Options Facts \ Biography

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In a lifetime comprising a mere 32 years, Bruce Lee
revolutionized the world of martial arts through his profound
teachings and philosophy, and created a legacy through his
work in motion pictures, that has evolved into a Legend.
Thought by many to be the ‘Greatest martial artist of the 20th
Century’, Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco on November
27th 1940, between 6:00am and 8:00am, at the Jackson Street
Hospital, under the birth name of ‘Lee Jun Fan’. Courtesy of his
thespian father, young Bruce made his stage debut at the
tender age of three months, playing the role of a female baby.
His father Lee Hoi Chuen, a prestigious member of ‘The
Cantonese Opera Company’, would carry his young son on stage
each night, during his performance of "Golden Gate Girl".

In 1941, when Bruce was only 1 year old, he returned with his
parents to the family home in Kowloon, Hong Kong. The modest
second-storey apartment, at 218 Nathan Road, would be Bruce’s
home for most of his formative years.

By age six, Bruce had already begun to develop the charisma

and confidence that would later make him a star, and he
appeared in his first major childhood movie, "The Beginning of a
Boy" in 1946. Later in the same year, Bruce performed in "The
Birth of Mankind" and "My Son, Ah Cheun" and went on to make
over 20 movies, before commencing his studies at "La Salle
College" in 1952.

1953 was a pivotal year in the life of Bruce Lee. After losing a
street fight with a local gang, Bruce began to train in the art of
Wing Chun under famed Sifu, Yip Man. His natural speed and
timing, and acute mental focus, guaranteed that Bruce would
excel in this complex and exacting art. In fact his precocious
talent developed so quickly, that despite numerous other
encounters with street gangs, Bruce would never again lose a
fight. As well as indulging his passion for the martial arts, Bruce
also began taking Cha Cha lessions in 1954, at age fourteen.
The dance was popular amongst local teenagers at the time, and
 Bruce not only went on to win the ‘Crown Colony Cha-Cha
Championship’ in 1958, but also broke the hearts of many local
girls. As well as his achievements on the dance-floor, ‘58 is also
notable as the year when Bruce defeated reigning three year
champion, Gary Elms, in the Hong Kong Boxing Championships,
putting to practical use the combat theory he had devised with
Sifu Yip Man. Like many Hong Kong teenagers of the time,
Bruce became caught up in the ‘turf wars’ which surrounded the
illicit activities of the local street-gangs. Participating in
numerous street-fighting incidents, Bruce soon came to the
attention of the police. Terrified that their son would forever
become embroiled in a life of crime, Bruce’s mother and father,
decided that he should visit San Francisco, the place of his birth,
to claim his American Citizenship and finish his education.

With only fifteen dollars from his father and one hundred dollars
from his mother, Bruce arrives in the United States in 1959, and
stays, by prior arrangement, with an old friend of his father. By
carrying out odd jobs around the Chinese Communities in the
San Francisco Bay area, Bruce earns just enough money to
secure his independence within a few months, and relocates to
Seattle (Washington) to begin work as a waiter in Ruby Chow’s
famous Chinatown restaurant. Mindful of the promise he made
to his parents, Bruce enrols at the ‘Edison Technical School’ and
through diligent study and application earns his high school
diploma, while supplementing his income from the restaurant by
teaching martial arts to local residents in backyards and city
parks.

By the time Bruce had reached the age of 21 in 1961, his skill in
the martial arts was astounding, both in terms of physical
application and his understanding of the philosophical evolution,
which shaped their development as both a combat medium and
art-form. In March of the same year, Bruce matriculates at the
University of Washington, to study philosophy. Very soon,
knowledge of his incredible skill spreads to the other students,
and Bruce once again fulfills the role of both teacher and mentor
to many of his classmates. After a romance lasting several
months with local girl Amy Sanbo, Bruce, aged 23, decides to
propose in the summer of ‘63, but is unfortunately turned down.
Dejected he returns to Hong Kong with friend Doug Palmer to
visit his family and to benefit from a few months of rest and
relaxation before re-commencing his studies. The remainder of
’63 was to prove to be a significant time in the life of Bruce Lee.
Not only did he open his first ‘Jun Fan Gung-Fu’ institute, where
he would fly in the face of tradition by teaching his direct,
effective and street-realistic principles of self-defence to any
person of any race, but he also embarked on a relationship with
a certain Linda Emery. Bruce’s first date with Linda was on
October 25th at the ‘Space Needle’ restaurant in Seattle, and
the two quickly fell in love and would eventually marry.
Encouraged by Linda, Bruce moved his Jun Fan Gung Fu
institute to 4750 University Way near the university campus,
and benefited greatly from a major influx of students who
became interested in his teachings, and principles of self-
defense.

