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Text | Gu Xuan said history
Edit | Gu Xuan said history
On July 20, 1973, a generation of kung fu superstar Bruce Lee died suddenly at the age of 33 at Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Hong Kong. [Floating clouds]
Bruce Lee's death was not only unacceptable to his fans, but also deprived the entire martial arts world of a legend, and to this day, the cause of Bruce Lee's death still sparked many speculations and debates.
His grave was chosen in Seattle, next to his son, who died young, and was buried with him, and countless fans visit it every year.
And the twelve words in front of the tombstone also caused many people to think deeply.
01
From a movie child star to a Wing Chun heir
In 1939, Cantonese opera actors Li Haiquan and his wife donated their love to raise funds for the front line of the Anti-Japanese War, so they left Hong Kong to tour the United States.
The following year, their son Bruce Lee was born in the United States, Bruce Lee showed a love for acting from an early age, he knew that his studies were important, but he would get up quickly even at 2 o'clock in the morning to prepare for filming, and it was much more difficult to go to school in the morning.
Despite his poor academics, Bruce Lee gradually made his mark in the film industry.
In 1950, the movie "Little Road Xiang" starring Bruce Lee was a great success, successfully creating the image of a poor street boy and establishing his status as a child star in one fell swoop.
But his father, Li Haiquan, did not want him to continue in the film industry and restricted his filming activities, which led him to devote himself to all kinds of mischievous behavior.
Bruce Lee was naughty at school, often had physical contact with people, and even took the initiative to provoke trouble, becoming a little thorn in the school and the film and television industry.
At the age of 13, he apprenticed to Ip Man, and although he only studied for three days before escaping, his crucial combat experience led him to return to Ip Man's disciple and resolve to concentrate on his Xi.
Bruce Lee gradually found utility in Wing Chun, and he proved the value of Wing Chun in actual combat by winning street fights with his superb hand-punching skills.
As an adult, Bruce Lee did not "change his mind" and continued to "cause trouble".
In 1956, at the age of 16, he was expelled from school for insulting British students, and his father sent him to the boxing team in order to prevent him from abandoning his studies, and Bruce Lee performed well in the boxing team, even defeating British fighters, but his enthusiasm for Xi martial arts remained undiminished.
But then Bruce Lee got into a fight again, knocked his opponent unconscious, and caught the attention of the police as a result.
02
A life of martial arts legends
On May 2, 1958, Bruce Lee got into trouble again due to personality problems, and started a competition with people from the Tsai Li Buddha faction, and accidentally used too much force, causing the other party to fall into a coma.
The incident caused great trouble, and police and school officials came to the door, prompting Bruce Lee's parents to make the difficult decision to send him to the United States.
For his future, in 1959, Bruce Lee boarded the President Wilson and took an ocean liner, and Bruce Lee embarked on a journey to San Francisco.
In the United States, Bruce Lee did not change himself due to the change of environment, remained focused and studied at Edison Technical School, he was not satisfied with specializing in martial arts, and showed great interest in psychology, theater and philosophy.
At that time, the attitude of the United States towards the Chinese was very bad, but Bruce Lee never tolerated bullying, organized a "Chinese kung fu team" to protect his compatriots, and performed martial arts in schools.
Bruce Lee's Xi attitude and innovative thinking about martial arts made him highly respected at the University of Washington, and in his sophomore year, he decided to spread Chinese martial arts in the United States, opened the "Zhenfan Guoshu Museum", dedicated to integrating different martial arts schools, met Linda Emory, became a life partner, and ran the martial arts gym together.
In 1965, Bruce Lee stopped a violent incident in Los Angeles and defeated gangsters with his bare hands, which made headlines and attracted widespread attention.
His fame rose rapidly, becoming a leader in the martial arts world, and he was respected by world boxing champion Ali and others, and Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do" became a new genre and was well received by all parties.
Bruce Lee's film career is also thriving, and he has participated in classics such as "Tangshan Big Brother" and "Jingwumen", successfully breaking box office records.
In "Jingwumen", his performance with a nunchuck became a signature move that was loved by the audience, which also led to the nunchucks being classified as a dangerous weapon in the United States.
Bruce Lee followed up with films such as "Raptors Crossing", "Game of Death", and "Enter the Dragon", among which "Enter the Dragon" defeated the top Hollywood blockbusters of the time in one fell swoop, showing its strong influence in the movie.
Despite his thriving career, Bruce Lee was dissatisfied with the limitations and stereotypes he encountered in Hollywood, and eventually returned to Hong Kong.
03
A generation of kung fu superstars has fallen
Bruce Lee's nunchucks became a symbol of Chinese kung fu and even caused a sensation in the United States.
