Bruce Lee’s Martial Arts Journey
Bruce Lee (Chinese: 李小龍; born Lee Jun-fan, 李振藩; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong and American martial artist, actor, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often credited with paving the way.
Bruce Lee began his martial arts training with Wing Chun master, Yip Man, in Hong Kong at 13. James Lee founded the second Jun Fan martial arts studio in Oakland with Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee would complement his Wing Chun training with other Kung Fu styles and western influences like boxing and fencing.
Creation of Jeet Kune Do
Bruce Lee’s desire to create Jeet Kune Do grew from a combination of ideas he had about martial arts as well as a number of issues he took with traditional Kung Fu. After facing some difficulties in a fight with Kung Fu expert Wong Jack Man, Lee came to realize that there were some key flaws in the way he was fighting. This led to Lee deciding that Wing Chun and other traditional Kung Fu styles were not suitable for street fighting.
Bruce Lee’s Early Life
Despite being from a relatively affluent family, Lee started to run with street gangs in Hong Kong’s Kowloon area when he was 12. By the time he was 15, Lee was a ringleader who, his brother Robert said, would never back down from a challenge. “You never had to ask Bruce twice to fight,” Robert recalled.