Gene had his own special way to convince doubters. He is one of the unsung legends of American martial arts. From The Carnival to the Octagon: A Revisionist History of MMA, a book I’m working on: “In 1966, Gene LeBell received a call from his friend, stunt coordinator Bennie Dobbins, who was working on a television show called The Green Hornet.  Dobbins told him that he was having problems with a Chinese stuntman who was beating up the stuntmen on his show. He asked the wrestler to come down to the set and put him in his place.  When LeBell arrived, Dobbins pointed to the small Asian man who played Kato, the Green Hornet’s driver and sidekick, and said, “Put him in a headlock or something.”  The grappler approached Bruce Lee, snatched him off his feet, and when he lifted him over his head, Lee “started making all those noises that he became famous for, but he didn’t try to counter me, so I think he was more surprised than anything else.”  Next, he put Bruce Lee in a fireman’s carry, lifted him onto his back and ran around the set with him.  When Lee said, “Put me down or I’ll kill you!” LeBell replied, “I can’t put you down or you’ll kill me!”  Finally, he put him down and said, “Hey, Bruce, don’t kill me. Just kidding, champ.” 

This first encounter with Gene LeBell had a profound impact on Bruce Lee and forever changed the way he looked at martial arts.  At first glance, the two martial artists could not have been more different, but in fact, they had two important things in common.  First, both were outcasts in the world of Asian martial arts because they had broken from tradition.  Second, they were both open-minded when it came to fighting.  “Bruce developed and performed his own style of kung fu, and a lot of the traditional guys didn't like it because it broke from Chinese tradition. I know what that is like because I had the same trouble when I tried to improve different martial arts by changing things for the better,” said LeBell.  “I believe that anytime you can have an open mind and learn something new, then add it to your repertoire, it's a good thing. It will only make you and your students more knowledgeable.”

Both martial artists believed that if something worked, you used it.  “I've always been a big believer in cross-training, and I've practiced most of the major martial arts, as well as boxing and wrestling. I believe that a person who is involved with the martial arts should know as much as he can about all styles,” said LeBell. “The martial artists that I disagree with are the ones who know only their art; they don't know anything about other styles and they don't like anything else.” 

While Bruce Lee knew a great deal about boxing, kickboxing, and kung fu, he knew very little about grappling, but that would soon change.  “Bruce and I had a bond with the martial arts, and we would get together frequently. We worked out about 10 to 12 times at his place in Los Angeles’ Chinatown and at my place,” said LeBell.  “Bruce Lee was an entertaining fellow who was very knowledgeable and very good at what he did.” Soon, Gene LeBell was Bruce Lee’s favorite punching bag on The Green Hornet,because he liked the way the wrestler took falls for him.”