“Remember: the enemy has only images and illusions behind which he hides his true motives. Destroy the image and you will break the enemy.”
This philosophy may be from the classic action film “Enter The Dragon”, but it speaks to the life of Bruce Lee, one of the most iconic figures of all time.
Thanks to a friend posting an incredible video on Facebook, I decided to profile Bruce Lee while also introducing an amazing video for those who may not have seen it!
Bruce Lee (traditional :李小龍; born Lee Jun-fan; 27 November 1940 – 20 July 1973) was an actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, and filmmaker.
The founder of Jeet Kune Do, he is widely considered to be the most influential martial artist of all time.
Lee was born in San Francisco to parents from Hong Kong – and was raised in Kowloon, just outside of Hong Kong, with his family until his late teens. Lee moved to the United States at the age of 18 to receive his higher education, and it was during this time that he began teaching martial arts. He trained many celebrities, including James Coburn, and it helped him break into films with an immediately mesmerizing scene from “Marlowe.”
What a movie entrance! Bruce Lee also starred in the TV series “The Green Hornet” as Kato, and then went back to Hong Kong to star in an action movie that would propel him to stardom. “The Big Boss” elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, leading to his masterpiece…
Bruce Lee starred in five movies: The Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972) and Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee – this is the film in which he fights Chuck Norris in the Rome Coliseum!
Next up was Bruce Lee’s masterpiece – “Enter the Dragon” – this 1973 film was a smash hit and catapulted Lee to worldwide fame.
Enter The Dragon Trailer!
Here’s the trailer for the film that made Bruce Lee a super star:
In “Enter the Dragon”, Bruce played an undercover agent who enters a martial arts tournament in order to infiltrate a drug smuggler’s operation. Character Actor and martial arts afficianado John Saxon also starred and showed off his moves, along with the very under-rated action star Jim Kelly.
Jim Kelly went on to star in such grindhouse classics as “Black Belt Jones” – he was a kick-ass action star who never really broke out big…
And then came tragedy. Bruce Lee died in Hong Kong three weeks before the film’s premiere in 1973. He had already finished filming his next movie, called “Game Of Death” before he died of a brain aneurism. The movie, which was completed after his death, includes footage from Lee’s real-life funeral.
Bruce Lee’s Official Website!
Bruce Lee Vs. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!
“Game of Death” included an amazing fight between Lee and basketball super star Kareen Abdul-Jabbar…here it is:
Nunchuck Ping Pong!
And now the other amazing piece of footage a friend posted on Facebook. To promote a cell phone from Nokia, Bruce Lee was sponsored by Nokia in a Ping Pong tournament. But as a twist, he plays with his nunchucks!
Bruce Lee was an amazing Athlete, talented Actor and Director, and an iconic figure – if you haven’t seen all of his movies, rush out now and have yourself a “Kung Fu Christmas!”
Categories: 70's Cinema, Action Films, Extreme Asian Cinema, Foreign Films, Movies, Revenge Movies, Travel, Uncategorized
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