? Let us know in the comments.