Bruce Lee
The Man, The Myth
Here's A Timeline Of Bruce Lee's Life:
- November 27, 1940: Born Lee Jun-fan to Cantonese opera performer Lee Hoi-chuen and Grace Ho; Bruce Lee was born in Chinatown in San Francisco, California.
- 1956-1957: Refines his fighting skills to gain more discipline and control; he is tutored in Wing Chun by the famous instructor Yip Man.
- 1964: Drops out of university to pursue his martial arts career fully; he partners with James Lee – a martial arts instructor – to set up a school called Jun Fan Martial Art Studio in June 1964 in Oakland.
- 1966–1967: His first major Hollywood movie sees him cast as Kato in the hit series titled The Green Hornet.
- 1967: Establishes the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute to train people of all classes, age, and race in martial arts and the philosophy behind the art.
- 1967: Introduces the world to his form of martial art technique known as Jeet Kune Do – a non-traditional martial arts style that relies heavily on speed, agility, and practicality.
- 1971: Bruce Lee moves to Hong Kong to make a supporting case for why he should be cast as a lead in Hollywood movies.
- July 20, 1973: Bruce Lee’s life is cut short at age 32; autopsy results show that he died of an allergic reaction to pain killers; he is laid to rest in Lakeview Cemetery, Seattle.
"Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own."
Bruce Lee
If you have time, you should read more about this incredible human being on his Wikipedia entry.