Early Life
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco in 1940. His parents lived in Hong Kong but were touring the United States for a Chinese Opera (Letters).
Lee grew up in Hong Kong and his nickname was “little dragon” and he had so much energy he was also called “never sits still.” He wasn’t a particularly good student and would often irritate his teachers and adults. He became a well known child actor in Hong Kong from 1946-1960. He played roles such as an orphan, son, or street thief (IMDB).
He was a kinesthetic learner who learned Tai Chi from his father. He would often challenge bullies and never liked to lose. In 1953 he started learning a style of Chinese Gung Fu (Kung Fu) called Wing Chun under Grandmaster Ip Man (Yip Man). He practiced obsessively and wouldn’t move on to a new technique until he had mastered the earlier one (Letters).
He was heavily influenced by the Chinese philosophy of Taoism with its focus on nature, harmony, and Ying Yang. When Ip Man told him to reflect on why he always fought so aggressively, he floated in a boat and hit the water in frustration. At that moment he had an important realization. Why can’t he be more like water? Although water is soft it can take a hit and not get hurt. It is also hard and crashes as a wave. Water adjusts to its environment when it flows. This was a defining moment and would influence the rest of his life.
United States
In 1959 he left for the United States to avoid trouble with the police and to confirm his United States citizenship. He finished high school and went on to the University of Washington in Seattle and started studying philosophy. He also taught Gung Fu classes to support himself and started dating one of his students Linda Emery. They married in 1964 and eventually had a son Brandon and a daughter Shannon. Lee dropped out of college to focus on teaching martial arts in his Seattle school (Letters).
Another pivotal moment happened when Wong Jack-Man challenged him to a fight because Lee had criticized traditional Gung Fu styles and teaching non-Chinese students. Lee defeated Wong Jack-Man using Wing Chun but still viewed it as a defeat because it took him too long to win and he was so winded.
This led him to develop his own philosophy of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do (the way of the intercepting fist) which was influenced by Wing Chun, boxing, fencing, and other martial arts. Jeet Kune Do focused on ending a fight as quickly as possible using directness, simplicity, and freedom where were all traits found in Taoism. He concentrated on low kicks, quick reaction, and simultaneous attacks and blocks. He also began an intense program of strength training, flexibility, and endurance.
He opened up two more martial arts schools in Oakland and L.A. but over time realized that Jeet Kune Do could not be taught on a mass scale. Jeet Kune Do was not a traditional martial arts style but was tailored to the student’s strengths and weaknesses.
Hollywood Acting
To make money he began to train private celebrity private clients such as Kareem Abdul Jabbar, James Coburn, and Steve McQueen. This led to him being discovered by the tv producer William Dozier who cast him in the role of Kato in the 1966 television series The Green Hornet. Even though the series lasted only one season, Lee was a breakout action star. He went on to act in small parts on television shows such as Longstreet and the movie Marlowe. He began to get frustrated because he couldn’t land a lead role in a Hollywood production due to being Chinese. Producers were not sure if he would be accepted by American viewers (Burton).
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Return to Hong Kong
When he visited Hong Kong to see family with his son Brandon he was greeted as a returning hero. Reruns of The Green Hornet had become very popular. This helped him make a decision to return to Hong Kong to act in movies. He hoped he would become such a star that Hollywood would have to notice him. This decision was also influenced by the Taoist philosophy of flexibility. He worked with Raymond Chow of Golden Harvest studios to create three blockbuster movies in Hong Kong including The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972). He wrote, starred, and produced a third movie Way of the Dragon (1972) and started filming a fourth The Game of Death (Letters).
Superstardom
Warner Brothers noticed his success and agreed to produce the movie Enter the Dragon starring Lee. This became the first major Hollywood martial arts movie and the first Hollywood/Hong Kong production. It became a worldwide hit, propelled Lee to superstardom, and created a whole genre of realistic martial arts movies.
Lee worked relentlessly during production of Enter the Dragon to seize his big opportunity and wrote scenes, acted, and did fight choreography. He lost 20 pounds, got little sleep, and worked day and night. On May 10th, 1973 he passed out from swelling of the brain. He was treated with anti-swelling medication and recovered. He got checked out back in the United States and was declared physically fit (Life). He started receiving multiple movie offers from companies around the world and was planning on spending half the year in Hollywood and half in the United States (Celebrated Life, page 56).
Legacy
On July 20th, he suffered another episode of brain swelling, was sent to the hospital but did not recover. He died before the opening of Enter the Dragon and didn’t live to see its massive impact. Uncertainty surrounded the cause of his brain swelling. Conspiracy theories spread throughout the public but doctors suggested it was an allergic reaction to a pain medication he took. A later theory developed that he died from heat stroke which is consistent with his symptoms. His legacy was carried on by his wife and two children who eventually acquired control of his name and likeness and set up the Bruce Lee Family company. They set up the charitable Bruce Lee Foundation oversaw the release of multiple books, games, and documentaries to spread his philosophy. Ultimately he helped bridge the gap between east and west, spread a Taoist philosophy throughout the world, transformed the teaching of martial arts, and changed the martial arts movie genre.
Further Study
The reader can explore more about the life of Bruce Lee by watching the documentary I Am Bruce Lee, reading the brief book They Died Too Young: Bruce Lee or a very in-depth biography such as Bruce Lee: A Life. In addition, the reader can explore a very personal book Letters of the Dragon to read Lee’s personal letters to family and friends.
Resources:
I Am Bruce Lee. Excellent Bruce Lee documentary including his family, friends, and training partners. Includes much footage of Bruce Lee talking in interviews. 1h 34m (IMDB).
Letters of the Dragon: The Original 1958-1973 Correspondence, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 1998, 2016. Volume 5 of the Bruce Lee Library, commissioned by the Bruce Lee Estate. Letters to friends, family, and business associates. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
Bruce Lee: A Life, Matthew Polly, Author, Simon & Schuster Publishing, 2019. Highly rated biography of Bruce Lee.
The Pierre Berton Show (aka The Lost Interview), aired December 9, 1971. Very important interview of Bruce Lee in Hong Kong. Lee talks about his life, philosophy, and martial arts. This episode was thought lost but was later found. This is difficult to get in its entirety. It was released on VHS tape and is available on DVD from Australia. Parts can be found on the excellent documentary, I am Bruce Lee. 25m (IMDB).
They Died Too Young, Bruce Lee, Jon E. Lewis, Author, Chelsea House publishers, 1998. A short juvenile biography of Bruce Lee’s life with many photos.
IMDB (list of TV shows and movies).
Family picture 1, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Seattle Teaching image, from Doug Palmer.
The Big Boss, 1971, played Cheng Chao-an. Bruce Lee plays a non-violent man who works in an ice factory. His family members start to disappear. First breakout movie. 1 h 39m (IMDB).
Enter the Dragon. Bruce Lee plays a martial artist who competes in a tournament on a criminal’s island. This movie made Bruce Lee a world superstar. Unfortunately, it was released after Bruce Lee’s death. 1h 42m (IMDB).
The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon, John Little, Editor, Tuttle Publishing, 2000, 2016. Volume 8 of the Bruce Lee Library, commissioned by the Bruce Lee Estate. Illustrated biography of Bruce Lee. Put together by John Little, Bruce Lee historian.
AI Narration provided by elevenlabs.io.
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