In 1964, aged 24, Bruce meets Jhoon Rhee, the man considered
by many to be the ‘Father of Tae-kwondo-do in America’. The
two men would go on to develop a life-long friendship, based on
 their respect for each other’s abilities, and Rhee subsequently
invites Bruce to appear at tournaments in Washington and other
locations throughout the United States to demonstrate his
breath-taking skills. Due to his success with the school in
Washington and his growing profile within the United States as a
renowned master of the martial arts, Bruce opens a second Jun
Fan Gung-Fu school in Oakland, and his good friend and student
Taky Kimura takes over the responsibility as head instructor. On
August 2nd 1964, Bruce performs at the International Karate
championships in Long Beach, California, at the invitation of
Kenpo legend, Ed Parker. Bruce mesmerizes the audience with
his feats of super-human ability, including the performance of a
series of "two-finger" push-ups, and the incredible "One Inch
Punch". -"The One-Inch Punch" is a technique which Bruce
developed with student James Demille, which effectively allowed
him to position his fist one inch away from the torso of an
opponent, and with a short, focused strike, propel him
backwards several feet through the air, seemingly without
effort. Present at the groundbreaking demonstration was Jay
Sebring, hair-stylist for the popular "Batman" TV series starring
Adam West and Burt Ward. Sebring was so impressed with
Bruce’s physical prowess and magnetic charisma, that he
immediately put him in touch with "Batman" producer William
Dozier, who invites Bruce to L.A. to take part in a screen-test for
his forthcoming TV series "The Green Hornet". After a
passionate, whirlwind romance lasting less than a year, Bruce
proposes to Linda and the couple marry on August 17th 1964
and move to Oakland, California.

Encouraged by his new wife, Bruce continues to teach ‘all-

comers’ at his new school in Oakland, and angers the elders of
the local Chinatown community, who deeply resent his
insistence in teaching the secrets of Chinese martial arts to
Caucasian students. Consequently, the elders nominate Wong
Jack Man, a local Gung Fu expert, to challenge Bruce to a
contest. –For both fighters the stakes are high. If Bruce looses
he will be duty-bound to either close his school or stop teaching
Kung Fu to Westerners, if Wong looses he will be similarly bound
to stop teaching indefinitely. When the time for the fight comes
around, Wong, intimated by Bruce’s fearsome reputation, tries
to delay the match and then to impose restrictions on the
techniques which can be used. Bruce is furious and insists that
the fight be a ‘no-holds-barred’ contest. When the match finally
takes place Bruce defeats his opponent quickly and easily using
his refined Wing Chun technique. Despite his ease of victory,
Bruce is still concerned that he took too long to defeat his
opponent, and begins to re-evaluate his style. Through this re-
development process the early concepts of "Jeet Kune Do", also
known as "The Way of the Intercepting Fist" begin to form. -JKD
will eventually develop into the most efficient unarmed combat
system ever devised by one man, and will utilize the most
efficient fighting techniques from such diverse arts as Wing
Chun, Thai Boxing, Judo, Japanese Karate, and Western Boxing.
Bruce’s key principle for his new system is a ‘style without
style’, a ideology and physical training regime which conditions
the mind and body to respond instinctively to any given attack,
without reliance on set patterns or movements.

During early ’65, William Dozier successfully raises finance for

the "Hornet" project and Bruce is signed to a one-year option as
 Kato in the resultant TV series. He is paid a US$1800.00
retainer, a small fortune at the time, and fulfills his lifetime
ambition to appear on TV at the tender age of 24. On February
1st, 1965, Linda gives birth to their first child, Brandon Bruce
Lee. Bruce is delighted at the prospect of fatherhood, and
develops a close bond with his young son, which lasts
throughout his lifetime. Tragically only seven days later, Bruce
receives news from Hong Kong that his father has passed away.

Grief-stricken, Bruce flies alone to Hong Kong to attend his

father’s funeral, before using his advance from producer Dozier
to fly himself, Linda and Brandon back to Hong Kong, to settle
the affairs of his father’s estate. After spending time with his
grieving mother, Bruce returns to the United States in
September of ’65, and resides in Seattle, before relocating with
his family to an exclusive apartment on Wiltshire and Gayley in
Westwood, Los Angeles.

During early 1966 Bruce finally begins work as Kato in the

"Green Hornet" TV series, earning US$400 per show over 26
episodes, with a 2-part guest slot added into the Batman show.
While living in Los Angeles Bruce, with the help of Dan Inosanto,
opened his third Jun Fan Gung Fu school at 628 College St, Los
Angeles, where the final formulation of Bruce Lee's philosophy of
the martial art "Jeet Kune Do" blossomed.

The last episode of "The Green Hornet" airs on July 14th 1967,
before being cancelled by the network. The ratings had dropped
considerably since the first episode, and all accounts, Bruce was
more popular with viewers in his supporting role, than leading
man Van Williams. Disappointed by this temporary setback,
Bruce continues to build a portfolio of televsion work with
appearances in "Ironside", alongside Raymond Burr, "Here
Come The Brides", "Blondie", "The Milton Berle Show" and
"Longstreet", opposite James Franciscus where he appears as Li
Tsung in four episodes. -In one episode of Longstreet, entitled
"The Way of the Intercepting Fist", Bruce is given the
opportunity, by screenwriter, friend and student Stirling
Siliphant, to explain on film for the first time, the fundamental
philosophical principles behind his amazing fighting art.

