Bruce Lee the Little Dragon

“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”

— Bruce Lee

The Ultimate Guide of Bruce Lee The Little Dragon !

A martial artist, a philosopher, an actor, director, screenwriter and producer, you have all the professions and occupations of Bruce Lee (I know, the dance cha-cha-cha is missing). This icon and huge star has influenced the destiny of martial arts in the world. Today, Bruce Lee remains a legend, a model and a great inspiration for current and future generations. Discover through this article, some phases of his life and his incredible journey.

Bruce Lee the Dragon

Having an English name and a name in the native language of one’s family is common for second and third generation Asian Americans. Bruce Lee had two names and several nicknames that he earned throughout his life. His Chinese name was given to him by his parents at birth, while it is said that a nurse at the hospital in San Francisco where he was born gave him his English name. Although the world knows him primarily as Bruce Lee, he was born on November 27, 1940 as Lee Jun Fan.

Bruce Lee’s mother gave birth to him during the Year of the Dragon, during the Hour of the Dragon. His Chinese first name reflects her hope that Bruce will one day return to the United States and be successful there. The name “Lee Jun Fan” embodied not only his parents’ hopes and dreams for their son, but also for a prosperous China in the modern world. Many Chinese wanted to show that China, in the twilight of its empire and torn apart by the colonial powers, would rise up and become prosperous again. ?

Bruce Lee Physical Description

He is one of the most famous martial artists of all time. He easily ranks among the most powerful fighters in the world. Bruce Lee was 1.72 meters tall and weighed between 125.66 lbs and 136.68 lbs on average. How was he so powerful with such a small size? Let’s break it down into 3 important reasons.

Bruce Lee’s Incredible Speed and Accuracy

Through his intense training regimen, which consisted of brief bursts of power, Bruce developed incredible muscle contraction strength that could be accelerated very quickly over a short distance. The best proof of this is the incredible power of his famous “one inch punch” and “six inch punch“.

Since real strength does not come from the muscle, but from the nerves that control the muscle, it doesn’t have to be huge to contain a large amount of power, it all depends on how the muscles contract. Always aim for short, heavy repetitions in strength training, as longer repetitions send weak signals to your nervous system as you exhaust the muscle.

Bruce Lee’s Impressive Musculature

Bruce Lee may not have looked like a great bodybuilder, but he didn’t need one. He had extremely low body fat and a musculature that was more like that of gymnasts, who are very strong even though they look relatively thin.

A very remarkable aspect of his musculature was his large, massive backbone, the muscles of his back extending only on each side. These huge dorsal muscles allowed him to transmit even more power from his lower body to his upper body.

Bruce Lee the Mastery of Mind and Body

For all his muscularity, Bruce Lee was never able to physically attain the strength of someone much larger than himself. His genetics and morphology only allowed him to measure 171 cm. However, his incredible mastery of his body, from his movements and technique to his skill, allowed him to make the best use of his relatively small bones. Incredible feats such as holding a 34 kilogram dumbbell horizontally with the strength of his arm were possible thanks to his efficient training and the use of his muscles.

He was able to do repetitions of 50 one-arm pulls, which anyone else would find completely impossible to do. The finesse of his form and technique allowed him to deliver more power in a single stroke than would normally be possible for someone his size. Does size matter when it comes to strength? Do you know other fighters or martial artists who were stronger than they looked?

Bruce Lee’s Nicknames

“Jun” means “awakening to an active state”. “Fan” can be defined as “to make prosperous” and symbolizes a hope of success for the Chinese in foreign countries. (Fan was also a nod to the city of San Francisco.) And “Lee” was, of course, his family name. Bruce Lee had a lot to do with such an important task. And it was a responsibility he chose to take on because, as he predicted, “standing up and making America prosper” is exactly what he did.

As a child, Bruce Lee had several nicknames and a stage name. Among his nicknames were “Sai Fon” (Little Peacock) and “Mo Si Ting” (Never Sit Still). He was perceived as a bit arrogant, and he didn’t want to sit still. Having starred in 20 films in Hong Kong before he was 18, Bruce Lee also had a stage name, which he used later in life. As a child actor, he played under the name “Lee Siu Loong”, which translates as “Lee Little Dragon“. By the time he returned to the Hong Kong film industry as an adult in 1971, Bruce Lee had many more names: “Little Dragon“, “Dragon Lee” and simply “The Dragon“. ?

