Game of Death Bodyweight Workout

This workout is inspired by Bruce Lee’s legendary film Game of Death. Here you are challenged to ascend a ladder of calisthenics and martial arts drills, pushing your limits at every level. This workout will demand focus, strength, and endurance as you fight your way up each floor of the pagoda,

Introduction

The late great Actor/Martial Artist Bruce Lee’s last film entitled ’The Game of Death’ was based on a story about a retired champion martial artist who is confronted by Korean underworld gangs. After the protagonists younger sister and brother are kidnapped, he is forced to confront them having to fight his way up a five-level pagoda where the criminals (all expert martial artists coincidently) reside.

On each level of the pagoda, he must encounter a different opponent on each floor, each more challenging than the last in one-on-one martial arts combat.

In Game of Death, Bruce Lee’s character faces the daunting challenge of battling his way up a pagoda, confronting a series of martial arts thugs, including the towering Abdul Kareem Jabbar and the skilled Filipino martial arts legend Dan Inosanto.

The Plot

The story is flimsy at best, being merely a vehicle to display Bruce’s martial arts skills, and the film was not good. Certainly not as an epitaph for Bruce who sadly died whilst making it. The panicking producers then sloppily replaced him in key scenes with actors that looked nothing like him! The finished film looked terrible in places!!

However, the fight scenes filmed were all Bruce Lee and so still have a place in martial arts film history. Additionally, the iconography of the film has proved very influential in film history and pop culture ever since. Indeed, the yellow tracksuit is easily identifiable as the same that Uma Thurman dons in Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’.

Martial Arts Legend

Click on the links below to read more on Bruce Lee and his story.

About

Bruce Lee, born in 1940, was a groundbreaking martial artist, actor, and cultural icon whose influence transcends generations. With a unique blend of traditional martial arts and innovative thinking, Lee developed his own philosophy, Jeet Kune Do, which emphasised efficiency, directness, and simplicity in combat. His approach revolutionised martial arts, challenging rigid forms and encouraging practitioners to adopt a more fluid, adaptable style.

Movie Career

Lee’s work in film brought martial arts to a global audience, breaking barriers as one of the first Asian actors to achieve international fame. His movies, including Enter the Dragon and The Way of the Dragon, showcased not just his martial prowess but also his philosophy, charisma, and vision of unity and self-expression. These films were instrumental in popularizing martial arts in the West, inspiring countless practitioners and setting the stage for the martial arts boom in Hollywood.

Legacy and Impact on the Martial Arts World

Lee’s legacy extends far beyond his physical feats. He was a philosopher, an innovator, and a pioneer who broke down racial and cultural barriers. His impact on martial arts is immeasurable, influencing not just practitioners but also the development of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Lee’s teachings continue to inspire those who seek not only to improve their physical abilities but also to cultivate their minds and spirits. To this day, Bruce Lee remains a symbol of personal empowerment, self-discipline, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Bruce on the big screen. Left to right, Enter the Dragon, against none other than Chuck Norris in Rome’s Colosseum, and against an entire Karate school in Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection in the US).

The Workout

This workout I have based on The Game of Death is a ladder workout. You start at the lowest level of the ‘pagoda’ and fight your way up to the final boss. The levels will consist of 6 bodyweight exercises and a heavy bag combination of 8 Martial Arts moves.

The Exercises

Burpees.
Dynamic press-ups.
Weighted squat and press.
Dynamic Jump Lunges.
Oblique Mountain climbers.
MMA Sit-outs.

The 8 Hit Heavy Bag Combination

Jab
Cross
Hook
Knee
Uppercut
Roundhouse
Roundhouse
Front kick.

The Levels of the Pagoda

Level 1:

Burpees (1 rep).
Dynamic press-ups (1 rep).
Weighted squat and press (1 rep).
MMA Sprawls (1 rep)
Mountain climbers with rotation (1 rep).
MMA Sit-outs (1 rep).
8 hit combo (jab, cross, hook, knee, uppercut, roundhouse, roundhouse, front kick (1 rep).

Level 2:

Burpees (2 reps).
Dynamic press-ups (2 reps).
Weighted squat and press (2 reps).
MMA Sprawls (2 reps)
Mountain climbers with rotation (2 reps).
MMA Sit-outs (2 reps).
8 hit combo (jab, cross, hook, knee, uppercut, roundhouse, roundhouse, front kick (2 reps).

Level 3:

Burpees (3 reps).
Dynamic press-ups (3 reps).
Weighted squat and press (3 reps).
MMA Sprawls (3 reps)
Mountain climbers with rotation (3 reps).
MMA Sit-outs (3 reps).
8 hit combo (jab, cross, hook, knee, uppercut, roundhouse, roundhouse, front kick (3 reps).

Continue to make your way through the Levels. Add 1 rep each round until the tenth level and you are doing ten reps of each exercise (as below).

Level 10:

Burpees (10 reps).
Dynamic press-ups (10 reps).
Weighted squat and press (10 reps).
MMA Sprawls (10 reps)
Mountain climbers with rotation (10 reps).
MMA Sit-outs (10 reps).
8 hit combo (jab, cross, hook, knee, uppercut, roundhouse, roundhouse, front kick (10 reps).

No rest between rounds if possible. If absolutely necessary jog on the spot, star jump or kettlebell swings.

Final Round

On reaching the top level after completion of round 10, proceed straight to a 3-5 minute all-out round on the heavy bag, anything goes, just hit it with everything you have with no rest throughout the round!!

Game of Death Bodyweight Workout