Bruce Lee, the Legend Page #5

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Enter The Dragon.

At last, Bruce Lee was to play

the lead in a Hollywood movie.

He applied all his energies

to his performance...

and worked closely

with director Robert Clouse...

in staging all the martial arts action

in the film.

[Speaking Chinese]

Bruce Lee first

formally set out his methods...

in this early book, Chinese Gung Fu,

published in 1 963.

He illustrated it

with precise drawings...

which highlighted

every detail of the text.

The photographs were taken

in the parking lot next to Ruby Chow's.

Two martial arts students

demonstrate how some of these moves...

work in action.

During his career, Bruce never failed

to enlighten his peers...

with his in-depth analyses

of martial arts.

Gung Fu originated in China.

It is the ancestor

of karate and jujitsu.

It's more of a complete system,

and it's more fluid.

There is continuity

in movement...

instead of one movement

and then stop.

The best example is a glass of water.

Water is the softest substance

in the world,

but it can penetrate

the hardest rock...

or anything-- granite, you name it.

Water also is insubstantial.

You cannot grasp it.

You cannot punch it and hurt it.

Every Gung Fu man

is trying to do that--

to be soft like water

and adapt to the opponent.

A karate punch

is like an iron bar-- wham!

A Gung Fu punch

is like an iron chain...

with an iron ball

attached to the end,

and it go-- whang--

and it hurt inside.

Gung Fu can be practiced

alone or with a partner.

Practicing alone involves form.

Some imitate a crane,

a monkey, a praying mantis.

This is a crane form.

Start off.

Hiyeeee!

Many moves Bruce used

in his films...

were designed more

for dramatic effect...

than as examples

forjeet Kune Do.

It's also true that much was

an accurate exposition of his art.

Here he deals with

an attempted grab and throw...

followed unwisely by an attempt

to sneak up behind.

A defense and counter

to a clubbing attack from the side.

A deadly

two-handed knife attack...

is foiled with the help

of a jacket.

Nunchaku against a sword.

Even Bruce admits

this is an uneven contest...

and would normally be avoided.

But then it's not a situation many

students today are likely to encounter.

When used effectively,

the wooden staff...

is an excellent weapon

against knives.

A seemingly impossible situation--

an empty-handed defense

against a sword.

Only with incredible speed and

almost psychic anticipation...

could anyone survive.

Bruce was absolutely insistent

about physical fitness.

He said training is one of

the most neglected phases of athletics.

Too much time is given

to developing the skill...

and too little to developing

the individual for participation.

I don't think anyone trained

as hard as Bruce did.

I don't think anyone

was as dedicated a trainer.

It is a popular belief that Bruce Lee

was born with an exceptional physique.

Nothing could be further

from the truth.

As a child,

he was rather frail.

Reportedly,

he never ate well at home,

a habit which seemed to persist, even

when he returned to the United States.

It was only through

many years of exercise...

and finally reappraising

his dietary habits...

that he built himself into the superb

physical specimen he was to become.

Bruce's emphasis

on physical fitness...

opened up a new path

for martial arts students.

They followed his advice of applying

modern exercising techniques...

to the field of martial arts.

They learned to appreciate

Bruce's outlook--

''One may know

all the fighting techniques,

but if one is not fit, one does not

stand a chance in a real fight.''

His fame and following

grew and grew.

Whole magazines were devoted

to one aspect or another...

of his life and career.

In the world of martial arts

and action movies,

Bruce Lee was king.

This is noted Taiwanese actress

Betty Ting Pei.

Her charms had been revealed to

good advantage in numerous film roles,

often as a seductress.

For some three months, her name had been

romantically linked with Bruce Lee's,

as had many others in the past.

Whether there's any truth behind

any of the stories of these liaisons...

remains speculation.

Certainly, though,

it wasn't a disadvantage...

for any ambitious actress

to be linked with Bruce Lee.

On the afternoon

ofjuly 20, 1 973,

Bruce went to the apartment

of Betty Ting Pei.

They were to meet Raymond Chow

for dinner,

an appointment Bruce Lee

was never to keep.

He was rushed to a hospital.

Betty had phoned Raymond Chow saying

Bruce had laid down with a headache...

and she couldn't rouse him.

Chow rushed to Betty's apartment.

Doctors were called, and finally,

an ambulance.

Bruce Lee was certified

dead on arrival...

at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Hong Kong was stunned.

And as the word spread,

people read with shock

and disbelief.

The next day, thousands of people

jammed the streets...

around the funeral parlor.

Several hundred extra police

were detailed...

to control the crowd.

No one could believe

that someone like Bruce Lee,

so young, so fit,

could just die.

But Betty Ting Pei

would say nothing.

Bruce was my best friend,

but now he's gone.

Bruce trusted me a lot.

At that time, I didn't want to,

nor do I need to explain anything.

Because of our relationship,

I have been blamed unfairly.

His death came as a shock and there

has been a lot of pressure on me.

But I'll never let anything

spoil the relationship I had with Bruce.

At the funeral,

Linda arrived with Raymond Chow.

Above a portrait of Bruce

is a banner in Chinese, reading,

''A star sinks in a sea of art.''

All around are draped

thousands of tributes.

Relatives and close friends

bow in respect.

Linda and the two children are draped in

the traditional white robes of mourning.

Members of the funeral party

file past the open coffin.

Few can hide their grief.

Linda and the children take a last look,

as they, too, leave.

The controversy about Bruce Lee's death

was still raging.

Only at Hong Kong Airport,

about to board a plane...

that was carrying Bruce's body

to Seattle,

that Linda finally

broke her silence.

It is my wish that the newspapers

and the people of Hong Kong...

will stop speculating

on the circumstances...

surrounding my husband's death.

Although we do not have

the final autopsy report,

I hold no suspicion of anything

other than natural death.

I do not hold any person

responsible for his death.

Fate has ways we cannot change.

The only thing of importance is that

Bruce is gone and will not return.

He lives on in our memories

and through his films.

Remember him

for his genius, his art...

and the magic he brought

to every one of us.

For we who knew him well, his words and

thoughts will remain with us forever...

and influence the rest

of our lives.

In Seattle

awaits Linda's family...

and more bereaved relatives

and friends...

and a second funeral.

Beside the coffin was placed the

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