Bruce Lee Biography, Part II

In April of 1959, Bruce Lee embarked on his journey back to America with nothing more than $100 to his name. He boarded a ship bound for San Francisco but quickly found his new home in Seattle after arriving on American shores. Bruce enrolled at the University of Washington to further his education in subjects like philosophy while simultaneously opening his first gung fu school, located at 651 Weller St. in Seattle WA. Bruce met Linda Caldwell when she enrolled in his classes and they were wed in 1964. Later that year, as Bruce’s acting aspirations began to wane, Bruce and Linda decided to move to Oakland in hopes of expanding his martial arts practice.

While Bruce’s imprint on martial arts was solidifying in the West, not everyone approved of his methods. Many traditionalists saw Bruce’s open attitude to teaching students of all races as a mark against the martial arts community. One night in San Francisco, a group of gung fu men challenged Bruce to a bout, giving him the ultimatum that if he lost, he would have to cease teaching non-Chinese students. After successfully, defeating his opponent, Bruce became introspective about the future of his practice, paving the way for him to begin formulating his very own martial arts style, Jeet Kune Do.

Bruce Lee as Kato on “Green Hornet” (1967)

Following this, Bruce was invited to a martial arts demonstration in Long Beach, CA which would go on to change the course of his life forever. Many people connected in the entertainment industry took notice of Bruce’s exceptional gung fu talent and, in the weeks following, offered Bruce to participate in a screen test in Hollywood. His first taste of Hollywood notoriety came in 1967 when he was cast to play the role of “Kato” in the show “Green Hornet.” The show only aired 26 episodes, but it helped motivate Lee to continue developing the art of Jeet Kune Do and set his practice apart from all other traditional forms of martial arts. Bruce would go on to teach his unique “style with no style” to many notable figures in the entertainment industry for years to come.

To be concluded in Dragon: the Life & Legacy of Bruce Lee – Part III…

Read Part I of our three-part biography here

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