Bruce Lee's first Hollywood movie role was as ‘Winslow Wong’

opposite James Garner in the 1968 film "Marlowe". Despite
extensive location scouting in India, a planned co-project with
Hollywood students Steve McQueen, James Coburn and Stirling
Sillipant entitled "The Silent Flute" is abandoned due to the lack
of a coherent script. Bruce also suffers further disappointment
when he is rejected by producer Fred Weintraub, for the lead
role in Kung Fu Western – "The Warrior", a concept later
developed into the "Kung Fu" TV series starring David Carradine.

Understandably, Bruce was at an all time low at this time, but

on April 19th 1969, his second child Shannon Lee was born in
Santa Monica. Linda Lee would say that Bruce felt that "an angel
had come to stay at our house".

Bitterly disappointed with Hollywood, Bruce visits Hong Kong

with his son Brandon in 1970, and is enthusiastically greeted by
the local media community as the star of the "Green Hornet".
 After a stunning appearance on a local TV show, where Bruce
performs a demo of his art, breaking four consecutively placed
boards and one hanging in the air, he is courted by local film
and TV producers. After rejecting an offer from Run Run Shaw
at the legendary Shaw Brothers Studios to sign a 7 year
contract on a salary of US$2,000 per film, Bruce accepts a part
from fledgling producer Raymond Chow to star in his new
project "The Big Boss", due to start production in Thailand. This
first Hong Kong produced Bruce Lee film was a massive hit and
out-grossed the "Sound Of Music", taking more than US$3.5
million in it’s first three weeks of release. Bruce becomes a star
literally overnight, captivating audiences with his magnetic
charisma, brutal physicality and a level of martial artistry, which
was light-years ahead of any other screen-star working in the
business at the time.

After the amazing success of ‘Boss’, Bruce is given a larger

salary, a bigger budget and more directorial control for his next
project "Fist of Fury", which went into production in 1971. In
what many enthusiasts consider to be ‘the ultimate martial arts
movie’, Bruce plays the fictional character of Chen Jun, a
student of legendary real-life martial artist Fok Yun Gap. In an
emotive, roller-coaster story-line of friendship, betrayal,
revenge and deadly confrontation, Lee is a true force of nature
as he battles against Japanese Imperialist forces determined to
subjugate his people and close down his school. In each of the
incredible fight scenes, Lee’s execution of technique is
exemplary, whether fighting unarmed or with the weapon that
would become synonymous with his image: the deadly
Nunchaku. As a painful side-note, Bruce’s techniques were so
powerful that student Bob Baker received a serious chest injury
during the filming of his climatic encounter with Bruce, despite
wearing a protective shield under his shirt. "Fist" literally took
Asia by storm and Bruce became a mega-star in Hong Kong,
unable to walk the streets of Kowloon, for fear of being mobbed
by hoards of adoring fans. For his next production "Way of the
Dragon", which also heralded his directorial debut, Bruce forms
his own Production Company CONCORD with co-partner
Raymond Chow.

Predictably "Way Of The Dragon" smashes the box-office record

previously set by "Fist of Fury", and public demand for the
movie is so high that the police have to re-route traffic away
from theatres during screenings. To give "Way" a truly
international feel, Bruce shoots on location in Rome, using the
Italian capital’s stunning landmarks, to frame the action. In
addition, rather than using the Hong Kong fighters so familiar to
local audiences, Bruce enlists the services of friend and karate
legend Chuck Norris, to appear as his nemesis in the deadly
climatic confrontation set in Rome’s ancient Coliseum. This
incredible one-on-one encounter stands even to this day, as one
of the most skilful and realistic fight scenes ever committed to
celluloid, and is a lasting tribute to the outstanding abilities of
both men. "Way of the Dragon" also allowed Bruce to take the
application of his trade-mark weapon the Nunchaku ever
further, than in "Fist of Fury". In an amazing scene at the back
of the restaurant, Lee dispatches his attackers using not one but
two sets simultaneously.

