Mini Bruce Lee: Meet Ryusei Imai, the 10-Year-Old Dragon

Ryusei Imai, a ten-year-old Japanese primary schooler, has become famous for copying Bruce Lee's moves. He knows one of the legend's nunchuck movie routines. Since one, Ryusei has been watching the martial arts legend's films. The youngster from Nara in south-central Honshu has become an excellent replica of Bruce Lee.

Ryusei said that he wants to be as cool and as fast as Bruce Lee. His parents often played the legend's films for their son to watch. Soon after, his parents noticed that the boy copied Lee's nunchaku scenes perfectly. It was when they realized that Ryusei had something special on his hands.

Ryuji Imai, Ryusei's dad, said that he could feel Lee's famous phrase of "don't think, feel" coming out of his son's face. He loves Bruce Lee as his son does.

4.5 hours of training a day

Every day, Ryusei trains: He stretches and does floor exercises. The boy also does one-handed push-ups on his knuckles each morning and runs outside. He gets up at six in the morning then trains for an hour and a half before going to school. After his classes, he runs for one hour and then does his kicks and nunchaku routines for two hours. Ryusei has appeared on TV in Japan and has become quite famous.

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His muscular frame has drawn attention at school. Ryusei said that when he changes his clothes at school during PE class, his friends tell him how great his muscles are.

(Photo: Instagram/ryusei416japan)

Almost half a million followers

Ryusei has gained about half a million followers on Instagram, and one of them is the surfing legend, Kelly Slater. Ryuji does not want to put any pressure on his son's young shoulders. He told Barcroft TV that he wants his son to devote himself to what he loves doing with an honest heart.

Ryuji also said that he wants his son to never give up on his dreams. What is essential for him is that his son is enjoying himself.

 

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A post shared by Dragon Star-竜惺- (@ryuseiimai0416) on Jul 17, 2020 at 8:19pm PDT

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First sightings of Little Bruce Lee

The world first knew about Ryusei in 2015, when his video went viral on social media. In the clip, he was copying the nunchaku moves from the 1972 movie "Game of Death." Some of the world's biggest media outlets mentioned him which has gained him hundreds of thousands of followers. He also got featured on children's talent TV show "Superkids."

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After he was welcomed by flyweight mixed martial arts, Demetrious Johnson of the US, to the Singapore-based martial arts organization, Ryusei became the "ONE Championship" brand ambassador.