Bruce Lee was born Lee Jun Fan on November 27, 1940, in San Francisco, California. His parents were Cantonese opera stars. When Lee was 3 years old, his family moved to Hong Kong. Lee began training in Wing Chun kung fu at the age of 13 under the tutelage of Yip Man. Lee quickly became one of Yip Man's most skilled students.
In 1959, Lee moved to Seattle, Washington, to attend the University of Washington. He continued to train in Wing Chun kung fu, and he also began to explore other martial arts, such as boxing and Muay Thai. In 1964, Lee met Linda Emery, and they were married the following year.
In 1966, Lee returned to Hong Kong to teach Wing Chun kung fu. He also began to appear in films, such as The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972). Lee's films were a critical and commercial success, and they helped to popularize martial arts movies in the West.
In 1972, Lee founded his own martial art, Jeet Kune Do. Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial art that draws from different combat disciplines, such as Wing Chun kung fu, boxing, and Muay Thai. Lee believed that Jeet Kune Do was the most effective martial art for self-defense.
On July 20, 1973, Lee died at the age of 32. His death was ruled an accident, but there has been speculation that he was murdered. Lee's legacy continues to live on, and he is considered by many to be the greatest martial artist of all time.
Lee was a pioneer in the martial arts. He was the first person to combine different martial arts into a hybrid style, and he helped to popularize martial arts movies in the West. Lee was also a philosopher, and he believed that martial arts could be used to improve one's mental and physical well-being.
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