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Bruce Lee Facts

Bruce Lee Facts
Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan) was an actor, martial artist, and filmmaker, most famous for his martial arts films that made him a pop icon. Bruce Lee was born on November 27th, 1940, to Grace Ho and Lee Hoi-Chen, in Chinatown in San Francisco, California. His father was a Cantonese opera star. When he was only three months old, his family returned to Honk Kong. Soon after their return to Hong Kong, the Japanese invaded. The war lasted over three years. He grew up in an affluent family but his neighborhood grew more dangerous due to gangs rivalries. His parents decided he should be trained in martial arts. He went on to become a famous martial artist and movie star. He also changed the portrayal of Asians in film in the U.S.
Interesting Bruce Lee Facts:
Bruce Lee was born in the hour and the year of the Dragon. This is considered to an omen of fortune.
Bruce Lee's name means 'return again'. Although Bruce Lee's family returned to Honk Kong when he was an infant, his mother believed that he would return to United States one day.
Bruce Lee studied Wing Chun, a form of martial arts. He was 16 when he began to train. He was encouraged to fight in organized fights as opposed to street fights.
When he was 18, Bruce Lee returned to America. He moved to Seattle in 1959 where he obtained his high school diploma.
In 1961 Bruce Lee enrolled in a drama program at the University of Washington. He also studied philosophy and psychology.
He met his wife while at the University of Washington, Linda Emery, and married her in 1964. They had two children together, including Brandon Lee and Shannon Lee.
In 1959 Bruce Lee began to teach martial arts in Seattle. In 1964 he left school and moved to Oakland, where his career in martial arts began to take off.
Bruce Lee's family referred to him 'Little Phoenix' rather than by his given name.
Bruce Lee practiced by throwing 5,000 punches each day, which is part of the reason his fists were so powerful.
Bruce Lee had such powerful fingers that he would strike pop cans with them, and puncture them.
Bruce Lee was never a student of Karate but he was accurate when he made Karate movements.
In the movie Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee beat up Jackie Chan in a scene.
Bruce Lee trained several celebrities including Steve McQueen, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Roman Polanski, and he trained with Chuck Norris.
Bruce Lee appeared in many films and is credited with changing the way Asian actors and characters were portrayed in films.
On May 10th, 1973 Bruce Lee was working on the dialogue replacement of the movie Enter the Dragon in Honk Kong when he collapsed. At the hospital he was diagnosed with cerebral edema.
On July 20th, 1973, Bruce Lee took a nap after production meetings. He never woke up. It was determined that his brain had swollen by 13%, believed to be the result of a painkiller.
Bruce Lee was 32 when he died. Some of the pallbearers at his funeral included Chuck Norris, Steve McQueen, James Coburn.
Time Magazine named Bruce Lee as one of the 20th century's 100 most influential people.


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