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Bruce Lee was far more than a martial artist, film star, and cultural icon. He was an indefatigable force who triumphed over every challenge life presented to him, excelling in any field he pursued. He also became a legendary figure in cinema, breaking racial and national boundaries to become the world's first international Chinese superstar. Here are some fascinating facts and stories about this extraordinary individual that may surprise you.
10. Bruce Was Sent To America To Put An End To His Street Fighting
Like a true superhero, Bruce Lee had an origin story. Growing up in 1950s Hong Kong, a city that was overwhelmed with refugees escaping the repressive communist Chinese government, Lee witnessed the poverty, crime, and homelessness that plagued the area. As a child, he became part of a gang called The Tigers of Junction Street, which, unfortunately, was not a very successful gang and suffered frequent defeats. One day, after returning home with a black eye at the age of 13, Bruce asked his mother for karate lessons. She agreed, and he found a mentor in the semi-legendary kung fu master Yip Man.
Much of what Bruce learned from Yip Man was put to use in street fights. Lee carried knives and chains with him, frequently challenging or outright attacking rival gangs. Fearless in his youth, he once took on and defeated the son of a notorious Triad member. Ultimately, his parents decided that he would be better off abroad, even going so far as to bribe the police to remove him from a list of known troublemakers, allowing him to travel to America.
9. Bruce Was The 1958 Hong Kong Cha-Cha Champion
Before leaving Hong Kong, Bruce acquired a surprising skill. Beyond his legendary martial arts abilities, Bruce became skilled in another field—cha-cha dancing. A year after beginning serious kung fu lessons, he took up dancing, initially as a way to impress a girl. However, he soon excelled at it, finding that the footwork and balance required for dancing improved his martial arts as well. Bruce became so dedicated to dance that he carried a card with over 100 individual steps to study from.
At the age of 18, Bruce’s cha-cha skills were so refined that he won a competition, earning the title of cha-cha champion of Hong Kong. To illustrate just how talented he was, when Bruce traveled to America with only $100 in his pocket, he earned extra money by teaching wealthy American passengers how to dance.
8. The Wong Jack Man Fight
In 1964, Bruce Lee began teaching martial arts in California. At that time, kung fu was a secretive practice, exclusively taught within the Chinese community. Bruce, however, saw this as unnecessary. He believed that knowledge should be shared freely and that people didn't need kung fu to harm each other. As a result, Bruce began accepting students from all racial backgrounds, including Caucasian and Black students. This sparked outrage in the Chinese community. One day, a group of men visited Bruce’s dojo during a training session and presented him with an ornate scroll. The scroll revealed that Wong Jack Man, acting on behalf of the Chinese community, had come to challenge Bruce to a fight. If Bruce lost, he would no longer be allowed to teach non-Chinese individuals martial arts.
The entire event was a bluff designed to intimidate Bruce into backing down. However, Bruce Lee was not easily frightened. Angry at the challenge, Bruce agreed to fight Wong Jack Man. Although there is no footage of the fight, multiple credible witnesses reported that it lasted no more than a few minutes. Eventually, Wong Jack Man realized he stood no chance against Lee and attempted to flee. Lee chased him down and continued to pummel him until Wong Jack Man gave up. After that day, no further challengers dared to visit Bruce’s dojo, and he continued to teach kung fu to individuals of all races.
Naturally, Wong Jack Man's version of the fight differs considerably. According to him, Bruce responded to a handshake with a surprise punch and spent the rest of the battle attempting to blind him with finger jabs. He also claimed that the fight ended in a draw of sorts. The true outcome of that day will likely never be known.
7. Bruce Overcame a Devastating Spinal Injury
In 1970, Bruce Lee experienced a potentially career-ending injury that would have sidelined most athletes. His intense and often risky workout routines were performed with caution, but one day, he neglected to warm up before attempting a “good morning” exercise. This exercise involved Lee positioning a barbell weighing over 45 kilos (100 lbs) across his shoulders and bending forward until his body was parallel to the ground.
Something went wrong during the lift, and Bruce was soon admitted to the hospital with severe back pain. He was diagnosed with a damaged fourth sacral nerve in his spine and was told by doctors that he would never be able to practice kung fu at the same level again. They told him that all he could hope for was to lead a “normal life.” Bruce refused to accept this prognosis and spent the following six months focused on rehabilitation, developing his own philosophy and teaching himself to walk again. Eventually, he walked out of the hospital, emerging faster and stronger than before the injury.
