Tonight, my mom & I talked about Bruce Lee. When we were kids, Mom took us to Chinatown to watch Bruce Lee films at the Cinema House by Columbus Avenue. I was immediately hooked. In fact, every Chinese kid growing up in America had their eyes lit up seeing a Chinese martial artist on the big screen kicking butts! In school and in the American 'world,' we were perceived as quiet, studious, industrious and 'weak.' Along came this 'hero' who knew how to fight 'adversity.'
Little did I know that Bruce Lee was also embraced by the whole world. It was in a book 'Too Young To Die', abandoned' by my dad's former tenants in the middle of a living room, did I, for the first time, saw a photograph and read a full story of Bruce Lee in English. He became emblazoned in my mind along with Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland all featured in the book. But unlike the other cultural icons, Bruce Lee was Chinese American, born in San Francisco and made his stardom in Hong Kong! A hybrid individual balancing 2 worlds. Perhaps for a 9-year old Chinese American kid, it was groundbreaking, if not grounding. Bruce Lee was this international icon full of self-confidence with a solid backbone. He transcended racial and cultural lines for his need to make martial arts accessible to everyone. I discovered behind the body & the star was a great philosopher, teacher, director, producer, reader & writer! Bruce Lee happens to have died the year I was born, and his only son Brandon and I share the same birthday! I always find Bruce Lee to be incredibly inspirational for what he stood for and what he set out to do with his life. I thank my mom for introducing this iconic figure to me as a kid in that small, dark Chinatown cinema.
Here is one of my favorite videos (Part 1 is also on Youtube) of Bruce Lee. The final song is written and sung by John Little, his official biographer.
'Ode to an Artist'
"When I woke up this morning things seemed different today
It was your words that did it; I finally hear what you say
that I control my own destiny, there was no force that can ever stop me
Wo-oh oh o, open your heart to those feelings within
that's when you know that you're pooling your love
if there's one thing I could come back and say
life is what you make it all you have is today
life is what you make it all you have is today"
May we always be inspired by the great Bruce Lee. His legacy and memory lives on til eternity.
