A television program (television programme in the United Kingdom, Ireland and many Commonwealth countries), also called television show (in the United States), is a segment of content, which is intended to be broadcast on television. It is the product of a television production—or the filmmaking process. It may be a one-time broadcast or part of a periodically recurring series.

A television series that is predetermined to be broadcast as a set number of programs is usually called a miniseries or serial (although the latter term also has other meanings). A short-run of a series lasting less than a year is known as a ''season''—though in the United Kingdom and (some of) the rest of the PAL countries, the term ''series'' is used. This season, or series, usually consists of 12 to 26 installments in the United States, but in the UK there is no defined length. The US-industry practice tends to favor longer seasons than those of some other countries.

A single program of a series is called an episode. A one-time broadcast may be called a "special", or particularly in the UK a "special episode". A television movie ("made-for-TV movie"), or in the UK a television film, is a film that is initially broadcast on television rather than released in cinemas or direct-to-video, although many successful TV movies are later released on DVD.

A program can be either recorded—as on video tape or other various electronic media forms—or considered live television.

Program content

The content of television programs may be factual—as in documentary, news, and reality television, or fictional—as in comedies and dramas. It may be topical—as in the case of a local newscast and some made-for-television movies, or historical—as in the case of many documentaries and fictional series. They could be primarily instructional or educational, or entertaining as is the case in situation comedy and game shows.

A drama program usually features a set of actors in a somewhat familiar setting. The program follows their lives and their adventures. With the exception of soap operas, many shows especially before the 1980s, remained static without story arcs, the main characters and the premise changed little. If some change happened to the characters lives during the episode, it was usually undone by the end. (Because of this, the episodes could be broadcast in any order.) Since the 1980s, there are many series that feature progressive change to the plot, the characters, or both.

Common television program periods include regular broadcasts (like news), series (usually seasonal and ongoing with a duration of only a few episodes to many seasons), or miniseries, which is an extended film, usually with a small predetermined number of episodes and a set plot and timeline. Miniseries usually range from about 3 to 10 hours in length. In the UK, the term "miniseries" is only usually used in reference to imported programmes, and such short-run series are usually called "serials".

Older American television shows began with a title sequence showing opening credits at the bottom lower third of the screen during the beginning, and included closing credits at the end of the show. However, beginning in the 1990s some shows began with a "cold open", followed by a title sequence and a commercial break. Many serial-type shows begin with a "Previously on..." (such as the series ''24'') introduction before the new episode. And, to save time, some shows omit the title sequence altogether, folding the names normally featured there into the opening credits. The title sequence has not been completely eliminated, however, as many major television series still use them.

While television series appearing on TV networks are usually commissioned by the networks themselves, their producers earn greater revenue when the program is sold into syndication. With the rise of the DVD home video format, box sets containing entire seasons or the complete run of a program have become a significant revenue source as well. Many of the prime-time comedy shows and Saturday morning cartoons were digitally remastered for United States television around mid-May 2008, as there will be more original and reissued DVD sets of television programs containing either entire seasons or complete series to come.

Television has changed throughout the years, from wholesome family sitcoms and dramas of years ago, to the reality shows of today. When watching television became popular in the mid-20th century, the whole family watched one set together. Also, many channels have deviated from their original programming focus throughout the years because of channel drift.

Most television networks throughout the world are 'commercial', dependent on selling advertising time or acquiring sponsors, broadcasting executives' main concern over their programming is on audience size or ''eyeballs''. Once the number of 'free to air' stations was restricted by the availability of channel frequencies, but cable TV (outside the USA, satellite television) technology has allowed an expansion in the number of channels available to viewers (sometimes at premium rates) in a much more competitive environment.

Genres

Scripted entertainment

Animated

Award shows (partially scripted)

Drama—which includes:

* Action-adventure or Thriller

* Comedy-drama

* Family drama

* Legal drama

* Medical drama

* Police procedural

* Political drama

* Science-fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Supernatural drama

* Serial drama

* Soap opera

* Teen drama

Miniseries and Television movies

Comedy

* Mockumentary

* Satire

* Situation comedy

* Sketch comedy

Unscripted entertainment

Game shows

Reality

Talk shows

Informational

Infomercials—paid advertising which are up to an hour long

News programs

documentaries

news magazine shows—dealing with current affairs

Development

United States

A person decides to create a new television ''series''. The show's creator develops the show's elements, consisting of the concept, the characters, the crew, and various actors (in some cases, "big-name" actors). They will then offer ("pitch") it to the various networks in an attempt to find one that is interested in the series and order a prototype first episode of the series, known as a ''pilot''.

To create the pilot, the structure and team of the whole series needs to be put together. If the network likes the pilot, they will "pick up" the show for their next ''season'' (UK: ''series''). Sometimes they will save it for "midseason" or request rewrites and further review (known in the industry as "Development hell"). And other times they will ''pass'' entirely, leaving the show's creator forced to "shop it around" to other networks. Many shows never make it past the pilot stage.

If the show is picked up, a "run" of episodes is ordered. Usually only 13 episodes are ordered at first, although a series will typically last for at least 22 episodes (the last nine episodes sometimes being known as the "back nine", borrowing the colloquial golf term).