6. Celebrity Students
Bruce Lee managed to land a few roles in American TV shows and films, including The Green Hornet, but his acting career faced significant obstacles due to racial prejudice. TV executives and producers were hesitant to cast an Asian actor in a lead role. Despite these barriers, Lee attracted the attention of prominent individuals who were willing to see past his race. Among his famous students were stars like Steve McQueen, Joe Lewis, Chuck Norris, James Coburn, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Bruce attempted to politely deter celebrities by raising his hourly fee to $250, not wanting to give the impression that kung fu could be learned through just a few lessons. However, the higher the price, the more celebrities seemed to want his teachings. Bruce was even flown to Switzerland to give private lessons to Roman Polanski.
5. He Once (Accidentally) Beat Up Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan began his career as a young extra in a number of Bruce Lee films. His first notable appearance was in Fist Of Fury, where he performed a stunt involving a fall from a building so high it set the record for the highest fall in Chinese cinema. In the same film, he was kicked through a wall. The point being, Jackie Chan is nearly indestructible.
While portraying a henchman in Enter The Dragon, Jackie Chan attacked Bruce from behind, only to be accidentally struck in the face with a bo staff. You can catch the moment in the video (at 0:24, for the impatient). Despite the hit, Jackie Chan, being the indestructible force that he is, only sustained minor injuries. He laughed it off and enjoyed the opportunity to meet and embrace his idol.
4. Hollywood Blatantly Stole His Idea
In the 1970s, Bruce Lee struggled to land roles, so he took matters into his own hands and pitched an idea to TV studios. His concept was a show about a Chinese martial artist journeying through the Old West, using kung fu to right wrongs. However, the producers were skeptical, believing the show wouldn’t be successful if the lead character was 'too Chinese.' His idea was ultimately rejected… only for Kung Fu to come out a few years later.
Bruce Lee’s name doesn’t appear in the credits of Kung Fu, and he never received any compensation. According to the creators and producers of the show—and Warner Brothers itself—Kung Fu was not inspired by Lee’s concept. But it’s an odd coincidence that the same studio Lee pitched his idea to for a Chinese kung fu artist wandering the Old West righting wrongs just so happened to air a completely unrelated show about a Chinese martial artist wandering the Old West righting wrongs.
3. Bruce-ploitation
In 1973, Bruce Lee passed away after starring in just five films as a lead. However, his tragic and premature death gave rise to an entirely new genre of kung fu films: Bruce-ploitation. This genre produced an astounding 168 movies. Filmmakers realized that anything with Bruce Lee's name or likeness on it would sell, and thus the exploitation began.
To kickstart the phenomenon, Bruce’s unfinished final film, Game Of Death, was completed by editing together old footage and using several lookalikes. In an attempt to make the film feature-length, the filmmakers even shamelessly included footage from Bruce Lee’s actual funeral—including shots of his corpse. This marked the beginning of many films featuring Bruce Lee imitators with names like Bruce Li and Lee Bruce, starring in low-quality movies with terrible dubbing and titles ripped from older Bruce Lee classics. If you want to see how bad Bruce-ploitation films could be, check out the trailer for Enter the Game of Death.
2. Bruce Lee Was Tougher Than Chuck Norris
The internet often portrays Chuck Norris as an unstoppable and terrifying force. So, who would come out on top in a fight between Lee and Norris? Chuck Norris, a close friend of Bruce Lee, is often asked this question in interviews, but he typically sidesteps it by getting philosophical. One of his more famous responses was: 'Would I have beaten Bruce Lee in a real competition, or not? You’ll forgive me for answering with another Bruceism: “Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”'
However, there was one rare instance when Chuck Norris, providing DVD commentary for Enter The Dragon, finally gave a definitive answer—and it was an unequivocal yes. Even Chuck Norris admitted that Bruce Lee could defeat him in a fight. Unfortunately, the closest we ever came to seeing this match play out was in Way Of The Dragon, where the two faced off on screen.
1. Bruce Lee Was Too Fast For Cameras
It’s hard to describe Bruce Lee without feeling like he was some kind of superhuman entity. This impression only intensifies when you realize that he performed feats that defied logic, like punching so fast that the human eye couldn’t follow it. When he was cast as Kato in The Green Hornet in 1966, the crew soon discovered that Bruce's punches and kicks were too fast for the cameras to capture. The solution was simple: the crew asked Bruce to slow down his punches and kicks for the filming to work properly.
Just how incredibly fast was Bruce Lee? The video above showcases clips from several of his films. When slowed down, you can witness just how rapid his punches and kicks were, along with various movements that were too quick to be captured at normal speed. A particularly striking example of this can be seen around the 1:40 mark.
