Bruce+Lee

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of”-Bruce Lee (Brainyquote). It seems that Bruce Lee lived by what he said, aside from being one of Kung Fu’s biggest icons. Bruce was an innovator, he was creative, and he would constantly find ways to increase his power and speed in fighting (Vaughn 13). He had the drive and energy it takes to get what he’s for. Bruce has dramatically changed the martial arts world in every way, his legacy is immortalized in everything from films, to video games and not to mention his own martial art of “Jeet Kune Do” which is now studied at many martial arts schools all over the world (McCormack). In Hong Kong’s film industry, he also broke the traditional mold, setting new standards for quality. Bruce’s career has also pioneered the way in Hollywood for other Asians (Koopmans 112). Lee’s legacy as a premier martial artist will forever continue to be revered (McCormack).
 * Intro[[image:bruce-lee-312.jpg width="336" height="299" align="left" caption="Bruce is considered the Father of MMA" link="@http://www.bruceleeactionmuseum.org/index.cfm/page/BLAM/pid/10254"]]duction**

Bruce Lee was born on the day of November 27, 1940 in Chinatown, San Francisco but raised in Hong Kong (Little). Bruce was born into a family of three children; Lee’s father was a Hong Kong opera singer so as a young child Bruce had developed a love for performance from going along with his father to work. In fact, the young Bruce Lee had appeared in twenty Cantonese-language films by the time he was eighteen years old (Koopmans 18). Though despite Bruce’s love for reading and acting, Lee did not like school (Koopmans 19). As a teenager, Bruce regularly got into fights with other children (Vaughn 20). Bruce was not a successful student and grew angry and rebellious. At La Salle College, Bruce also became the leader of a small gang called the “Tigers”(Koopmans 19).
 * Personal Background [[image:ahswhg2/4995f6fbcc4341dfe15d0ad0aebbe551.jpg width="486" height="330" align="right" caption="Bruce with his mother and siblings in the late 1950s in Kowloon." link="@http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1286524/bruce-lees-legacy-leaves-family-divided"]]**

Lee’s gang got beaten frequently enough that he became frustrated and demanded that his parents enroll him in martial arts (Koopmans 21). His mother agreed and with convincing his father, Lee got the money from his parents in order to take the lessons. A friend then introduced Bruce to Yip Man by a friend, a grand master of a Kung Fu system called wing chun. By the age of fourteen, during his first year with Yip Man, Lee had become one of the master’s most promising students (Koopmans 23). Due to Lee’s hot temper and constant fights, his parents had made the decision to send him to the U.S.Leaving his family, friends, and the only home he had ever known for the place of his birth was thrilling yet frightening for the eighteen year old, Bruce Lee (Koopmans 28).

Lee worked hard when he had moved to the U.S., he was determined to focus on school and spent many hours at work, even then Lee did not give up his Kung Fu practice (Koopmans 31). One of the largest goals Lee set for himself was to spread the knowledge of Kung Fu throughout the world and so he did (Bruce Thomas 107). Bruce had became a worldwide sensation with his films, and had influence on much of the world but shortly before his release of Enter The Dragon, Lee had passed away at the age of 39 on July 20, 1973 (McCormack). At the time of his death, Bruce Lee was the highest paid movie star in the world (Koopmans 110). Apart from being a celebrity and icon status, Bruce Lee brought Kung Fu to the west and was responsible for its popularity. His contributions to martial arts and films will forever continue to entertain and influence new generations of martial arts students, film audiences, and Bruce Lee fans (Koopmans 112).

Bruce was a very cocky person, though one wouldn’t call it cocky if you were as good as he was. One of Lee’s best traits was his high-self esteem (McCormack). Bruce feared no man for he had so much confidence in his ability (Vaughn 10). Lee had the ambition to get what he’s was aiming for, as he once said, “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.”-Bruce Lee (Brainyquote). Even as a child, Bruce was not a slum kid, he was a special case and he knew it (Koopmans 25). Bruce was not wrong either, for he had accomplished so much in such a short period of time. It is easy to see that Bruce possessed the traits of self-discipline and hard work, which would later hold him in good stead (McCormack).
 * Personality Traits**

Bruce was always a goal setter, however, he was never obstinate about his goals and if the wind changed, he could steer his life on a different course. These traits would characterize Bruce Lee's personality throughout his life (Thomas 154). Bruce’s physical drive and energy helped him achieve many things he aimed for in life. Bruce was always willing to take calculated risks when it came to his goals and dreams. Lee knew he could accomplish whatever he set his mind to, and so he had high standards for himself (Thomas 266). Bruce Lee was not only an amazing martial artist and icon but he possessed genuine superstar charisma and through a handful of films he left behind an indelible impression on the tapestry of modern cinema (Little).

