What martial arts does Bolo Yeung know?

Bolo Yeung is a Chinese martial artist who starred alongside Bruce Lee in movies such as Enter The Dragon. As an actor, Yeung was known for his ginormous frame and physical appearance. Remember, this was in an era with less science or available supplements. As a result, this made his look even more impressive.

Based on this, you’d have been foolish to pick a fight with Bolo in his physical prime. However, as we all know – just because someone is muscular, it doesn’t mean they’re particularly skilled or technical when it comes to fighting. In his heydey, Bolo weighed around 100KG which was pretty heavy considering he was 5’6″ feet tall. In this article we shall discuss the martial arts that Bolo Yueng knows and what he was best at. Interestingly, Bolo’s real name was Yang Sze but he was awarded the nickname by his friend Bruce Lee.

Tai Chi

Over the years, Bolo Yeung has often been seen training Tai Chi and has often confessed his love for the martial art. As he’s gotten older, Yeung may have lost his muscular frame. Having said this, he’s managed to stay subtle and fluid which is important as you get older. One big factor for this is his love of Tai Chi.

It’s no secret that Tai Chi is great for those who are getting older. This is because it’s almost like yoga and keeps the body in great shape. After a life time of heavy bodybuilding and other martial arts, this is the ideal remedy to help keep his body in shape. Whilst Bolo may not look as physically impressive as he once did, the movements of Tai Chi have helped keep his body flexible and strong enough to attack old age.

Kung Fu

Aged 10 years old – Bolo Yeung was enrolled in learning Kung Fu. Here, he trained under several different teachers which meant he picked up a versatile level of skills. This was back in Guangzhou as a kid, where Kung Fu would have been the dominant martial art in China. Here, Bolo would have learned how to strike using his legs and arms whilst also learning blocking techniques as well.

It’s not quite known whether he learned weapons but this is a real possibility seeing as Kung Fu often incorporates weapons into training. It’s not known how good Bolo was at Kung Fu but after training for a number of years in his childhood, it’s fair to say that he’d be pretty solid to say the least.

Karate

Following on from Kung Fu, Bolo has also trained in Karate, at least briefly that is. In the early 90s, he featured on the front of several Karate magazines and could be seen using it in some movies. Remember, the 80s and early 90s had the world gripped by Karate whilst it was at peak popularity. With this said, it’s not surprising that someone with a Kung Fu background took a liking towards Karate. Overall though, he is mostly known for training Kung Fu and Tai Chi as opposed to Karate.

Based on the above, it’s fair to say that Bolo was a legitimate martial artist. Unlike some actors, he wasn’t just a physical specimen and did genuinely know technique and form. It should be said though, that in his younger days, Bolo’s main passion was bodybuilding which he devoted most of his personal time on.

Did Bruce Lee ever fight Bolo Yeung?

Whilst their paths may have crossed in Kung Fu movies, it was never documented that Bruce Lee ever fought Bolo Yeung. This actually makes sense, considering the two were great friends. Besides, at the time Bolo would have been significantly larger than Bruce Lee – so there was probably little point in the pair fighting. Still, this hasn’t stopped speculation or myths where people sometimes fantasize what would happen if the pair fought. Really, the victor depends on the opinion of those speculating.

Interestingly, Bolo did once see Bruce Lee fight whilst on set. Unsurprisingly, Bolo was very complimentary of Lee’s skills which goes with what the majority of people thought when it came to his fighting techniques.

Conclusion

These days, the martial arts world is obsessed with belt ranks and hierarchy. This is a cause for good at times, but also irrelevant when it comes to raw skill. In other words, Bolo Yeung was training in an era where belts weren’t as commonly used compared to today. He also prioritized the likes of Kung Fu and Tai Chi which don’t really use a formal belt system.

In other words, we don’t really know how good or bad Bolo was as a martial artist. What we do know is that he genuinely trained for several years as a kid and has continued with Tai Chi into old age. What’s also worth mentioning is that he was primarily seen as a bodybuilder – as opposed to a martial artist.

When combining these two skill sets, it’s fair to say that in his prime, Bolo Yeung would have been a very tough fighter. The reason for this is that he’d have used a rare combination of both technical skills, combined with brute power and strength. If ever you’ve sparred someone like this then you’ll be well aware that they’re a nightmare. Sadly, time has caught up with Bolo Yeung but during his peak, he would have been a very dangerous fighter.

Want to see where Bolo Yeung made a name for himself? Check out his appearance in the Kung Fu classic, Enter The Dragon.