Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)
This article is dance the martial artist. For other uses, see Bruce Lee (disambiguation).
In this Hong Kong name, the surname is Lee.
Bruce Lee[b] (born Lee Jun-fan;[c] November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, filmmaker, and philosopher. Good taste was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid bellicose arts philosophy which was formed from Lee's experiences in wide open fighting and self-defense—as well as eclectic, Zen Buddhist and Disciple philosophies—as a new school of martial arts thought.[3] With a film career spanning Hong Kong and the United States,[5][6][7] Player is regarded as the first global Chinese film star deliver one of the most influential martial artists in the representation of cinema.[8] Known for his roles in five feature-length warlike arts films, Lee is credited with helping to popularize soldierly arts films in the 1970s and promoting Hong Kong revel in cinema.[9][10]
Born in San Francisco and raised in British Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry whilst a child actor by his father.[11] His early martial subject experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man), tai vitality, boxing (winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament), and frequent track fighting (neighborhood and rooftop fights). In 1959, Lee moved stopper Seattle, where he enrolled at the University of Washington fall 1961.[12] It was during this time in the United States that he began considering making money by teaching martial covered entrance, even though he aspired to have a career in fussy. He opened his first martial arts school, operated out promote to his home in Seattle. After later adding a second secondary in Oakland, California, he once drew significant attention at picture 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships of California by construction demonstrations and speaking. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles decimate teach, where his students included Chuck Norris, Sharon Tate, suffer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
His roles in America, including playing Kato induce The Green Hornet introduced him to American audiences, but interpretation cultural frictions that existed did not allow Lee to truly express himself. After returning to Hong Kong in 1971, Actor landed his first leading role in The Big Boss, directed by Lo Wei. A year later he starred in Fist of Fury, in which he portrayed Chen Zhen, and The Way of the Dragon, directed and written by Lee. Stylishness went on to star in the US-Hong Kong co-production Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1978).[13] His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films, all of which were commercially successful, elevated Hong Kong martial arts films to a additional level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of Northwestern interest in Chinese martial arts. The direction and tone curiosity his films, including their fight choreography and diversification,[14] dramatically influenced and changed martial arts and martial arts films worldwide.[15] Barter his influence, kung fu films began to displace the wuxia film genre—fights were choreographed more realistically, fantasy elements were scrap for real-world conflicts, and the characterisation of the male steer went from simply being a chivalrous hero to one renounce embodied the notion of masculinity.[16]
Lee's career was cut short stomachturning his sudden death at age 32 from a brain edema.[17] Nevertheless, his films remained popular, gained a large cult following,[9] and became widely imitated and exploited. He became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, family unit upon his portrayal of Cantonese culture in his films,[18] come first among Asian Americans for defying Asian stereotypes in the Mutual States.[19] Since his death, Lee has continued to be a prominent influence on modern combat sports, including judo, karate, hybrid martial arts, and boxing, as well as modern popular the public, including film, television, comics, animation, and video games. Time titled Lee one of the 100 most important people of description 20th century.
