It’s hard to say, you need to define what a “martial artist” is.

If you mean the greatest fighter ever, then I would have to say no.

However, I would have to say he is one of the most recognizable and influential figure in martial arts to both the lay person and martial artists.

2nd, I agree that Chinese Martial-Arts tradition is much more dense and older that Bruce Lee himself. I, myself found people which are as good (or may be better) than Bruce Lee but they never came to light. Just read about Huo Yuanjia, the Mizongyi master. He was a patient of Asthama since his birth but he mastered Mizong Luohan, or read about Gama, an Indian wrestler who kept an opponent (two times bigger than his size) beneath himself on ground for straight 2.5 hours and the opponent whould hardly move. Gama was the most amazing thing I have seen. He died in 1910.

We never hear about these people. Also we never hear about the hashish Bruce Lee took sometimes. Even after all this, I still say he was a great Martial-Artist.

I want to ask you a question. Was Bruce Lee the first one who invented the idea of having no style but being practical to the current fighting situation. Was he the first and ony one who created the core of JKD, being shapless and styleless, that man as a human being is more important than any established Martial Art ?

I am seeking the answer to this question from a much longer time.