Bruce Lee (All about The Bruce Lee)

"With nothing but his hands, feet and a lot of attitude, he turned the little guy into a tough guy." -- Time In 1959 a short, skinny, bespectacled 18-year-old kid from Hong Kong traveled to America and declared himself to be John Wayne, James Dean, Charles Atlas and the guy who kicked your butt in junior high. In an America where the Chinese were still stereotyped as meek house servants and railroad workers, Bruce Lee was all steely sinew, threatening stare and cocky, pointed finger--a Clark Kent who didn't need to change outfits. He was the redeemer, not only for the Chinese but for all the geeks and dorks and pimpled teenage masses that washed up at the theaters to see his action movies. He was David, with spin-kicks and flying leaps more captivating than any slingshot. As an exceptional martial artist, Lee's ability to synthesize various national martial techniques sparked a new trend in unarmed combat martial arts films. His talent shifted the focus from martial arts director to martial arts actor. Since 1973, the year Bruce Lee died and his famous motion picture Enter the Dragon was released, movies have been the single most influential factor behind the growing popularity of martial arts. Lee’s cinematic success spawned a global industry of the martial arts, and schools opened and flourished worldwide. During the 1970s more students took up the study of martial arts than at any time before or since. To those involved in martial arts, the years from 1972 to 1975—the height of Lee’s popularity—are often cited as the Bruce Lee era. Biography of Bruce Lee Bruce Lee (Lee Hsiao Lung), was born in San Fransisco in November 1940 the son of a famous Chinese opera singer. Bruce moved to Hong Kong when he soon became a child star in the growing Eastern film industry. His first film was called The birth of Mankind, his last film which was uncompleted at the time of his death in 1973 was called Game of Death. Bruce was a loner and was constantly getting himself into fights, with this in mind he looked towards Kung Fu as a way of disciplining himself. The famous Yip Men taught Bruce his basic skills, but it was not long before he was mastering the master. Yip Men was acknowledged to be one of the greatest authorities on the subject of Wing Chun a branch of the Chinese Martial Arts. Bruce mastered this before progressing to his own style of Jeet Kune Do. At the age of 19 Bruce left Hong Kong to study for a degree in philosophy at the University of Washington in America. It was at this time that he took on a waiter's job and also began to teach some of his skills to students who would pay. Some of the Japanese schools in the Seattle area tried to force Bruce out, and there was many confrontations and duels fought for Bruce to remain. He met his wife Linda at the University he was studying. His Martial Arts school flourished and he soon graduated. He gained some small roles in Hollywood films - Marlowe- etc, and some major stars were begging to be students of the Little Dragon. James Coburn, Steve McQueen and Lee Marvin to name but a few. He regularly gave displays at exhibitions, and it was during one of these exhibitions that he was spotted by a producer and signed up to do The Green Hornet series. The series was quite successful in the States - but was a huge hit in Hong Kong. Bruce visited Hong Kong in 1968 and he was overwhelmed by the attention he received from the people he had left. He once said on a radio program if the price was right he would do a movie for the Chinese audiences. He returned to the States and completed some episodes of Longstreet. He began writing his book on Jeet Kune Do at roughly the same time. Back in Hong Kong producers were desperate to sign Bruce for a Martial Arts film, and it was Raymond Chow the head of Golden Harvest who produced The Big Boss. The rest as they say is history. Training With "The Dragon" By: Ted Wong  Few individuals were as close to Bruce Lee as Ted Wong, and still teaching the system he learned from Lee, Wong can offer important insights into the late Dragon's training and instructional methods. As a friend and training partner of Lee, Wong gleaned technical and philosophical information from the legendary martial artist that most individuals were never privy to. In the following Dragon Spirit column, Wong explains what changes he thinks Lee would have undergone in his personal training, and in his overall outlook on the martial arts, had he been alive today. -- Editor After Bruce Lee died, I remained quiet for a number of years. But in the past few years, I have started to get a little more actively involved in the martial arts and jeet kune do. I had always wanted to teach the martial arts someday, but during those years, I felt I was still learning and still training. But I think after 20­some years, I have paid my dues and put my time into it. I have found that people really want to learn the original art and what Bruce Lee taught when he was alive. That's the reason I'm teaching now. I teach, as close as I can, the art that Bruce taught, and hopefully it has evolved and changed, and become better. I basically teach the fundamentals of jeet kune do, based on Bruce's philosophy and principles. Over the years, I have tried to improve on it and make it better. Probably only one percent of those teaching jeet kune do today are still teaching Bruce's art. Keep in mind that he did not really teach or talk about jeet kune do to many people in his life. I can't find one instructor who teaches the original form full­time; it's more