The Iconic Actor Who Bruce Lee Hit With His One-Inch Punch (& Why)

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One iconic Hollywood actor – James Coburn – knows what it feels like to be hit by Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch. The move is without a doubt the martial arts legend’s most famous kung fu technique. It’s long been said that despite the fact that the move is executed only an inch away from the opponent, it's capable of generating a great deal of force if done correctly.

One of the people who has been on the receiving end of Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch is James Coburn, who is known to many as one of the top actors of his time. Coburn, who had a movie and TV career that spanned from the late 1950s to the early 2000s, appeared in numerous high-profile movies. Some of his credits include The Great Escape, Midway, Charade, and a long list of westerns, one of which being The Magnificent Seven, where he played the knife-throwing Britt. Known for his “tough guy” persona on the big screen, Coburn had a reputation not unlike the ones enjoyed by movie icons such as Clint Eastwood and Charles Bronson. Over the years, Coburn worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Steve McQueen, Cary Grant, Charlton Heston, and more.

Shortly after the release of his James Bond parody film Our Man Flint in 1966, James Coburn had an interesting encounter with Bruce Lee, who had yet to make the jump from Green Hornet star to martial arts icon. At a party held at the home of Steve McQueen, Coburn engaged in a conversation with Lee about his opinion on the action choreography in Our Man Flint. When Lee started discussing his own moves and his one-inch punch, Coburn became intrigued. After asking Lee to perform it on him, Lee gave Coburn a pillow to use as a cushion against the blow, and then executed the technique on the actor.

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According to Coburn, the punch knocked him back into the chair behind him, which fell over from the impact [via YouTube]. Coburn then rolled into the corner. Momentarily stunned but not angry, Coburn stood up and said, “let’s go to work, man”. He was surprised – as many have been when witnessing the one-inch punch in action – at how effective a punch delivered at such a short range could be.

Having been so impressed with what Lee was able to do, Coburn developed a strong interest in martial arts. He became one of a handful of Bruce Lee’s celebrity students and started training diligently in Jeet Kune Do, the style of kung fu that Lee founded. Based on what Lee has said, Coburn was able to gain a great understanding of the “philosophical” side of kung fu. The two trained together often and were often seen at parties and events. They even attempted to make a movie together, and though it didn’t work out, Bruce Lee and James Coburn managed to maintain a long-lasting friendship.