The Bob Bremer Interview
Conducted by Paul Bax
I have my questions ready…
Bob Bremer: Don’t just get me into trouble with people that I expose. It’s too late in the game to be making enemies. These liars have been lying so long…like Herb Jackson says they have been lying so long they begin to believe what they say.
You originally signed up at the Chinatown school after witnessing an introductory demonstration designed to recruit students. Describe what you saw at this demonstration and what made you want to sign up.
BB: Well it was Bruce standing up there talking and he would have someone come up there every once in awhile and demonstrate and you could see his superiority and it was obvious he was way ahead of a whole lot of people. And so I jumped ship right then. They knick named us the turncoats.
Quite a few of you had left Ed Parker for Bruce Lee…
BB: Yeah… Of course Dan Inosanto was already there. He had been studying with Bruce privately for a year. He was still teaching at Ed Parker’s.
How did Ed Parker feel about his students abruptly leaving?
BB: Well I am sure it probably hurt him a little bit because he had students do that to him before. He was in partnership with Jimmy Woo and when Woo left he took all the Black Belts with him. It was before my time but I heard the story since I took Kenpo for a couple years. It was easy to understand. I don’t think Ed Parker was that easy to be friendly with.
At one time you said Bruce was the closest thing to a magician you had ever seen. Besides his Bil Gee and side thrust kick, what other things did he do to amaze you?
BB: Well he punched way better then a lot of people thought. He punched hard enough that if he hit you in the face he’d break bones. Cause he snapping it, he was putting that in they’re with about an inch or two of penetration and there was a snap. So, that kind of a pop-it makes bones-I was thinking about cheekbones jawbones, you know.
Bruce Lee was famous for his sayings in class. Can you remember some of them and did you have any favorites?
BB: You know, he had about a half dozen different sayings and if you remembered everyone of them you could figure out your own martial art almost. He used to say, “Take your closest shot”. Just little stuff like that. You don’t usually think of that when you are working out but when you think about taking your closest shot your disabling the guy, you’re beating him to the draw. It’s so true and so simple. Its one of those sayings that if you did what he said it had some direction toward being really good.
You had once stated that you often thought Dan Inosanto would be the torchbearer and go on with the art. When you stated this it almost appears that you feel he hasn’t taken up the task. Do you have any comments on this?