Using a concept first conceived during location-scouting for "The

 Silent Flute" in India, Bruce begins work on "The Game Of
Death" in August 1972. The premise of the movie, is of three
fighters fighting their way up a multi-floored pagonda. To pass
from one floor to the next, each fighter must defeat a master of
a particular style. During the progression of the battle, two of
the fighters, played by James Tien and Chieh Yuan, would be
defeated and killed due to their rigid adherence to one particular
style of combat and their inability to adapt to the differing
challenges presented on each floor. The ultimate warrior, played
by Lee, a fluid fighter unrestricted by an adherence to any one
particular style, would on the other hand, successfully defeat
each subsequent master, before gaining enlightenment after
victory on "The Floor of the Unknown". Tragically after filming a
number of electric scenes with escrima expert and senior Jeet
Kune Do instructor Dan Inosanto, Hapkido master Chi Hon Joi,
and 7"6 Basketball sensation Abdul Kareem Jabbar, Bruce was
never to complete the project due to his untimely death. The
fifteen minutes or so of footage which has survived, prove that
"Game of Death" could have been Lee’s finest work. An
explosive nunchaku battle with Danny Inosanto and the
remarkable ‘David and Goliath’ confrontation between Bruce and
Jabbar are years ahead of their time. While working on "The
Game Of Death", Bruce is offered a Hollywood contract with
Warner Brothers to make "Enter The Dragon". Bruce signs and
makes the most successful martial arts movie of all time. The
choreography on display is inspired. The cavern fight scene in
particular where Lee takes on scores of attackers single-
handedly with bare fists and feet, a bo staff, double sticks and
his trusty nunchaku is an ensemble sequence which still ranks
as one of the most accomplished ever filmed, even 27 years
after the movie’s original release.

Bruce’s lightening hand strikes against chief protagonist Bob

Wall were reportedly so fast during principal photography that
the camera speed had to be adjusted before they could be
successfully caught on film. Shortly before the release of "Enter
the Dragon", the film that would finally make Bruce a star in the
eyes of the Western World, he tragically succumbs to a brain
aneurysm on Friday 20th July 1973, before he can reap the
rewards. His death allegedly is the result of a reaction to
Meprobabate contained in a tablet for headaches called
"Equagesic".

Bruce dies in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong. He

receives a national funeral in Hong Kong viewed by tens of
thousands of mourners. Before Linda and the children plus close
relatives and friends including Steve McQueen and James
Coburn had Bruce is also given a private burial at Lake View
Cemetery in Seattle on July 31st 1973, he is aged 32.

Five years after Bruce’s death, Golden Harvest Chief Executive

Raymond Chow finally releases "Game of Death". -Using "Enter
the Dragon" director Robert Clouse, a number of stand-ins and
the formidable expertise of Hong Kong actor, director and fight
choreographer Sammo Hung, Chow creates a framework in
which to showcase the final unseen work of Bruce Lee. Upon its
release in 1978, fans marvel at the intricate fight choreography
and physical expertise on display in each of the three
 remarkable fight scenes.

Today Bruce Lee is still a world icon and an inspiration to all

seeking the answers to life's problems, and the search for
ultimate knowledge that is self-knowledge.

Options Facts \ Cause Of Death

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Bruce died from multi-factoral causes. His doctors knew what

almost killed him on May 10th, 1973. He even presented it to Dr.
Langford, the next day, when Langford came in and interrogated
him at the hospital, after saving his life. He wanted to know if
Bruce was taking any drugs. There was no other explanation. He
pulled out Nepal hashish and Langford told if he started taking this
again, it would kill him. He rejected Langford's medical advice and
flew to UCLA and was clean. They found nothing wrong with him,
because there were no drugs in his system. This gave him a false
sense of security and a few weeks before he died, he was ingesting
it again. This type of hashish he got from Katmandu, Nepal. It's
one of the most near-lethal strains of *unrefined* hashish and is
much more rarer than the refined types manufactured in the
Middle East.

It's been documented to kill it's users the exact same way it killed
Bruce on July 20th, 1973. It's neurological side effects are
nightmarish, and contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, any
one of which, his central nervous system could build up a
sensitivity to, and so highly toxic, cerebral edema, kidney/ adrenal
failure, vomiting, convulsions, cardiac arrest/coma and death is the
result. On May 10th, 1973 he ate some in the bathroom and then
collasped on the floor at Golden Harvest Studio, regained
consciousness and then collasped again, and went into convulsions
and seizues and was throwing up, then went comatose. Dr.
Langford was very concerned about Bruce having no body fat left,
as this will only worsen side effects of drugs in his system. There is
no fat to help absorb it, and he also had his sweat glands removed
later in 1972. Removal will also cause brain edema, because the
saline that carries toxins, builds up in the body and bloodstream.
The fluid buildup is pumped from the heart into the brain, resulting
in cerebral edema and kidney failure, convulsions and, coma and
death. When Bruce left the hospital on May 10th, Dr. Langford was
sure he would be back.
 He was one of the top two doctors in the Orient and is still alive
today. He was right; 10 weeks later, he died. No one killed Bruce--
he killed himself with drugs. The doctors were surprised he lasted
til July 20th. There were no marks on his body, just heavy swelling
from the edema and some bruises on his left temple, running up
the brow ridge. While in Betty's bedroom on July 20th, the seizures
from the reaction jerked him off her bed, and the left side of his
head was hit. They are too small to be the result of a blow with a
weapon. Bruising is common with violent body seizures. The
inquest was sham. Two UK doctors flew in to overturn Bruce's
doctor's cause of death, and blamed it on a pain pill ( he had been
taking for years ). It was also for insurance reasons and payouts,
since Bruce stated in his will, he didn't use illegal drugs and if he
did--he would be subject to payouts to certain parties. The
government in Hong Kong was behind this. They didn't want a
hashish epidemic on their hands, with all the young kids who
worshipped Lee and wanted to be just like him. The night of July
20th, he ingested the hashish in Betty's apartment, than
complained of a mind-numbing and constricting headache ( this is
a side-effect ), and she gave him the pain pill, Equagesic, to
counter the headache. Betty is supposedly writing a book, telling
everything, right now.
 Bruce's weight in 1972 was 146, as he stated in a phone-taped
interview with Alex Ben Block, who called him while he was making
Way in summer 1972. He looks about the same weight in the
filmed footage GOD some 3 months later in Sep-Oct the same
year. Healthy weight. When he arrived in HK in 1970, he was 155,
and weight traing trimmed him down. In 1973, while making ETD,
he was about 135 pounds and underweight. By May, he was down
to 126, some 20 pounds. I've seen a few photos of Bruce shortly
before his death and he looks frail and sickly. The robustness from
his face is gone. Dr. Langford said he looked obscene, with only
1% of body fat on him. It's easy to tell Bruce in his last few
months--June and July. He's so thin and has a new and fuller
hairstyle he never wore while in HK. There's a B&W group photo on
a gallery on a website, with Bruce, Betty and co-stars and his
appearance is identical to the July 10th TV appearance he made in
1973. Timeframe is approximate.

