Bruce Lee Part 2 - The Family & Friends

No man is an island. Family and friends are what all humans need no matter how great you are. Bruce was an intense person with great passion and imagination. Not many would understand such a formidable mind. When he spoke about traditional martial arts he was ahead of his time. That's why sometimes when I speak or joke, people do not understand. Then a year or ten later, they are sitting somewhere and suddenly they just jump up or break out into laughter.


When he spoke with such great confidence some quarters thought he was being arrogant. Only those who knew him not only had their lives changed permanently but were infected. Bruce was above all a great friend. Let me show you the Bruce Lee people.

Family


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9L5HMSroh4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unCkZSdnyP8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXSHaOG02ys
Wife - Linda Emery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ab23yPkhLY

Bruce dated Linda Emery, a fellow university student and kung fu student but faced parental objection from Linda's mother. How could she allow her daughter be with a Chinese man? Bruce has his female admirers but it was Linda Emery who shared his passion. Bruce has such great passion for his arts that one can imagine it wasn't easy for Linda for the sacrifices she has to make. She was a great wife who stood beside her husband. A son, Brandon was born in February 1965 then later a daughter Shannon. Bruce's father died shortly. His Oakland school wasn't doing too well as he stringently admitted only the most committed pupils. As he was pondering his future teaching martial arts, he was asked to play Kato in the Green Hornet.
Linda spent her time now preserving and protecting the authentic teachings of Bruce Lee. Today, she lives in Idaho and is married to Steve Cadwell.
Daughter - Shannon Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld4ZDrFcohU
Shannon learned the basics from her father. She has made several movies. Like her mother she has been working tirelessly to safeguard against exploitation of her father's teachings and name. She is now the Senior Advisor to the Bruce Lee Educational Foundation and is married to Ian Keasler and both are respected JKD practitioners under the guidance of Ted Wong, Bruce's last student.
Shannon revealed that his happiest time was the time he spent in Seattle. His widow, Linda Lee Cadwell wants the proposed museum in Seattle to include a research facility to focus on how Lee developed his style of martial arts, his views on combat and psychology.
Son - Brandon Lee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRtqMv_dubA

Brandon, Bruce's son was a successful actor and a rising star when he died in an accident on the set of The Crow in 1993 just before he got married and is buried next to his father in Lakeview Cemetery, Capitol Hill, Seattle. He was only 28. Brandon was coming up on his own terms and has a bright future ahead having just signed a deal with 20th Century Fox for several movies. The prestigious Black Belt magazine named Brandon their Man of The Year in 1993. His death reminded many of his father at his peak.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYwo0oR0Lv8
Robert Lee - is Bruce's younger brother. His Jeet Kune Do was in singing. He composed and recorded some albums. He partnered Bruce to win the cha cha competition. Robert seemed to have suggested that his family has different theories and valid beliefs on Bruce Lee's death. Was there foul play?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUw1mJq4DzI

Was this Robert Lee with Butterfly?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0PbHLDNwPQ
The Friends


Jesse Glover - Now 72, was Lee's first student. He saw Bruce performed in a demonstration and was highly impressed and when he saw Bruce walking he tried to impress him by running around and kicking telephone poles. In his first session, Bruce countered Glover before he could move as he already knew which way he would move. Glover was his assistant instructor in Seattle and trained with Bruce several times a day for more than 5 years. Jesse excelled in "sticking hands", one of Bruce's favourites fighting techniques (think Wing Chun). Jesse was said to have steered clear of the politics of JKD and is simply teaching non-classical martial arts.




Taky Kimura - Now 84, his fondest was Bruce's "Be like water". He realised how fast Bruce was when Bruce would quickly get him to the ground. His controlled hits were so fierce and fast that Kimura felt a breeze hitting at his forehead. "He scared the hell out of me". Kimura, a Japanese-American despite being an exponent himself had low self-esteem and it was Bruce who lifted him. "He left a tremendous message of righteousness to feel good about yourself" . Kimura was one of Bruce's closest friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10sy_247MXQ
Bruce made him his assistant instructor in Seattle and he was Bruce's best man for his wedding. Taky was only one of three given personal authority of Bruce to teach JKD. Some quarters suggested that as a black belt Karate exponent, Kimura was despised by his own Japanese for following Bruce and that he was so motivated by Bruce that he sold his restaurant to help Bruce. Today, Taky is a grocer in Seattle who takes care of the tombstone grave of both Bruce and his son Brandon. Kimura looks after both Bruce's grave and his legacy. He was the closest friend, best man, assistant instructor, pall-bearer and grave care-taker. He never accepted money for teaching JKD. His purpose is the meaning of Bruce Lee's philosophy not money not championship belts.