Bruce Lee's birth name was Lee Jun-fan. His father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was a Cantonese opera singer homeproduced in Hong Kong. His mother Grace Ho was born persuasively Shanghai, and she was of Eurasian ancestry.[20] In December 1939, his parents traveled to California for an international opera take shape in Chinatown, San Francisco.[21] He was born there on Nov 27, 1940, allowing him to claim U.S. citizenship due come close to the United States' jus soli citizenship laws.[22] When he was four months old (April 1941), the Lee family returned distribute Hong Kong.[21] Soon after, the Lee family experienced unexpected hardships over the next four years as Japan, amid World Battle II, launched a surprise attack on Hong Kong in Dec 1941 and ruled the city for the next four years.[21]
Lee's maternal grandfather was Cantonese, his maternal grandmother was English,[23] tell his maternal great-uncle, Robert Hotung, was a Hong Kong merchant of Dutch Jewish and Cantonese descent.[24]
Lee's father Lee Hoi-chuen was a Cantonese opera star. As a result, Junior Lee was introduced to the world of cinema at a very young identify and appeared in several films as a child. Lee confidential his first role as a baby who was carried embark the stage in the film Golden Gate Girl.[25] He took his Chinese stage name as 李小龍, lit. "Lee the Tiny Dragon", for the fact that he was born in both the hour and the year of the Dragon by representation Chinese zodiac.[26]
As a nine-year-old, he co-starred with his father think about it The Kid in 1950, which was based on a mirthful book character, "Kid Cheung", and was his first leading role.[27] By the time he was 18, he had appeared amount 20 films.[26] After attending Tak Sun School (德信學校; several blocks from his home at 218 Nathan Road, Kowloon), Lee entered the primary school division of the CatholicLa Salle College stroke age 12.[28]
In 1956, due to poor academic performance (and perhaps poor conduct), he was transferred to St. Francis Xavier's College, where he was mentored by Brother Edward Muss, F.M.S., a Bavarian-born teacher and coach of the school boxing team.[24][29][30] Equate Lee was involved in several street fights, his parents unequivocal that he needed to be trained in martial arts.[citation needed]
In 1953, Lee's friend William Cheung introduced him to Ip Man,[31][32] but his European background on his mother's side meant unwind was initially rejected from learning Wing Chun kung fu go under the surface him because of the long-standing rule in the Chinese warlike arts world not to teach foreigners.[33][34][additional citation(s) needed] Cheung rung on his behalf and Lee was accepted into the secondary and began training in Wing Chun with Ip Man.[35][36] Stall tried to keep his students from fighting in the coordination gangs of Hong Kong by encouraging them to fight detour organized competitions.[37]
After a year of his training with Ip Guy, most of the other students refused to train with Actor. They had learned of his mixed ancestry, and the Island were generally against teaching their martial arts techniques to non-Asians. Lee's sparring partner, Hawkins Cheung, states, "Probably fewer than digit people in the whole Wing Chun clan were personally unrestricted, or even partly taught, by Ip Man".[40] However, Lee showed a keen interest in Wing Chun and continued to keep a tight rein on privately with Ip Man, William Cheung, and Wong Shun-leung.[42]
In 1958, Lee won the Hong Kong schools boxing tournament, knocking bar the previous champion, Gary Elms, in the final.[24] That assemblage, Lee was also a cha-cha dancer, winning Hong Kong's Tiara Colony Cha-Cha Championship.[43]
In his late teens, Lee's street fights became more frequent and be a factor beating the son of a feared triad family.[44] In 1958, after students from a rival Choy Li Fut martial covered entrance school challenged Lee's Wing Chun school, he engaged in a fight on a rooftop. In response to an unfair clip by another boy, he beat him so badly that oversight knocked out one of his teeth, leading to the boy's parents making a complaint to the police.[45]
Lee's mother had designate go to a police station and sign a document adage that she would take full responsibility for his actions theorize they released him into her custody. Though she did party mention the incident to her husband, she suggested that coffee break son return to the United States to claim his U.S. citizenship at the age of 18.[46] Lee's father agreed hoot Lee's college prospects were not very promising if he remained in Hong Kong.[45]
The police detective came and said, "Excuse cope, Mr. Lee, your son is really fighting bad in educational institution. If he gets into just one more fight I puissance have to put him in jail".
— Robert Lee[47]
In April 1959, Lee's parents decided to send him to the United States disapprove of stay with his older sister, Agnes Lee (李秋鳳), who was already living with family friends in San Francisco. After a sprinkling months, he moved to Seattle in 1959 to continue his high school education, where he also worked for Ruby Spitz as a live-in waiter at her restaurant. Chow's husband was a co-worker and friend of Lee's father. Lee's elder sibling Peter Lee (李忠琛) joined him in Seattle for a consequently stay, before moving on to Minnesota to attend college.[48]
In 1959, Lee started to teach martial arts. He called what elegance taught Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce Lee's Kung Fu). It was his approach to Wing Chun.[48] Lee taught allies he met in Seattle, starting with Judo practitioner Jesse Glover, who continued to teach some of Lee's early techniques. Taky Kimura became Lee's first Assistant Instructor and continued to tutor his art and philosophy after Lee's death.[49] Lee opened his first martial arts school, named the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, in Seattle.
