Bruce Lee was widely regarded as an exceptional martial artist known for his speed, agility, and precision in various techniques, including kicks. He emphasized explosiveness and efficiency in his martial arts philosophy and training, which undoubtedly contributed to his impressive kicking abilities. While there are anecdotes and stories about his remarkable kicking speed, there isn’t an officially measured or verified record of his specific kicking speed.
To help contextualise, the fastest kicking speed recorded (up to the year 2021) in a controlled environment is 131.2 mph (210.6 km/h), achieved by Brazilian martial artist Francisco Javier Gomez on May 10, 2014. This record was recognized by the Guinness World Records.
Perhaps Bruce Lee surpassed that or perhaps it didn’t matter to him whether he did or not?
