BRUCE LEE
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American martial artist, actor, filmmaker, author and martial arts instructor, Lee is often credited with helping to change the way Asians were represented in American films. Lee was also a philosopher. Bruce Lee was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Bruce Lee acted in over 30 films/ TV series. In 1979 the then Mayor of Los Angeles proclaimed 8th June as Bruce Lee Day. Bruce Lee developed a martial art called Jeet Kune Do (JKD) which translated means the ‘Way of Intercepting Fist’. The principles behind JKD include directness, simplicity and the ‘non-classical form’. The techniques and philosophy of JKD are intended to apply to real life situations and real combat. The Bruce Lee Foundation is a non-profit foundation seeking to preserve, perpetuate and disseminate Bruce Lee’s life example, philosophies and art of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do through events, educational programs and martial art instruction. In 2004 Lee was honoured with the Ethnic Multicultural Academy Legend Award, the same humanitarian award that has been given to Rev. Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi. In 2005 a statue of Bruce Lee was unveiled in the Bosnian city of Mostar, Lee was chosen by the organisers as a symbol of the fight against ethnic division. A memorial statue was also put on in Hong Kong. Four decades after his death, Bruce Lee’s name is still a thriving global business synonymous with personal innovation and achievement.
Praise for Bruce Lee
"Bruce Lee’s true legacy extends far beyond the simple confines of the martial arts world. Lee was an artist, a humanitarian, and above all else, a thinker. He was a man whose eloquence – as opposed to his fists – swayed politicians, executives, movie stars, and people of a less lofty social status alike. More important, Lee was a man whose thoughts and philosophy enabled him to cope successfully with racism, financial difficulty, love, pain, joy, sadness, wonder, marriage, fatherhood, and friendship – with life, in other words.” – Simona Gauri, 11th June 2012.
“All types of knowledge, ultimately leads to self-knowledge.” - Bruce Lee