Frank Shamrock: Bruce Lee Would Be Proud of Kimbo Slice

Bruce Lee has been dead for almost 35 years, and the world of martial arts has changed dramatically since he died. But he's still probably the most influential martial artist in modern history, so it's not surprising that in a Fight Ticker interview with Frank Shamrock, Lee's name came up.

What is surprising is what Shamrock says Lee would think of what mixed martial arts looks like today:

FightTicker.com: How do you feel Bruce Lee would feel about MMA's current trajectory?

Shamrock: I think he'd be proud of Kimbo Slice.

FightTicker.com: How come?

Shamrock: Well I think Kimbo is that accidental martial arts guy. He fell into the sport. Hey, he was doing it anyway; he was beating people up. But here's a real, structured, honest to goodness way (to beat people up). It's crazy, but in a lot of ways, there's a lot of truth to it.

At first glance, Kimbo Slice's approach might seem diametrically opposed to Bruce Lee's. But on closer inspection, I think Shamrock is right: Lee wanted to bring martial arts to the masses, and in his own way, Slice has been the poster boy for just that. I agree with Shamrock: Lee would welcome people like Slice into the sport.