It was about that time that he developed his own technique- jeet kune do, a blend of ancient kung fu, fencing, boxing, and philosophy-which he began teaching instead of traditional martial arts. While in Seattle he opened his first martial arts school, and in 1964 he relocated to Oakland, California, to found a second school. He lived with family friends in Seattle, where he finished high school and studied philosophy and drama at the University of Washington. Lee’s parents were increasingly disturbed by his street fighting and run-ins with the police, and they sent him to live in the United States shortly after he turned 18. At that time he also started dance lessons, which further refined his footwork and balance in 1958 Lee won the Hong Kong cha-cha championship. As a teenager, he took up with local gangs and began learning kung fu to better defend himself. The younger Lee began appearing in films as a child and was frequently cast as a juvenile delinquent or street urchin. He was introduced to the entertainment industry at an early age, as his father was an opera singer and part-time actor. Lee was born in San Francisco, but he grew up in Hong Kong. He died in Hong Kong on July 20, 1973, six days before the release of his film Enter the Dragon there.īruce Lee, Chinese name Li Jun Fan, (born November 27, 1940, San Francisco, California, U.S.-died July 20, 1973, Hong Kong), American-born film actor who was renowned for his martial arts prowess and who helped popularize martial arts movies in the 1970s. This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.īruce Lee's official cause of death was swelling of the brain caused by an allergic reaction to a headache medication, although some considered the circumstances of his death mysterious.Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.
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