The Life & Legacy of Bruce Lee
For many martial artists, Bruce Lee is probably the first person that comes to mind in conversations of the greatest or most inspirational. His name and story transcend martial arts. For many in my generation, Bruce Lee was a superhero, and the reason many of us became interested in martial arts in the first place. His philosophies were just as powerful as his punches. Though his life was cut short at the age of 32, he left behind a legacy that continues to inspire to this day.
Bruce Lee was born Lee Jun-fan on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, while his parents were on tour with the Chinese Opera. His family moved back to Hong Kong when he was five. Bruce’s acting career started at just three months old, and he starred in 20 films by age 18.
His fighting career started less nobly: Bruce had a reputation as a troublemaker who got into street fights, which led him to train in Kung Fu under Yip Man (the master the Ip Man movies are based on). Yip Man taught Bruce Kung Fu as well as meditation, breathing, and balance. Bruce was eventually expelled from La Salle College at 15, but at his next school, St. Francis Xavier College, he represented the school in a boxing tournament in 1958, knocking out three opponents in the preliminaries and the returning champion in the third round.
In April 1959, Bruce sailed to San Francisco with $115 in his pocket, later moving to Seattle to finish high school. At a Kung Fu showcase there, he sparred with James DeMile, an undefeated former Military Boxing Heavyweight Champion, and DeMile couldn’t land a single hit. DeMile asked Lee for lessons, marking the start of Bruce Lee’s career as a martial arts instructor.
Lee enrolled at the University of Washington while practicing martial arts 40 hours a week, and in October 1963 he opened his first school, the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, later expanding to Oakland. At an international karate tournament in Long Beach, he demonstrated the one-inch punch, catching the attention of Hollywood stylist Jay Sebring, who became his introduction into Hollywood.
Lee married Linda Emery in 1964, and their son Brandon was born in 1965. He landed the role of Kato on The Green Hornet, which introduced Kung Fu to a Western audience even though the show was cancelled after 26 episodes. He went on to develop his own martial art, Jeet Kune Do, and opened a third school in LA’s Chinatown, eventually training students like Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Chuck Norris, and Joe Lewis.
After a serious back injury in 1969 that doctors feared would end his martial arts career, Bruce returned to Hong Kong, where he had unexpectedly become a star through The Green Hornet. He starred in The Big Boss and Fist of Fury, both record-breaking hits, then wrote, directed, produced, and choreographed The Way of the Dragon.
He was then contacted by Warner Bros. to star in Enter the Dragon, which became his most renowned film. Lee had creative control over the fight scenes, and famously refused to show up on set until the studio agreed to rewrite scenes he felt misrepresented Kung Fu philosophy.
On May 10, 1973, Lee collapsed while dubbing audio and was diagnosed with cerebral edema. Two months later, on July 20, 1973, he complained of a headache while resting at actress Betty Ting Pei’s home and could not be woken. He was pronounced dead shortly after, at just 32 years old.
Bruce Lee was a living legend taken from the world far too soon. He brought Kung Fu to Western audiences, solidified himself as a hero in Hong Kong, and inspired countless people to pursue martial arts and stand up for their values. His name remains synonymous with martial arts, and his legacy continues to inspire to this day.
