Credit : www.history.com
As a pioneer of martial arts cinema, Bruce Lee has been an idol to many people ever since his tragic death in July 1973. What makes Lee a special figure is that he represents much more than just an action star from a bygone age. Even by today’s standards, Lee stands out as one of the most well-known figures in the world of martial arts. Arguably nobody understood this potential better than John Little. In 2007, Little launched The National Martial Arts Council (NMAC), with the sole purpose of creating a new generation of Bruce Lee fans by raising awareness of his legacy and the significance it holds for modern society. With almost 350 million views on their official channels and over 1 million followers on their global social media platforms, they have done just that –> – In this article, we explore some lesser known facts about Bruce Lee, discuss why his legacy matters today, and share our top 10 favorite quotes from him as well as his wife Linda.
Who was Bruce Lee?
Over his lifetime, Lee had acquired many titles. By profession, he was a martial artist, teacher, philosopher and author. His fans often referred to him as “the one and only”, and “the dragon”. At the same time, Lee was also known as a “philosophical disruptor”, “the first global Asian”, and “the God of Martial Arts”.
Lee’s martial arts journey began at a young age. He started training in Wing Chun Kung Fu at the age of 11, after his father had received numerous complaints about his son’s mischievous behaviour. After his introduction to Kung Fu, Lee devoted most of his teenage years to the study of martial arts, eventually learning a variety of fighting styles. These included Taekwondo, Judo and the Chinese martial arts of Kung Fu, Northern Shaolin and Wushu.
Why does his legacy matter today?
The significance of Lee’s legacy, however, is not limited to the martial arts world. He was also one of the most important global Asian figures of his generation, using his fame and recognition to challenge the outdated cultural perceptions and social stereotypes of his day. As a public figure, Lee often used his fame to promote social messages, including anti-racism, Asian American identity, cross-cultural exchange, and Chinese American relations. His philosophy was applicable to all societies and cultures, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of different peoples, ideas and ways of thinking.
10 Quotes from Bruce Lee
The best way to predict the future is to create it.
The more we learn, the more we realize we don’t know.
Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.
You don’t have to go to the water to get wet.
There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not remain there, you must go beyond them. If you’re stuck, you either tried to jump too high or too soon, or you’re doing something wrong.
Stay away from negative people. They have a tendency to drag you into their mess.
You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water into a teapot, it becomes the teapot.
6 lessons we can learn from the life of Bruce Lee
These are the 6 life lessons we can take away from the life of Bruce Lee:
Be open to new experiences - We can never know what the future has in store for us, so we must remain open to new experiences and opportunities that may arise. This way, even if things don’t always go as we had planned, we are still able to make the most of the situation.
Invest in yourself - The more we learn, the more we are able to accomplish in life. This is why we should always strive to be better and improve ourselves. Self-improvement is something that we should not see as a one-time event, but rather as a continuous journey.
Believe in yourself - With all this talk about self-improvement, it is important to realize that we must first believe that we can do it. It is only when we believe in ourselves that we are able to push ourselves to achieve more.
Find your passion - Passion is something that is found inside us. If we are to live a fulfilling life, we must find what we are truly passionate about, and pursue it.
Be open-minded - There is no such thing as a perfect person. Everybody has their flaws, and we must accept that. But the difference between a good person and a bad person is that the good person is able to look past those flaws and accept the person as they are.
Let’s put these lessons into action!
At the end of the day, the legacy of Bruce Lee is a story of inspiration. It is a story that reminds us to always be open to new experiences, to invest in ourselves, and to believe in ourselves. It is a story of passion and open-mindedness. It is a story of continuous growth and betterment. And most importantly, it is a story that has the power to affect change in our society –> -
With all that said, let’s do our best to remember the legacy of this great man and pass these lessons on to the next generation of Bruce Lee fans.