While on the topic of old, bad-ass equipment, I'm reminded that Bruce Lee incorporated the York Isometric rack for his "dynamic tension" strength training. Some of his apparatus Bruce designed himself and many of those pieces were built by George Lee, Bruce's friend who had a strong background as a machinist.
Other items, like the Wing Chun dummy and leg stretcher, Bruce had sent over from Hong Kong.
It was in either Kick
(which eventually became Black Belt magazine) or Inside Kung Fu that I saw a picture of this baby:
I HAD to have one! About ten years later, I was in a small exercise and fitness store that sold reconditioned equipment. The guy had a piece that was almost identical. Of course I bought it. I later donated it to my friends' gym since I knew I'd use it there more than in my parents' garage.
As a kid, I was a total mark for Bruce Lee, which meant that I grabbed anything I could get my hands on pertaining to him. This was way before the Internet. Two American cable television channels, A&E and The Biography Channel, released probably about 8-10 documentaries on the Lee's, which I enjoyed MUCH, MUCH more than the movie they made in 1993 with Jason Scott Lee and Lauren Holly.
