Today, the legend that is Bruce Lee would have been celebrating his 80th birthday. To celebrate his career both on and off screen as an actor – as well as a martial artist and philosopher – here is a look back at the years of the one and only Bruce Lee.
Born Bruce Jun Fan Lee, Bruce was born in the year of the dragon – known for being a strong and fortuitous omen – on 27 November 1940. Although his parents originated from Hong Kong, Lee was born at the Jackson Street Hospital, San Francisco whilst his parents were on tour with the Chinese Opera.
Parents Lee Hoi Chuen and wife Grace returned to Hong Kong after Bruce turned three months old, up until the age of 18. At 13 years old, Bruce was introduced to a teacher of the Wing Chun style of kung fu – Master Yip Man. For the next five years, Lee studied the martial art intensely and became an expert at it. In his later years, Lee described his martial art teacher as a wise man, as well as visiting him frequently in his older years.
Not only was Bruce a keen sportsman during his high school years, but he took a keen interest in dance. In 1958 he won the Hong Kong Cha Cha championship. To add to his skills – as a dancer and martial artist – Bruce became a triple threat as he was a child actor under the teaching of his father. His father knew from a young age, Lee was meant to shine in the spotlight and by the age of 18, Bruce Lee had already appeared in 20 films.
Image credit: Kuow
When Lee reached 18, an age many seen as entering adulthood, his parents became worried he wasn’t progressing academically after he had gotten into trouble for fighting. At this time not only in his life but his parents life, they were both looking for new paths to set themselves upon so with $100 in his pocket, Bruce boarded a steamship to America and set his path towards San Francisco.
However, it turned out his path was not set for San Francisco as he turned toward family friend Ruby Chow, and ventured to Seattle. Ruby had a restaurant in Seattle and promised Lee not only a job but also somewhere to live. Bruce made the decision to give his dancing and acting a break at this point in his life and decided to carry on his education at the Edison Technical School.
From here, Bruce acquired all of his equivalent High School qualifications and later enrolled at the University of Washington where he studied Philosophy. Alongside his love for kung fu, he became inspired to dive head first into the philosophical meanings behind the martial art techniques.
During his years of university, Lee taught kung fu to pay for his way through education. However, his friends later encouraged him to open a school teaching the martial art and charge a larger sum of money. In 1963, a student named Linda Emery – a freshman at the University of Washington – joined his classes.
Linda knew of Bruce from him being a guest speaker talking about Chinese philosophy at Garfield High School – where she was a student. Only a year later in 1964, Linda and Bruce were married and Lee made the decision to become a full time kung fu teacher.
Image credit: Signapore Tatler
Bruce and Linda moved to Oakland and left his Seattle school in the hands of James Lee. Later in 1964, Lee was challenged by some Kung Fu men from San Francisco who objected to his teaching of non-chinese students. Bruce decided to accept their challenge, however it was only a short fight as Bruce pinned them to the ground and they admitted defeat.
As time went on, Bruce was cementing his plans to expand his popular martial arts school, however his life was about to take another turn towards a different path. In August 1964, Ed Parker invited Bruce to California to give a demonstration at the first ever International Karate competition.
In the audience at the time was Jay Sebring – a stylist to the stars – and after seeing his demonstration, Sebring spoke to one of his clients William Dozier, a producer. He described how he had seen a spectacular Chinese man giving a kung fu demonstration. Dozier got a film copy of the tournament and only a week later, Bruce was receiving a call from Dozier being invited to LA for a screen test.
Not only was Lee’s professional life was changing but at the same time his personal life was as well. Wife Linda gave birth to their son Brandon Bruce Lee on 1 February 1965. Unfortunately, only a week later Bruce’s father died in Hong Kong.
Lee made the decision to once again focus on his acting career – but alongside his martial art teaching – as it could lead to a career in production. During the years from 1967 to 1971, Bruce acquired a few roles in film and TV, however to support his family he continued to teach martial arts and began to even teach private lesson in Jeet Kune Do to those in the entertainment industry.
His clients included actors who were in their prime at the time including Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Ted Ashley, James Garner and many others.
Later in April 1969, Bruce and Linda gave birth to their second child and this time it was a daughter named Shannon Emery Lee. She was a great addition to the Lee household and brought great joy for all the family.
Through his intense training, Bruce sustained long term injuries, leading to a chronic source of pain for him for the rest of his life. On one day in 1970, he lifted a 125 pound barbell and severely injured his back – as he sustained an injury to his fourth sacral nerve. As a result, Bruce was left to his bed for at least six months, but in that time he did a great deal of writing.
After plenty of bed rest, Bruce began his own recovery programme and began to build strength in his back again. After he had built enough strength, Bruce decided to take a trip to Hong Kong in 1970 with his son and took up the offer of two films he was offered. From the summer of 1971, Bruce began filming The Big Boss (later known as Fists of Fury).
He eventually moved his family to Hong Kong later in 1971 and began filming his second film Fist of Fury – a film that was a bigger an even bigger success than his first film. After Lee had finished his contract with Golden Harvest, he later began a third film under Concord Productions. Through this partnership, he not only wrote films such as The Way of the Dragon but he also directed and produced films.
The filming of a film idea that Bruce had envisioned – The Game of Death – was interrupted by a deal with Warner Bros to the make the first ever Hong Kong-America co-production. The filming for Enter the Dragon later began.
Unfortunately, Bruce was not there to see the premier of Enter the Dragon in August 1973. In July 1973, Lee had a minor headache and was later offered a prescription painkiller known as Equagesic. After taking the painkiller, Bruce went to lay down and went into a coma. He later died as a result of hypersensitive reaction to an ingredient in the tablet.
Tributes were paid across the world to the legend that lost, and he is one of the few cinematic stars that remains a legend all these years later after his sad death.
As Bruce Lee once said: “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” Lee went down many paths in his life, but all led to success and it is only right we celebrate in his memory to the inspiration that is Bruce Lee.
By Katie Green
Feature image: Asia Times