Text|Light rain
Editor|Situ Ye
Bruce Lee, a legendary name.
It was he who freed us from the title of "sick man", and it was he who made Chinese martial arts go to the world.
Even though he has passed the 50th anniversary of his death, he is still one of the most outstanding beings in the history of Chinese kung fu.
And he, who has always been at odds with Japan, accepted a Japanese apprentice at the age of 22.
And became a confidant with it.
After his death, only this apprentice insisted on visiting the master's grave every week.
became his gravekeeper.
But in fact, the acquaintance of the two originated from a martial arts competition.
As the saying goes, if you don't fight, you don't know each other, and the same is true for masters and apprentices.
And the relationship between them also starts with the "covenant" in 1959.
01 Do not fight two masters and apprentices who do not know each other
Takeyuki Kimura, who lives in the United States, is an American Japanese overseas Chinese.
However, because he was born in the era of war, he was imprisoned by Americans when he was in high school.
It wasn't until after World War II that he returned to Seattle to start his second life.
Although he suffered years of inhuman imprisonment, his willpower was tempered very strongly.
Later, he also started practicing judo and opened a supermarket with the help of his family.
However, he was injured by several falls while practicing judo, and since then he has temporarily given up the practice.
Until 1959, when he was working in a supermarket, Bruce Lee's disciples often mentioned the name Bruce Lee to him.
According to them, although Bruce Lee is only 19 years old, his martial arts are very powerful.
However, in Kimura's opinion, how can a Chinese teenager who is only 19 years old have such a powerful martial art.
It's definitely just a little bit of fancy embroidery.
Because he had seen too many scammers before this.
One by one, they lied that they were martial arts families, but in fact, the kung fu of the three-legged cat was not counted.
Therefore, he was not afraid of Bruce Lee in the mouth of customers.
However, at their instigation, he thought he was proficient in judo and decided to meet the Hong Kong man for a while.
And Bruce Lee was undaunted by Kimura's challenge.
Although he studied judo for many years, Kimura became Bruce Lee's defeated man in the martial arts arena.
Because Bruce Lee's punching technique was so fast, so fast that he didn't have the slightest chance to defend.
Since then, he has identified Bruce Lee, a Hong Kong man, and said that he will worship him as a teacher.
But Bruce Lee at that time had Chinese blood flowing in his bones.
He hated the bad things Japan had done to the Chinese nation.
Therefore, at that time, he resolutely did not accept Kimura as an apprentice.
However, Kimura often surrounded Bruce Lee on the grounds of exchanging martial arts.
As the two came into contact, they found that each other had the same experience of bearing the burden of humiliation.
Therefore, the two became "year-end friends" at first sight.
Even if the two have a 16-year age difference.
Subsequently, Bruce Lee decided to open a local martial arts gym in order to better promote Chinese martial arts.
Let more foreigners know about Chinese Kung Fu.
But everything is difficult at the beginning, even Bruce Lee.
Being in a foreign country, he didn't have enough money to start a martial arts venue.
So, the venues where he taught martial arts were either in underground parking lots or in playgrounds.
There is no fixed place.
Later, Kimura learned about Bruce Lee's situation and offered to help him solve the problem of the venue.
He first vacated a vacant lot in the backyard of the supermarket and renovated it.
An area was specially expanded to house wooden piles shipped by Bruce Lee in Hong Kong.
Since then, Kimura has completely solved Bruce Lee's venue problem.
And this venue was later the world-famous "Zhenfan Guoshu Hall".
02 Establishment of "Zhenfan Kaikan"
Bruce Lee is grateful for what Kimura has done.
Therefore, he officially accepted this Japanese apprentice.
At that time, Kimura's age was slightly older among Bruce Lee's disciples.
Therefore, he is inferior to other students in all aspects such as physical fitness and learning ability.
And Bruce Lee also learned Kimura's story and knew that he had been suppressed for many years.
Therefore, his training for Kimura is extremely strict, in order to help him get out of the shadow in his heart as soon as possible.
Although this apprentice was more than ten years older than the master, Bruce Lee had no intention of relaxing.
And Kimura did not hold a grudge because of Bruce Lee's strict training, but devoted a lot of time every day to training martial arts.
His love for Chinese Kung Fu is no less than that of his fellow brothers.
Later, Bruce Lee asked Kimura to teach the students while he watched.
When there was a problem in the movement, Bruce Lee pointed it out to him in time.
This method also makes Kimura's martial arts rewarding.
At the same time, Kimura's commercial achievements are also reflected in the operation of the martial arts museum.
And he also became the deputy director of the martial arts hall.