The show hires a "stable" of writers, who usually work in parallel: the first writer works on the first episode, the second on the second episode, and so forth. When all of the writers have been used, the assignment of episodes continues starting with the first writer again. On other shows, however, the writers work as a team. Sometimes they will develop story ideas individually, and pitch them to the show's creator, who then folds them together into a script and rewrites them.

United Kingdom

In contrast to the US model illustrated above, the UK procedure is operated on a sometimes similar, but much smaller scale.

The method of "team writing" is employed on some longer dramatic series (usually running up to a maximum of around 13 episodes). The idea for such a programme may be generated "in-house" by one of the networks; it could originate from an independent production company; it will sometimes be a product of both. For example, the BBC's long-running soap opera ''EastEnders'' is wholly a BBC production, whereas its popular drama ''Life on Mars'' was developed by Kudos in association with the broadcaster.

However, there are still a significant number of programmes (usually sitcoms) that are built around just one or two writers and a small, close-knit production team. These are "pitched" in the traditional way, but since the creator(s) will handle all the writing requirements, there will be a run of six or seven episodes per series once approval has been given. Many of the most popular British comedies have been made this way, including ''Monty Python's Flying Circus'' (albeit with an exclusive team of six writer-performers), ''Fawlty Towers'', ''Blackadder'' and ''The Office''.

Production

The executive producer, often the show's creator, is in charge of running the show. They pick the crew and help cast the actors, approve and sometimes write series plots (some even write or direct major episodes). Various other producers help to ensure that the show runs smoothly.

As with filmmaking or other electronic media production, production of an individual episode can be divided into three parts. These are:

Pre-production

Pre-production begins when a script is approved. A director is chosen to plan the episode's final look.

Pre-production tasks include storyboarding, construction of sets, props, and costumes, casting guest stars, budgeting, acquiring resources like lighting, special effects, stunts, etc. Once the show is planned, it must then be scheduled; scenes are often filmed out of sequence, guest actors or even regulars may only be available at certain times. Sometimes the principal photography of different episodes must be done at the same time, complicating the schedule (a guest star might shoot scenes from two episodes on the same afternoon). Complex scenes are translated from storyboard to animatics to further clarify the action. Scripts are adjusted to meet altering requirements.

Some shows have a small stable of directors, but also usually rely on outside directors. Given the time constraints of broadcasting, a single show might have two or three episodes in pre-production, one or two episodes in principal photography, and a few more in various stages of post-production. The task of directing is complex enough that a single director can usually not work on more than one episode or show at a time, hence the need for multiple directors.

Principal photography

Principal photography is the actual filming of the episode. Director, actors and crew will gather at a television studio or on location for filming or videoing a scene. A scene is further divided into shots, which should be planned during pre-production. Depending on scheduling, a scene may be shot in non-sequential order of the story. Conversations may be filmed twice from different camera angles, often using stand-ins, so one actor might perform all their lines in one set of shots, and then the other side of the conversation will be filmed from the opposite perspective. To complete a production on time, a second unit may be filming a different scene on another set or location at the same time, using a different set of actors, an assistant director, and a second unit crew. A director of photography supervises the lighting of each shot to ensure consistency.

Post production

Once principal photography is complete, producers coordinate tasks to begin the video editing. Visual and digital video effects are added to the film; this is often outsourced to companies specializing in these areas. Often music is performed with the conductor using the film as a time reference (other musical elements may be previously recorded). An editor cuts the various pieces of film together, adds the musical score and effects, determines scene transitions, and assembles the completed show.

Distribution

After production, the show is turned over to the television network, which sends it out to its affiliate stations, which broadcast it in the specified broadcast programming time slot. If the Nielsen ratings are good, the show is kept alive as long as possible. If not, the show is usually canceled. The show's creators are then left to shop around remaining episodes, and the possibility of future episodes, to other networks. On especially successful series, the producers sometimes call a halt to a series on their own like ''Seinfeld'', ''The Cosby Show'', ''Corner Gas'', and ''M*A*S*H'' and end it with a concluding episode, which sometimes is a big series finale.

On rare occasions, a series that has not attracted particularly high ratings and has been canceled can be given a reprieve if DVD sales have been particularly strong. This has happened in the cases of ''Family Guy'' in the US and ''Peep Show'' in the UK.

If the show is popular or lucrative, and a number of episodes (usually 100 episodes or more) are made, it goes into broadcast syndication (in the USA) where broadcast to the program rights are then resold.

== == The terminology used to define a set of episodes produced by a television series varies from country to country.

North American usage

The term "series", in North American usage, refers to a connected set of television program episodes that run under the same title, possibly spanning many seasons. A new series is often ordered (funded) for just the first 10 to 13 episodes, to gauge the audience interest. If it is "picked up", the season is completed to the regular 20 to 26 episodes. The term "midseason replacement" usually refers to an inexpensive short-run (10–13 episode) show designed to take the place of an original series which failed to garner an audience and has not been picked up. The term "series finale" can lead to confusion outside of North America. A series finale means that the show will no longer be produced, and thus will be the final episode for that series (in the UK, it would mean the end of a season).

