Bruce Lee
Martial artist and actor (1940–1973)
Who was Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, actor, and filmmaker. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy, which was formed from his experiences in unarmed fighting and self-defense—as well as eclectic, Zen Buddhist, and Taoist philosophies—as a new school of martial arts thought. Born in San Francisco and raised in Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father, Lee Hoi-chuen. He moved to Seattle in 1959, enrolling at the University of Washington in 1961. Lee's early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Ip Man), tai chi, boxing (winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament), and frequent street fighting (neighborhood and rooftop fights).
Historical significance
With a career spanning Hong Kong and the United States, Lee is regarded as the first global Chinese film star and one of the most influential martial artists in the history of cinema. Known for the five feature-length martial arts films that he starred in as an adult, he is credited with helping to popularize martial arts films in the 1970s and promoting Hong Kong action cinema. Known for his roles in five feature-length martial arts films, he is credited with helping to popularize martial arts films in the 1970s and promoting Hong Kong action cinema.
