Bruce Lee (November 27, 1940 - July 20, 1973) is widely considered to be the greatest martial arts film actor of the 20th century. His films, especially the last one Enter the Dragon, elevated the by-then traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level, and artists like Jackie Chan and Chuck Norris have been able to work from this platform. His son, Brandon Lee, was also a martial artist and an actor.
Birth name: Lee Jun-fan (李振藩; Gwohngdongwa pengyam: Ley5 Jan3 Fahn4; Pinyin: Lǐ Zhèn fán)
Screen name: Li Xiaolong (李小龍; Gwohngdongwa pengyam: Ley5 Siw2 Long4)
Born in San Francisco, California, Lee was raised in Hong Kong. His parents were film actors, hence he had the opportunity to appear in several Chinese movies as a child. He also studied the Wing Chun style of Kung Fu.
In 1959, Lee went to Seattle to complete his high school education. He received his diploma from Edison Technical School and went on to enroll in the University of Washington as a philosophy major. It was at the UW that he would meet his wife Linda.
After leaving University, Lee went on to star as Kato in the television series The Green Hornet. On his return to Hong Kong, he starred in the movies that would cement his fame.
After studying and becoming dissatisfied with existing schools of martial arts, Lee created three of his own: Tao of Gung Fu, a modification of Wing Chun blended with other Kung Fu styles; Jun Fan, a further refinement of his Kung Fu style -- which incorporated elements from martial arts outside of Kung Fu intending to create a more streamlined and practical martial art, as well as a comprehensive system of fitness training; and Jeet Kune Do which was more his personal philosophy of how martial arts should be effectively practiced (and according to others also as a self-help philosophy).
People trained under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto believe such terminology a misnomer. Perhaps a reason why Lee himself later regretted naming his philosophy, Jeet Kune Do, making it just another "martial art style." Yet much of the dispute is not so much the names but the credibility of the instructors teaching these fighting systems. Dan Inosanto -- receiving the highest certification in Lee's latter arts (Taky Kimura, is conidered senior most student in Tao of Gung Fu, Lee's earliest system) -- is widely regarded as the most senior student of Bruce Lee before his untimely passing. He often serves not only as the leading instructor and historian of what he calls Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu/ Jeet Kune Do Concepts; he also teaches and practices other styles such as, Kali, Silat, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jujitsu, and others styles.
Lee frequently gave demonstrations of his two-finger pushups and his famous "one inch punch.” He was a very well rounded man, being well educated both academically and in the field of martial arts. His studies of Wing Chun Gung Fu sparked his enthusiasm and understanding of martial arts. In fact, Wing Chun was the only martial art Lee formally learned, under the guidance of Grandmaster Yip Man Lee. Later, he studied other styles of Kung Fu, Wrestling, Jujitsu, and many other martial arts through an extensive literature research and contacts with other martial artists. Many contemporary martial arts instructors, in effort to promote themselves or their schools, make dubious claims about learning from or teaching Bruce Lee. This was a major reason why he, and later Inosanto, put rigid standards forth to earn certification in his arts. As a hybrid-style of martial arts, Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do Concepts boasts being composed from 27 different styles of martial arts.
It is rumored that Lee used an electric current as an aid to strength training, because of the leanness the muscles gained in working against themselves. This muscle stimulator was one of many pieces of equipment and exercise routines, Lee used to achieve his almost super-human physical ability. Footage of Lee performing a fighting scene, was often slowed down because it would only show as a blur on screen. His obsession with physical fitness is seen in his personal notes and diary. Lee tracked the evolution of his training in his diary, which has been recollected and published in The Bruce Lee Library by John Little.
On July 20, 1973, Lee was due to have lunch with former James Bond star George Lazenby, with whom he intended to make a film. However, Lee never turned up for the lunch, and when Lazenby and Lee's agent went to his hotel room, they found him dead. He was interred in Seattle's Lake View Cemetery. Although there have been several rumours concerning the cause of his death, the official cause of death, cerebral edema, was recorded as being the result of an allergic reaction to an analgesic he took.
Although he made only a handful of films and television appearances in his adulthood, Bruce Lee has become an iconic figure in movies as a personification of a small man who became the epitome of physical perfection and invincibility in personal combat. His fame also sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West.
The film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a highly fictionalized biography of his life/legend.
In 1958, Lee was the Cha Cha Champion of Hong Kong.
