archived as http://www.stealthskater.com/Documents/Martial_003.doc (also …Martial_003.pdf) => doc pdf URL-doc URL-pdf more sports-related articles are on the /Sports.htm page at doc pdf URL note: because important websites are frequently "here today but gone tomorrow", the following was archived from http://www.history101.com/bruce-lee/ on November 14, 2018. This is NOT an attempt to divert readers from the aforementioned website. Indeed, the reader should only read this back-up copy if the updated original cannot be found at the original author's site. the Legend of Bruce Lee by Leslie Gonzalez / October 5, 2018 The World mourned for the one of the greatest martial arts icons in the world. Bruce Lee was more than a symbol strength but also represented cultural pride and opened the floor for a conversation on the stereotypes about Asian-Americans in the film industry and in American society in general. Since his death and the death of his son Brandon Lee, many fans speculate that there is something more behind the Little Dragon’s death. Some say that it was a family curse. However, a new theory has surfaced in a recently released biography that might change the way we see the Wing Chun master. He opened the doors for Chinese Americans in television. When we think Bruce Lee, we think about his movies "Enter the Dragon" and "Fists of Fury". We envision high kicks and stylistic punches. Bruce Lee completely changed the way the American public perceived a huge population of people, their traditions, and community. He changed prejudice by turning his abilities into a pop culture sensation. Although he was known to be a movie and martial artist icon, there’s no escaping the events that led to his death. On July 20, 1973, the “Little Dragon” met his end and was laid to rest. But can we say the same about the cause of said death? Many speculate that the reason goes beyond the physical realm. 1 James Bond was going to be in “Game of Death” It all happened during a trip to Hong Kong where Lee and his wife meet with film producer Raymond Chow to discuss "Game of Death". It was in Hong Kong that Lee met with George Lazenby (the Australian James Bond) hoping that the actor would be interested in playing a part in the film. To further discuss any further agreements, Chow suggested for everyone to meet for dinner and discuss the matter further. Lee and Lazenby agreed, hoping to add some appeal to what would be a box office hit. Lee, however, would not be joining them that evening. After that fateful night, it would be the last time Lee ever drew breath in this world. The reason? A family curse… Huh? His family called him “Little Phoenix” Since his death, there has been some buzz about the cause. He passed at the young age of 32. It wasn’t until his son Brandon Lee was killed while filming "The Crow" in 1993 that the circumstances surrounding their deaths sparked controversy. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Lee Jun-fan (aka Bruce Lee) was born on November 27, 1940 to a disowned heiress and renowned Hong Kong opera singer. According to South China Morning Post, although Bruce Lee was known to be called the “Little Dragon” for being born in the Year of the Dragon on the Hour of the Dragon. However, his parents referred to their son as “Little Phoenix” (a girl’s name). The reason only fuels the myth. 2 They believed in the Supernatural Though Bruce Lee is considered the first-born son in his family, South Morning China Post reported that Lee’s mother gave birth to a son before Lee was born. Unfortunately, that child did not survive to adulthood. It was believed that a soul-robbing spirit was responsible for his death. To combat against the malign entities, she believed in changing her son’s male name to a more feminine one. By switching gendered names, it would confuse evil spirits who wished to cause the family harm. To keep malicious spirits away, the Lees were to call their son a female name until he was older. As he grew into a young adult, his name was later changed to “Little Dragon”. He trained with a legendary Kung Fu master Danger temporarily aside, Lee grew into a rambunctious young man who often got into fights at school. To re-direct his aggression, his father decided to enroll him into martial arts where he was taught under Yip Man, a Cantonese martial artist and a master of Wing Chun (a Kung Fu style that specializes with close-range combat). As a young adult, Bruce Lee was an attentive student who thoroughly enjoyed martial arts. However, Lee saw believed there was a life more promising outside of Hong Kong and decided to make his next move overseas and try his luck in the U.S. His move would prepare him to become a legend. However, that legacy was later met with tragedy. 3 He was a Cha-Cha dance master Seeking the aid of friends and family, he settled outside of Seattle and took up work as a dance instructor. That’s right. The man could do a mean Cha-Cha. In fact, he competed in Hong Kong’s ballroom competitions and noted 108 different steps. He was an expert in the craft. Fun fact: He incorporated the Cha-Cha into his martial arts style catering the fluidity of constant mobility and never standing still until he made his strike. Though he had an idea of what his life would be like when he emigrated to the U.S., life had a different path for him. For a while, it seemed like life was golden despite the racial unrest that was growing in the Country. He found his rhythm and equilibrium when he realized he had an influence in teaching martial arts. He taught the Wing Chun style to his students. It was in his class that he met Linda Emery who he married in 1964. 4 Unfortunately, many people didn’t approve of Lee’s teaching martial arts to American students. It was against martial arts tradition. His teachings also added to the rumor that Lee’s death was not an accident but could have been a result of outside forces that were seeking to end Lee’s life. His first television series was “The Green Hornet” After marrying Linda Emery, the couple had their first child, Brandon Lee in 1965 followed by their second child Shannon Lee in 1969. By then, Lee and his family moved to Los Angeles where Lee appeared on the television program "The Green Hornet". 5 His involvement in the show ushered Lee into the film industry, all while teaching martial arts to some of the most famous celebrities of his generation such as Steve McQueen (who was his neighbor while living in Los Angeles) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who was an already practiced martial artist when he had the opportunity to work with The Dragon. Did you know Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was mentored by Bruce Lee for 4 years? At first, Abdul- Jabbar was hesitant about working with the famous Wing Chun master. But after he was referred by a martial arts magazine editor, he decided to give Bruce Lee a chance. “My first impression was this guy is really in shape,” Abdul-Jabbar said. " He knew what he was doing and was really committed to his style of martial arts.” Working patiently with the Lakers star, Lee learned Abdul-Jabbar’s established style and made it his own. As years passed, the two became quick friends and soon the basketball superstar was going to be a movie star. If you haven’t seen the fight scene between Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, once you’re done reading this article, you need to jump on to YouTube and look it up because it is epic. He played one of Lee’s adversaries in Lee’s final film "Game of Death". Though Lee never got to see the finished product, the film would prove iconic in its release. 6 As he appears on the big screen, Lee gave a face to Asian Americans. He showed American viewers that the Asian community was more than the stereotypes that were commonplace at the time. He was proud to be Chinese American and showed his heritage proudly. There’s new evidence surrounding his death But let’s get serious. What really killed Bruce Lee? What was in his autopsy report? For over 45 years, it was believed that Lee died from an allergic reaction to a painkiller that he took prior to his death on July 20, 1973. Reportedly, the pill caused inflammation in his brain (cerebral edema) and he died in his sleep. However, a new theory from the recently released biography Bruce Lee: A Life by Mathew Polly might have insight into what really killed the martial arts legend. And it has nothing to do with the allergic reaction to a painkiller. If that were the case, then we can finally put the death of Bruce Lee to rest without the curse. It’s unclear how and when Bruce Lee developed cerebral edema (a condition that causes swelling in the brain). But the ailment caused trouble for the Wing Chung master until his death. There was even an incident while redubbing the film "Enter the Dragon" where Lee fainted in a recording session. 7 The air conditioning was broken causing him to collapse into convulsions.