Bruce Lee : The Life of a Legend

"Labels such as 'icon' or 'legend' are rarely attached to one individual to the degree that they are to Bruce Lee. He only made a handful of films, yet four and a half decades after his untimely death at the age of 32, the Little Dragon's influence on culture is as strong as ever. Named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century, Lee wasn't just an actor and martial artist, but a director, inventor, husband, father and philosopher. His martial art, jeet kune do, is still practised around the world, while UFC champions credit him with inspiring the growing sport of mixed martial arts. His films kick-started a global kung fu boom and retain the power to awe today, while his thoughts - collected in a series of books from Lee's own notes - still inspire. Bruce Lee: The Life of a Legend is a unique oral biography that combines the memories of Lee's original students, close friends, co-stars and colleagues - those who knew him best - to provide a candid view on the action movie star adored by millions, capturing the essence of a complex man in a way no straightforward narrative ever could. Further, for the first time ever in print, legendary professional boxing, bodybuilding and MMA champions and personalities from the motion picture industry pay homage to Lee, giving a blend of unique perspectives on a man who changed the face of their respective sports."--Amazon.com Cover Title Copyright Acknowledgments Foreword by Diana Lee Inosanto Preface Part One: The Life Chapter One: Original Students Jesse Glover James Demile Patrick Strong Doug Palmer Joseph Cowles George Lee Leo Fong Bob Bremer Jerry Poteet Larry Hartsell Chapter Two: Friends William Cheung Hawkins Cheung Greglon Lee Wally Jay Leon Jay George Dillman Jhoon Rhee Joe Lewis Hayward Nishioka Diana Lee Inosanto Chapter Three: Co-Stars and Colleagues Bill Ryusaki Peter Mark Richman Marilyn Mason Lou Gossett Jr. Robert Chua Ted Thomas Jon T. Benn Ing-Sik Whang Chaplin Chang Malisa Longo Andre Morgan Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Ji Han Jae Paul Heller Lalo Schifrin John Saxon Part Two: The Legacy Chapter One: The Boxing Legacy Sugar Ray Leonard George Foreman Ricky Hatton Chapter Two: The Bodybuilding Legacy Dorian Yates Lenda Murray Franco Columbu Shawn Ray Chapter Three: The Mma Legacy Randy Couture Tito Ortiz Frank Shamrock Rorion Gracie Chapter Four: The Movie Industry Legacy Dolph Lundgren John Woo Jean Claude Van Damme Words Of Wisdom: Bruce Lee’s Philosophy Appendix I - Ted Thomas Interview with Bruce Lee Appendix II - The Dan Lee and Bruce Lee Phone Conversation About the Author Sources & Bibliography This oral biography of the legendary martial artist and action film star offers “an impressive collection of insights into the life of a cultural icon” (The Guardian, UK).Bruce Lee only made a handful of films, yet generations after his untimely death at the age of thirty-two, the Little Dragon's influence on culture is as strong as ever. Lee wasn't just an actor and martial artist, but a director, inventor, husband, father and philosopher. His films kick-started a global kung fu boom and retain the power to awe today, while his thoughts – collected in a series of books from Lee's own notes—still inspire.Through exclusive interviews with Lee's original students, close friends, co-stars, and many others, Fiaz Rafiq compiles a compelling, revealing, and multifaceted portrait of this complex man. Bruce Lee: The Life of a Legend “punches and kicks into new territory” (Hollywood Reporter). A Sunday Times Book of the Year