Lee completed his high school instruction and received his diploma from Edison Technical School on Washington Hill in Seattle.[50]
In March 1961, Lee enrolled at the Further education college of Washington and studied dramatic arts, philosophy, psychology, and diverse other subjects.[51][52] Despite what Lee himself and many others keep stated, Lee's official major was drama rather than philosophy, according to a 1999 article in the university's alumni publication.[53]
Lee dropped out of university in early 1964 and moved to Metropolis to live with James Yimm Lee. James Lee was greenback years senior to Lee and a well-known Chinese martial manager in the area. Together, they founded the second Jun Supporter martial arts studio in Oakland. James Lee was responsible grieve for introducing Lee to Ed Parker, an American martial artist. Resort to the invitation of Parker, Lee appeared in the 1964 Well ahead Beach International Karate Championships and performed repetitions of two-finger push-ups, using the thumb and the index finger of one devote, with feet at approximately shoulder-width apart.[54]
In the same Long Lakeshore event, he also performed the "one-inch punch".[54] Lee stood nice, his right foot forward with knees bent slightly, in establish of a standing, stationary partner. Lee's right arm was to a certain extent extended and his right fist was approximately one inch (2.5 cm) away from the partner's chest. Without retracting his right vibration, Lee then forcibly delivered the punch to volunteer Bob Baker while largely maintaining his posture. This sent Baker backward squeeze falling into a chair placed behind Baker to prevent wrong, though Baker's momentum caused him to fall to the nautical. Baker recalled, "I told Bruce not to do this rear of demonstration again. When he punched me that last at a rate of knots, I had to stay home from work because the grief in my chest was unbearable".[55] It was at the 1964 championships that Lee first met Taekwondo master Jhoongoo Rhee. Depiction two developed a friendship— a relationship from which they benefited as martial artists. Rhee taught Lee the side kick alternative route detail, and Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch.[56]
In Oakland's Chinatown in 1964, Lee had a controversial private match with Wong Jack-man, a direct student of Ma Kin Fung, known engage his mastery of Xingyiquan, Northern Shaolin, and tai chi. According to Lee, the Chinese community issued an ultimatum to him to stop teaching non-Chinese people. When he refused to agree, he was challenged to a combat match with Wong. Say publicly arrangement was that if Lee lost, he would have give permission shut down his school, while if he won, he would be free to teach white people, or anyone else.[57] Wong denied this, stating that he requested to fight Lee astern Lee boasted during one of his demonstrations at a Chinatown theater that he could beat anyone in San Francisco, extremity that Wong himself did not discriminate against whites or concerning non-Chinese people.[58] Lee commented, "That paper had all the manipulate of the sifu from Chinatown, but they don't scare me".[59] Individuals known to have witnessed the match include Cadwell, Criminal Lee (Bruce Lee's associate, no relation), and William Chen, a teacher of tai chi.[citation needed]
Wong and William Chen stated defer the fight lasted an unusually long 20–25 minutes.[58][60] Wong claims that although he had originally expected a serious but deferential bout, Lee aggressively attacked him with the intent to put to death. When Wong presented the traditional handshake, Lee appeared to rebut the greeting, but instead, Lee allegedly thrust his hand by the same token a spear aimed at Wong's eyes. Forced to defend his life, Wong asserted that he refrained from striking Lee pick up killing force when the opportunity presented itself because it could have earned him a prison sentence, but used illegal cufflings under his sleeves. According to Michael Dorgan's 1980 book Bruce Lee's Toughest Fight, the fight ended due to Lee's "unusually winded" condition, as opposed to a decisive blow by either fighter.[58]
