<p>Yes, the stance is definitely inspired from movies and is not made just for <em>Naruto</em>. I found this <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/kungfucinema/comments/w56xwx/i_swear_ive_seen_rock_lees_stance_in_some_clip_of/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Reddit post</a> where various commenters mentioned the use of this stance in movies released way before <em>Naruto</em>:</p>
<ol>
<li>Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/CnqpR.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/CnqpR.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></li>
<li>Jackie Chan in Drunken Master II (1994)
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cCDtE.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cCDtE.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-19T08:02:09.877Z
Both of these find their origins in Traditional Chinese martial arts, and are commonly known as Crane stances. (Which I would assume rock lee's stance is based on as well)
Dimitri mx
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-19T04:06:55.187Z
2023-04-19T04:06:55.187Z
Fumikage Tokoyami
<p>This stance definitely is very similar to Jet Li's Stance from the 1991 movie &quot;Once Upon a Time in China&quot; and Jackie Chan's stance in the 1994 movie &quot;Drunken Master II.&quot; (See @Fumikage_Tokoyami 's answer) Additionally, in &quot;The Matrix&quot; (which was released earlier in the year the manga was started) the &quot;Neo vs Morpheus&quot; fight scene features both sides using the stance.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/4qsCB.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4qsCB.png" alt="Neo and Morpheus Kung Fu Fight" /></a></p>
<p>Though there is no concrete evidence, this stance (called the &quot;beckoning stance&quot; in other films) is likely a reference to these movies, additionally because Rock Lee is supposedly a master of the &quot;Drunken Fist&quot; taijutsu, supposedly a reference to &quot;Drunken Master II&quot;. Because &quot;The Matrix&quot; was released just a tiny bit earlier than the manga, it could also be the fight scene that inspired the stance.</p>
<p>All notable &quot;Bushy Brows&quot; seem to use this stance, so the first Bushy Brow, Might Guy probably created it (in their universe), or perhaps Might Duy. The official Naruto Wiki does not seem to have information on the stance. The wiki <em>does</em> say that Rock Lee made a transition to look more like Might Guy. Lee may have also copied the stance.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/2q4iL.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/2q4iL.png" alt="Might Guy and Rock Lee" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/47BRx.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/47BRx.png" alt="Metal Lee" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-04-18T01:06:11.020Z
2023-04-21T15:05:14.153Z
2023-04-21T15:05:14.153Z
thing10
<p>Is Rock Lee's stance in this image a reference to some stance from martial arts, or was it created just for <em>Naruto</em>?</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/bAypS.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/bAypS.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-21T09:58:45.423Z
There is a martial artist champion who makes the same stand as Rock Lee, but he's a fan of Rock Lee, it wasnt the anime which copied his stand, but the other way around
Pablo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-21T10:20:41.447Z
Rock Lee is evidently inspired in Bruce Lee, because of his name and hairstyle, but I couldnt find any photo of Bruce Lee making that stand. Though I could find a character from a movie from 2001 "Shaolin soccer", the goalkeeper who is a parody of Bruce  Lee, who makes a similar stand to Rock Lee. Naruto started in 1999 so who knows
Pablo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-21T10:24:25.643Z
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQKfEiVEHbk27qz6zAhXTd8rLoZ5N5pVlUTg&usqp=CAU
Pablo
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-21T10:24:36.943Z
https://pm1.narvii.com/6082/40e0747114ba1bdb9d7b8742ebdbf847dfb4e657_hq.jpg
Pablo
<naruto>
Is Rock Lee's fighting stance a reference?
# Is Rock Lee's fighting stance a reference?
Posted by: username_0 on 2022-02-20
Is Rock Lee's stance in this image a reference to some stance from martial arts, or was it created just for *Naruto*?

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/bAypS.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/bAypS.jpg)
**Tags:** naruto
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is a martial artist champion who makes the same stand as Rock Lee, but he's a fan of Rock Lee, it wasnt the anime which copied his stand, but the other way around  
> **username_1**: Rock Lee is evidently inspired in Bruce Lee, because of his name and hairstyle, but I couldnt find any photo of Bruce Lee making that stand. Though I could find a character from a movie from 2001 "Shaolin soccer", the goalkeeper who is a parody of Bruce  Lee, who makes a similar stand to Rock Lee. Naruto started in 1999 so who knows  
> **username_1**: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTQKfEiVEHbk27qz6zAhXTd8rLoZ5N5pVlUTg&usqp=CAU  
> **username_1**: https://pm1.narvii.com/6082/40e0747114ba1bdb9d7b8742ebdbf847dfb4e657_hq.jpg  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2023-04-19. Score: 1
Yes, the stance is definitely inspired from movies and is not made just for *Naruto*. I found this [Reddit post](https://www.reddit.com/r/kungfucinema/comments/w56xwx/i_swear_ive_seen_rock_lees_stance_in_some_clip_of/) where various commenters mentioned the use of this stance in movies released way before *Naruto*:

1. Jet Li in Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
   [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/CnqpR.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/CnqpR.png)
2. Jackie Chan in Drunken Master II (1994)
   [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/cCDtE.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/cCDtE.jpg)
> **Comments:**
> **username_3** (2023-04-19): Both of these find their origins in Traditional Chinese martial arts, and are commonly known as Crane stances. (Which I would assume rock lee's stance is based on as well)  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2023-04-18. Score: 1
This stance definitely is very similar to Jet Li's Stance from the 1991 movie "Once Upon a Time in China" and Jackie Chan's stance in the 1994 movie "Drunken Master II." (See @Fumikage\_Tokoyami 's answer) Additionally, in "The Matrix" (which was released earlier in the year the manga was started) the "Neo vs Morpheus" fight scene features both sides using the stance.
[![Neo and Morpheus Kung Fu Fight](https://i.sstatic.net/4qsCB.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/4qsCB.png)

Though there is no concrete evidence, this stance (called the "beckoning stance" in other films) is likely a reference to these movies, additionally because Rock Lee is supposedly a master of the "Drunken Fist" taijutsu, supposedly a reference to "Drunken Master II". Because "The Matrix" was released just a tiny bit earlier than the manga, it could also be the fight scene that inspired the stance.

All notable "Bushy Brows" seem to use this stance, so the first Bushy Brow, Might Guy probably created it (in their universe), or perhaps Might Duy. The official Naruto Wiki does not seem to have information on the stance. The wiki *does* say that Rock Lee made a transition to look more like Might Guy. Lee may have also copied the stance.
[![Might Guy and Rock Lee](https://i.sstatic.net/2q4iL.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/2q4iL.png)

[![Metal Lee](https://i.sstatic.net/47BRx.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/47BRx.png)
---