The hashish he was taking was very bad for him, no doubt. Why
would Dr. Langford tell him NOT to take anymore if it was GOOD
for him. That is what was in his bloodstream on May 10th. Lee was
no expert on drugs and formerally was anti-drug. He had costisone
injections for the back injury he sustained in 1969 up until he died.
This mixes in more drugs in his body and with literally no body fat
left, sweat glands removed, making a hypersensitive reaction and
death even more positive. Tom Bleeker's book has drawn heavy
fire and I don't think it's all in rational proportion,and yes, some
things are true. I'm not scorning it, but I doubt if everything stated
is altogether true. Sure, if he wants to theorize, that's fine, about
Bruce's death being foul-play. It's common. The only people who
would know more would be several of his co-workers and friends
who were with him the last 12 months of his life. I hope Betty
publishes her book. The murder scenario is too easy to fabricate,
and there are no hard facts to back it up. People claim "I know who
it was and what happend". They want to take the credit and 15
minutes of fame. If they wanted him killed, I mean really,
arranging an accident is the best way on the street. The focus is
exploring Bruce, his body chemisty, what he took, knowledge of
drugs he took, his health in general, form his peak to his decline.
He was a sensitive and high-strung guy and had to cope with fame.
 Taking drugs is common with this.

Ask me to prove it? The proof is there, and much more clearer than
it was 31 years ago. The point is not fighting about it. Assemble
everything you know and put it together and you're not going to
draw a blank.

Options Facts \ Philosophies

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It may surprise those who think of Bruce Lee primarily as a
martial artist that his true passion was philosophy. Even more
surprising is the extent of his knowledge of both Eastern and
Western philosophy.
If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting, If I
tell you I'm no good, You KNOW I'm lying.

Be Formless, shapeless like water. Now if you put water into a cup
it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle it becomes the
bottle, you put it into a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now water
can flow or it can crash, be water my friend.

If there is a God, he is within. You don't ask God to give you

things, you depend on God for your inner theme.

Before I practised the Way, A cloud was just a cloud and a

mountain was just a mountain. After I'd studied the Way, a cloud
was no longer a cloud, a mountain was no longer a mountain. Now
that I understand the Way, A cloud is again just a cloud, a
mountain is just a mountain. (The clouds and mountains are
simply kicks and punches).

The mind is like a fertile garden in which anything that is planted,

flowers or weeds, will grow.

Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find
it.

The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow
through the body. Using muscular tensions to try to "do" the
punch, or attempting to use brute force to knock someone over,
will only work to opposite effect.

Mere technical knowledge is only the beginning of Kung Fu, to

master it, one must enter into the spirit of it.
There are lots of guys around the world that are lazy. They have
big fat guts. They talk about chi power and things they can do,
but don't believe it.

I'm not a master, I'm a student-master, meaning that I have the

knowledge of a master and the expertise of a master, but I'm still
learning, So I'm a student-master. I don't believe in the word
master, I consider the master as such when they close the casket.

Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you

will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there.

Jeet Kune Do, It's just a name, don't fuss over it. There's no such
thing as a style if you understand the roots of combat.

When I look around I always learn something, and that is to be

yourself always, express yourself, and have faith in yourself. Do
not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him.
Now that seems to be the prevalent thing happening in Hong
Kong, like they always copy mannerism, but they never start from
the root of his being and that is, how can I be me?

Put every great teacher together in a room, and they'd agree

about everything, put their disciples in there and they'd argue
about everything.