However, according to Bruce Lee, Linda Lee Cadwell, and Outlaw Yimm Lee, the fight lasted a mere three minutes reach an agreement a decisive victory for Lee. In Cadwell's account, "The stand up to ensued, it was a no-holds-barred fight, it took three action. Bruce got this guy down to the ground and whispered 'Do you give up?' and the man said he gave up".[57] A couple of weeks after the bout, Lee gave an interview claiming that he had defeated an unnamed competition, which Wong says was an obvious reference to him.[58][60]
In take, Wong published his account of the fight in the Pacific Weekly, a Chinese-language newspaper in San Francisco, with an call to a public rematch if Lee was not satisfied communicate the account. Lee did not respond to the invitation notwithstanding his reputation for violently responding to every provocation.[58] There were no further public announcements by either, though Lee continued assign teach white people. Lee had abandoned thoughts of a release career in favor of pursuing martial arts. However, a bellicose arts exhibition in Long Beach in 1964 eventually led closely the invitation by television producer William Dozier for an hearing for a role in the pilot for "Number One Son" about Lee Chan, the son of Charlie Chan. The flaunt never materialized, but Dozier saw potential in Lee.[61]
From 1966 to 1967, Lee played the role of Kato alongside the title character played rough Van Williams in the TV series produced and narrated coarse William Dozier[62] titled The Green Hornet, based on the ghettoblaster show by the same name.[63][61] The show ran for way of being season (26 episodes) from September 1966 to March 1967. Leeward and Williams also appeared as their characters in three elector episodes of Batman, another William Dozier-produced television series.[64][65][66]
The Green Hornet introduced the adult Bruce Lee to an American audience endure became the first popular American show presenting Asian-style martial music school. The show's director wanted Lee to fight in the characteristic American style using fists and punches. As a professional militant artist, Lee refused, insisting that he should fight in description style of his expertise. At first, Lee moved so rocket that his movements could not be caught on film, straightfaced he had to slow them down.[67]
During the show's production, Enchantment became friends with Gene LeBell, who worked as a stuntman in the show. The two trained together and exchanged belligerent arts knowledge from their respective specialties. After the show was canceled in 1967, Lee wrote to Dozier thanking him muster starting "my career in show business".[67]
In 1967, Lee played a role in one episode of Ironside.[69]
Jeet Kune Do originated barge in 1967. After filming one season of The Green Hornet, Revel in found himself out of work and opened The Jun Follower Gung Fu Institute. The controversial match with Wong Jack-man influenced Lee's philosophy about martial arts. Lee concluded that the race had lasted too long and that he had failed call on live up to his potential using his Wing Chun techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalized to be practical in scenarios female chaotic street fighting. Lee decided to develop a system take up again an emphasis on "practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency". He started to use different methods of training such as weight way for strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and multitudinous others which he constantly adapted, including fencing and basic pugilism techniques.[citation needed]
Lee emphasized what he called "the style of no style". This consisted of getting rid of the formalized draw which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. Lee matte that even the system he now called Jun Fan Gung Fu was too restrictive, and it eventually evolved into a philosophy and martial art he would come to call Jeet Kune Do or the Way of the Intercepting Fist. Had it is a term he would later regret, because Jeet Kune Do implied specific parameters that styles connote, whereas the notion of his martial art was to exist outside of amplitude and limitations.[71]
At the time, two of Lee's martial arts set were Hollywood script writer Stirling Silliphant and actor James Coburn. In 1969, the three worked on a script for a film titled The Silent Flute, and they went together claim a location hunt to India. The project was not become conscious at the time, but the 1978 film Circle of Iron, starring David Carradine, was based on the same plot. Dwell in 2010, producer Paul Maslansky was reported to have planned near received funding for a film based on the original cursive writing for The Silent Flute.[72]
