Dear Bruce Lee

Shows how Bruce Lee's life, his art, and his untimely death affected and influenced his worldwide legion of fans. This book helps in learning about his art, jeet kune do, through his personal replies to letters he received in 1967.

“The first noteworthy treatment of its subject—and a definitive one at that...Fascinating narrative threads proliferate” (The New York Times Book Review). The most authoritative biography—featuring dozens of rarely seen photographs—of film legend Bruce Lee, who made martial arts a global phenomenon, bridged the divide between Eastern and Western cultures, and smashed long-held stereotypes of Asians and Asian-Americans. Forty-five years after Bruce Lee’s sudden death at age thirty-two, journalist and bestselling author Matthew Polly has written the definitive account of Lee’s life. It’s also one of the only accounts; incredibly, there has never been an authoritative biography of Lee. Following a decade of research that included conducting more than one hundred interviews with Lee’s family, friends, business associates, and even the actress in whose bed Lee died, Polly has constructed a complex, humane portrait of the icon. Polly explores Lee’s early years as a child star in Hong Kong cinema; his actor father’s struggles with opium addiction and how that turned Bruce into a troublemaking teenager who was kicked out of high school and eventually sent to America to shape up; his beginnings as a martial arts teacher, eventually becoming personal instructor to movie stars like James Coburn and Steve McQueen; his struggles as an Asian-American actor in Hollywood and frustration seeing role after role he auditioned for go to a white actors in eye makeup; his eventual triumph as a leading man; his challenges juggling a sky-rocketing career with his duties as a father and husband; and his shocking end that to this day is still shrouded in mystery. Polly breaks down the myths surrounding Bruce Lee and argues that, contrary to popular belief, he was an ambitious actor who was obsessed with the martial arts—not a kung-fu guru who just so happened to make a couple of movies. This is an honest, revealing look at an impressive yet imperfect man whose personal story was even more entertaining and inspiring than any fictional role he played onscreen.

Get to know the true Bruce Lee through the eyes of his friend, M. Uyehara. Pound for pound, he may have been the greatest fighter who ever lived. Read about his good and bad times, his dreams and destiny shattered by his early death.

This new edition of Bruce Lee's classic work rejuvenates the authority, insight, and charm of the master's original 1963 publication for modern audiences. It seemlessly brings together Lee's original language, descriptions and demonstrations with new material for readers, martial arts enthusiasts and collectors that want Lee in his purest form. This timeless work preserves the integrity of Lee's hand-drawn diagrams and captioned photo sequences in which he demonstrates a variety of training exercises and fighting techniques, ranging from gung fu stances and leg training to single- and multiple-opponent scenarios. Thought-provoking essays on the history of gung fu, the theory of yin and yang, and personal, first-edition testimonials by James Y. Lee, the legendary Ed Parker, and jujutsu icon Wally Jay round out this one and only book by Lee on the Chinese martial arts. -- from back cover.

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself; do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” —Bruce Lee Bruce Lee was a brand well before that became commonplace. Step into the Dragon’s mind and explore how he thought about business, goals, and life. The Bruce Lee Code focuses on the business strategies prevalent in Lee’s life and teachings that helped unlock his full potential. Bruce Lee’s attention to brand is a major reason why he continues to influence pop culture today. He was a pioneer, being one of the first Hollywood stars to start his own production company. To recharge America’s creative and entrepreneurial swagger, we need to reexamine Lee’s life and teachings. Although he died in 1973 at age thirty-two, Lee remains a global icon who continues to influence the contemporary world in ways both obvious and subtle. Lee was primarily known for his otherworldly martial arts skills and blockbuster movies such as Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury. But he was also a man of incredible vision, willpower, and intellectual curiosity whose brief career inspired highly successful projects in Hollywood, sports, comic books, video games, and fashion. In many ways, Lee resembled Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. Both men possessed remarkable self-assurance and a desire to disrupt the status quo. Jobs did not invent the computer, tablet, or MP3 player. Instead, Jobs’s genius was taking existing products and ideas and turning them into something better. Lee also did not hesitate to liberally borrow and emulate. He fused Eastern and Western ideas and techniques to make unique films that would appeal to worldwide audiences. He created his own unique style of martial arts and philosophies that drew upon a deep reservoir of historical and contemporary influences. This book draws upon Bruce Lee’s extensive writings, including letters, journals, and business documents, as well as interviews with those who knew him personally.

Examines the life of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee, following him from his formative years in Hong Kong to his controversial death; discusses his training methods and philosophy of martial arts; looks at his movie work; and includes reminiscences by friends and colleagues.