My niece Amanda has been studying Hapkido, a Korean martial art in the last 2 years. On Monday, October 12, my sister Cindy asked me to take care of Amanda and Megan since it was a school holiday. I shared with them the Bruce Lee Story.
The legendary Bruce Lee was born in 1940 in San Francisco, California. He was innovative and creative, a man ahead of his times. He was more than just a Chinese guy who did kung fu. He was a philosopher, a writer, a thinker, a martial artist, a fitness expert, a father, a son, a husband, a teacher, an actor, a director, producer and choreographer. He valued all of those things, but most of all he lived those things and always had a desire to impart something to the world. He's made a huge impact on popular culture. His appeal cut across race, gender and class. There were very few cultural heroes during the 1970's and a lot of people - Asians, Whites, Blacks - looked up to Bruce Lee and saw him as their hero.
He was also the first legendary star who was a transnational, forging dual identities in his birthplace of the U.S. and Hong Kong. One memory of Bruce Lee was when my mother took me and my siblings to the cinema in Chinatown to watch Bruce Lee films when I was a young girl. The movie theatre was jampacked with people, not just Chinese people, but ALL people. I was in awe of his moves and particularly his nationalism, to fight and stand up for being Chinese. We can all learn so much from that. Historically, we as Chinese people, especially those in America, have been oppressed, stereotyped, beaten down, and 'teased' for simply being Chinese. When Bruce Lee came out, he fought for more than just ethnic pride, he fought against marginalization in Hollywood, and wanted to create martial arts that fused philosophy, sports and science together. I admire Bruce Lee the most as a teacher who developed great relationships with his students, whom some of them have became his closest friends and co-stars. Although his life was cut so short, he really left an undelible mark in our world.
In addition, the story of Brandon Lee is also important. My sisters and I idolized him since he was much more of our generation. He was headed toward an action movie career, and if he was alive today, he would've been a star. We watched two of his films - Rapid Fire and The Crow. It's equally amazing how much depth, knowledge, and development Brandon Lee had in martial arts and in life because of his father. Looking at pictures of him and his father, I can't help but see the resemblance, and the admire the spirit of his father who lived in him.
Brandon Lee died at age 28 years old, and has the same birthdate as myself - February 1, but a different year. And, Bruce Lee passed away on the year I was born in 1973. I find a lot of intersection with Bruce and Brandon Lee. I think all people should learn about their stories and feel the depth of passion and inspiration they conveyed in their short lives and what they mean to our world today.
May Bruce Lee's influence and spirit live on.
1 comment:
I like Bruce Lee too. When MJ died I thought of him - another great guy who's gone too soon.
But when we come to think of it, this way their youthful images live in us forever. They have in a way become eternal, as they are always remembered as the icons they lived up to; and they will never age and wither.
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