Bruce Lee Weapons Mastery

In addition to learning Kung Lik Kuen, Jit Kuen, Tam Tui, Bang Bo Kuen from Master Siu Hon Sang, Bruce Lee also learned the Spear of the Five Tigers, Pa Kua Dou (8 trigram sword), the stick of the tiger pouncing on the sheep from Master Siu. These weapons skills are part of the 10 fundamental sets of the Jing Mo school. Bruce was an intelligent Kung Fu student and it didn’t take him long to acquire these skills.

Bruce Lee learned Pa Kua Dou (8 trigram sword) from Master Siu Hon-Sang and butterfly knives (large sword) from Wong Shun-Leung. The sword is one of Bruce Lee’s favorite weapons, besides swords and staff, because of its practicality and ease of use.

Bruce Lee learned the Five Tiger Spear from Master Siu Hon-Sang. Pictures show Bruce Lee displaying the spear solo and with Dan Inosanto on Malibu beach. In addition, Bruce Lee used his spear in his teen movie, Love 1 and 2 (Ngoi in 1955), which is one of his first films with weapons.

Bruce Lee most likely learned how to handle the sword on his own, based on the Chinese swords manual, Hwa Sword. Some pictures show Bruce Lee holding swords during demonstration sessions. In addition, shorter swords, called daggers, are more handy and practical for street fighting than long swords. Bruce Lee first exposed double daggers in the movie “The Big Boss” and in his costume shooting session.

Bruce Lee Nunchaku

Bruce Lee himself learned the techniques of the long stick and 3-section stick from his Chinese manuals, “Yu Da-You Staff’s Sutra”, “Shaolin Chi Mei Staff” and “Tiger Tail 3 section staff”. Moreover, after Bruce saw Inosanto doing Nunchaku and Kali (Filipino martial art), he learned these two arts by himself and was able to reproduce them better than Inosanto by mastering these weapons techniques. He first showed his nunchaku in the TV series “The Green Hornet”, then in “The Fury of the Dragon”, “The Game of Death”, “Enter the Dragon”, “Fist of Fury II”. His incredible talent has fascinated audiences all over the world until today.

According to Master Siu, Bruce Lee preferred unarmed techniques because he believed that in street fighting, punches and kicks were the most practical arsenal against opponents. Thus, Bruce only practiced these weapons techniques during his demonstrations to impress the audience.

The Creation of Jeet Kune Do by Bruce Lee

As a teenager in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun (Ip Man was one of his masters), a branch of Kung Fu. As he matured, Bruce Lee realized that he no longer accepted orthodoxy and the limitations of one school of thought. In time, he developed Jeet Kune Do, a less conventional approach to martial arts, which emphasized not only the physical, but also the philosophical.

Bruce Lee began teaching at his first school in Seattle (Weller Street) and then moved to a larger location in the University District. He has since opened schools in Oakland and Los Angeles, which have earned him the respectful title of “Sifu” (teacher, teacher) by his many students, including Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Chuck Norris and James Garner, to name a few.

Bruce Lee and Ip Man

Yip Man, also known as Ip Man, was born on October 1, 1893 in Foshan, China. He studied Wing Chun and became one of the most respected martial arts masters of his time. Among his most outstanding students were Bruce Lee. “Wing Chun is not about fighting, it’s about avoiding fighting – if you don’t fight, you can’t lose. A man is not judged on his strength or ability to fight, but on his heart”. – Lo Man Kam (nephew of Master Yip Man)

Bruce Lee joined Ip Man’s class in 1956. He was 16 years old. At that time, the school was located in Li Da Jie (Lei Tat Street, Yau Ma Tei). Bruce Lee had never studied Wing Chun before. He fought a lot on the street, but he never won. At that time, Bruce Lee studied a lot, but he used it to hurt people sometimes and Ip Man would scold him saying, “You are learning kung fu. You don’t learn how to fight.” Bruce Lee listened. He came every day for the morning class.

bruce lee filmography

With the success of his films, Bruce Lee was chosen by Hollywood to star in the movie “Enter The Dragon” for Warner Brothers, which was unfortunately released after his death. Bruce Lee’s films are forever etched in the pantheon of martial arts film history. His legacy lives on and continues to inspire countless generations to take action.

Here are some of his most cult and recent films:

? 1971: Big Boss (Tang shan da xiong) by Lo Wei: Cheng Chao-an
? 1972: Fist Of Fury (Jing wu men): Chen Zhen / Chen Jeh
? 1972: Way of the Dragon (Meng long guo jiang) by Bruce Lee: Tang Lung
? 1973: Enter the Dragon (Enter the Dragon) by Robert Clouse: Lee
? 1973: Game of Death by Robert Clouse: Hai Tien (unfinished film from 1972) / Billy Lo (1978)

Bruce Lee Vs Chuck Norris

It was during a telephone exchange that Bruce Lee invited Chuck Norris to be his greatest opponent in the film “The Fury of the Dragon”. He had already imagined the atmosphere and the setting of the scene, a shooting that took place in a Colosseum, that day two legendary Spartans clashed. This fight is one of the best of all times according to many people and professionals.