like a hobby. I think Bruce would be pretty pleased with the martial arts today. A lot of people apply his philosophies and principles, but with his concepts, you can make them conform to other martial arts and, in so doing, they will improve them. The martial arts have really come a long way since his passing. They have become much better and more practical. Bruce always wanted to stay away from the martial arts being used as a sport. I think he tended to stay away from it as a sport because you could not fully utilize the art or its potential. It was not the ultimate martial art unless it was "anything ­goes." Bruce wanted to practice an art that he could use. No holds barred, no holding back, anything goes- that was his philosophy. But I think today Bruce would also like the sport portion of martial arts because you develop speed, power and timing- things you can apply to sharpen your skills. As far as no­holds­barred tournaments like the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), I don't think Bruce would enter something like that. The UFC still has some limitations to it, even though they refer to it as ultimate fighting. There are still rules that say you can't do this or that. But I think as a test of your skills, Bruce would like it. I don't think Bruce really liked teaching. He definitely didn't like to teach large groups. If anything, he enjoyed teaching one on one, or small groups. He always found a new way to develop different muscles, to improve speed or whatever. I'm sure he would still be looking for ways to improve conditioning, especially ways that no one else had discovered. He was always researching, reading and looking for more knowledge, analyzing it, and trying to utilize it. The way Bruce taught and trained was always individualized. He would gear the training to work for you. Bruce could look at you and see what you were lacking and what your potential was. and then he could fully develop your potential. I think he was always looking at the individual and developing a program to suit that individual. Bruce was a great motivator. He would get interested in you and consumed with the idea of doing everything to motivate you. If he were still alive today, he would still train and be looking for ways to improve. Because he once said that if you are lacking in your physical ability and conditioning, then you have no business in the martial arts.   Ted Wong (below right) conducts "sticking hands" practice with Bruce Lee during one of their many training sessions. He spent most of his time developing, researching and experimenting with his art. That left him little time for teaching. In those days, seminars were unheard of. It wasn't until the early 1980s that people started teaching seminars to large numbers. When I train now, I always think about him. I try to apply the things I learned from Bruce and use them in my daily routine. It makes me a much better person. People always ask me about his physical conditioning. I looked up to him because he set the standard to follow in training and conditioning the human body. If he were here today, I believe he would be in even better shape. I don't think he would ever let himself go. The Mystery of Bruce Lee's Death By: Jake Seal  Bruce Lee, dressed in the traditional Chinese outfit he wore in the movie Enter The Dragon, was laid to rest in Lakeview Cemetery in Seattle in late July of 1973. But long before Lee's sudden and tragic death in a Hong Kong apartment at age 32, rumors were rife throughout the Orient that he had been wounded or killed in fights. "One day, I got a long-distance call from Hong Kong's largest newspaper," Lee recalled. "They asked me if I was still alive. 'Guess who you are talking to?' I replied." Thus, when Lee actually did die, speculation abounded as to the cause. The rumors ranged from Lee being killed by Hong Kong triads (gangsters) because he refused to pay them protection money - —something that was common for Chinese movie stars to do at that time —to his being killed by an angry martial artist's dim mak (death touch) strike. Some people claimed Lee was cursed—he had just bought a house in Hong Kong that was supposed to be haunted—or that he had died while mking love to actress Betty Tingpei, or that he had angered the Chinese martial arts community by teaching foreigners, and that he had been killed in a challenge match. Many Chinese believed Lee was the victim of too much gum Ilk (intensity) in his training, while others cited drug use as the cause for his sudden demise. Still others believed that Lee's fate was sealed at birth, that it was in the stars. And, finally, there are those who think Lee's death was staged, and that he is merely waiting for the right time to return to society. The facts of the case are this: Lee died after falling into a coma. The coroner's report was inconclusive, and medical authorities came up with five reasons for Lee's untimely death. However, they all agreed that it was caused by a cerebral edema (a swelling of the brain caused by a congestion of fluid). But what caused the edema became a matter of speculation. For the most part, the course of events on that fateful July day in 1973 can be pieced together. According to Lee's wife, Linda, Bruce met film producer Raymond Chow at 2 p.m. at home to discuss the making of Game of Death. They worked until 4 p.m., and then drove together to the home of Betty Tingpei, a Taiwanese actress who was to also have a leading role in the film. The three went over the script at Tingpei's home, and then Chow left to attend a dinner meeting. A