In North America the term "television season" is used inconsistently. A "full season" typically runs from September through May, with a hiatus between December and February. This broadcast programming schedule typically includes 20 to 26 episodes. A full season is sometimes split into two separate units (confusingly also termed seasons) with one before and one after the hiatus. These smaller "seasons" usually contain half the number of episodes (10–13).

More recently these shorter seasons have been referred to as ".5" or half seasons, where the run of shows between September and December is labeled "Season N", and the second run between February and May labeled "Season N.5". This is typically done to increase DVD sales of the show. The distributor will release the first half of the season in stores just before the second half first airs, in order to increase interest in the season's second half. Examples of this would be the science fiction remake ''Battlestar Galactica'', its prequel ''Caprica'', ABC's ''FlashForward'', and NBC's ''Heroes''.

UK and Australia usage

In the United Kingdom, on the ABC in Australia and in other countries, these sets of episodes are referred to as a series.

Australian television does not follow ''seasons'' in the way that US television does. So there is no "Fall Season" or "Fall schedule", for example. In Australia, a batch of episodes will still sometimes be called a "season" as per American terminology, although the UK term "series" is also used. For many years popular night time dramas in Australia would run much of the year, and would only go into recess over the summer period (December–February) where ratings are not taken. Therefore popular dramas would usually run February–November each year. This schedule was used in the 1970s for popular dramas including ''Number 96''. ''Neighbours'' and other dramas continue this routine as at 2010. Australian situation comedy series usually have seasons of about 13 episodes, and might premiere at any month between February and November.

British shows have tended toward shorter series in recent years. For example, the first series of long-running science fiction show ''Doctor Who'' in 1963 featured forty-two 25-minute episodes, which had been reduced gradually to fourteen 25-minute episodes in 1989. The revival of ''Doctor Who'' has comprised thirteen 45-minute installments. However, there are some series in the UK that have a larger number of episodes, for example ''Waterloo Road'' started with 8–12 episodes but from series three onward, it increased to 20 episodes, and season seven will contain 30 episodes. Recently, American non-cable networks have also begun to experiment with shorter seasons for some programs, particularly reality shows such as ''Survivor''. However, they often air two seasons per year, resulting in roughly the same number of episodes per year as a drama.

This is a reduction from the 1950s, in which many American shows (e.g., ''The Twilight Zone'') had between 29 and 39 episodes per season. Actual storytelling time within a commercial television hour has also gradually reduced over the years, from 50 minutes out of every 60 to the current 44 (and even less on some networks), beginning in the early 21st century.

Japanese usage

The Japanese have sometimes subdivided television series and dramas into , from the French term "cours" for "course", which is a three-month period usually of 13 episodes. Each ''kūru'' generally has its own opening and ending image sequence and song, recordings of which are often sold. The number of episodes permitted per season ranges from three to 65. (See also Japanese television programs.)

In the United States, in general, dramas usually last 44 minutes (an hour with advertisements), while sitcoms last 22 (30 with advertisements). However, with the rise of cable networks, especially pay ones, series and episode lengths have been changing, with 55–60 minutes per episode, and shorter seasons overall.

See also

:Category:Television schedules (by country and year)

List of animated television series

List of television programs by name in alphabetical order

Lists of television programs

Network programming (television)

Radio programming

Television advertisement

External links

FCC

Category:History of television

ar:برامج تلفزيون bs:Televizijske serije bg:Телевизионно предаване cs:Televizní program cy:Rhaglen deledu de:Rundfunkprogramm el:Τηλεοπτικό πρόγραμμα es:Programa de televisión eu:Telebista-saio fa:برنامه تلویزیونی fr:Émission de télévision ko:텔레비전 프로그램 id:Acara televisi is:Sjónvarpsþáttur it:Programmazione televisiva he:תוכנית טלוויזיה kk:Трансляция hu:Televíziós sorozat mk:Телевизиска програма ms:Rancangan televisyen nah:Īxiptlayōltzintli nl:Televisieprogramma ja:テレビ番組 no:Fjernsynsprogram pl:Program telewizyjny (audycja) pt:Programa de televisão ru:Телевизионная программа simple:Television programme fi:Televisio-ohjelma sv:TV-program th:รายการโทรทัศน์ uk:Програма (телерадіопрограма) yi:טעלעוויזיע פראגראם zh:电视节目

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
name	J. J. Abrams
birth date	June 27, 1966
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
birth name	Jeffrey Jacob Abrams
occupation	Film and television producer, director, screenwriter, actor and composer.
spouse	Katie McGrath| years_active }}

Jeffrey Jacob "J.J." Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series ''Felicity'' (1998–2002). He also created ''Alias'' (2001–2006) and co-created ''Lost'' (2004–2010), ''Fringe'' (2008–present), and ''Undercovers'' (2010). Abrams directed the films ''Mission: Impossible III'' (2006), ''Star Trek'' (2009), and ''Super 8'' (2011) and produced the films ''Cloverfield'' (2008) and ''Morning Glory'' (2010).

Early life

Abrams was born in New York and raised in Los Angeles where he attended Palisades Charter High School. He is the son of television producer Gerald W. Abrams and executive producer Carol. Abrams is Jewish. He attended Sarah Lawrence College.

