Bruce Lee

Title: Why Bruce Lee Has More Kick Than Ever

Author: Jeff Yang

Publication, Page Numbers and Date: The Wall Street Journal Jan 30, 2012

Link: http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/01/30/tao-jones-re-enter-the-dragon-why-bruce-lee-is-more-relevant-than-ever/

Summary

Bruce Lee, known mostly for being a martial arts actor was actually more than that. He was a philosopher, activist, and a martial arts innovator. His work still is relevant to this day, being named on the Time 100 most influential list along with many other awards to his name.

Major Issues/Impact

It was with his movies such as Enter the Dragon and Fists of Fury that catapulted Bruce Lee to fame. However it is what he did off screen that lets his legend endure even today. He took risks such as teaching martial arts to foreigners, blending the styles of fighting, and speaking for the common person that made him so influential. He was one of the first Asian Americans to burst into film and projected them as heroes, which was rarely seen prior to him and paved the way for actors such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan. His blending of fighting styles was revolutionary for its time. Some can even consider him the father of the concept of Mixed Martial Arts, with his founding of Jeet Kun Do, his particular style of fighting that mixed concepts of all different fighting disciplines.

My Opinion

I looked up to Bruce Lee as I was growing up. There were few Asian American Heroes in movies and in culture quite like him. He made me secure as an Asian growing up, because I was bullied as a child for being Asian in a predominately white school. He is synonymous with martial arts philosophy and his movies stand the test of time.