short time later, Lee complained of a headache and Tingpei gave him a tablet of Equagesic—a kind of super sapirin. Apart from that, Lee reportedly consumed nothing but a couple of soft drinks. At around 7:30 p.m., Lee lay down for a nap and was still asleep when Chow called to ask why he and Tingpei had not yet shown up for dinner as planned. The actress told Chow she could not wake Lee. The ensuing autopsy found traces of cannabis in Lee's stomach, but the significance of this discovery is debatable. Some believe the cannabis caused a chemical reaction that led to the cerebral edema, but the coroner's inquiry refutes this theory. In fact, one doctor was quoted as saying that the cannabis being in Lee's stomach was "no more significant than if Bruce had drunk a cup of tea that day." Dr. R.R. Lycette of Queen Elizabeth Hospital viewed Lee's death as a hypersensitivity to one or more of the compounds found in the headache tablet he consumed that afternoon. Although his skull showed no injury, his brain had swollen considerably, from 1,400 to 1,575 grams. None of the blood vessels were blocked or broken, so the possibility of a hemorrhage was ruled out. All of Lee's internal organs were meticulously examined, and the only "foreign" substance to be found was the Equagesic. Chow came to the apartment and could not wake Lee either. A doctor was summoned, and he spent 10 minutes attempting to revive the martial artist before sending him by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. By the time he reached the hospital, Lee was dead . Foul play was immediately suspected as having a role in Lee's passing. Chow appeared on television to try to settle the public furor that quickly developed. He explained what happened, omitting only the fact that Lee had not died at home. The press soon uncovered the truth, however, and demanded to know what Chow was trying to cover up. R.D. Teare, a professor of forensic medicine at the University of London who had overseen more than 90,000 autopsies, was called in and declared that it was basically impossible for the cannabis to be a factor in Lee's death. In Teare's opinion, the edema was caused by hypersensitivity to either meprobamate or aspirin, or a combination of both. His view was accepted by authorities, and a determination of "misadventure" was stamped on Lee's death. Strangely, an early death was a conceivability that Lee had contemplated with surprising frequency. According to his wife Linda, he had no wish to live to a ripe old age because he could not stand the idea of losing the physical abilities he had strived so hard to achieve. "If I should die tomorrow," he used to say, "I will have no regrets. I did what I wanted to do. You can't expect more from life." The Equipment Manager By: George Lee One of the things that set Bruce Lee apart from other martial artists of his day was the bevy of unusual homemade training devices he had at his disposal. While other practitioners were training on conventional apparatuses, Lee was designing his own state-of-the-art equipment to give him that added edge. George Lee, who was Bruce's close friend and sometime training partner, was the man responsible for developing most of Lee's sketches and blueprints into working devices. What follows is George Lee's personal account of his working relationship with "The Dragon." Much has been made of Bruce Lee's unusual training devices. While I built many of them, it was Bruce who actually designed them. He would make sketches, and then mail or give them to me, and I would bring them home and make the items. He didn't use much of the traditional training equipment. At that time, there wasn't much on the market anyway. Being a machinist by trade, I was able to make his items in my shop in Northern California. It was something I was able to do for my friend Bruce. Whatever Bruce wanted, I did it. He was one hell of a nice guy. Some of the more difficult devices made were the tombstone, the gripping machine and the shoes. These items took a little longer to make, mainly because Bruce was very particular, and I had to perfect them before they were acceptable to him.   Bruce Lee (above) conducts dynamic tension training on one of the many homemade apparatuses he used. I would make one device and send it to him, and he would say it wasn't right. He would give me his input, and I would go back to work on it. He was always improvising. He would want me to improve it. Some of the devices would take a little longer than the simpler ones. Much of the other training equipment I made for Bruce was pretty simple, like nunchaku and the three-section staff. Bruce brought his own wing chun dummy in from Hong Kong; he didn't make that. The leg stretcher, nunchaku, three-section staff, wrist roller, and the isometric training device to strengthen the forearms were some of the more popular devices I made for Bruce. And the tombstone was certainly one of the most popular items that I made. The more difficult devices often Took me up to six weeks to complete. The easy ones usually took maybe a week to finish. I put a lot of time into this effort. All of the kicking shields and punching bags I made took time. I made three kicking shields for him: a round one, one that looked like a shoe, and an oblong one. Bruce did not pay me for the devices; I did it as a favor to my friend. A lot of times, he would invite me to his home in Bel Air, California. He would show me a few extra fighting moves that he hadn't taught anyone else. That and his friendship were worth it for me. Bruce's favorite device that I made was the finger-jab bowl. He would fill it with rice or sand or pebbles, and then he would jab his hand into it to straighten out his fingers. He used the punching bags a lot too. There were about seven or eight different ones that he put in his schools. I still have pictures of all the things I made for Bruce. Most of the items were sold at the auction [of Bruce Lee memorabilia] in Beverly Hills, California, last year. But I still have copies [of the sketches] of all of them.

