Shooting From The Hip - 34 - Bruce Lee The Man, The Myth, The Legend

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