Have you even read and understood anything Bruce Lee said? Have you read and understood anything I've said?

Let me make it clear. Bruce Lee investigated MANY styles and took what worked FOR HIM. He clearly points out that what works for him might not be the same as what works for you or for me. That is probably the most fundamental point of his Jeet Kune Do philosophy. Bruce was all about being adaptable.

The problem I have with you is you trying to discredit Bruce as a martial artist simply because he never got into the ring. That is where you are "dick measuring". But as I said before, his legacy as a martial artist was his philosophy of Jeet Kune Do and the example he set when it came to training and maintaining a fit body and alert mind IN GENERAL. That he never went into the ring is unimportant to his reputation but obviously the ONLY thing you think that you can discredit him on. But to the rest of us you just look like an idiot. (i.e. "dick measuring")

Tenchu, Thai people are often smaller, so they don't need to weigh that much. For my length and age, I should weigh at least 65 kilos, but I weigh much less than that. And by 65 kilos I mean normal weigh for someone who doesn't train. So we're talking 70 kilos here.

Not saying that's an excuse, but from experience, trainin hasn't helped me build muscles or gain weight (and I was the most prominent student during training).

Training won't build any extra muscle on anyone since that is not the way muscle is formed. It will make you stronger and define what you already have.

The point of training is to make the muscle cells grow bigger, right? And with their growth comes an increase in weigh. Couple that with the need food after training, I think little over a year worth of training surely should have done somnething. But, alas... none xD I still weigh 55 kilos (which I did when I was 16 years old).

No, the point of training in this case is to fight.
It makes you faster and stronger and makes your muscles as efficient as possible.
Training to make your muscles larger is an entirely different strategy.

They'll increase a bit of course and be more cut up but if you are the type of person who finds it difficult to put on muscle then you require the type of training i'm talking about, to get bigger in general.

Its more a change of lifestyle to put on Muscle Mass. You need to fix your diet and also train the right way when you go to the gym.
Pyramid training on different muscle sets and using intervals rather than reps is also a part of this training. You also need to concentrate on just weights and nothing else that can take away from the energy you will use while training. So an hour run before weight lifting will mean you eventually do less of a workout than your muscles need to actually get bigger.
It is the last push of reps which will get your muscles to increase in size. The weight on the bar obviously needs to be increased at a regular rate so your muscles will continue to think they need increasing to keep up with the exercise that is being given them.
Too many reps of the same weight will just define your muscles, i.e. whats already there.

I know swimming is good. You swim, Tenchu. Swimming is great ;) I just need the money to buy me a term pass so I can swim at regular hours.

By training I meant any kind of training. Being around 177cm-178cm and weighing 55, that's too little, even on that BMI scale. And veeery little of that is muscle. So, when I sort of need a few kilos more fat (5 kilos I think) and then just build a bit more muscle. Thing is, I can't seem to do neither XD

It's hard to find a good Muay Thai club in Sweden. Most practitioners are street thugs who just wants to learn how to go beat up people randomly at night. I don't want to be associated with one of them.

Lol dude, I used to train with professional powerlifters so they gave me quite a few great tips on things.
I personally am not bothered about building muscle. I've got enough defined already. I used to be able to do 110KG Bench Press but then my shoulder knuckle f**ked up and it became painful for me even to move it for a while. That's around the time I started my Shaolin/Mantis training.
Anyway, this stuff is more for people like Alastor who have a problem looking too skinny. If you want to build, do the type of training i've outlined earlier. Diet is also important for people like you since you burn stuff up so fast.

Geez! You have TOTALLY misunderstood what he said. He said those things but he wasn't having a go at anyone in particular nor was he mocking ring fighters. He was explicitly saying that in the context of being able to look BEYOND the ring. AS I SAID BEFORE... One of Bruce's favourite fighters was Muhammed Ali. He thought he had the best form he'd ever seen at the time..

actually thats true - ever1 says bruce lee was the best in the world but he never fought anyone !! :eek:

Bruce Lee had amazing techniques and skill. He did have fights and showed off his skill at times, just not any official tournaments in the West.
Why would Bruce Lee need to earn money or show off his fighting skills when he was already sure of his potential? I'm sure he didn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone which is why he did have a few one on one battles with whoever wanted them but never any official ones.
All I know is that if he was as ligntening fast as they say he was.. I want to be the same.

I disagree with that... You don't need big muscles to be strong... When you lift heavy weights, the only difference is that your muscles get bigger whilst getting stronger... Where as lighter weights and more reps makes you stronger without making you bigger. Saying that lots of reps doesn't make you that much stronger is a joke... Take gymnasts for example, a gymnast that does still rings is bloody strong, but you never see him lifting HUGE weights... Plus, for a fighter, being huge is always a disadvantage, no mattar how strong you are... as they say, water might seem weak and tiny in comparison to steel, but water can break through anything in time.