However, tragedy struck in 1973, in order to shoot "Enter the Dragon", Bruce Lee suspended the filming of "Game of Death" and prepared to restart, an unforeseen circumstance changed everything.
On July 20, Bruce Lee went to the home of his friend actress Ding Pei, but this friendship trip became the end of his life.
With a headache, he fell asleep and never woke up, and Bruce Lee's life came to an abrupt end at the age of 33, bringing a heavy blow to the world.
Hospital tests showed cerebral edema, police ruled out murder suspicions, and Bruce Lee's death left his wife Linda with her 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter rushed to Hong Kong to face her husband for the last time.
Bruce Lee's death grieved fans around the world, and before the release of "Enter the Dragon", his death made people question whether it was just for the hype of the movie, and it was not until his body was transferred to the Kowloon funeral home that people had to admit the bad news.
Hollywood deeply regretted him, and the award agency posthumously awarded him the Film Memorial Award, Linda Emory wore black sunglasses and silently endured the blow of her husband's death, and the flower basket read "Fate continues to live".
The sons and daughters, young and ignorant, thought that their father was acting, and they knelt beside their mothers to greet the guests who came to pay their respects.
People from all walks of life mourned him, and his classmates, students, friends, and colleagues came to pay their respects.
Some people also say that this tragedy has a precursor, and during the filming of "Enter the Dragon", Bruce Lee fainted due to overwork.
In pursuit of the pinnacle of martial arts, he removed his sweat glands and used electric shocks and drugs to stimulate his body's functions, but these actions severely damaged his body.
Bruce Lee's death has an ironic connection to the suspension of filming for Game of Death. After the farewell ceremony, his coffin was flown to his adopted hometown, Seattle.
04
Li Guohao's tragic life
Following Bruce Lee's martial arts legend, many people have high hopes for Li Guohao, hoping that he can walk on his father's slender and tough shoulders and shoulder the responsibility of inheriting martial arts and fearless spirit, but becoming a legend like his father is not an easy task.
Despite being dubbed the "son of Bruce Lee" in his early years, Li Guohao has always been active in the huge shadow of his father.
The younger sister recalled his personality and said that he had become more irritable and immature, which could not help but make people wonder whether Bruce Lee's early death had caused huge psychological pressure and squeeze on Li Guohao.
Hollywood has given Li Guohao some opportunities to play the leading role in some low-budget movies.
Although these movies did not set off too many waves, they at least gave him a place in the film and television industry, until 1993, "The Crow" became Li Guohao's last work before his death.
As a film that costs a lot of money, this is a huge challenge and opportunity for Li Guohao.
He plays a rock singer, and the storyline of revenge also makes the audience look forward to it, and during the filming process, Li Guohao was very dedicated and put great effort into every frame.
However, in the final scene, it is destined to become Li Guohao's masterpiece.
The gun, which was originally designed to be empty, fired real gun bullets, and Li Guohao was shot and killed, but the other actors did not notice it, and continued filming until he was immediately taken to the hospital after discovering the abnormality.
Despite his best efforts, excessive blood loss and injuries from his wounds eventually took his life.
The death of the father and son has caused all kinds of speculation and speculation, many people believe that Li Guohao was deliberately framed, and some people suspect that the props were maliciously replaced to let the real bullets be put into the gun, but so far there is no conclusive evidence to prove this.
The death of the father and son makes one wonder if the two of them have offended some powerful enemy.
Bruce Lee constantly challenged various masters during his lifetime, and he also opened a martial arts gym himself, which may have caused dissatisfaction and revenge from others, and became the reason for their eventual death.
For decades, it has not been found out whether they were murdered, which is even more regrettable and disturbing than the deaths of Bruce Lee and Li Guohao themselves.
Next to the tombs of Bruce Lee and Li Guohao, the two tombstones are red and black, as if telling the story of the two legends.
Bruce Lee's wife, Linda, persistently buried them in the Lakeview Cemetery cemetery, and the tragedy of the father and son leaving made Linda heartbroken.
05
A blend of martial arts legends and Tai Chi philosophies
Bruce Lee's tombstone has a maroon hue and was custom-made in Italy by his wife Linda.
The tombstone is inlaid with a photo of Bruce Lee, engraved with his English name "Bruce Lee" and his original Chinese name Li Zhenfan, as well as the year of birth and death, next to his tombstone, is the resting place of Bruce Lee's beloved son Li Guohao.
In front of the tombstone, a piece of black marble is carved into the shape of a book, and the most striking thing on this book-like stone carving is a Taiji diagram, which is the origin of Bruce Lee's martial arts and his pursuit of the spirit of martial arts.
Bruce Lee carried forward Jeet Kune Do throughout his life, and the connotation of this martial arts system largely came from Taijiquan, Bruce Lee's father Li Haiquan was an expert in Taijiquan, and Bruce Lee was deeply influenced.
