Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee accomplished an incredible amount in his short life. He died at just 32 years old in 1973, but in that all-too-brief time, he had become a star of both cinema and martial arts. Bridging the gap between Eastern and Western culture, he defied stereotypes and forever changed the nature of martial arts films. Lee became an icon of the 20th century, an instantly recognizable figure who, like Muhammad Ali, could inspire people with both his physical and verbal skills. Bruce Lee was a philosopher as well as a fighter. He studied Asian and Western schools of thought at the University of Washington, where he developed an eclectic philosophy that influenced all parts of his life. This was reflected in Lee’s hybrid philosophy of martial arts, which he called Jeet Kune Do, or the Way of the Intercepting Fist. Its basic guiding principles of simplicity, directness, and freedom were core tenets in Lee’s overarching belief system, and he refused to place the same limits on Jeet Kune Do as found in other styles. In doing so, he helped paved the way for modern mixed martial arts.