Enter the mind of Bruce Lee

By John Blake, CNN

Updated 1630 GMT (0030 HKT) July 20, 2020

Lee's legacy today

Lee eventually broke through. He went to Hong Kong to make a series of films that caught
Hollywood's attention. He then returned to Hollywood to make "Enter the Dragon," which
became a huge hit.

But Lee never lived long enough to see the culmination of all of his work.

Just days before the American release of "Enter the Dragon," in 1973, Lee died in Hong Kong
from an allergic reaction to pain medication he had taken. He was 32. Lee's son, Brandon, who
would follow him into the martial arts and film, would later die in 1993 from a freak accident with
a prop gun on a movie set.

Lee's friends still miss him. They talk less about his fighting ability and more about what fun he
was to be around: his restless questioning, his optimism, his goofy sense of humor and his
loyalty to friends.

"He was a very charismatic person," says Palmer, who is now an attorney in Seattle. "He could
dominate most situations. You walk into a room and in most cases he would dominating the
conversation."

Lee's influence transcends the martial arts, Inosanto says.

"I got letters after he died from people from almost all walks of life, from musicians to
skateboarders -- they all said he influenced him," Inosanto says.

Lee's global popularity is matched by only one other person, Inosanto says.

"Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee are the most recognizable faces in the world," Inosanto says. "I
was very lucky to have stumbled onto him. I never had a dull moment with him."

Lee's family is introducing the martial artist to a new generation today.

Lee's widow, Linda Lee Cadwell, and his daughter, Shannon Lee, established the Bruce Lee
Foundation "to share the art and philosophy" of Lee. It gives out scholarships to students who
embody Lee's passion for learning and provides martial arts training to underprivileged youth.

Lee's legacy is expanding in other ways too. There are now more authors writing not so much
about Lee's fighting ability but his resilience as an example to anyone who wants to express
their individuality and overcome obstacles in life.

At the foot of Lee's grave site in Seattle is a stone tablet with an inscription that reads: "Your
inspiration continues to guide us toward personal liberation."

Lee's legacy is now bigger than any punch he ever threw.