Career

Abrams's first job in the movie business started when he was 16 when he wrote music for Don Dohler's film ''Nightbeast''. During his senior year at college, he teamed with Jill Mazursky to write a feature film treatment. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures, the treatment was the basis for ''Taking Care of Business'', Abrams's first produced film, which starred Charles Grodin and Jim Belushi. He followed that up with ''Regarding Henry'', starring Harrison Ford, and ''Forever Young'', starring Mel Gibson.

Abrams collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay on the 1998 film, ''Armageddon''. That same year, he made his first foray into television with ''Felicity'', which ran for four seasons on The WB Network, serving as the show's co-creator (with Matt Reeves) and executive producer. He also composed its opening theme music.

Under his production company Bad Robot, which he founded with Bryan Burk in 2001, Abrams created and executive-produced ABC's ''Alias'' and is co-creator (with Damon Lindelof) and executive producer of ''Lost''. He later co-wrote the teleplay for ''Lost''s third season premiere "A Tale of Two Cities". As with ''Felicity'', Abrams also composed the opening theme music for ''Alias'' and ''Lost.''

In 2001 Abrams co-wrote and produced the thriller ''Joy Ride'', and wrote an unproduced screenplay for a fifth Superman film in 2002.

In 2006 he served as executive producer of ''What About Brian'' and ''Six Degrees'', also on ABC. Abrams directed and wrote the two-part pilot for ''Lost'' and remained active producer for the first half of the season. That same year he made his feature directorial debut in 2006 with ''Mission: Impossible III'', starring Tom Cruise.

Abrams spoke at the TED conference in 2007.

In 2008 Abrams produced the monster movie, ''Cloverfield''. In 2009 he directed the science fiction film ''Star Trek'', which he produced with ''Lost'' co-creator Damon Lindelof. While it was speculated that they would be writing and producing an adaptation of Stephen King's ''The Dark Tower'' series of novels, they publicly stated in November 2009 that they were no longer looking to take on that project.

He is one of the creators of the Fox Network series ''Fringe'', for which he again composed the theme music.

Abrams is featured in the 2009 MTV Movie Awards 1980s-style digital short "Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions", with Andy Samberg and Will Ferrell, in which he plays a keyboard solo.

The NBC network picked up Abrams's ''Undercovers'' as its first new drama series for the 2010–11 season. However, it was subsequently cancelled by NBC in November 2010. He wrote and directed ''Super 8'', while co-producing with Steven Spielberg; it was released on June 10, 2011.

Personal life

Abrams is married to public relations exec Katie McGrath and has three children: sons August and Henry and daughter Gracie. He resides in Pacific Palisades, California.

Abrams has made donations to the Democratic Party. Campaigns he has contributed to include those of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Bradley, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Bob Casey, Jr., Mark Udall, Harry Reid, Russ Feingold, and Patrick J. Kennedy. However, he has also donated $2,000 to the Republican Robert Vasquez.

Filmography

''Taking Care of Business'' (1990) (writer)

''Regarding Henry'' (1991) (writer, co-producer)

''Forever Young'' (1992) (writer, executive producer)

''Diabolique'' (1996) Actor, Videographer #2, as Jeffrey Abrams

''The Pallbearer'' (1996) (producer)

''Gone Fishin''' (1997) (co-writer)

''Armageddon'' (1998) (writer)

''The Suburbans'' (1999) (producer)

''Joy Ride'' (2001) (writer, producer)

''Mission: Impossible III'' (2006) (director, co-writer)

''Cloverfield'' (2008) (producer)

''Star Trek'' (2009) (director, producer)

''Morning Glory'' (2010) (producer)

''Super 8'' (2011) (director, writer, producer)

''Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol'' (December 16, 2011) (writer, producer)

Untitled ''Star Trek'' sequel (2012) (producer/possible director)

Untitled ''Cloverfield'' Sequel (2013) (producer)

''Samurai Jack'' feature film (TBA) (co-producer)

''Infinitely Polar Bear'' feature film (TBA) (co-producer)

Television

''Felicity'' (1998–2002) (co-creator, writer, executive producer, director, co-composer of theme music)

''Alias'' (2001–2006) (creator, writer, executive producer, director, theme music composer)

''Lost'' (2004-2010) (Executive Producer, theme music composer, co-creator, writer, director)

''The Office'' (2005–2011) (guest director)

''What About Brian'' (2006–2007) (executive producer)

''Six Degrees'' (2006–2007) (executive producer)

''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' (2006) (guest director)

''Fringe'' (2008–present) (co-creator, writer, executive producer, theme music composer)

''Anatomy of Hope'' (2009) (executive producer, writer, director)

''Undercovers'' (2010) (co-creator, executive producer, writer, director) ''Person of Interest'' (Announced - Series by CBS) ''Alcatraz'' (Announced - Series by Fox)

Awards and nominations

Wins

2005 Emmy Award Winner, Outstanding Drama Series (''Lost'') 2005 Emmy Award Winner, Outstanding Directing for A Drama Series (''Lost'')

