Summary

twelvemonth before becoming a kung fu motion-picture show superstar , Bruce Leeconsidered dropping martial arts altogether . In addition to his starring role in classics likeEnter the DragonandWay of the Dragon , Lee ’s extremely disciplined approaching to martial humanities is an authoritative part of his legacy and image .

Even in his young , Lee was deep concerned in warlike arts . The actor ’s teenage years determine him as a bookman of Ip Man , a well - respect Wing Chun grandmaster and the centering of Donnie Yen ’s fourIp Manmovies . While living in Hong Kong , Lee spent much time training diligently under Ip Manand his student , and finally used the experience he gained to open his own martial artistry schools . But while developing his kung fu acquirement had clear been a priority throughout this period , there was a brief sentence when Lee think about the notion of drop by the wayside soldierly arts for unspoilt .

Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris had a legendary encounter in Way of the Dragon , but did they fight down in real life ( and how did they first meet ) ?

A collage image featuring shots of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris, including their fight in Way of the Dragon, created by Tom Russell

Bruce Lee Nearly Quit Practicing Martial Arts In The Early 1960s

Bruce Lee Was Disillusioned With His Progress As A Fighter

disciple of the Dragon , a rule book by Paul Bax that tell stories about the actor from Bruce Lee ’s pupil , talk about the foiling that Lee experienced with his stratum of skill sometime after his move to the United States . According to James DeMille , who train under the star in the sixties , Lee would occasionally render home to Hong Kong and spar with his former classmates at Ip Man ’s school so that he could show off his advancement in Wing Chun . after , Lee returned to the United States " shatter " by how ill he fared against Ip Man ’s student .

DeMille claimed that Lee had struggled in these fights , only hitting his opponents " once out of every three times they could hit him . " Because of this , Lee " thought seriously " about walking away from martial prowess , apparently feeling thathis training in Wing Chun had n’t paid off . In David Brewster and David M. Beurge ’s book , Washingtonians , it was express by another Bruce Lee bookman - Howard Williams - that this frustration went so far that Lee " almost gave up martial arts altogether . "

Bruce Lee’s Frustration With Wing Chun Is What Led To Jeet Kune Do

Disastified With His Current Kung Fu Style, Bruce Lee Came Up With His Own

Obviously , though , this was only a stage for Lee . That said , it was an extremely important one , as it was ultimately what fueledthe world of Jeet Kune Do . As Williams explained , the challenges Lee administer with pushed him to " develop something no one else had . " In 1964 , Bruce Lee officially founded Jeet Kune Do . Jeet Kune Do serve as a solution to his job , in that it allows a tremendous amount of tractableness in comparison to the more rigid social organization provide by traditional kung fu fashion like Wing Chun .

It would seem that expanding his scheme of warriorlike humanistic discipline beyond Wing Chun was indeed what Lee needed to get the best the hurdle race he was face .

give his current reputation as one of the greatest warlike arts hotshot of all time , it would seem that expanding his organization of martial arts beyond Wing Chun was indeed what Lee postulate to have the best the hurdling he was face . This approximation is represent by iconic quotes from Bruce Lee himself , not the least of which is " be like water , " which spoke toBruce Lee’sbelief that being " formless " and not being held back by rules was the headstone to succeeding in soldierly arts .

Imagery from Rush Hour and The Matrix

Sam Elliott in The Big Lebowski

Why Bruce Lee Almost Gave Up Martial Arts For Good-1

Custom image by Milica Djordjevic

Bruce Lee Yip Man

Movies

Bruce Lee