Bruce Lee Tribute page

Bruce Lee felt that many martial artists of his day did not spend enough time on physical conditioning. Bruce Lee did not resort to traditional bodybuilding techniques to build mass; he was more interested in speed and power. In his book the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he wrote "Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation." "JKD, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique".[12]The weight training program that Lee used during a stay in Hong Kong in 1965 indicated biceps curls of eighty pounds (36 kgs) and eight repetitions[13] for endurance. This translates to an estimated one repetition maximum of 110 pounds,[14] placing Lee well into the ninety ninth percentile for the 121 to 140 pound weight class.[15]Lee believed that the abdominal muscles were one of the most important muscle groups for a martial artist, since virtually every movement requires some degree of abdominal work. Perhaps more importantly, the "abs" are like a shell, protecting the ribs and vital organs. Bruce Lee's washboard abs did not come from mere abdominal training; he was also a proponent of cardiovascular conditioning and would regularly run, jump rope, and ride a stationary bicycle. A typical exercise for Lee would be to run a distance of two to six miles in fifteen to forty-five minutes.Nutrition Another element in Lee's quest for abdominal definition was nutrition. According to Linda Lee, soon after he moved to the United States, Bruce Lee started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods and high-protein drinks. "Several times a day, he took a high-protein drink made up of powdered milk, ice water, eggs, eggshells, bananas, vegetable oil, peanut flour and chocolate ice cream," and she claims Bruce's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches. "He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender."Bruce Lee ate lean meat sparingly and consumed large amounts of fruits and vegetables. In later years, he became very knowledgeable about vitamin supplements, and each day adjudicated his intake of vitamins A, B, C, D, and E.[edit] Bruce Lee's feats Bruce Lee's could strike a target from 3 feet away in five hundredths of a second. (Glover[16]) Bruce did one-hand push ups using only 2 fingers.[17] Bruce was able to break a 150lb bag with a sidekick. (Coburn[16]) Bruce would ride the equivalent of 10 miles in 45 minutes on a stationary bicycle, sweating profusely afterwards. (Uhera[16]) Bruce's last movie Enter the Dragon was made for US$850,000 in 1973 ($3.74 million in 2005 currency. BLS[17]). To date, Enter the Dragon has grossed over $200 million worldwide.[18] Bruce Lee was able to punch someone with full force with his flattened palm less then an inch away from their chest.[citation needed] Bruce was able to hold a 125-pound barbell at arms length in front of him (with elbows locked) for 20 seconds.[19][edit] Philosophy Although Bruce Lee is best known as a martial artist and actor, Lee majored in philosophy at the University of Washington. Lee's books on martial arts and fighting philosophy are well-known both for their philosophical assertions both inside and outside of martial arts circles. His philosophy often mirrored his fighting beliefs, though he was quick to claim that his martial arts were solely a metaphor for such teachings. His influences include Taoism and Buddhism. Lee was a contemporary of the Hindu philosopher and teacher Jiddu Krishnamurti, whose philosophy influenced Lee's.[2] Lee referred to Krishnamurti in the book The Tao Of Jeet Kune Do.The following are some of Bruce Lee's quotes that reflect his fighting philosophy."If I tell you I'm good, you would probably think I'm boasting. If I tell you I'm no good, you know I'm lying." "Be formless... shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, and it can crash. Be water, my friend..." "Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it." "The more relaxed the muscles are, the more energy can flow through the body. Using muscular tensions to try to 'do' the punch or attempting to use brute force to knock someone over will only work to opposite effect." "Mere technical knowledge is only the beginning of Kung Fu. To master it, one must enter into the spirit of it." "There are lots of guys around the world that are lazy. They have big fat guts. They talk about chi power and things they can do, but don't believe it." "I'm not a master. I'm a student-master, meaning that I have the knowledge of a master and the expertise of a master, but I'm still learning. So I'm a student-master. I don't believe in the word 'master.' I consider the master as such when they close the casket." "Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there." "Jeet Kune Do: it's just a name; don't fuss over it. There's no such thing as a style if you understand the roots of combat." "Unfortunately, now in boxing people are only allowed to punch. In Judo, people are only allowed to throw. I do not despise these kinds of martial arts. What I mean is, we now find rigid forms which create differences among clans, and the world of martial art is shattered as a result." "I think the high state of martial art, in application, must have no absolute form. And, to tackle pattern A with pattern B may not be absolutely correct." "True observation begins when one is devoid of set patterns." "The other weakness is, when clans are formed, the people of a clan will hold their kind of martial art as the only truth and do not dare to reform or improve it. Thus they are confined in their own tiny little world. Their students become machines which imitate martial art forms." "Some people are tall; some are short. Some are stout; some are slim. There are various different kinds of people. If all of them learn the same martial art form, then who does it fit?" "Ultimately, martial art means honestly expressing yourself. It is easy for me to put on a show and be cocky so I can show you some really fancy movement. But to express oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly enough; that my friend is very hard to do." "Use no way as way; use no limitation as limitation." See also Wikiquotes for more quotes by Bruce Lee.[edit] Bruce Lee and popular culture Main article: Bruce Lee and popular culture Many references to Bruce Lee exist in film, anime, manga, video games and other popular culture, which are covered in a separate article.[edit] Awards and honors With his ancestral roots coming from Gwan'on in Seundak, Guangdong province of China (??????, Guangdong Shunde Jun'An), a street in the village is named after him where his ancestral home is situated. The home is open for public access. Bruce Lee was named TIME Magazine 's 100 Most Important People of the Century as one of the greatest heroes & icons and among the most influential martial artists of the twentieth century. The 1993 film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story claims to be a slightly fictionalized biographical film about Bruce Lee, few scenes are based on reality, however. In 2001, LMF, a Cantonese hip-hop group in Hong Kong, released a popular song called "1127" as a tribute to Bruce Lee. In 2003, "Things Asian" wrote an article on the thirtieth anniversary of his death.[20] In 2004, UFC president Dana White credited Bruce Lee as the "father of mixed martial arts".[21] In September 2004, a BBC story stated that the Herzegovinian city of Mostar was to honor Lee with a statue on the Spanish Square, as a symbol of solidarity. After many years of war and religious splits, Lee's figure is to commend his work: to successfully bridge culture gaps in the world. The statue, placed in the city park, was unveiled on November 26, 2005 (One day before the unveiling of the statue in Hong Kong, below). In 2005, Lee was remembered in Hong Kong with a bronze statue to mark his sixty-fifth birthday. The bronze statue, unveiled on November 27, 2005, honored Lee as Chinese film's bright star of the century