Under his management, the martial arts hall developed prosperously.
Although tuition costs $275 per hour, there is still a steady stream of students coming to study.
As Bruce Lee became famous, he often went out to participate in events and shoot movies.
In 1965, Bruce Lee's father died in Hong Kong, and he rushed back to China.
And the military hall is also fully represented by Kimura.
Although the two are separated, they will communicate through letters from time to time.
In the letter, Bruce Lee will also give some opinions on the operation of the martial arts hall, and will also tell Kimura how to expand the influence of the martial arts hall.
After that, Bruce Lee returned to the United States and created a set of "Jeet Kune Do".
This set of kung fu not only contains martial arts moves, but also contains a lot of life philosophy.
Subsequently, he also passed on this set of boxing techniques to Kimura, and since then, Kimura's achievements in martial arts have also reached a higher level.
The junior brothers who were with him together were not his opponents.
Later, Bruce Lee, who gradually developed in the film and television industry, also starred in many films one after another.
Whenever a movie is released, Kimura brings his family to watch the movie with him to support his master's acting career.
But as Bruce Lee became busier, the two met much less.
And Kimura slowly reduced the contact between the two.
To this end, Bruce Lee also wrote to ask why Kimura did not contact him.
Kimura replied sadly, "Now that you have your own business, you shouldn't need me." ”
Hearing Kimura's answer, Bruce Lee felt very angry.
Kimura took care of him like a big brother, teaching him how to behave and how to grow.
Why don't you need to say it?
The relationship between the two is no longer a simple master-apprentice friendship, but more of a friendship like a best friend.
03 Days and people are forever separated
In 1973, the sudden death of a generation of kung fu superstars shocked the world.
At the time, he was discussing the script with actor Ding Pei at home.
This was followed by "cerebral edema" and drug allergy.
As for the cause of his death, the medical examiner identified sudden death due to overwork.
Kimura said he couldn't believe it.
He could never have imagined that Bruce Lee, who was only 32 years old, had just begun his wonderful life.
He would die in such a way.
Bruce Lee was also a mentor and friend to him.
When his life fell into the abyss, it was the master who brought him light and taught him the profound Chinese martial arts.
Bruce Lee's funeral was held very grandly, as great as his international influence.
The people who came to see him off also cried bitterly in the streets.
And Kimura also became one of his Fuling people.
After the funeral, Kimura faced the martial arts hall founded by his master and had mixed feelings.
The person who was obviously in front of him actually passed away one step ahead of him.
Although there are many apprentices of the master, only Kimura is the one who really thinks about him.
One of his students, Tom Brick, married his wife Linda after the death of his master.
As everyone knows, he only chose to marry Bruce Lee in order to find the true cause of her death.
So, their marriage ended after only two years.
Kimura, who is also an apprentice, is bent on carrying forward his master's martial arts hall.
Therefore, after his death, he guarded the "Zhenfan Guoshu Hall" jointly founded by the two, and he kept it for a lifetime.
Although he is the apprentice of a world-renowned kung fu movie star, Kimura has never used this as a gimmick to improve his fame.
On the contrary, he has always adhered to Bruce Lee's teaching philosophy, that is, not to recruit students at will for profit.
Not only that, but he also insisted on visiting Bruce Lee's grave every week.
This persistence lasted for decades, and Kimura would appear next to his master's tomb, regardless of wind or rain.
Tell him about the new things in recent years.
As Kimura grew older, he passed on the martial arts to his son, making Chinese kung fu more famous around the world.
And Bruce Lee's daughter Li Xiangning also became Kimura's apprentice.
For the master's daughter, he was like Bruce Lee back then, and he taught her everything.
In 1998, the Chinese Wushu Association posthumously awarded Bruce Lee four awards.
Kimura, as his proud protégé, received these honors in his place.
Even though he was in his seventies at the time, he still came to China as quickly as possible.
I got the honor that belongs to the master.
Later, Kimura became a gray-haired old man, but he still insisted on visiting the grave.
Until January 7, 2021, the 96-year-old Kimura also passed away.
The pair finally got back together after 48 years apart.
epilogue
Looking back on the fourteen years of the two, although they did not accompany each other to the end of life, at least their hearts were the same.
Because they share the same goal, that is, to carry forward Chinese martial arts.
Prove to the world that Chinese can stand up and is not a lamb to be slaughtered.
Although Kimura is Japanese, he attaches great importance to his mentor-apprentice friendship with Bruce Lee.
Life is only a few decades.
He can still keep the tomb of Master for ten years.
As each other's confidants, it is not easy to meet each other.
I hope you can cherish your best friends.
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