Bruce Lee (Chinese: Lee Jun-fan, November 27, 1940–July 20, 1973)
- Dan Inosanto recalls Lee practiced meditation daily 1st thing morning
- Born San Francisco & raised in British Hong Kong - Hong Kong-American martial artist & actor - founder Jeet Kune Do - credited with paving the way for modern MMA
- considered the most influential martial artist of all time & pop culture icon of 20th century - linked East & West - credited promoting Hong Kong action cinema & helping to change the way Chinese people were presented in American films - one 1/4 European background from his mother's side
- April 1959, sent to USA - stay older sister, Agnes Lee - already living with family friends San Francisco - moved to Seattle 1959 to finish high school education, he also worked Ruby Chow, live-in waiter her restaurant
- 1959, Lee started to teach martial arts - he taught Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce Lee's Kung Fu)- his approach to Wing Chun - his first martial arts school, the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, Seattle - March 1961, enrolled University of Washington studied dramatic arts, philosophy, psychology - official major was drama rather than philosophy - dropped out university 1964 - moved to Oakland to live with James Yimm Lee - James Lee was 20 years older; -well-known Chinese martial artist in the area - they founded the 2nd Jun Fan martial arts studio Oakland - James Lee introduced Bruce Lee to Ed Parker, American martial artist - invited by Parker, Lee appeared 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships - performed repetitions of 2-finger push-ups, using the thumb & index finger, one hand, feet at shoulder-width apart - he performed the "one inch punch" - delivered the punch to volunteer Bob Baker -sent Baker backwards & fell into chair behind, though Baker's momentum caused him to fall to the floor
- Baker recounts: "When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable"
- 1964 championships 1st met Taekwondo master Jhoon Goo Rhee - developed a friendship - they benefited as martial artists- Rhee taught side kick in detail & Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch
- Oakland Chinatown 1964 -had controversial private match with Wong Jack-man - the Chinese community issued an ultimatum to him to stop teaching non-Chinese people - he refused to comply, he was challenged to a combat match - arrangement: if Lee lost, he would have to shut down his school, while if he won, he would be free to teach anyone - according to Bruce Lee, Linda Lee Cadwell & James Yimm - fight lasted a mere 3 minutes with a decisive victory for Lee
-1966 - 1967, played Kato alongside The Green Hornet played by Van Williams: TV series produced & narrated by William Dozier based on the radio show - show ran for 1 season, 26 episodes September 1966 - March 1967
- 5 feature-length Hong Kong martial arts films early 1970s: 1. The Big Boss (1971) 2. Fist of Fury (1972) 3. Golden Harvest The Way of the Dragon (1972), directed & written by Lee 4. Golden Harvest/Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) 5. The Game of Death (1978)
- Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, based upon his portrayal of Chinese & among Asian Americans for defying Asian stereotypes
Death - home of colleague Betty Ting Pei, a Taiwanese actress: allegedly waiting for Raymond Chow, George Lazenby - complained of a headache & Ting gave him the painkiller Equagesic, which contained both aspirin & the tranquiliser meprobamate - Lee died from an allergic reaction to the tranquiliser meprobamate, the main ingredient in Equagesic'
- Lee's body buried in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle - Pallbearers at funeral on July 25, 1973 include Taky Kimura, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Dan Inosanto, Peter Chin & Lee's brother Robert - Around the time of Lee's death, numerous rumors appeared - Lee's iconic status & untimely death fed many wild rumors & theories
- Bob Baker: Strongman villain Petrov Karate expert 'Fists of Fury' - student since 1962, martial arts scene Los Angeles - alibi for affairs & drug supplier, smuggled drugs into Hong Kong - drug letters discover at auction, July 2021; Bob Baker & Bruce Lee memorabilia - over 50 letters sent to Baker From the Lees; late 60s - content of letters; cover life & Career aspirations, recovery from injury back - smoking marijuana, dropping acid, cocaine - Bruce within letters talked about quitting because of the distraction from training
- Matthew Polly's Biography "Bruce Lee: A Life" - frequent pot smoker - experimenting with acid & other hallucinogens with student actor James Coburn (LSD regular user 60s) Lysergic acid diethylamide, commonly known LSD (from German)- known colloquially: acid,
- Steve McQueen- the king of cool; student - ex-wife memoirs alleges he used cocaine regularly