2006 Golden Globe Award Winner, Best Television Series —Drama (''Lost'')

Nominations

2002 Emmy Award Nomination, Outstanding Writing for A Drama Series (''Alias'') 2005 Emmy Award Nomination, Outstanding Writing for A Drama Series (''Lost'')

2007 Golden Globe Award Nomination, Best Television Series —Drama (''Lost'')

2006 Writers Guild of America Award Nomination for Best Dramatic Series (''Lost'' season 1)

References

External links

Category:1966 births Category:American film directors Category:American film producers Category:American screenwriters Category:American television directors Category:American television producers Category:American television writers Category:Jewish American writers Category:Living people Category:People from New York City Category:Sarah Lawrence College alumni Category:Writers Guild of America Award winners Category:Film directors from New York City

ar:جاي جاي أبرامز be-x-old:Джэфры Джэйкаб Абрамс bg:Джей Джей Ейбрамс ca:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams cs:J. J. Abrams cy:J. J. Abrams da:J. J. Abrams de:J. J. Abrams et:J. J. Abrams el:Τζέφρεϊ Τζ. Άμπραμς es:J. J. Abrams eo:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams fa:جی. جی. آبرامز fr:J. J. Abrams gl:J. J. Abrams ko:J. J. 에이브럼스 it:J. J. Abrams he:ג'יי ג'יי אברהמס ka:ჯეი ჯეი აბრამსი lt:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams hu:J.J. Abrams nl:J.J. Abrams ja:J・J・エイブラムス no:J.J. Abrams pl:Jeffrey Abrams pt:J. J. Abrams ro:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams ru:Абрамс, Джеффри Джейкоб sk:J. J. Abrams sl:Jeffrey Jacob Abrams sr:Џеј-Џеј Ејбрамс fi:J. J. Abrams sv:J.J. Abrams th:เจ.เจ. แอบรัมส์ tr:J. J. Abrams uk:Джефрі Джейкоб Абрамс zh:J·J·艾布斯

Coordinates	33°51′35.9″N151°12′40″N
Name	Bruce Lee
Tradchinesename
Simpchinesename	李小龙
Pinyinchinesename	Lǐ Xiǎolóng
Jyutpingchinesename	Lei5 Siu2 Lung4
Birth name	Lee Jun-fan李振藩 (Traditional)李振藩 (Simplified)Lǐ Zhènfān (Mandarin)Lei5 Jun3 Faan4 (Cantonese)
Ancestry	Shunde, Guangdong, China
Origin	Hong Kong
Birth date	November 27, 1940
Birth place	San Francisco Chinese Hospital Chinatown, San Francisco
Death date	July 20, 1973
Death place	Kowloon Tong, HK
Restingplace	Seattle, Washington, USA
Restingplacecoordinates	Lakeview Cemetery
Occupation	Martial arts instructor, actor, philosopher, film director, screenwriter, and martial arts founder
Yearsactive	1941–73
Spouse	Linda Emery (1964–73)
Children	Brandon Lee (1965–93) Shannon Lee (born 1969)
Parents	Lee Hoi-chuen (1901–65) Grace Ho (1907–96)
Website	Bruce Lee FoundationBruce Lee official website
Hongkongfilmwards	Lifetime Achievement Award1994
goldenhorseawards	Best Mandarin Film1972 ''Fist of Fury''Special Jury Award1972 ''Fist of Fury'' }}

Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; 27 November 1940 – 20 July 1973) was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement. He is widely considered by many commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist, and a cultural icon.

Lee was born in San Francisco to parents of Hong Kong heritage but was raised in Hong Kong until his late teens. Lee emigrated to the United States at the age of 18 to claim his U.S. citizenship and receive his higher education. It was during this time that he began teaching martial arts, which soon led to film and television roles.

His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked a major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West in the 1970s. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world, as well. He is noted for his roles in five feature-length films: Lo Wei's ''The Big Boss'' (1971) and ''Fist of Fury'' (1972); ''Way of the Dragon'' (1972), directed and written by Lee; Warner Brothers' ''Enter the Dragon'' (1973), directed by Robert Clouse; and ''The Game of Death'' (1978), directed by Robert Clouse.

Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese nationalism in his films. He initially trained in Wing Chun, but he later rejected well-defined martial art styles, favouring instead to utilise useful techniques from various sources in the spirit of his personal martial arts philosophy, which he dubbed Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist).

Early life

Lee was born on 27 November 1940 at the Chinese Hospital in Chinatown, San Francisco. His father, Lee Hoi-chuen was fully Chinese, and his mother, Grace Ho (何愛瑜) was half Chinese and half Caucasian. Lee was the fourth child of five children: Agnes, Phoebe, Peter, and Robert. Lee and his parents returned to Hong Kong when he was three months old.

Names

Lee's Cantonese birth name was ''Lee Jun-fan'' (李振藩). The name homophonically means "return again"; it was given to Lee by his mother, who felt he would return to the United States once he came of age. Because of his mother's superstitious nature, she originally named him ''Sai-fon'' (細鳳), which is a feminine name meaning "small phoenix". The English name "Bruce" was thought to be given by the hospital attending physician, Dr. Mary Glover.