The philosophical concept of Tai Chi is contained in the Tai Chi diagram on the stone carving in front of Bruce Lee's tomb and has become an important part of his martial arts thoughts.
Twelve words are engraved on the side of the tombstone: "The impossible is the law, and the infinite is the finite." ”
These twelve words are not only the interpretation of the program and essence of Jeet Kune Do, but also the crystallization of Bruce Lee's lifelong thoughts.
The Taoist viewpoint is that the road is simple, the law and the lawless, the finite and the infinite, are dialectical and unified.
This profound thought influenced Bruce Lee, causing him to incorporate philosophical elements into martial arts, and he integrated "Tao" into Jeet Kune Do, making it not only a martial art, but also an embodiment of thought and spirit.
Bruce Lee's martial arts spirit has not been diluted by the passage of time, but has been revitalized in the new era.
His personal disciple Takeyuki Kimura continued to spread the spirit and thought of martial arts, guarding his master's tomb until his death, and this perseverance and inheritance allowed Bruce Lee's martial arts tradition to continue.
06
Takeyuki Kimura: Bruce Lee's most loyal disciple
Takeyuki Kimura, a Japanese martial arts enthusiast born in 1924, has had a keen interest in martial arts since childhood.
In 1941, he immigrated with his father to Seattle, USA, where he opened a supermarket, and his martial arts journey did not stop there.
In 1959, he met 19-year-old Bruce Lee and was so impressed by his speed and strength that he decided to worship him as a teacher.
Although he was 35 years old at the time, 16 years older than Bruce Lee, he didn't care about that, he just wanted to learn Xi Bruce Lee's martial arts.
After two years of Xi learning from Bruce Lee, Takeyuki Kimura became his most powerful assistant and friend, transforming his supermarket into a humble martial arts gym and using all his income to support Bruce Lee.
This martial arts hall was later known as the "Zhen Fan Guoshu Hall", and it was also the first officially opened Chinese kung fu gym in the United States, and Kimura Takeyuki not only provided the venue and funds, but also actively promoted and promoted Bruce Lee's martial arts.
Thanks to his efforts, the "Zhen Fan Guoshu Hall" gradually attracted the attention of many students and the media.
In 1964, Bruce Lee left Seattle to go to California to develop, and he handed over the management of the "Zhenfan Kokushukan" to Kimura Takeyuki, and instructed him not to expand and develop the martial arts hall, but to keep it as it was, as a place for learning and Xi and exchange.
In 1973, Bruce Lee died unexpectedly at the age of 33.
This was a huge blow to Takeyuki Kimura, who had lost his most beloved master and closest friend, and who decided to dedicate his life to honoring and passing on Bruce Lee's martial arts and spirit.
He went to visit Bruce Lee's grave every week, regardless of wind or rain, cold or summer, never stopped.
Takeyuki Kimura also insisted on teaching Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, and continued to improve and innovate.
He is one of the disciples who fully inherited Bruce Lee's teachings, and the only one who has the Jeet Kune Do grade certificate issued by Bruce Lee, and he has made important contributions to Jeet Kune Do both theoretically and practically, and is known as the successor of the "father of Jeet Kune Do".
Although Takeyuki Kimura is Bruce Lee's most loyal apprentice, he is not well known.
He has always maintained a low-key, pragmatic and humble style, never taking the opportunity to show off or take advantage of Bruce Lee's fame, and he did not open a large-scale martial arts gym or school in the Los Angeles area to teach Jeet Kune Do, but only trained a few carefully selected students in his own backyard to carefully teach the essence of "Zhen Fan Jeet Kune Do".
He only focuses on his understanding and cultivation of martial arts, as well as his nostalgia and tribute to Bruce Lee.
On January 7, 2021, Takeyuki Kimura passed away in Seattle, USA, at the age of 96.
It was only then that those who loved martial arts knew that there was such a person who used his life to express his admiration and gratitude to Bruce Lee.
Takeyuki Kimura's life is a life of loyalty and perseverance, and he interprets what is the true martial arts spirit with his actions. #文章首发挑战赛#
Reference Sources:
China Newsweek - Looking for Bruce Lee in Seattle
China News Network - Overseas Chinese talk about the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death: He is the shaper of the image of the Chinese
Nandu Bay Finance Society - Bruce Lee: From a troubled teenager to a generation of grandmasters
Chinese Martial Arts Culture Network - The 12 words on Bruce Lee's tombstone have a profound meaning, and his son's tombstone is next to it, accompanying each other!
Fighting fans - Bruce Lee's "grave keeper" died, and a Japanese martial artist who followed Bruce Lee all his life