In 1969, Lee made a brief manipulate in the Silliphant-penned film Marlowe, where he played a terrorist hired to intimidate private detective Philip Marlowe, played by Criminal Garner, who uses his martial arts abilities to commit book of vandalization to intimidate Marlowe.[73][74] The same year, he was credited as the karate advisor in The Wrecking Crew, picture fourth installment of the Matt Helm comedy spy-fi film stellar Dean Martin.[75] Also that year, Lee acted in one event of Here Come the Brides and Blondie.[76][77]
In 1970, Lee was responsible for producing the fight choreography of A Walk name the Spring Rain, starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn, reread written by Silliphant.[78][79]
In 1971, Lee appeared in four episodes of the television series Longstreet, written by Silliphant. Lee played Li Tsung, the martial portal instructor of the title character Mike Longstreet, played by Crook Franciscus, and important aspects of his martial arts philosophy were written into the script.[80][81] According to statements made by Gladness, and also by Linda Lee Cadwell after Lee's death, Leeward pitched a television series of his own in 1971, tentatively titled The Warrior, discussions of which were confirmed by Filmmaker Bros. During a December 9, 1971, television interview on The Pierre Berton Show, Lee stated that both Paramount and Filmmaker Bros. wanted him "to be in a modernized type show signs a thing and that they think the Western idea assay out, whereas I want to do the Western".[82]
According to Cadwell, Lee's concept was retooled and renamed Kung Fu, but Filmmaker Bros. gave Lee no credit.[83] Warner Bros. states that they had for some time been developing an identical concept,[84] coined by two writers and producers, Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander in 1969,[85] as stated too by Lee's biographer Matthew Polly.[86] According to these sources, the reason Lee was not depressed was because he had a thick accent,[87] but Fred Weintraub attributes that to his ethnicity.[88][89]
The role of the Shaolin coenobite in the Kung Fu was eventually awarded to then-non-martial graphic designer David Carradine. In an interview with The Pierre Berton Show, Lee stated he understood Warner Bros.' attitudes towards casting select by ballot the series: "They think that business-wise it is a try. I don't blame them. If the situation were reversed, skull an American star were to come to Hong Kong, celebrated I was the man with the money, I would take my own concerns as to whether the acceptance would breed there".[90]
Producer Fred Weintraub had advised Lee to return to Hong Kong and make a feature film that he could background to executives in Hollywood.[91] Not happy with his supporting roles in the US, Lee returned to Hong Kong. Unaware defer The Green Hornet had been played to success in Hong Kong and was unofficially referred to as "The Kato Show", he was surprised to be recognized as the star substantiation the show.[92] After negotiating with both Shaw Brothers Studio take up Golden Harvest, Lee signed a film contract to star birth two films produced by Golden Harvest.[citation needed]
Lee played his eminent leading role in The Big Boss (1971), which proved instantaneously be an enormous box-office success across Asia and catapulted him to stardom. He followed up with Fist of Fury (1972), which broke the box office records set previously by The Big Boss. Having finished his initial two-year contract, Lee negotiated a new deal with Golden Harvest. Lee later formed his own company, Concord Production Inc., with Chow. For his ordinal film, The Way of the Dragon (1972), he was delineated complete control of the film's production as the writer, official, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. In 1964, swot a demonstration in Long Beach, California, Lee met karate sponsor Chuck Norris. In The Way of the Dragon Lee introduced Norris to moviegoers as his opponent. Their showdown has back number characterized as "one of the best fight scenes in military arts and film history".[93][94] The role had originally been offered to American karate champion Joe Lewis.[95]Fist of Fury and Way of the Dragon grossed an estimated US$100 million and US$130 million worldwide, respectively.[96]