By adopting a certain physical posture, a resonant chord is struck

in spirit.

Wine may become so dilute that few will drink of it.

Eventually, you learn to read groups of words. Where a student

will see three motions, the experienced man will see one, because
he see's the overall energy path.

The void is no mere emptiness, but is real, free and existing. It is

the source from which all things arise and return. It cannot be
seen, touched or known, yet it exists and is freely used. It has no
shape, size, colour or form, and yet all that we see, hear, feel and
touch is "it". It is beyond intellectual knowing and cannot be
grasped by the ordinary mind. When we suddenly awake to the
realization that there is no barrier, and has never been seen, one
realizes that one is all things, mountains, rivers, grasses, trees,
sun, moon, stars, universe are all oneself. There is no longer a
division or barrier between myself and others, no longer any
feeling of alienation or fear. Realizing this, results in true
compassion. Other people and things are not seen as apart from
oneself, on the contrary, as one's own body.
 Options Facts \ Feats

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Here are some of Bruce's truly amazing real life feats, which I
consider to be absolutely outstanding. All of this information is
taken from various documentaries and magazines. There's also
some quotes from his closest friends.

A few of Bruce's awesome feats:

Bruce's striking speed from 3 feet away was five hundredths of a

second.

Bruce could throw grains of rice up into the air and then catch
them in mid-flight using chopsticks.

Bruce did press ups using only 2 fingers.

Bruce could thrust his fingers through unopened cans of Coca-

Cola. (This was when soft drinks cans were made of steel much
thicker than today's aluminium cans)

Bruce was able to explode 100lb bags with a simple sidekick.

Bruce would ride for 45 minutes (10 Miles) on a stationary bike,

when he'd finished, a huge pool of sweat was beneath him.

Bruce once caved in a protective headgear made from heavy steel

rods, rods that had previously withstood several blows from a
sledgehammer.

Bruce's last movie "Enter the Dragon" was made for a modest
$600,000 in 1973. To date, is has grossed over $300,000,000.

Quotes From Bruce's Friends about his Amazing Feats:

Herb Jackson - "Bruce was interested in becoming as strong as

 possible".

Jesse Glover - "When he could do push ups on his thumbs and

push ups with 250lbs on his back, he moved on to other
exercises".

Herb Jackson - "The biggest problem in designing equipment for

Bruce was that he'd go through it so damn fast. I had to reinforce
his wooden dummy with automobile parts so he could train on it
without breaking it. I had started to build him a mobile dummy
that could actually attack and retreat to better simulate "Live"
combat, sadly Bruce died before the machine was built. It would
have been strung up by big high-tension cables that I was going
to connect between two posts, one on either side of his backyard.
The reason for the machine was simply because no one could
stand up to his full force punches and kicks, Bruce's strength and
skill had evolved to point where he had to fight machines. Bruce
was very interested in strength training, you could say that he
was obsessed with it".

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce was only interested in strength that he

could readily convert to power. I remember once Bruce and I were
walking along the beach in Santa Monica. All of a sudden this huge
bodybuilder came walking by, and I said to Bruce "Man, look at
the arms on that guy" I'll never forget his reaction, he said "Yeah,
he's big, but is he powerful???".

Chuck Norris - "Lee, pound for pound, might well have been one
of the strongest men in the world, and certainly one of the
quickest".

Joe Lewis - "Bruce was incredibly strong for his size. He could
take a 75lb barbell and from a standing position with the barbell
held flush against his chest, he could slowly stick his arms out,
lock them and hold the barbell there for 20 seconds, that's pretty
damn tough for a guy who at the time only weighed 138lbs. I
 know 200lb weight lifters who can't do that."

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce had tremendous strength in holding a

weight out horizontally in a standing position. I know because I've
seen it. He'd take a 125lb barbell and hold it straight out".

Jesse Glover - "Bruce would take hold of a 70lb dumbbell with

one arm and raise it to a lateral position, level to his shoulder and
then he'd hold the contraction for a few seconds. Nobody else I
knew could even get it up there, let it alone hold it up there".

Wally Jay - "I last saw Bruce after he moved from Culver City to
Bel Air. He had a big heavy bag hanging out on his patio. It
weighed 300lbs. I could hardly move it at all. Bruce said to me
"Hey, Wally, watch this" and he jumped back and kicked it and
this monster of a heavy bag went up to the ceiling, Thump!!! And
came back down. I still can't believe the power that guy had".

Hayward Nishioka - "Bruce had this trademark "One Inch

Punch", he could send individuals (Some of whom outweighed him
by over 100lbs) flying through the air where they'd crash to the
ground 15 feet away. I remember getting knocked up against the
wall by that punch. I didn't think it was possible that he could
generate so much power in his punch, especially when he was just
laying his hand against my chest, he just twitched a bit and
Wham!!!, I went flying backward and bounced off a wall. I took
him very seriously after that."