How Did Bruce Lee Get Those Washboard Abs? By: Jake Seal Of all the body parts Bruce Lee developed, his abdominal muscles were the most spectacular: rock solid to the touch, deeply cut and highly defined. Bruce believed the abdominals were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting your ribs and vital organs. Lee was more than merely a fitness fanatic; he was an extremist, always in search of new ways to push his body to the limit, constantly tuning it while striving to achieve maximum efficiency. He felt many martial artists of his day lacked the necessary physical fitness to back up their skill. In his book Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation." Black Belt magazine owner Mito Uyehara recalls that "Bruce always felt that if your stomach was not developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring." Lee's wife, Linda Lee Cadwell, claims her former husband "was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups." According to some of Lee's early training notes, his daily abdominal workout included: Waist twists - four sets of 90 repetitions. Sit-up twists - four sets of 20 repetitions. Leg raises - four sets of 20 repetitions. Leaning twists - four sets of 50 repetitions. Frog kicks - four sets of 50 repetitions. Lee further developed this routine, adding additional sets of sit-ups, side bends, leg raises, "flags," twists and back bends to his abdominal workout regimen. The "flag" exercise was a particularly difficult drill Lee devised for working the abdominal. While lying on a bench, he would grasp attached uprights with both hands and raise himself, supported only by his shoulders. Then, with his knees locked straight and his lower back raised off the bench, he would perform leg raises. Bolo Yeung, Lee's co-star in Enter the Dragon, recalls seeing his friend perform this exercise with just his shoulder blades resting on the end of the bench, and with his legs and torso suspended horizontally off of it. "He was able to keep himself perfectly horizontal in midair!" Yeung notes. Of course, Lee's washboard stomach did not come from mere abdominal training; he was also a zealous proponent of cardiovascular conditioning and would regularly run, jump rope and ride a stationary bicycle. A typical Lee run covered a distance of two to six miles and was accomplished in 15 to 45 minutes. According to Lee's friend and fellow actor Bob Wall, "Bruce was pretty much a five-mile runner, but then Bruce was one of those guys who I just challenged the heck out of himself. He ran backward, and he ran wind sprints where he'd run a mile, walk a mile, run a mile...." Lee would alternate running with stationary bicycling, which, according to Uyehara, he'd ride for 45 minutes (about 10 miles). Lee's student, Herb Jackson, remembers another, more unorthodox method Lee used to increase his muscle definition. According to Jackson, Lee would wear a type of sauna belt when riding his stationary bicycle because he believed the belt focused heat on his abdominal muscles and helped reduce fat. Another element in Lee's quest for abdominal definition was nutrition. According to Linda Lee Cadwell, soon after he moved to the United States, Bruce started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods and high-protein drinks. "Several times a day, he took a high-protein drink made up of powdered milk, ice water, eggs, eggshells, bananas, vegetable oil, peanut flour and chocolate ice cream," recalls Cadwell, who claims Bruce's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches. "He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender." Lee ate lean meat sparingly and consumed large amounts of fruits and vegetables. In later years, he became very knowledgeable about vitamin supplements, and each day apportioned himself exactly the right quota of vitamins A, B,C,D and E. Why Bruce Lee Turned to Weight Training The following material has been excerpted from the Ohara Publications Inc. book Bruce Lee: The Incomparable Fighter, authored by M. Uyehara, who was a close friend of the late martial artist. --Editor Bruce Lee never bragged about his muscular body, but he was proud of it, especially of his highly developed abdominal muscles. When Bruce wore loose clothing, he looked like a normally built guy. But underneath the clothing, he was a man with extraordinary muscles. "I've seen many muscular bodybuilders," one of his fans said, "but never like Bruce. He is built perfectly, not bulky. He has muscles on top of muscles, yet he moves with the finesse of a ballet dancer. Those men with bulky muscles can't move like that; they are too tight and clumsy." Fred Weintraub, the producer of Enter The Dragon, gave this description of Bruce: "...His body never had an inch of fat; it was pure muscle, like steel." Bruce had to work hard to develop those muscles. "l used to have a big, soft belly," he explained. "My stomach protruded and I looked terrible for a young guy. I decided to streamline my waist." From that revelation, Bruce took up weight training. He was always a bundle of energy. He was like a small kid