Bruce Lee
李振藩
American.
Chinese.
San Francisco native.
THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF BRUCE LEE
Bruce Lee was more than just a movie star and martial artist. He was an entrepreneur who disrupted Hollywood and the entertainment industry. He was a gifted athlete who developed his own approach to health and fitness. He was a man who significantly influenced other races, including African Americans. He was a poet and philosopher with deeply held beliefs about how to live life with purpose.
Bruce Lee was born on November 27, 1940 in San Francisco’s Chinatown. The son of a prominent Cantonese opera star, Lee appeared in several films at a young age.
Growing up in Hong Kong, he often found himself in pitched street fights with other boys, which prompted him to learn martial arts. At age 16, Lee trained with Wing Chun master Yip Man.
Lee later moved back to the United States and studied philosophy at the University of Washington in Seattle. He eventually opened his own martial arts studio in Oakland, California.
After appearing in a martial arts exhibition in Long Beach, Lee attracted the notice of Hollywood producers. From 1967-1968, he played the role of Kato in the short-lived television show “The Green Hornet.”
During this time, Lee developed his own brand of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do, which emphasized the importance of flexibility and improvisation when fighting an opponent.
Lee moved back to Hong Kong where he found significant success in martial arts movies like “The Big Boss,” “Fist of Fury,” and “Way of the Dragon.”
“Enter the Dragon,” which Lee starred in, produced, and choreographed, became a major international box office hit, grossing over $300 million against a budget of $800,000.
Lee died on July 20, 1973 at age 32 in Hong Kong. He is buried in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle.
“Always be yourself, express yourself,
have faith in yourself, do not go out and
look for a successful personality
and duplicate it.”
— Bruce Lee
