Although not the highest ranking Kung Fu master (he had his own style with a different name), his peers thought he was a great technician.
I don't think there was anybody like Bruce Lee that inspired the interest in martial arts like he did.
To steal a quote about Elvis from John Lennon: Before Bruce Lee, there was nobody (like him in the martial arts).
With the movie, The Green Hornet, coming out, there might be some renewed interest in Bruce Lee who was the original driver on that TV series. I ONLY watched that show when I was a kid because of Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee also guest-appeared on other Television Series.