Bruce Lee's '1-inch punch' recognized by scientists

Not only martial arts experts, but also physicists and neuroscientists are also involved in studying the legend of Bruce Lee's "1-inch punch".

1 inch punch - also known as one-inch punch - Photo: XN

Bruce Lee was also doubted.

The 1-inch punch - also known as the one-inch punch - is a technique that made the name of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

With just a short distance of about 2.5 cm (1 inch), Bruce Lee's punch could knock his opponent back several meters. In real combat, such a punch could theoretically knock his opponent down instantly.

Although Bruce Lee publicly demonstrated the One-Inch Fist many times, there are still many doubts about the authenticity of this technique.

Especially today, when the Chinese martial arts world is repeatedly exposed for its lack of practical combat skills, the 1-inch punch is once again under suspicion.

One of the first scientists to study the One-Inch Punch was associate professor of orthopedic surgery Jessica Rose at Stanford University (USA).

Rose concluded that the punch was made possible by Bruce Lee's ability to coordinate a series of complex movements throughout his body. And overall, Rose believes that performing the 1-inch punch is scientifically feasible.

Interesting topic of science

Many other scientists have brought the 1-inch punch to universities, and made it the subject of real serious research.

One of them is Dr. Daniel Bishop of Chichester University (UK). He spends a lot of time studying the movements of Wing Chun, karate and boxing fighters.

Ultimately, Bishop's team acknowledged that highly skilled fighters can generate enormous force even with a short arm movement.

"Short-range striking relies on rapid coordination and synchronization of body parts, not just arm strength. The synchronization of movement starts with the legs, then the hips, then the shoulders, and finally the arms," Dr. Bishop concluded.

Most recently, the neuroscience department at Edith Cowan University has come to a further conclusion.

Accordingly, this research team discovered that the most advanced martial artists have a muscle activation onset time 35% faster than normal people. They can activate the entire muscle chain in just 0.1 to 0.12 seconds.

Bruce Lee once performed the 1-inch punch in front of a large audience - Photo: SR

Core muscles such as the deep abdominal muscles and erector spinae muscles also participate strongly in the force generation process.

This research team's view is similar to that of orthopedic surgery professor Rose, that it is the super-fast synchronous body control nervous system that is the real "secret" of the 1-inch punch.

Dr. Michael Feld (Bremen University Laboratory, Germany) also concluded that martial artists at the highest level, if they practice the most proficient cunquan, can create an impact force of up to 90-135 kg.

Finally, the legend of Bruce Lee's one-inch punch has been personally acknowledged by famous Western scientists.

Chinese Kung Fu may have been exaggerated too much through the pen of Kim Dung, or rumored too much about the supernatural, but the monument of Bruce Lee will forever be flesh and blood.

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HUY DANG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cu-dam-1-inch-cua-ly-tieu-long-duoc-gioi-khoa-hoc-cong-nhan-20250427194906452.htm