Jesse Glover - "The power that Lee was capable of instantly

generating was absolutely frightening to his fellow martial artists,
especially his sparring partners, and his speed was equally
intimidating. We timed him with an electric timer once, and
Bruce's quickest movements were around five hundredths of a
second, his slowest were around eight hundredths. This was
punching from a relaxed position with his hands down at his sides
from a distance between 18-24 inches. Not only was he amazingly
quick, but he could read you too. He could pick up on small subtle
 things that you were getting ready to do and then he'd just shut
you down".

Doug Palmer - "Bruce was like the Michael Jordan or Muhammad

Ali in his prime, somebody who stood above everyone else. It's
not that the other martial artists weren't good. It's just that this
guy was great".

Jesse Glover - "Bruce was gravitating more and more toward

weight training as he would use the weighted wall pulleys and do
series upon series with them. He'd also grab one of the old rusty
barbells that littered the floor at the YMCA and would roll it up and
down his forearms, which is no small feat when you consider that
the barbell weighed 70lbs".

Herb Jackson - "He never trained in a gym, he thought he could

concentrate better at home, so he worked out on his patio. He had
a small weight set, something like a standard 100lb cast-iron set.
In addition, he had a 310lb Olympic barbell set, a bench press and
some dumbbells, both solid and adjustable".

Karreem Abdul Jabbar - "Bruce put me on a weight training

program during the summer of 1970. It was a three days a week
program, comprised mainly of the same stuff he was doing for the
major muscle groups. I think I was doing about 2 sets of 12 reps,
but it worked".

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce would always shadow box with small

weights in his hands and he'd do a drill in which he'd punch for 12
series in a row. 100 punches per series, using a pyramid system
of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 10lb dumbbells and then he'd reverse the
pyramid and go 10, 7, 5, 3, 2, 1 and finally zero weight. He had
me do this drill with him and man what a burn you'd get in your
delts and arms."
Linda Lee - "Bruce was forever pumping a dumbell which he kept
in the house. He had the unique ability to do several things at
once. It wasn't at all unusual for me to find him watching a boxing
match on TV, while simultaneously performing full side splits,
reading a book in one hand and pumping the dumbell up and
down with the other. Bruce was a big believer in forearm training
to improve his gripping and punching power. He was a forearm
fanatic, if ever anyone came out with a new forearm course, Bruce
would have to get it."

George Lee - "He used to send me all of these designs for

exercise equipment and I'd build them according to his specs.
However I wasn't altogether foolish, I knew that if Bruce was
going to use it, it must be effective, so I'd build one to send to
him and another for me to use at home."

Bob Wall - "Bruce had the biggest forearms proportionate to

anybody's body that I've ever seen. I mean, his forearms were
huge. He had incredibly powerful wrists and fingers, his arms were
just extraordinary".

Van Williams (Green Hornet) - "Me and Bruce used to have

these wrist wrestling contests. The two combatants arms are fully
extended with the aim of twisting the opponent's wrist in a
counter-clockwise direction to win. I was the only known person to
best Bruce at this and he used to get really mad at that. But it
was simply a matter of weight ratios, I outweighed him by damn
near 40lbs. Still, Bruce had a pair of the biggest forearms I've
ever seen".
Herb Jackson - "Bruce used to beat all other comers at this type
of wrist wrestling and even joked that he wanted to be world
champion at it".

Taki Kimura - "If you ever grabbed hold of Bruce's forearm, it

was like getting hold of a baseball bat".

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce was so obsessed with strengthening his

forearms that he used to train them every day. He said "The
forearm muscle was very, very dense, so you had to pump that
muscle every day to make it stronger".

Van Williams - "Bruce used to pack up Linda and Brandon and

drive over to visit my wife and me at the weekends. He'd always
bring with him some new gadget that he'd designed to build this
or that part of the body. He was always working out and never
smoked or drank. He was a real clean-cut, educated and
wonderful person. I've got to admit that when I last saw him,
which was a month or so before his death, he was looking great,
his physique was looking as hard as a rock. Bruce had great
respect for me and as a joke he placed a sticker in the back
window of his automobile that read, "This car is protected by the
Green Hornet".
 Mito Uhera - "Bruce always felt that if your stomach wasn't
developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring".

Linda Lee - "He was a fanatic about ab training, he was always

doing sit ups, crunches, roman chair movements, leg raises and
V-ups".

Chuck Norris - "I remember visiting the Lee household and

seeing Bruce bouncing his little boy, Brandon, on his abdomen
while simultaneously performing leg raises and dumbell flyes."

Herb Jackson - "He did a lot of sit ups to develop that fantastic
abdomen. He told me "The proper way of doing sit ups isn't just to
go up and down but to curl yourself up, like rolling up a roll of
paper, doing them this way effectively isolates the abdominal
muscles". He would also perform sit ups where he'd twist an elbow
to the opposite knee when he rolled himself up".
Bolo Yeung - "Bruce had devised a particularly difficult exercise
that he called "The Flag". While lying on a bench, he would grasp
the uprights attached to the bench with both hands and raise
himself off the bench, supported only by his shoulders. Then with
his knees locked straight and his lower back raised off the bench,
he'd perform leg raises. He was able to keep himself perfectly
horizontal in midair. He was incredible, in 100 years there will
never be another like him".