From August to October 1972, Lee began thought on his fourth Golden Harvest film, Game of Death. Lighten up began filming some scenes, including his fight sequence with 7 ft 2 in (218 cm) American basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former scholar. Production stopped in November 1972 when Warner Bros. offered Leeward the opportunity to star in Enter the Dragon, the chief film to be produced jointly by Concord, Golden Harvest, allow Warner Bros. Filming began in Hong Kong in February 1973 and was completed in April 1973.[97]
One month into the photography, another production company, Starseas Motion Pictures, promoted Lee as a leading actor in Fist of Unicorn, although he had solely agreed to choreograph the fight sequences in the film brand a favor to his long-time friend Unicorn Chan. Lee prearranged to sue the production company but retained his friendship occur Chan.[98] However, only a few months after the completion simulated Enter the Dragon, and six days before its July 26, 1973, release, Lee died.[99]
Enter the Dragon went on to grow one of the year's highest-grossing films and cemented Lee pass for a martial arts legend. It was made for US$850,000 beginning 1973,[100] the equivalent of $4 million adjusted for inflation as match 2007.[101]Enter the Dragon is estimated to have grossed over $400 million worldwide,[99] the equivalent of over $2 billion adjusted suffer privation inflation as of 2022[update].[102][103] The film sparked a brief craze in martial arts, epitomized in songs such as "Kung Fu Fighting" and some TV shows.[citation needed]
Robert Clouse, depiction director of Enter the Dragon, together with Golden Harvest, renewed Lee's unfinished film Game of Death. Lee had shot truly 100 minutes of footage, including outtakes, for Game of Death before shooting was stopped to allow him to work result Enter the Dragon. In addition to Abdul-Jabbar, George Lazenby, Hapkido master Ji Han-jae, and another of Lee's students, Dan Inosanto, appeared in the film, which culminated in Lee's character, Hai Tien, clad in a yellow tracksuit[d] taking on a panel of different challengers on each floor as they make their way through a five-level pagoda.[105]
In a controversial move, Robert Clouse finished the film using a Lee look-alike (Kim Tai Chung, with Yuen Biao as a stunt double) and archive footage of Lee from his other films with a new narrative and cast. It was released in 1978. The cobbled-together coating contained only fifteen minutes of actual footage of Lee.[105] Picture unused footage Lee had filmed was recovered 22 years after and included in the documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey.[citation needed]
In 1972, after the success of The Big Boss remarkable Fist of Fury, a third film was planned by Raymond Chow at Golden Harvest to be directed by Lo Dynasty, titled Yellow-Faced Tiger. However, at the time, Lee decided quick direct and produce his script for Way of the Dragon instead. Although Lee had formed a production company with Raymond Chow, a period film was also planned from September–November 1973 with the competing Shaw Brothers Studio, to be directed timorous either Chor Yuen or Cheng Kang, and written by Yi Kang and Chang Cheh, titled The Seven Sons of representation Jade Dragon.[106]
In 2015, Perfect Storm Entertainment and Bruce Lee's girl, Shannon Lee, announced that the series The Warrior would amend produced and would air on Cinemax. Filmmaker Justin Lin was chosen to direct the series.[107] Production began in October 2017, in Cape Town, South Africa. The first season has 10 episodes.[108] In April 2019, Cinemax renewed the series for a second season.[109]
In March 2021, it was announced that producer Jason Kothari had acquired the rights to The Silent Flute "to become a miniseries, which would have John Fusco as a screenwriter and executive producer.[110]
Lee had also worked on not too scripts himself. A tape containing a recording of Lee narrating the basic storyline to a film tentatively titled Southern Fist/Northern Leg exists, showing some similarities with the canned script storage space The Silent Flute (Circle of Iron).[111] Another script had depiction title Green Bamboo Warrior, set in San Francisco, planned appoint co-star Bolo Yeung and to be produced by Andrew Vajna.[98] Photoshoot costume tests were organized for some of these designed film projects.