who would never tire. If he had his mind set to do something, nothing could have stopped him. He combined weight training with his regular workout. He spent as much as four hours in his garage, hardly taking a break, as he worked on the equipment, built by his students to his specifications. He designed his weight-training workout to avoid bulky muscles that might interfere with his performance. For instance, he did not want muscles that restricted the movement of his elbows. "You must tuck your elbows in quickly when a blow is directed to your midsection," he explained. "Some bodybuilders are so bulky that they have no way to defend the solar plexus area with efficiency. They can't cover the area with their elbows, so when they use another method to protect it, they leave other parts of their body open. Weight training is supposed to help you, not screw you. Bruce concentrated heavily on his abdominal muscles because he believed that the body is "the biggest target and the least mobile. The more muscles you have around your abdomen, the more blows it can take." Bruce's body was covered with ripples of muscles. Broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, he was the envy of even bodybuilders. To Bruce, training was a full-time job. Even while watching television, he would be in motion. He would do his sit-ups very slowly, his body descending slower than ascending. "You'll get more benefit by doing them slowly," he said. "It's not the number of repetitions, but the way it's done." When he wasn't doing sit-ups, he would be squeezing a rubber ball or pumping a pair of dumbbells. Desiring accolades, many times he would ask a friend or acquaintance to place a hand on his abdomen or leg to "feel my stomach muscles" or "feel how hard my legs are." Bruce wasn't particular about what he ate. He avoided cigarettes, wine and liquor, but never refused a cup of hot tea. He would eat anything: pork, chicken, fish, beef, vegetables. His favorite dishes were Chinese and Japanese. Although he was small man, 5-foot-7 and 135 pounds, he had a voracious appetite. In a restaurant, he always ordered an additional plate of food for himself- one serving was not enough. He also drank a lot of water, probably because he perspired so much. Bruce took a daily amount of vitamin pills, apparently influenced by the body-building magazine he subscribed to. He prided himself on being healthy. Bruce Lee Fancy Footwork By:  Bruce Lee and M. Uyehara In jeet kune do, mobility is heavily emphasized because to-hand combat is a matter of movements. Your application of an effective technique depends on your footwork. The speed of your footwork leads the way for fast kicks and punches. If you are slow on your feet, you will be slow with your hands and feet. Jeet Rune do footwork should not only be easy, relaxed and alive, it should also be firm. The traditional, classical horse stance seeks solidity in stillness. This unnecessary, strenuous stance is not functional because it is slow and awkward. when fighting, you have to move in any direction instantly. Proper footwork contributes to hitting power and your ability to avoid punishment. Good footwork will beat any kick or punch. A moving target is definitely more difficult to hit than a stationary one. The more skillful you are with your footwork, the less you have to use your arms to block or parry kicks and punches. By moving deftly, you can elude almost any blow and prepare your fists and feet to attack. Besides evading blows, footwork allows you to cover distance rapidly, escape out of a tight corner and conserve your energy to counter with more sting in your punch or kick. A heavy slugger with poor footwork will exhaust himself as he futilely attempts to hit his opponent. You should be able to move rapidly in any direction so you are well-balanced to withstand blows from any angle. Your feet must always be directly under your body. The on-guard stance presents proper body balance and a natural alignment of your feet. The ShuffleTo advance, do not cross or hop. Instead, shuffle your feet. At the outset, you will feel clumsy and slow. As you keep practicing this movement daily, however, you will develop your speed and grace. To do the forward shuffle, stand in the on-guard position. Slide your front foot forward about a half-step, widening the space between your feet just for a second as you slide your rear foot forward. When your rear foot is moved forward, you should be back at the original position. To advance further, repeat the process. While doing this, maintain your balance and keep your guard up. You should not be flat-footed; you should glide on the balls of your feet. Learn to move like a tightrope walker. Keep both of your knees slightly bent and relaxed. Your front foot should be flat, but do not plant it heavily on the floor. It should be light and raised intuitively about V8 of an inch. Your rear heel should almost always be raised in stillness or in motion. It is raised slightly higher than the front foot, about one-fourth or one-half of an inch. When your rear heel is raised, it facilitates switching your weight immediately to your other foot when delivering a punch. Your raised back heel allows you to react quickly and act as a spring, giving in to blows from any angle. Naturally, your heel should drop at the impact of the blow. There is no fast rule that says your heels should be constantly raised or when they should be flat. This depends on several factors. including body position and your reactions. In the advanced shuffle, you should be light on your feet and your