Just think: how many movies have imitated Bruce Lees’ famous taunt. There is hardly an action movie made that doesn’t pay tribute to him and his beckoning hand call. But Bruce Lee is also credited for today’s mixed martial arts.

He criticized Karate for its inability to work on the streets. He thought if it wasn’t practical in real life then the art was no good. He developed his skills which worked both on film and in real life. He trained his body to improve strength and practiced movements to increase his accuracy.

It is also in the wake of martial arts movies that today’s fighters got their inspiration. Kung Fu Theater showed boys of all ages and races the beauty of martial arts. They learned the bigger guy doesn’t always win. If they applied themselves, they could learn the techniques which allowed smaller, faster boys to win fights. They were empowered by the movies realizing they didn’t have to get beat up. They could defend themselves and gain confidence in the process.

Martial arts movies have come a long way from Bruce Lee’s humble beginnings. They are now big budget movies with deep storylines. The characters are no longer only Asian. Chuck Norris and Steven Seagall were both born in America, while Jean Claude Van Damme was born in Belgium. MMA has spread around the world too. The UFC recently hosted a competition pitting American fighters against English ones.

Thanks to the efforts of Bruce Lee and his martial arts movies, martial arts and self-defense have reached millions.