30 Amazing Facts About Bruce Lee
Lee Jun-fan - better known to the world as Bruce Lee - is the most influential martial artist of all time, and is one of the faces of the 20th century. Despite passing away at the young age of 32, he managed to shape martial artistry and film for decades to come.
For all his celebrity, the man behind the fists is somewhat of an enigma. Living in the days before the 24-hour news cycle and the internet, his private life was kept private - but as time has gone by, we have learned quite a bit about his youth and what made the man.
1. Lee Was Born Into A Life Of Privilege.
Bruce Lee was born into a life of privilege. His father, Lee Hoi-Chuen, was a leading Cantonese opera and film actor in China, and his mother, Grace Ho, was the daughter of Ho Kom-Tong and the niece of Sir Robert Ho-Tung, two very successful Hong Kong businessman.
2. He Developed His Own Form Of Martial Arts.
Bruce Lee developed his own form of martial arts named Jeet Kune Do. He opened schools in Oakland and Los Angeles, where among his students were celebrities Steve McQueen and James Coburn.
3. At One Point, Bruce Lee's Brother Was More Famous Than Him.
In 1966, Bruce Lee's brother Robert was more famous than Bruce was. Robert was one of the founders of The Thunderbirds, a Hong Kong band that sang in English. The band quickly became one of the top acts in Hong Kong, while Bruce was just getting his start on The Green Hornet.
4. He Got Into Trouble With The Triad In Hong Kong.
Lee was often involved in street brawls as a teenager. In 1959 one of his fights was with the son of a feared triad family, and police feared there may be a contract out on his life. His father urged him to move to the US for safety reasons.
5. Bruce Lee & Chuck Norris Were Friends.
When asked who would prevail in a fight to the death, Chuck Norris replied, "Bruce of course, nobody can beat him."
6. Lee's Famous Yellow Jumpsuit Was Auctioned Off 40 Years After His Death.
40 years after his death, Bruce Lee's famous yellow jumpsuit, designed and worn by Lee in the 1978 movie "Game of Death", was sold in Hong Kong for $101,400 USD.
7. Bruce Lee Relied On A Gun For Personal Protection.
Once Bruce Lee became known as someone who was unbeatable in a fight, he started carrying a .357 magnum with him for protection. Often challenged by strangers, he turned to the most efficient form of self defense.
8. He Studied Under Yip Man, A Wing Chun Master.
Due to Bruce Lee's mixed ancestry - his great-grandfather was Dutch - other students in his Wing Chun classes refused to train with him. This worked to his advantage, as he received personal tutelage from Yip Man, one of the most famous teachers of the style.
9. At One Point, Lee Suffered A Terrible Back Injury, And Recovered.
Bruce Lee suffered a severe back injury in 1970 during his morning lifting routine. His doctors told him that he was lucky to be able to walk and would never be flexible or mobile enough to practice gung fu again. Through determination he fully recovered and went on to star in some of his most well-known films.
10. Lee Injured Jackie Chan During The Filming Of 'Enter The Dragon'.
During the filming of the movie "Enter the Dragon", there was a fight scene between Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, where Bruce accidentally hit Jackie with a stick across the head. Both actors continued acting until the director called cut, after which Bruce ran to Jackie, lifted him up, and apologized.
11. His Kicks Were So Fast, They Had To Be Slowed Down For Filming!
During the filming of "Enter The Dragon", Lee's kicks were so fast that it was decided to film one of the scenes in slow motion to show that there were no camera tricks being used.
12. His Striking Speed Was Phenomenal.
Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second.
13. His Death Was Highly Controversial.
Bruce Lee's death at the age of 32 was highly controversial. Officially he died due to an allergic reaction to meprobamate, a muscle relaxant found in the drug Equagesic, which he was using to combat a headache that struck him while he was in Hong Kong to discuss the making of his final film, ironically titled 'Game of Death'.
14. Statues Of Lee Were Erected In Hong Kong And L.A.
In 2005 the 2.5 meter bronze statue of Bruce Lee was unveiled in Hong Kong, owing to a local fan club raising $100,00 USD for the endeavor. 8 years later officials in L.A.'s Chinatown unveiled a 2.1 meter bronze statue of Lee, which was created by an artist in Guangzhou, China.
15. Lee's Death Birthed A Phenomenon Known As 'Bruceploitation'.
After the death of Bruce Lee in 1973, a phenomenon known as Bruceploitation emerged in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where filmmakers would hire Bruce Lee lookalikes to star in cheap films to cash in on the obsession with his films at the time.
16. Lee Was Already A Formidable Fighter In High-School.
In high school Bruce's quick and graceful fighting style became recognized when he won an inter-school boxing championship against an English student, during which the Marquis of Queensbury rules were followed, which state, among other rules, that no kicking was allowed.
17. Lee Developed Jeet Kune Do As A Result Of A Fighting Challenge.
Bruce Lee accepted a fighting challenge by a martial artist in San Francisco, who objected to him teaching non-Chinese students. If Bruce were defeated, he would have to stop teaching non-Chinese. The fight lasted 3 minutes, with Lee quickly pinning his opponent to the ground - despite this, Lee was disappointed, discouraged by the fact that he was slightly winded. The evolution of Jeet Kune Do, Lee's style of martial arts, thus began.
18. He Was An American Citizen.
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan) was an American citizen born in San Francisco. His father, a renowned Cantonese opera and film actor, was touring in America when his mother went into labor. Lee was born on November 27th, 1940 at the Chinese Hospital in the Chinatown section of San Francisco.
19. Lee Started His Acting Career As A Baby.
Bruce Lee was introduced to acting at a very early age by his father, and in fact his first acting role was as a baby being carried onto the stage in the film "Golden Gate Girl". By the age of 18 he had appeared in 20 films.
20. He Was A Great Dancer, And Won Dance Championships.
Bruce Lee's graceful style and movement in martial arts served him on the dance floor as well. He was known as a fantastic dancer, and in 1958 he won the Cha-Cha championships in Hong Kong.
21. People Loved Bruce Lee From Around The World
Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Chuck Norris were amongst the pallbearers at Bruce Lee’s funeral.
22. Bruce Lee Was Incredibly Fast
Bruce Lee had the ability to snatch a dime off a person’s open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.
23. Bruce Lee Knocked Out His Opponent
In 1962, Bruce Lee landed 15 punches, a kick and knocked out his opponent in a fight that lasted only 11 seconds.
24. Bruce Lee Is The Fastest Man On Earth
Bruce Lee’s speed in terms of reacting + punching from a distance of three feet away was found to be around five hundredths of a second (0.05 second).
25. Bruce Lee Loved Muhammad Ali
Bruce Lee was a big Muhammad Ali fan and would watch his fights obsessively.
26. Lee's Tragic Death, So They Say..
Bruce Lee died from an allergic reaction to a pain killer.
27. Only Bruce Lee Could Pull This Off
Bruce Lee had the ability to catch a grain of rice in mid-air with chopsticks.
28. Bruce Lee Was A Beast When It Comes To Fitness
Bruce Lee was able to perform 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups and it has been said that he performed push-ups with 125lbs of weight on his back. He weighed around 130lbs.
29. Bruce Lee's First Film
Bruce Lee’s first notable film (Golden Gate Girl) was shot in the USA, but wasn’t released in the USA until 5 years after it was released in China. Bruce Lee was 1-years old at the time.
30. Birth Place
Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco.
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