When martial arts legend Chuck Norris shares his thoughts on Bruce Lee, we listen. In his “WorldNetDaily” column, Chuck Norris talks about Bruce Lee’s charm, his adaptability, and wonders if the jeet kune do master would have had a chance against the karate champion.

? Bruce Lee’s Highlights
Chuck Norris: “The truth is that Lee was a formidable opponent with a chiseled physique and technique. I really enjoyed training and just spending time with him. He was as charismatic and friendly in the ring and at home as he was in the movies. His confidence and spirit were dazzling, and sometimes even debilitating to others. Bruce Lee was lightning fast, very agile and incredibly strong for his size.”

? Bruce Lee’s Adaptability
Chuck Norris: “Bruce Lee learned from everyone. He had a very open mind. He never believed in one style of martial arts or one that was superior. He believed that everything had strengths and weaknesses and that we had to find the strengths in each method”.

? bruce lee chances vs chuck norris
Chuck Norris: “Would I have beaten Bruce Lee in a real competition or not? You’ll forgive me for answering with another Bruceism: “Boasting is the idiot’s idea of fame”. “While their dream fight never became a reality in the ring, the epic battle can be seen in Bruce Lee’s 1972 film, “The Way of the Dragon” or “The Return of the Dragon”.

Bruce Lee’s Death

The death of Bruce Lee has caused much controversy over the years. When Bruce Lee awoke on the morning of July 20, 1973, he was an active and healthy 32-year-old young man. He spent the day meeting with producers for his next film and then went to a friend’s house for an afternoon visit.

At nightfall, the greatest martial artist of an entire generation lies dead on a mattress on the floor, and the whole world wonders: how did Bruce Lee die? The culprit was just something Bruce Lee had done that day, a small decision whose consequences no one could have foreseen.

Bruce Lee’s Death Date

The problems began two months earlier. Bruce Lee collapsed on May 10, 1973, during an automated dialog replacement session for his movie Enter the Dragon. He was rushed to the hospital, where he complained of a severe headache and had convulsions. Doctors recognized the symptoms of cerebral edema, a condition in which excess fluid in the brain causes swelling and pain, and were able to treat him immediately with Mannitol. After a brief hospital stay, he felt much better, it wasn’t the way Bruce Lee was going to die, he told his friends.

Upon his release, he quickly resumed his fitness regime and continued to follow his usual diet: a strictly enforced combination of vegetables, rice, fish and milk that excluded all baked goods, flour and most refined sugars. Until July 20, he seemed to be recovering extremely well from his cerebral edema and, apart from complaining of an occasional headache, he gave his friends no reason to worry.

The day Bruce Lee died was a very eventful day. He was in Hong Kong, where many of his films were shot, and had been meeting with producer Raymond Chow for most of the day to discuss his next film. He was apparently full of enthusiasm, playing scene after scene with energy despite the scorching heat of the summer. After that, Bruce Lee went to a friend’s apartment, or as some would later point out, the apartment of his mistress, Taiwanese actress Betty Ting Pei. They were alone for several hours, and then arranged a dinner with Bruce Lee’s producer to finalize his contract.

Around 7:30 pm, shortly before their departure, Bruce Lee complained of a headache. Ting Pei gave Bruce Lee a pill of Equagesic, a common painkiller containing aspirin and a tranquilizer known as meprobamate. After taking it, he went to lie down. After a few hours, when Bruce Lee was not coming down for dinner, Ting Pei went up to see him and found him unconscious. She called Chow at home, who tried to wake up Bruce Lee without success. They were forced to call a doctor, who had to try to resuscitate Bruce Lee in vain. Unable to bring the martial artist to himself, they sent him by ambulance to a nearby hospital. Bruce Lee died before the ambulance reached its destination.

How Did Bruce Lee Influence the World

In such a short period of time, he managed to revolutionize pop culture, cinema, philosophy, music, arts and fitness. Since his death, he is recognized as the king of martial arts film and the grandfather of MMA. He did so not only because of his martial arts skills and physical prowess, but also as a writer, choreographer, director and revolutionary thinker. His message of self-discovery, sincere self-expression and pragmatism versus blind devotion to tradition resonates as strongly today as it did in the 1960s and 1970s.