weight should be evenly distributed, except for just a split second when you are advancing your front foot. At that instant, your weight would shift to that foot just a little. In retreating or moving backward cautiously, reverse your movement. The basis behind the backward shuffle is like the advance. From the on-guard position, slide or shuffle your rear foot backward about half a step, widening the space between your feet for just a split second as you slide your front foot backward. When the front foot is in place, you should be in the on-guard position and perfectly balanced. Unlike the advance shuffle, your weight should shift slightly to your rear foot for just an instant. To retreat further, continue to repeat the process. Learn to be light on your feet continuously, and keep your rear heel raised. The forward and backward shuffle must be made with a series of short steps to retain complete balance. This position prepares you to shift your body quickly to any direction and is perfect for attacking or defending. Quick MovementsThe quick advance is almost like the forward shuffle. Begin in the jeet kune do on-guard position and step forward with your front foot about three inches. This seemingly insignificant movement keeps your body aligned and maintains your balance as you move forward. It also allows you to move with both feet evenly supplying the power. Without this short step, your rear foot does most of the work. As soon as you glide your front foot, quickly slide your back foot up to replace your front foot's previous position. Unless you move your front foot instantly, your rear foot cannot be planted properly because your front foot will be partially in the way. Just before your rear foot makes contact with your front foot, slide your front foot forward. At this position, if you have not taken another step, you should be back at the on guard position with your feet apart at a natural distance. The purpose of this drill is to move your body quickly, about eight feet or more, in several steps. Except for the first three-inch step, the series of steps should be made at a normal walking space. Quick Retreat The footwork for the quick retreat or rapid backward movement is similar to the quick advance except you move in the opposite direction. From the on-guard position, move your front foot back. Your front foot, like during the quick advance, initiates the movement. Your rear foot follows a split-second later. Unless you move your rear foot before your front foot makes contact, your front foot cannot be planted properly. Unlike the quick advance, you do not have to slide any of your foot. It is just one quick motion, but your body should be in alignment and in balance. If you were to move just once, you should be at the on-guard position. But the purpose of this movement is to move your body four feet or more. The quick movement and shuffle can only be accomplished by being light on your feet. The best exercise for overcoming the force of inertia to your feet is skipping rope and shadowboxing several minutes. While exercising, you must constantly be conscious of keeping your feet "light as a feather." Eventually, you will be stepping around with natural lightness. You must move without any strain, gliding on the balls of your feet, bending your knees slightly and keeping your rear heel raised. There should be sensitivity in your footwork. Quick or relaxed footwork is a matter of proper balance. In your training, as you return to an on-guard position after each phase of maneuvers, shuffle on the balls of your feet with ease and feeling before continuing on your next maneuver. This drill enhances your skill as it simulates actual fighting. Unless there is a strategic purpose, forward and backward movements should be made with short and quick slides. Lengthy steps or maneuvers that cause your weight to shift from one foot to the other should be eliminated except when delivering a blow. At that moment, your body is imbalanced-restricting your attack or defense effectively. Crossing your feet in motion is a bad habit because it tends to unbalance you and expose your groin area. The movement should not be a series of hops or jerks. Both feet should be slithering rhythmically just above the surface of the floor like a graceful ballroom dancer. Visually, your movement should not be like a kangaroo hopping across the open plain. Instead, it should be like a stallion galloping with even, rhythmic and graceful strokes. The Burst The forward burst or lunge is the quickest jeet kune do movement. It is also one of the hardest to learn because it depends on good coordination. It is used to attack with a side kick or to counter an attack such as a kick. The forward burst is one deep lunge. From an on-guard position, step forward about three inches with your front foot, like the quick advance movement. This will align and balance your body. For faster reactions, use your lead hand as an impetus. By sweeping your lead hand upward, you create momentum. This feeling is similar to what it would be like if someone was jerking you forward suddenly while you were holding onto a rope. This hand sweep also distracts your opponent and throws his timing off. While sweeping your hand upward, swing your hips forward simultaneously, dragging your rear foot forward. In that split instant, your weight is heavily on your front foot. At this moment, your leg straightens out to thrust your body forward. Sometimes, on an especially deep, penetrating leap, your rear foot may be ahead of your front foot while you are gliding in the