Linda Lee - "Bruce's waist measurement certainly benefited from

all of the attention he paid to his ab program. At it's largest, his
waist was 28 inches. At it's smallest, his waist measured under 26
inches".

Bob Wall - "Bruce was pretty much of a five mile runner, but
then Bruce was one of those guys who just challenged the heck
out of himself. He ran backwards, he ran wind sprints where he'd
run a mile, walk a mile, run a mile. Whenever I ran with Bruce, it
was always a different kind of run. Bruce was one of those total
athletes. It wasn't easy training with him. He pushed you beyond
where you wanted to go and then some".

Karreem Abdul Jabbar - "I used to run with him up and down
Roscamore Road in Bel Air when we trained together during the
summer of 1970. It was a very hilly terrain, which Bruce loved,
and we'd do that at the beginning of each of our workouts".

Mito Uhera - "He'd ride a stationary bike for 45 minutes straight

(10 Miles) until the sweat would form in pools on the floor beneath
him."

Herb Jackson - "Bruce would wear a Weider Waist Shaper (a

type of sauna belt) when riding his stationary bike. It was all black
and made out of neoprene. He'd put it on before getting on the
stationary bike. Then he'd turn the resistance up on it. He'd pedal
the hell out of the bike. Sweat would pour out of him. He'd ride
that bike for a series of 10 minute sessions. He felt that the sauna
 belt focused the heat onto his stomach and helped keep the fat
off. Now maybe it worked and maybe it didn't, but you'd be hard
pressed to find any fat anywhere on his body".

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce would be constantly reading through

the muscle magazines and looking for new products that would
help make him leaner. If he found such an item, he'd read all
about it, order it, and then try it out to see if the claims made for
it were true or not. If he found that it wasn't all it was cracked up
to be, he'd discard it and try something else. He was forever
experimenting".

Bob Wall - "Every room of his house in Hong Kong had some kind
of workout equipment in it, which he'd use whenever the mood
overtook him. His garage, well he never had a car in his garage
because it was always filled with equipment. He had a complete
Marcy gym that was located just off the kitchen. Everywhere he
went, even in his office, he had barbells and dumbbells. He
literally trained all the time. His bodybuilding system consisted of
lifting weights on a two days on, two days off type of program.
However I also know that he changed things around a lot.
Generally, his program consisted of three sets per exercise and
usually about 15 reps. He was doing a lot of cable work at the
time, when he'd pull one way and then the other way, he was into
angles and he'd never do the exact same angle twice in a single
workout. He was always trying to do things in a slightly different
way".

Ted Wong - "Bruce would do a lot of different types of sit ups and
bench presses. He was also using a technique like the Weider
Heavy/Light Principle, working up to 160lbs in the bench press for
three sets of 10 on his heavy days and then repping out for 20-30
reps with 100lbs on his light days. Bruce experimented
successfully with partial reps, movements performed in only the
strongest motion. He liked the fact that they were very explosive,
sometimes he would do the bench press, using just the last 3
inches of the range of motion. It was the same range in which he
 would do some of his isometric exercises".

Linda Lee - "Bruce's physique reached its absolute peak during

the later part of 1971. I think his physique looked just as good in
'73, but he had been working really hard from '72 on. It was just
one movie after another when we lived in Hong Kong. So he was
having less time to do all the training he would have liked to".

Dorian Yates (Mr Olympia) - "He used to do that thing where

he'd spread his scapulas and then tense every muscle in his body,
he had an incredible physique".

Jhoon Rhee - "You could show him a tremendously difficult

technique that took years to perfect and the next time you saw
him, he would do it better than you".

James Coburn - "Bruce and I were training out on my patio one

day, we were using this giant bag for side kicks, I guess it
weighed about 150lbs. Bruce looked at it and just went Bang, it
shot up out into the lawn about 15ft in the air, it then busted in
the middle. It was filled with little bits and pieces of rag, we were
picking up bits of rag for months".

Danny Inosanto - "Bruce told me to come along with him one

day to Joe Weider's store in Santa Monica to help him buy a 110lb
cast iron weight set for his son Brandon. I thought this was an odd
gift since Brandon was only 5 years old. Bruce bought this
beautiful Weider barbell/dumbell set from Joe's store, and when
we pulled into my driveway, he said "I'm just joking, Dan. I
bought this for you".

Michael Gutierrez - "Bruce Lee is very hot these days. So hot in

fact, that a 8x10 sheet of paper that Bruce wrote on and signed in
1969 recently went for a cool $29,000 at the Bruce Lee Estate
Auction in Beverly Hills last August".