His influence transcends martial arts, film, race and culture. Many musicians, directors, athletes and actors around the world consider Bruce Lee to be one of their greatest influences. Athletes, fighters and bodybuilders admire him for his speed, strength and skill. Philosophers and artists admire him for the way he effectively brought together Eastern and Western ideologies and expressed himself with transparency in all aspects of his life. He is credited with the growing popularity of martial arts and martial arts movies.

Bruce Lee in Video Games

Bruce Lee has participated in many independent games, while inspiring many game characters over the years. To pay tribute to him, we have compiled this list of the most iconic video games featuring Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee in EA Sports UFC

Bruce Lee died in 1973. Twenty years later, the Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded. And 21 years later, he appeared in the UFC video game from EA Sports. The association is not without controversy. Bruce Lee’s fighting style, as distinct as it is, is not what we see at the UFC. MMA fans may question his background in jiu-jitsu, a fighting style that is essential in modern MMA. Bruce Lee fans might point out that modern MMA is not the kind of street fighting for which Lee was known as an expert.

Bruce Lee in League of Legends

Lee Sin who is one of the champions of the video game League of Legends is strongly inspired by Bruce Lee. His look, his clothes and his character are very similar to those of the martial artist. The Lee Sin character uses his “Chi” (spiritual energy) with his skills, his ultimate attack is a fearsome kick that sends opponents waltzing down his path.

Bruce lee in Tekken

Marshall Law from the Tekken series is Bruce Lee. He has many similarities with the martial arts legend. He practices Jeet Kune Do, he has flying kicks, fast punches, strong screams. Law wears the yellow jumpsuit, he is confused with Fei Long, he has many outfits and movements inspired by Bruce Lee’s movies.

There are many other games that winks at Bruce Lee, such as Kicklee in Pokemon or Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat. There are also retro video games on Atari and Super Nintendo featuring Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee in Comics and Anime

?Iron Fist: In the United States in the Marvel comics, the hero is inspired by Bruce Lee. For the creation of Gin Seng in “Phamtom Force”, Jack Kirby based himself on the model of the martial artist. Biographies, magazines and other comics followed.

In Japan some anime take up the features of Bruce Lee, whether in the voice, the physique or the personality of the character. Here are two of them that you probably know:

?Hokuto No Ken (Fist of the North Star) : Kenshiro the protagonist of Ken the Survivor is similar to Bruce Lee, both in appearance and personality. Not only is Kenshiro’s behavior and attitude consistent with Bruce Lee’s, but his fighting style and his high-pitched war cry (“Kiai”) pay a great tribute to him.

?Naruto: Rock Lee and Gaï Maito are characters modelled on Bruce Lee. Rock and Bruce share the same last name and date of birth, and both have suffered the same type of accident. When Gaara crushes Rock Lee’s arm and leg during the Chunin exam, it strongly resembles the injury Bruce Lee received during his career that prevented him from practicing martial arts for years between his movies.

Allusions to Bruce Lee appear in a good number of works, among them are “Great Teacher Onizuka” (yellow suit), Cowboy Bebop (Spike Spiegel), Eyeshield 21 (Seijuro Shin), Detective Conan (Masumi Sera), Shaman King (Lee Pyron) and many others.

Bruce Lee Cinema Influence

Bruce Lee has left a great imprint on the film world. I doubt that anyone reading this will not know who Bruce Lee is. His celebrity and inspiration have managed to transcend more boundaries than any other actor.

With his films, Bruce Lee overcame racial boundaries and became an icon in almost every country on the planet, and even today his influence seems to be far from over. All over the world, people who were once racially prejudiced or intimidated have seen a cultural hero, not just an actor or a fighter. Bruce Lee was now a kind of role model for people around the world, and gave them back their self-confidence.

Other films have been released. The Fury of the Dragon gave the audience a chance to see a powerful oppressor greater than themselves being defeated. The films were also filled with other messages, with statements about the characters, life and even the art of combat itself, presenting different levels of mastery of martial arts, philosophy and even strategy. What a man this Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee Quotes

Here are some quotes from Bruce Lee that may inspire you to have a better life. We have compiled a list of the best quotes from Bruce Lee on life, success and happiness:

In closing, Bruce Lee redefined the idea of martial arts as a static form, arguing that it is an evolutionary process forever. He set the martial arts bar so high many years ago, that to this day, no one has ever eclipsed his reputation in martial arts. I will end with another famous quote:

If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.

— Bruce Lee

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