Lee had three other Chinese names: Li Yuanxin (李源鑫), a family/clan name; Li Yuanjian (李元鑒), as a student name while he was attending La Salle College, and his Chinese screen name Li Xiaolong (李小龍; ''Xiaolong'' means "little dragon"). Lee's given name Jun-fan was originally written in Chinese as 震藩, however, the ''Jun'' (震) Chinese character was identical to part of his grandfather's name, Lee Jun-biu (李震彪). Hence, the Chinese character for ''Jun'' in Lee's name was changed to the homonym 振 instead, to avoid naming taboo in Chinese tradition.

Family

Lee's father, Lee Hoi-chuen, was one of the leading Cantonese opera and film actors at the time, and was embarking on a year-long Cantonese opera tour with his family on the eve of the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. Lee Hoi-chuen had been touring the United States for many years and performing at numerous Chinese communities there.

Although a number of his peers decided to stay in the United States, Lee Hoi-chuen decided to go back to Hong Kong after his wife gave birth to Bruce Lee. Within months, Hong Kong was invaded and the Lees lived for three years and eight months under Japanese occupation. After the war ended, Lee Hoi-chuen resumed his acting career and became a more popular actor during Hong Kong's rebuilding years.

Lee's mother, Grace Ho, was from one of the wealthiest and most powerful clans in Hong Kong, the Ho-tungs. She was the niece of Sir Robert Ho-tung, of Eurasian descent and patriarch of the clan. As such, the young Bruce Lee grew up in an affluent and privileged environment. Despite this advantage of his family's status, the Hong Kong neighbourhood Lee grew up in became over-crowded, dangerous, and full of gang rivalries because of the mass number of people fleeing communist China to Hong Kong, :

After being involved in several street fights, Lee's parents decided that he needed to be trained in the martial arts. Lee's first introduction to martial arts was through his father. He learned the fundamentals of Wu style tai chi chuan from his father.

Wing Chun

The largest influence on Lee's martial arts development was his study of Wing Chun. Lee began training in Wing Chun at the age of 13 under the Wing Chun teacher Yip Man in 1954, after losing a fight with rival gang members. Yip's regular classes generally consisted of the forms practice, ''chi sao'' (sticking hands) drills, wooden dummy techniques, and free-sparring. There was no set pattern to the classes. Yip tried to keep his students from fighting in the street gangs of Hong Kong by encouraging them to fight in organised competitions.

After a year into his Wing Chun training, most of Yip Man's other students refused to train with Lee after they learnt of his ancestry (his mother was half Chinese and half Caucasian) as the Chinese generally were against teaching their martial arts techniques to non-Asians. Lee's sparring partner, Hawkins Cheung states, "Probably fewer than six people in the whole Wing Chun clan were personally taught, or even partly taught, by Yip Man". However, Lee showed a keen interest in Wing Chun, and continued to train privately with Yip Man and Wong Shun Leung in 1955.

Leaving Hong Kong

After attending Tak Sun School (德信學校) (a couple of blocks from his home at 218 Nathan Road, Kowloon), Lee entered the primary school division of La Salle College in 1950 or 1952 (at the age of 12). In around 1956, due to poor academic performance (or possibly poor conduct as well), he was transferred to St. Francis Xavier's College (high school) where he would be mentored by Brother Edward, a teacher and coach of the school boxing team.

In the spring of 1959, Lee got into yet another street fight and the police were called. From all the way to his late teens, Lee's street fights became more frequent and included beating up the son of a feared triad family. Eventually, Lee's father decided for him to leave Hong Kong to pursue a safer and healthier avenue in the United States. His parents confirmed the police's fear that this time Lee's opponent had an organised crime background, and there was the possibility that a contract was out for his life.

In April 1959, Lee's parents decided to send him to the United States to stay with his older sister, Agnes Lee (李秋鳳), who was already living with family friends in San Francisco.

New life in America

At the age of 18, Lee returned to the United States with $100 in his pocket and the titles of 1957 High School Boxing Champion and 1958 Crown colony Cha Cha Champion of Hong Kong. After living in San Francisco for several months, he moved to Seattle in 1959, to continue his high school education, where he also worked for Ruby Chow as a live-in waiter at her restaurant.

Chow's husband was a co-worker and friend of Lee's father. Lee's older brother Peter Lee (李忠琛) would also join him in Seattle for a short stay before moving on to Minnesota to attend college. In December 1960, Lee completed his high school education and received his diploma from Edison Technical School (now Seattle Central Community College, located on Capitol Hill, Seattle).

In March 1961, Lee enrolled at the University of Washington, majoring in drama according to the university's alumni association information, not in philosophy as claimed by Lee himself and many others. Lee also studied philosophy, psychology, and various other subjects. It was at the University of Washington that he met his future wife Linda Emery, a fellow student studying to become a teacher, whom he married in August 1964.

Lee had two children with Linda Emery, Brandon Lee (1965–93) and Shannon Lee (b. 1969).

Jun Fan Gung Fu

Lee began teaching martial arts in the United States in 1959. He called what he taught Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally Bruce Lee's Kung Fu). It was basically his approach to Wing Chun. Lee taught friends he met in Seattle, starting with Judo practitioner Jesse Glover, who later became his first assistant instructor. Lee opened his first martial arts school, named the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute, in Seattle.