Kimura was concerned that many so called JKD instructors who had never been in contact with Bruce were claiming to be experts in JKD so he helped set up the "Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus" - a group comprising Lee's family, key students and friends. When they met Burce was 19 and Kimura 36. Bruce would use Kimura as his punching bag during demo like the one-inch punch and would clip his ear with his nunchaku. Bruce was go good he hurt Kimura only once. Bruce was said to have offered Kimura a role in The Game Of Death which was turned down with Kimura citing his age as a factor.
Bruce used to tell Kimura that he dressed like an old man. Bruce taught Kimura that he was no worse than anyone else that when when you know you can do something you feel better about yourself. Of all people associated with Bruce, Kimura was the finest. Bruce referred to him as his most senior student. Kimura was not the best martial artist but was Bruce best friend. Bruce recognised the character and moral core of Kimura. A testimony of Bruce effect on others.


Kimura was working in his store when he heard the news of Bruce's death. To him, Bruce was the fittest, most indestructible human he had ever known or seen. To Kimura, Bruce the person was greater than the myth.

Dan Inosanto - Dan is one those few that Bruce gave authority to teach JKD. He is an exponent of various martial arts style and an authority on Filipino arts Kali. Since Bruce's death, Dan has taught many JKD students. He was a member of the Jun Fan JKD Nucleus but for unknown reasons he seemed to have left and went on his own. When he see Bruce fighting with two sticks, that was what he picked up from Inosanto. You see Bruce fighting with Dan Inosanto in The Game of Death. Inosanto taught Bruce Kali. Bruce picked up nunchaku from another master. I'll come to that later.



James Yimm Lee (deceased) - (no relation) was a powerful practitioner of martial arts trained in Wing Chun style but never met Bruce before being introduced. He had astounding ability and was said that he could break ten bricks with his bare hands. They had a great relationship and would trained and share ideas together very often. Bruce had great respect for this man. While Bruce was very talented, gifted, dedicated and hardworking, James Yimm Lee was like a light that shone on Bruce original concepts and ideas on JKD.

They would practised "chi sao" Wing Chun's Sticking Hands frequently. They were inseparable. Bruce often consulted James on business issues too. They were like brothers. They shared and understood the same things in martial art perfectly. James thought that Bruce was the only person who could defend against any kind of attack without a prearranged situation. James was a welder by trade but had a home mail-order business and helped Bruce to write his first martial arts book. Both men opened the Jun Fan Kung Fu school but were never materialistic.


Wong Shun Leong - He was a member of Wing Chun. He won many full contact contest in Hong Kong and was said to have never lost a single fight. He has a big reputation as the best fighter. It was said that he spent time teaching Bruce in private. He was with Ip Man long before Bruce showed interest. Few people actually came under the tutelage of Ip Man personally and Ip Man gave approval to Wong to run his own backyard school and much of his time was spent teaching Bruce in private. Bruce wrote many letters to him while in the USA and learned much from this man -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b2mqMGOcBM&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjuYLc4kt7w&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_VC7lAk2M&NR=1
They had a chance to meet up just shortly before Bruce's death. They continued to share ideas and sparred. Wong detected certain things in Bruce. Bruce did not appear happy.


William Cheung - Was introduced to Bruce by his uncle who knew the opera artistes. From there he introduced Bruce to Wing Chun as he was a student of Ip Man. Cheung told a story of Bruce when a school bully asked for money and Bruce asked him to go to the toilet "so the teachers won't see". When there Bruce pushed the big boy into a cubicle and whip up a pocket knife and ordered him to strip and went away with his clothes. He was already a legend when young.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWZJRAKsyaw&feature=related

Chuck Norris - They met at Ed Parker International Karate Championship. Chuck was a World Karate Champion from 64-68 and was even named Fighter Of The Year. They spent a lot of time together training and sharing ideas. Their fight scene in The Way Of The Dragon was probably the greatest martial arts fights in the history of cinema. Chuck Norris and Bruce never had a student and teacher relationship. They had great mutual respect an often trained together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWcCarunEWI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwQ9naLnsPw&feature=fvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH7D8-eXsnM&feature=related
Howard Williams - A student of both Bruce and James Lee who is tenacious and has great flare for martial arts. He was extremely powerful and fast with gifts like Bruce himself in terms of speed. He is dedicated to preserving the original teachings of Bruce Lee.

Ted Wong - Is an authentic JKD instructor and the last student of Bruce. They were close friends. He now carries out JKD seminars around the world. Bruce's widow Linda described Ted Wong's version of JKD as the purest form of Bruce Lee's JKD and is known for having a great kick - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSerBiIXI2Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXpmk0GbLMQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UV_Wt9FKKo&feature=related
Fook Young - Was said in articles or movie script to be a friend of Bruce's father who learned many forms of martial arts from different masters in opera. Bruce further excelled himself in some of these areas including Wing Chun Sticking Hands and punching.

You may not realize it but it is family and friends who made us who we are. So too for Bruce.
Remember to spend time with them no matter how busy. Life is ice, it melts.

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