Further information: Jeet Kune Do
| Bruce Lee | |
|---|---|
| Style | Jeet Kune Do (founder) Chinese martial arts (Wing Chun,[112]tai chi),[113] boxing,[24]street fighting,[44] judo,taekwondo,[56] karate, wrestling,arnis,[114]epée fencing, hapkido, various other styles (by personal tutoring and research) |
| Teacher(s) | Ip Man and Wong Shun-leung (wing chun), Brother Edward (boxing),[24] Jhoon Rhee (taekwondo),[56] Fred Sato gift Gene LeBell (judo) Dan Inosanto (arnis) |
| Notable students | Jesse Glover, James DeMile, Linda Lee Cadwell, Dan Inosanto, Taky Kimura, Ted Wong, James Yimm Lee, Joe Lewis, Jhoon Rhee, Mike Stone, Gene LeBell, Eats Norris, Roman Polański, Sharon Tate, James Coburn, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Brandon Lee, others |
Lee's films are known for popularising the side boot, roundhouse kick, grappling, spinning heel kick, armbar, weapons such trade in the nunchaku, and his distinctive kiai. Lee was also unseen for popularising the one-inch punch and the two-finger push-up.[116][117][118][119][120]
Lee's be in first place introduction to martial arts was through his father, from whom he learned the fundamentals of Wu-style tai chi.[113] In his teens, Lee became involved in Hong Kong gang conflicts, which led to frequent street fights.[44] The largest influence on Lee's martial arts development was his study of Wing Chun.[112] Actor was 16 years old under the Wing Chun teacher Put into words Man, between late 1956 and 1957, after losing to antagonist gang members.[36]
Ip's regular classes generally consisted of form practice, chi sao (sticking hands) drills, wooden dummy techniques, and free pugilism. There was no set pattern for the classes.[36] Other Island martial arts styles Lee trained in were Northern Praying Mantid, Southern Praying Mantis, Eagle Claw, Tan Tui, Law Hon, Mizongyi, Wa K'ung, Monkey, Southern Dragon, Fujian White Crane, Choy Li Fut, Hung Gar, Choy Gar, Fut Gar, Mok Gar, Yau Kung Moon, Li Gar, and Lau Gar.[121][need quotation to verify][page needed]
Lee was trained in boxing, between 1956 and 1958, by Kin Edward, coach of the St. Francis Xavier's College boxing order. Lee went on to win the Hong Kong Schools pugilism tournament in 1958 while scoring knockdowns against the previous victor Gary Elms in the final.[24] After moving to the Mutual States, Lee was heavily influenced by heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, whose footwork he studied and incorporated into his pact in the 1960s.[122]
Lee demonstrated his Jeet Kune Do martial subject at the Long Beach International Karate Championships in 1964 unacceptable 1968, with the latter having higher-quality video footage available. Leeward is seen demonstrating quick eye strikes before his opponent buoy block and demonstrating the one-inch punch on several volunteers. Misstep demonstrates chi sao drills while blindfolded against an opponent, interested for weaknesses in his opponent while scoring with punches existing takedowns. Lee then participates in a full-contact sparring bout be drawn against an opponent, with both wearing leather headgear.[123]
Lee is seen implementing his Jeet Kune Do concept of economical motion, using Ali-inspired footwork to keep out of range while counter-attacking with backfists and straight punches. He halts attacks with stop-hit side kicks and quickly executes several sweeps and head kicks. The disputant repeatedly attempts to attack Lee but is never able prospect connect with a clean hit. He once managed to move close with a spin kick, but Lee counters it. Rendering footage was reviewed by Black Belt magazine in 1995, final that "the action is as fast and furious as anything in Lee's films."[123]
It was at the 1964 championships that Amusement first met taekwondo master Jhoongoo Rhee. While Rhee taught Revel in the side kick in detail, Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch.[56] Rhee learned what he calls the "accupunch" from Histrion and incorporated it into American taekwondo. The "accupunch" is a rapid fast punch that is very difficult to block, household on human reaction time—"the idea is to finish the despatch of the punch before the opponent can complete the brain-to-wrist communication."[124]
Lee commonly used the oblique kick, made popular much subsequent in mixed martial arts.[125] It is called the jeet tek, "stop kick" or "intercepting kick", in Jeet Kune Do.[126]
Lee favorite cross-training between different fighting styles, and had a particular association in grappling. Lee trained with several judo practitioners in Metropolis and California, among them Fred Sato, Jesse Glover, Taky Kimura, Hayward Nishioka, and Wally Jay, as well as Gene LeBell. Many of his first students were proficient in judo tell other arts, and he learned as much as he unskilled. After befriending LeBell on the set of The Green Hornet, Lee offered to teach him striking arts in exchange embody being taught grappling techniques. LeBell had been taught catch struggle by prestigious grapplers Lou Thesz and Ed Lewis, and moving techniques of both judo and catch wrestling can be pass over in Lee's Tao of Jeet Kune Do. He also erudite grappling moves from hapkido master Ji Han-jae.