Lee dropped out of college in the spring of 1964 and moved to Oakland to live with James Yimm Lee (嚴鏡海). James Lee was twenty years senior to Bruce Lee and a well known Chinese martial artist in the area. Together, they founded the second Jun Fan martial art studio in Oakland. James Lee was also responsible for introducing Bruce Lee to Ed Parker, royalty of the U.S. martial arts world and organiser of the Long Beach International Karate Championships at which Bruce Lee was later "discovered" by Hollywood.

Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do originated in 1967. After filming one season of ''The Green Hornet'', Lee found himself out of work and opened The Jun Fan Institute of Gung Fu. A controversial match with Wong Jack Man influenced Lee's philosophy about martial arts. Lee concluded that the fight had lasted too long and that he had failed to live up to his potential using his Wing Chun techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalistic to be practical in scenarios of chaotic street fighting. Lee decided to develop a system with an emphasis on "practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency". He started to use different methods of training such as weight training for strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and many others which he constantly adapted, including fencing and basic boxing techniques.

Lee emphasised what he called "the style of no style". This consisted of getting rid of the formalised approach which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. Lee felt the system he now called Jun Fan Gung Fu was even too restrictive, and eventually evolved into a philosophy and martial art he would come to call ''Jeet Kune Do'' or the ''Way of the Intercepting Fist.'' It is a term he would later regret because Jeet Kune Do implied specific parameters that styles connote whereas the idea of his martial art was to exist outside of parameters and limitations.

Long Beach International Karate Championships

At the invitation of Ed Parker, Lee appeared in the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships and performed repetitions of two-finger push-ups (using the thumb and the index finger of one hand) with feet at approximately a shoulder-width apart. In the same Long Beach event he also performed the "One inch punch", the description of which is as follows: Lee stood upright, his right foot forward with knees bent slightly, in front of a standing, stationary partner. Lee's right arm was partly extended and his right fist approximately an inch away from the partner's chest. Without retracting his right arm, Lee then forcibly delivered the punch to his partner while largely maintaining his posture, sending the partner backwards and falling into a chair said to be placed behind the partner to prevent injury, though his partner's momentum soon caused him to fall to the floor. His volunteer was Bob Baker of Stockton, California. "I told Bruce not to do this type of demonstration again", Baker recalled. "When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable".

It was at the 1964 championships where Lee first met Taekwondo master Jhoon Goo Rhee. The two developed a friendship – a relationship from which they benefited as martial artists. Rhee taught Lee the side kick in detail, and Lee taught Rhee the "non-telegraphic" punch.

Lee appeared at the 1967 Long Beach International Karate Championships and performed various demonstrations, including the famous "unstoppable punch" against USKA world Karate champion Vic Moore. Lee told Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to the face, and all he had to do was to try and block it. Lee took several steps back and asked if Moore was ready, when Moore nodded in affirmation, Lee glided towards him until he was within striking range. He then threw a straight punch directly at Moore's face, and stopped before impact. In eight attempts, Moore failed to block any of the punches.

Fight history

Lee was involved in competitive fights, some of which were arranged while others were not. Dan Inosanto stated, "There's no doubt in my mind that if Bruce Lee had gone into pro boxing, he could easily have ranked in the top three in the lightweight division or junior-welterweight division".

Lee defeated three-time champion British boxer Gary Elms by way of knockout in the third round in the 1958 Hong Kong Inter-School amateur Boxing Championships by using Wing Chun traps and high/low-level straight punches.

The following year, Lee became a member of the "Tigers of Junction Street," and was involved in numerous gang-related street fights. "In one of his last encounters, while removing his jacket the fellow he was squaring off against sucker punched him and blackened his eye. Bruce flew into a rage and went after him, knocking him out, breaking his opponent's arm. The police were called as a result". The incident took place on a Hong Kong rooftop at 10 pm on Wednesday, 29 April 1959.

In 1962, Lee knocked out Uechi, a Japanese black belt Karateka, in 11 seconds in a 1962 Full-Contact match in Seattle. It was refereed by Jesse Glover. The incident took place in Seattle at a YMCA handball court. Taki Kamura says the battle lasted 10 seconds in contrary to Hart's statement. Ed Hart states "The karate man arrived in his gi (uniform), complete with black belt, while Bruce showed up in his street clothes and simply took off his shoes. The fight lasted exactly 11 seconds – I know because I was the time keeper – and Bruce had hit the guy something like 15 times and kicked him once. I thought he'd killed him".

In Oakland, California in 1964 at Chinatown, Lee had a controversial private match with Wong Jack Man, a direct student of Ma Kin Fung known for his mastery of Xingyiquan, Northern Shaolin, and Tai chi chuan. According to Lee, the Chinese community issued an ultimatum to him to stop teaching non-Chinese; when he refused to comply he was challenged to a combat match with Wong, the arrangement being that if Lee lost he would have to shut down his school while if he won then Lee would be free to teach Caucasians or anyone else. Wong denies this, stating that he requested to fight Lee after Lee issued an open challenge during one of Lee's demonstrations at a Chinatown theatre, and that Wong himself did not discriminate against Caucasians or other non-Chinese. Lee commented, "That paper had all the names of the sifu from Chinatown, but they don't scare me".

