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Bruce Lee was undoubtedly the greatest martial artist of all time. I think the real tragedy is that he died so young and before Hollywood and Hong Kong really got a handle on how to make modern martial arts films. He never even got to fight anyone all that extraordinary yet his talent was undeniable. His story was almost as compelling.

Born in 1940 in San Fransisco to a Chinese family, Lee would have to deal with racism his whole life. He would live in China for awhile but after a fight with a triad in high school his father feared for his safety and sent him overseas to the United States. As he grew up he learned the basics of Wing Chu from his dad and this would provide the basis for his training from there on out. He was later trained by the world renowned martial artist Fumio Demura, head of the Shito Ryu school. He would practice Jeet Kune Do and by the time he arrived in America for the second time in 1959

In the 1960s Lee would attempt tobegin an acting career. He played Kato alongside Val Williams in The Green Hornet and became famous for it. He would go through the attacked so fast that they eventually had to send truckloads worth after him! He would go so fast that they would have to tell hi to slow down so the cameras could capture him…

Still, Bruce was unhappy with the roles he was receiving in America and returned to Hong Kong to work with director/producer Raymond Chow. He starred first in The Big Boss in 1971, which was a megahit in Asia and catapulted him to overnight celebrity status. He solidified his reputation with Fist of Fury in 1972. This took in even more money than The Big Boss.

He followed this up by writing, directing and starring in Way of the Dragon. This is the movie where he cast Chuck Norris as the villain. In my opinion this is one of his absolute best opponents if not the best… I have heard that a lot of their fight was real and that Norris had to go to the hospital afterward…

Norris had issued statements saying he could take Lee but he found out the hard way that he’s simply not in his class. The fight is pretty one sided but I attribute that to the reality factor. Soon after this movie he was given a real chance of a lifetime: to star in an American film.

It was called Enter the Dragon and it came out in 1973. This film was aMassivebox office success and cemented Lee’s appeal overseas as well. As of this writing the movie has grossed over two hundred million worldwide. After this movie Bruce would make Game of Death, but die tragically before filming was finished.

He complained of a headache and took medicine given to him by a female friend. He passed out and was dead by the time he reached the hospital. There are many theories about his death ranging from an allergic reaction to poisoning. There is even a theory that he died from an allergic reaction to marijuana, and even thoughit is controversial it has been proven through the coroner’s report that there were traces of THC in his body.

There is also of course the theory that he had a curse place don him. This Lee Curse is then thought to have extended to his son who died tragically in a motion picture mixup twenty years later.

Even though we’ll never know what could have been it is simple to imagine. Lee had a raw power to him that you simply never see anywhere else. He had all the technique in the world but it was so refined that he was simply a set of explosions aimed anywhere he pleased. I truly believe he could have beaten anyone, from any time.