Bruce Lee: An Introduction

Bruce appears in the first of over 20 films as a child actor in Hong Kong. His first appearance is as a 3 month old in the film "Golden Gate Girl". Pictured here with his father, Lee Hoi-Chuen.

At 13 years old, Bruce followed his desire to learn martial arts and began studying Wing Chun Gung Fu under master Yip Man in Hong Kong. Bruce studied with Yip Man from 1954 - 1959. 

With $100 in his pocket, a then 18 year old Bruce departed from Hong Kong for the United States, arriving in San Francisco, California (pictured here) before settling in Seattle, Washington. On the journey, Bruce could be found teaching some of the more affluent passengers, how to dance. 

Bruce opens his first martial arts school, the "Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute" in Seattle, in 1963. The first location of this school was in a Seattle carport. It then moved to a basement in Chinatown, then to the University district. Taky Kimura (pictured here sparring with Bruce in the Chinatown basement location) still runs the Seattle JFGFI to this day.

Bruce opens the second "Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute", in Oakland, CA, in 1964. The Oakland school was originally located on Broadway Ave, but later relocated to a garage on Monticello Ave, at the home of another martial arts pioneer in the US, James Yimm Lee (pictured front row, 3rd from L-R). To train at this location, you had to be first invited. 

Bruce and girlfriend, Linda Emery, are married in Seattle on August 17th, 1964. At the time, both Bruce and Linda knew that their parents would not approve of their interracial marriage. 

Begins shooting “The Green Hornet” TV series and quickly draws a following as sidekick, Kato. Little did Bruce know that Kato's popularity was growing to iconic status in Hong Kong. He would soon find out.

On April 19th, 1969, Bruce and Linda welcome their second child, Shannon Emery Lee, to the world. Shannon is a successful, writer, producer, actor musician and CEO. She currently resides in her birth city of Los Angeles. 

In '71, Bruce stars in “The Big Boss”. The film breaks all box office records in Hong Kong, making Bruce Lee a household name in Asia. Bruce also guest stars in the TV show “Longstreet” in 1971. 

Note the first few paragraphs of this media screening notice for the film, capturing Bruce Lee's star on the rise, and the unparalleled excitement around him.

Bruce Lee posing in his, now famous, tracksuit, during filming of "Game of Death". Bruce's vision for the film, as producer, director and actor, was never completed due to his passing in July, 1973. 

Bruce Lee appears as the first ever Asian-American actor in a Hollywood lead role. Bruce is elevated to iconic status, crushing racial stereotypes and showing the world that the Chinese could be a he-man; tough, with inflexible morals, and determination to make the world a better place.

Bruce Lee passes away in Hong Kong on July 20th, before the release of "Enter the Dragon" and is laid to rest in Seattle, Washington. He died from a cerebral edema caused by a hyper sensitive reaction to the painkiller, Equagesic, that he had taken for a headache. Bruce was 32.