As everyone says there has to be rain before a rainbow and there was a good amount of rainy days in Bruce’s life before he got his rainbow. Lee was a very hot tempered causing him to get into a lot of trouble as a teen. The fear of their child ending up in prison pushed his parents to send him to America (Little). When Lee arrived in San Francisco, It was rough for him, from working a job at Ruby Chow’s to attending school while practicing Kung Fu all at the same time. Bruce had to overcome some major obstacles in his path to success (McCormack). Absolute focus and determination to succeed is what drove, Bruce when arriving in America with only a hundred dollars and a big dream (Koopmans 32).
 * Obstacles**

Lee had to overcome poverty, racial prejudice within the Chinese community, financial woes, injuries and lost opportunities. Bruce also had an injury that almost ended his career; Lee had injured himself while performing his usual exercises. The injury caused emotional and financial stress for him and his family. The doctors had told Bruce to forget Kung Fu, and that he would never kick again (Koopmans 67). This injury was so severe that Bruce was unable to teach, act, or do anything to make a living (Koopmans 68). Any of these obstacles could’ve made anyone want to give up but not Bruce. He fought and dug deep to get where he got to be in his life, for he had die hard commitment to his goals and to be able to achieve them. Bruce Lee is a very big icon when it comes to Kung Fu. He made a lasting impact on the martial arts by bringing Kung Fu to Westerners and by developing jeet kune do (Koopmans 112). His reach still extends to popular culture. In action films, many martial art stars have tried to follow in Bruce’s footsteps. In comic books, characters practice jeet kune do. Also in video games, several characters are patterned after Bruce Lee (Thomas 26).
 * Historica[[image:ahswhg2/750px-game-of-death.jpg width="548" height="392" align="left" caption="Here Bruce Lee is wearing his famous yellow jumpsuit." link="@http://online.thatsmags.com/post/bruce-lees-famous-yellow-jumpsuit-sells-for-100000"]]l Significance**

Athletes, entertainers, and people in all walks of life credit Lee with having a profound influence on their lives (Koopmans 110). Bruce can also be seen as a cultural bridge. He brought together the cultures of the United States and China. He taught centuries old martial arts techniques to Westerners, and he brought modern moviemaking techniques to Easterners (McCormack). Bruce is credited with creating an entirely new film genre. He was arguably the greatest martial artist in history (Thomas 105).

Lee was a philosopher, a teacher, and an actor. He even wrote poetry, and he did all this while living only thirty-two short years. Bruce still remains on of the greatest icons of martial arts cinema. Owing it to that, Bruce is a key figure of modern popular media (Little). Lee also successfully stimulated the interests of the non-Chinese to learn more about China (McCormack). He had brought many cultures together with his movies.

Four decades after his death, Bruce is still more popular than ever. Lee remains one of the most influential popular culture icons in America and abroad (Vaughn 25). Because of Bruce the martial arts film genre had influenced mainstream North American and European cinema. He brought martial arts to light where it had never been seen, Bruce was an extraordinary athlete, and a quiet obsessed with his art (Little). So whenever you see a fight scene in a movie and it looks cool, you can somehow credit it to Bruce Lee. In his short but eventful life, Bruce Lee managed to secure a permanent place in Hollywood history, popular culture, and the hearts of martial arts fans all over the world (Thomas 243).


 * References**

Koopmans, Andy.//The Importance of Bruce Lee//. San Diego, Calif.: Lucent, 2003. Print. **#SE3** Lee, Bruce.BrainyQuote.com. Xplore Inc, 2015. 4 February 2015. Little, John."Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey." //YouTube//. Web. 2 Dec. 2014. **SE#6** McCormack, Pete."I Am Bruce Lee." //YouTube//. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. **#SE5** Thomas, Bruce. //Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit.// Berkeley, Calif.: Frog,: 1994. Print. Vaughn, Jack.//The Legendary Bruce Lee//. Burbank, Calif.: Ohara Publications, 1986. Print. **#SE4**