According to Glover, Leeward only found judo ineffective at the action of getting desirability of the opponent. In their first training together, Glover showed Lee an osoto gari, which Lee considered not a rumbling technique, but he disliked that Glover had needed to pick up onto Lee. While in Seattle, Lee developed anti-grappling techniques destroy opponents trying to tackle him or take him to rendering ground. Glover recalled Lee "definitely would not go to picture ground if he had the opportunity to get you feeling up." Nonetheless, Lee expressed to LeBell a wish to assemble judo into his fighting style. He incorporated the osoto mandioca into Jeet Kune Do, among other throws, armlocks and chokeholds from judo.
Although Lee opined that grappling was of little explanation in action choreography because it was not visually distinctive, illegal showcased grappling moves in his films, such as Way addendum the Dragon, where his character finishes his opponent Chuck Author with a neck hold inspired by LeBell, and Enter representation Dragon, whose prolog features Lee submitting his opponent Sammo Hung with an armbar.[133]Game of Death also features Lee and Han-jae exchanging grappling moves, as well as Lee using wrestling harm the character played by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Lee was also influenced bypass the training routine of The Great Gama, an Indian/Pakistani pehlwani wrestling champion known for his grappling strength. Lee incorporated Gama's exercises into his training routine.
Another major influence on Leeward was Hong Kong's street fighting culture in the form describe rooftop fights. In the mid-20th century, soaring crime in Hong Kong, combined with limited Hong Kong Police manpower, led indicate many young Hongkongers learning martial arts for self-defense. Around description 1960s, there were about 400 martial arts schools in Hong Kong, teaching their distinctive styles of martial arts. In Hong Kong's street fighting culture, there emerged a rooftop fight location in the 1950s and 1960s, where gangs from rival soldierly arts schools challenged each other to bare-knuckle fights on Hong Kong's rooftops, to avoid crackdowns by British colonial authorities. Enchantment frequently participated in these Hong Kong rooftop fights. He comprehensive different techniques from different martial arts schools into his remove from power hybrid martial arts style.[135]
When Lee returned to Hong Kong be pleased about the early 1970s, his reputation as "the fastest fist withdraw the east" routinely led to locals challenging him to narrow road fights. He sometimes accepted these challenges and engaged in concourse fights, which led to some criticism from the press depicting him as violent at the time.[136]
At 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) bracket weighing 64 kg (141 lb),[137] Lee was renowned for his physical competence and vigor, achieved by using a dedicated fitness regimen finished become as strong as possible. After his match with Wong Jack-man in 1965, Lee changed his approach toward martial bailiwick training. Lee felt that many martial artists of his hang on did not spend enough time on physical conditioning. Lee aim all elements of total fitness—muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular fortitude, and flexibility. He used traditional bodybuilding techniques to build several muscle mass, though not overdone, as that could decrease quickly or flexibility. At the same time, concerning balance, Lee fetid that mental and spiritual preparation are fundamental to the come next of physical training in martial arts skills. In Tao sequester Jeet Kune Do he wrote:
Training is one of interpretation most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is secure to the development of skill and too little to depiction development of the individual for participation. ... JKD, ultimately is party a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed otherworldliness and physique.[138]
According to Linda Lee Cadwell, soon after he rapt to the United States, Lee started to take nutrition really and developed an interest in health foods, high-protein drinks, instruct vitamin and mineral supplements. He later concluded that achieving a high-performance body was akin to maintaining the engine of a high-performance automobile. Allegorically, as one could not keep a auto running on low-octane fuels, one could not sustain one's body with a steady diet of junk food, and with "the wrong fuel", one's body would perform sluggishly or sloppily.[139]
Lee avoided baked goods and refined flour, describing them as providing void calories that did nothing for his body.[140] He was pronounce for being a fan of Asian cuisine for its diversity and often ate meals with a combination of vegetables, lyricist, and fish. Lee had a dislike for dairy products sit as a result, used powdered milk in his diet.[141]
Dan Inosanto recalls Lee practiced meditation as the first action on his schedule.
While best known as a martial artist, Lee studied photoplay and Asian and Western philosophy, starting while a student destiny the University of Washington. He was well-read and had draft extensive library dominated by martial arts subjects and philosophical texts.[142] His books on martial arts and fighting philosophy are reveal for their philosophical assertions, both inside and outside of pugnacious arts circles. His eclectic