air. You must land on your left foot only, as your right foot is delivering a side kick. As soon as you have completed your kick, you should quickly place your right foot down and assume the on guard position. That one leap should carry your body at least two wide steps. In a recent test with the forward burst, it took only 3/4 of a second to travel eight feet. By applying the classical lunge movement or stepping by crossing your feet, it took one and one-half seconds to reach the same distance-twice the time. The leap should be more horizontal than vertical. It is more like a broad jump than a high jump. You should try for distance by keeping your feet close to the floor. Your knees should always be bent slightly so that the powerful thigh muscles (springy expressiveness) are utilized. When practicing this footwork in the beginning, don't worry about your hands. Just keep them in the regular jeet kune do position and concentrate on your footwork. Once you are accustomed to the foot movement with proper balance, learn to sweep your hand forward just before each leap. To develop speed and naturalness in your movement, adopt the following exercise in your daily training. From an on-guard position, do the forward burst without penetrating too deeply. Sweep your hand upward and leap forward without straining yourself. Quickly place your front foot down without kicking. Continue to do this motion over and over again without stopping. But make sure you keep your balance and fluidity in motion. This exercise is excellent to adapt your body to move with ease, rhythm and grace. As you become more adaptable to the movement, increase your speed and work toward shortening the distance by more and more execution. Eventually, you can substitute a backfist punch for the sweeping movement of your hand. The backward thrust is like the quick backward movement except that it carries your body backward quicker and deeper. From an on guard position, push the ball of your front foot to initiate the motion which straightens your front knee and shifts the weight to the rear foot. Then the front foot, without pausing from the initial motion, leaves the floor and crosses your rear foot. Just before it lands, your rear leg, with its knee bent and acting like a spring, should thrust your body with a sudden straightening of its leg. You should land on the ball of your front foot just a second before your rear foot touches the floor. That one quick motion should carry your body backward at least two steps. The backward burst carries your body just as fast as the forward lunge. In the same test, it took exactly the same time to travel eight feet backward as forward-3/4 of a second. But by comparison, the classical movement covered the same distance in one second flat. For your daily training, do the backward burst for speed, balance and rhythm instead of deep penetration. Move with lightness of your feet and keep practicing toward shortening the distance. When jogging, rapidly shuffle your feet and keep jogging. Or you can do a forward burst while your partner does the backward burst. From an on-guard position, attempt to reach your partner with a light side kick as he tries to keep his distance. Then reverse your positions. Learn not to hurl yourself recklessly at your partner. Instead, try to narrow the gap of space in a calm and exact manner. Keep drilling faster and faster by lunging 200 to 300 times per day. Acceleration can be increased only by discipline in your workout. Bruce Lee's Feats Bruce Lee's striking speed from 2 feet away was five hundredths of a second. Bruce did one-hand push ups using only 2 fingers. Bruce was able to break a 150lb bag with a sidekick. Bruce would ride for 45 minutes (10 Miles) on a stationary bike, sweating profusely afterwards. Bruce's last movie Enter the Dragon was made for US$850,000 in 1973 ($3.74 million in 2005 currency. To date, Enter the Dragon has grossed over $90,000,000. (IMDB.com Bruce was able to hold a 125-pound barbell at arms length in front of him (with elbows locked) for several seconds Bruce Lee's Hollywood Movies These are the five movies that Bruce Lee made in Hollywood before his tragic death. Now you can get all  of Bruce Lee - The Master Collection (Fists of Fury / The Chinese Connection / Return of the Dragon / Game of Death / The Legend) on one DVD. FISTS OF FURY Released 1971 - Approx. 101 min Starring Bruce Lee, Maria Yi, James Tien , Nora Maio, Tony Liu and Han Ying Chieh Directed by Lo Wei Featuring:  The lightening kicks of Bruce Lee on screen for the first time. The setting is in Bangkok, Thailand.  Before Bruce left China to Thailand, he promised his mom that he won't get in any fights and troubles.  Strangely, some workers from the ice factory where Bruce works, vaporized.  To find out what's going on, Bruce goes to see the boss; thus, realizing that the boss is involved in this event. Then, Bruce starts a fierce battle with the boss and the gangs. THE CHINESE CONNECTION Released 1972 - Approx. 107 mins Starring:  Bruce Lee, Nora Miao Ker Hsiu, C H wong, Y C Han, James Tien, Robert Baker Directed by Lo Wei Featuring:  The 2 scenes that Bruce goes to challenge the Japanese martial art school Setting:  In the early 1900's, Shanghai, China. Story:  Teacher Fok died in a sudden. Bruce Lee as Chan Chen, came back to Shanghai for his teacher's funeral. During the funeral, some Japanese came and pissed off Bruce's group as "Sick men of Asia".  That's why Bruce challenged the Japanese martial art school.  Later on, Bruce found out that his teacher was poisoned to death by a Japanese undercover from the Jap martial art school.  