It's one of the most iconic moments in Bruce Lee’s career and fight fans will be able to relive it in the latest instalment of the hugely successful Ip Man franchise.
Lee’s one-inch punch – where from a single inch away, the martial arts legend was able to muster an explosive blow that could knock opponents clean off the ground – comes to life again on the big screen. Lee demonstrated his prowess in Long Beach, California in August 1964 a few years before he became a TV star, playing Kato in the hit series, The Green Hornet.
The one-inch punch is wing chun’s basic punch and one of the kung fu legend’s most famous strikes. The then 23-year-old Lee mastered it before he showed it to the world when he struck a volunteer, Bob Baker of Stockton, California, sending him careering towards a chair. The Jeet Kune Do founder also demonstrated his power “punch” in the exact way against world karate champion Joe Lewis, who would train with Lee.
The star of the Big Boss and Enter The Dragon also showed his famous two-finger push-ups to the martial arts community for the first time at the Long Beach international karate championships.
Which brings us to Ip Man 4: The Finale, starring Donnie Yen Ji-dan, who reprises the role that made him a household name when the original Ip Man enjoyed considerable praise from critics and movie goers alike in 2008. The latest Ip Man movie opens in theatres on December 20 in Hong Kong.
Ip Man 4 takes up where it left off with Ip Man arriving in the United States during the Vietnam war in 1964. He is forced to protect the dignity of Chinese Americans, who are fighting against racism in America.
And Bruce Lee fans would be pleasantly surprised to know that Lee’s iconic kung fu moment would be recreated in Ip Man 4. Bruce Lee is played by Danny Chan Kwok-kwan and the martial arts superstar gets a lot more film time than in previous Ip Man movies.
The trailer drew favourable comments on British martial arts star Scott Adkins’ YouTube channel, where the latest trailer was posted. The trailer also teased fans with a brief fight scene between Adkins’ military fighter character and Ip Man (Donnie Yen), supposedly taking place in an army barracks.
“Chills when I see Bruce Lee’s one inch punch man, they got the potential to make a real good Bruce Lee film. Bruce Lee teaming up with Ip Man in some fights,” said one commenter on YouTube.
Another user, Mohamed Naufal said: “I just want to see the character of Bruce Lee in this movie. It’s about time they make it happen and cement his legacy.”
Some fans said they hope Ip Man 4 will represent Bruce Lee better than Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, which depicted the kung fu superstar as an arrogant braggart.