Lol I didn't pick up what he said there about not being stronger.. but yea of course you will get stronger. It just won't build muscle mass.
There are people with half the muscle mass of others who can lift twice as much, mostly cos when you start doing more reps it turns into strength training.

If sheer power is as good as you say, why don't you simply become a weight lifter full time and practice martial arts part time? I don't see how sheer power can be better than technique!!

I'd pick a lot of speed and a little "muscle" over a lot of "muscle" and a little speed any day. Even you should do this, especially as you always talk about "weak points"... what would win? A hefty guy with sheer power, or someone tiny that can get to a weak point easily?
Btw, here i'm talking about experienced fighters, not just a random fight on the street with someone that done Karate for 2 years versus a HUGE body builder!

Personally I think learning martial arts to fight practically is a waste of time. The best way to win a fight is by picking up a weapon.

Martial arts are good for your health in the same way as playing soccer or rugby is good for your health. Plus some martial arts have a spiritual or ethical side to them. But that's about it.

Yeah, I agree with that for people that don't do martial arts full time or for a long period of time... But there is no doubt in my mind that someone with 20 years experience of martial arts is more likely to win a fight against a random person on the street!

Well depending on what martial art you do, I think your skill with a weapon will increase as well, even guns.
Ever played team games in paintballing or airsoft?
I enjoy that stuff too much. My bank balance doesn't.
Anyway, it requires a lot of crouching and being ready to run and so on.
Such sports also require a lot of awareness and of course being able to aim.
Martial Arts definitely make it easier for you to run around in short bursts and jump behind obstacles while aiming and firing a gun lol. I can say that because I have first hand experience with "before and after".
Also, normal sports like football or basketball, practicing Martial Arts gives you an edge in that too.
So really, the benefits from it extend to other things than just fighting.

personal opinion from personal experience.....martial arts gives you and edge over ANY physical activity >.>'

i study shaolin kung fu....and i'll admit...alot of the moves seem quite pointless~
buut...after a bit of training...
i've sort of realized that every move has, or can have a purpose
in the forms, most of the moves are over exaggerated or performed in their proper, and ideal postuer, or just meant for training
*it's late, so i apologize for not being exactly coherent atm....*
for example...
when we do a form, our horse stance is set to a 90 degree angle; in the knees, at the ankle, in between the legs, etc.
through the practice of this ideal posture, when its actually utilized, you have better control of your horse stance, you can hold it longer and stronger than if you were to practice it at a 135 degree angle instead....
or...
we also have this move where we stomp both feet on the ground [feet end up together, and the knee's are bent at a 135], and slap a fist over our palms
a seemingly useless move...
though if you modify it, having the fist grab a wrist; the stomping motion drawing the arm towards yourself, and the slamming fist coming over the elbow...the move now become quite effective, no?

alsoo....
for those "training" moves~
in my shaolin class, after every warm-up, we practice something we call the "traditional 18". it starts off w/ some basic forward kicks (both arms are held at a 180 degree angle; fingers make a palm, point upwards to create a 90 degree angle at the wrist; back is straight/spine aligned when kicking, and when walking; chin is tucked in; heel is planted when kicking; and never slouch when kicking), then inside and outside kicks.
obviously, when you kick someone, you aren't going to go in such a posture, but the point is that the training of such postures improves the stability of your kicks and the control over your body.
when i do a typical round house kick...i now find that i apply all the same principles that i had accustomed my body too through the traditional 18 >.>'
meaning...my body is much more stable when a leg is in the air, lolz

bleh....prolly didn't make anysense...but it's 3 am ;_;
and i'm tired...
haha ^^'

My approach to fighting is pretty successful also.

First of all I don't hang out in dodgy places or take backstreets when on the occasion that I absolutely must walk somewhere late at night. (i.e. stick to main roads).

Second of all if I STILL end up in a fight, I'm guessing it will be over something stupid (e.g. some drunk dickhead who thinks he sees me checking out his girlfriend or some girl he thinks is his and wants to overcompensate by proving how macho he is) so I will back off and let him have his moment.

Finally IF it's a bit more serious than that I will seek assistance (call 111/get the attention of a bouncer/notify someone else to do so etc.)

If the above doesn't deter or prevent an attack in the first place THEN I will resort to either picking up whatever I can see lying around or using my hands/elbows/knees/feet to strike him in the nuts/punching him in the throat or bridge of the nose and not let up untill I'm beaten to a pulp, I can safely say there is no more threat or the fight has been interrupted.

PS- The last proper fight I ever had was in the schoolyard so I consider my strategy as unstoppable... schoolyard fights don't really count though do they?