Finally, Bruce took his revenge and killed all the god damn Japanese, as a result of devoting his life to preserve the JING WU SCHOOL. ENTER THE DRAGON Released 1973 - Approx. 99 mins Starring:  Bruce lee, Shih Kien, John Saxon, Ahna Capri, Bob Wall and  Bolo Yeung Directed by Robert Clouse Featuring:  Bruce, the first time as the main character in Hollywood films Story:  Shaolin student Bruce was asked to cooperate with the FBI to investigate on a drug island controlled by  Shih Kein.  Unfortuneately, Bruce was captured as he's doing his spying.  One thing for sure, Bruce is mightier than Shih.  Finally, Bruce and Shih have a great fight at the end of the film and the FBI came to bust up the operation. RETURN OF THE DRAGON Released 1973 - Approx. 88 minutes Starring: Bruce Lee, Chuch Norris, Nora Miao Ker Hsiu Directed by: Bruce Lee Featuring: Fight with Chuck Noris Bruce Lee wrote and directed Return of the Dragon, his third film, a mix of hard-edged kung fu and goofy humor. Once again he plays the country boy who travels to a foreign land, in this case Italy, where his restaurant-owning cousins face trouble from the local syndicate. Their strong-arm tactics have driven customers away and now threaten the family, but Lee refuses to buckle under their pressure and takes them on in a series of impressive confrontations. The film ends with a memorable showdown with world-champion karate artist Chuck Norris in the Roman Colosseum (though much of it is staged in a rather cheap studio set), a brutal, almost inhuman battle that revels in the intense punishment taken by the combatants. GAME OF DEATH Released 1978 - Approx. 95 mins Starring:  Bruce Lee, Gig Young, Dan Inosanto, Kareem Abdul Jabaar, Dean Jagger, Colleen Camp and Hugh O'Brian Directed by Robert Clouse Featuring:  Bruce VS Dan Inosanto & Kareem Abdul Jabaar Bruce Lee died after shooting only a few scenes of his ambitious Game of Death, but that didn't stop greedy producers from finishing and releasing "Lee's last film," even if he's doubled for most of it. Lee planned an ambitious expression of his fighting philosophy, and his story culminates in the rigorous challenge of the "Game of Death," in which combatants take on successively greater and greater masters as they fight their way to the top of a tower. Bruce Lee also starred in these other films and documentatries.  Green Hornet: Green Hornet - Pilot and Promos Bruce Lee in Green Hornet I - "The Green Hornet" (Asian re-mix) Bruce Lee in Green Hornet II - "Fury Of The Dragon" (Asian re-mix) Green Hornet Strikes Again Green Hornet #1 (episodes 01-04) Green Hornet #2 (episodes 05-08) Green Hornet #3 (episodes 09-12) Green Hornet #4 (episodes 13-16) Green Hornet #5 (episodes 17-20) Green Hornet #6 (episodes 21-24) Green Hornet #7 (episodes 25-26 + Batman "Piece Of The Action" I & II)(All Green Hornet episodes are commercial free) Other: Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey (2002 documentary) "Bruce Lee - The Legend" (1984 documentary)  "The Green Hornet Tape" (featuring 3 episodes, Batman clip, interviews (Van Williams on Entertainment Tonight) and 3 trailers + Bruce Lee's screen test)  "Bruce Lee - The Beginning" (first screen test, + featured appearances in four Green Hornet TV shows)  A&E Original Biography + "Piece Of The Action" (Batman & Robin vs. The Green Hornet)  "Bruce Lee - The Curse Of The Dragon" (fight scenes, interviews, Brandon, home movies, tournament, and funeral footage)  "Bruce Lee's Biography - The Man, The Myth" (An action-filled kung fu movie telling the story of Bruce Lee)  "The Real Bruce Lee" (includes rare footage from: "The Little Dragon", "The Bad Boy", "Carnival", and "Orphan Sam")  Longstreet - "Way Of The Intercepting Fist" (pilot)  Bruce and Brandon Lee Compilation I (E! News Update and Los Angeles Eyewitness News report on Brandon's death, "Dragon" opening, Bruce's Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame, behind the scenes footage with Bob Wall, and Fred Weintraub, E! News Week In Review, Hard Copy "The Curse Of The Crow" exclusive home video from the movie set)  Bruce and Brandon Lee compilation II ("Crime Wave", "The Ray Is For Killing", Batman clip, Black Beauty profile, Van Williams "Where Are They Now?", Green Hornet trailers, "Marlowe" clips, behind the scenes "Enter The Dragon", childhood movie clips "Kid Cheung", "The Bad Boy", "Carnival", and "Orphan Sam", funeral footage, clip from "The Tennant", FX clip, E! Entertainment report on Brandon's death "Haunted Hollywood")  A&E Biography (updated) + Unsolved Mysteries (Bruce and Brandon's deaths)  "Fist Of Bruce Lee" starring Bruce Lee (1978)  "Bruce and Dragon Fist" starring Bruce Le (1979) Books & Publications About Bruce Lee Books written by Bruce Lee Bruce Lee : Artist of Life (Bruce Lee Library) Bruce Lee's Fighting Method : Basic Training Bruce Lee's Fighting Method : Basic Training (Volume 2) Bruce Lee's Fighting Method : Skill in Techniques, Volume 3, Number 404 Bruce Lee's Fighting Method : Advanced Techniques, Volume 4, Number 405 Bruce Lee : Words from a Master Chinese Gung Fu : The Philosophical Art of Self Defense Jeet Kune Do : Bruce Lee's Commentaries on the Martial Way (The Bruce Lee Library, Vol 3) Striking Thoughts: Bruce Lee's Wisdom for Daily Living Tao of Jeet Kune Do The Art of Expressing the Human Body (Bruce Lee Library) The Tao of Gung Fu : A Study in the Way of Chinese Martial Arts (Bruce Lee Library, Vol 2) Words of the Dragon : Interviews 1958-1973 (Bruce Lee Library, Vol 1) Source: allbrucelee.com