Individuals known to have witnessed the match included Cadwell, James Lee (Bruce Lee's associate, no relation) and William Chen, a teacher of Tai chi chuan. Wong and witness William Chen stated that the fight lasted an unusually long 20–25 minutes. According to Bruce Lee, Linda Lee Cadwell, and James Yimm Lee, the fight lasted 3 minutes with a decisive victory for Bruce. "The fight ensued, it was a no holds barred fight, it took three minutes. Bruce got this guy down to the ground and said 'do you give up?' and the man said he gave up" – Linda Lee Cadwell.

Wong Jack Man published his own account of the battle in the Chinese ''Pacific Weekly'', a Chinese-language newspaper in San Francisco, which contained another challenge to Lee for a public rematch. Lee had no reciprocation to Wong's article nor were there any further public announcements by either, but Lee had continued to teach Caucasians.

Lee's eventual celebrity put him in the path of a number of men who sought to make a name for themselves by causing a confrontation with Lee. A challenger had invaded Lee's private home in Hong Kong by trespassing into the backyard to incite Lee in combat. Lee finished the challenger violently with a kick, infuriated over the home invasion. Describing the incident, Herb Jackson states,

Bob Wall, USPK karate champion and Lee's co-star in ''Enter the Dragon'', recalled one encounter that transpired after a film extra kept taunting Lee. The extra yelled that Lee was "a movie star, not a martial artist," that he "wasn't much of a fighter". Lee answered his taunts by asking him to jump down from the wall he was sitting on. Wall described Lee's opponent as "a gang-banger type of guy from Hong Kong," a "damned good martial artist," and observed that he was fast, strong, and bigger than Bruce.

Bruce kept moving so well, this kid couldn't touch him...then all of a sudden, Bruce got him and rammed his ass with the wall and swept him up, proceeding to drop him and plant his knee into his opponent's chest, locked his arm out straight, and nailed him in the face repeatedly". – Bob Wall}}

Acting career

Lee's father Lee Hoi-chuen was a famous Cantonese opera star; because of this, Lee was introduced into films at a very young age and appeared in several short black-and-white films as a child. Lee had his first role as a baby who was carried onto the stage. By the time he was 18, he had appeared in twenty films.

While in the United States from 1959 to 1964, Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favour of pursuing martial arts. However, a martial arts exhibition on Long Beach in 1964 eventually led to the invitation by William Dozier for an audition for a part in the pilot for Number One Son. The show never aired, but Lee was invited for the role of Kato alongside Van Williams in the TV series ''The Green Hornet''. The show lasted just one season, from 1966 to 1967. Lee also played Kato in three crossover episodes of ''Batman''. This was followed by guest appearances in three television series: ''Ironside'' (1967), ''Here Come the Brides'' (1969), and ''Blondie'' (1969).

At the time, two of Lee's martial arts students were Hollywood script writer Stirling Silliphant and actor James Coburn. In 1969 the three worked on a script for a film called ''The Silent Flute'' and went together on a location hunt to India. The project was not at realised at the time, but the 1978 film ''Circle of Iron'' starring David Carradine was based on the same plot. In 2010, producer Paul Maslansky was reported to plan and receive fundings for a film based on the original script for ''The Silent Flute''. In 1969, Lee made a brief appearance in the Silliphant penned film ''Marlowe'' where he played a henchman hired to intimidate private detective Philip Marlowe (played by James Garner) by smashing up his office with leaping kicks and flashing punches, only to later accidentally jump off a tall building while trying to kick Marlowe off. The same year he also choreographed fight scenes for ''The Wrecking Crew'' starring Dean Martin, Sharon Tate and featuring Chuck Norris in his first role. In 1970, he was responsible for fight choreography for ''A Walk in the Spring Rain'' starring Ingrid Bergman and Anthony Quinn, again written by Silliphant. In 1971, Lee appeared in four episodes of the television series ''Longstreet'' written by Silliphant. Lee played the martial arts instructor of the title character Mike Longstreet (played by James Franciscus), and important aspects of his martial arts philosophy were written into the script.

According to statements made by Lee, and also by Linda Lee Cadwell after Lee's death, in 1971 Lee pitched a television series of his own tentatively titled ''The Warrior'', discussions which were also confirmed by Warner Bros. In a 9 December 1971 television interview on ''The Pierre Berton Show'', Lee stated that both Paramount and Warner Brothers wanted him "to be in a modernized type of a thing, and that they think the Western idea is out, whereas I want to do the Western". According to Cadwell, however, Lee's concept was retooled and renamed ''Kung Fu'', but Warner Bros. gave Lee no credit. Warner Brothers states that they had for some time been developing an identical concept, created by two writers and producers, Ed Spielman and Howard Friedlander. According to these sources, the reason Lee was not cast was in part because of his ethnicity but more so because he had a thick accent. The role of the Shaolin monk in the Wild West, was eventually awarded to then-non-martial-artist David Carradine. In ''The Pierre Berton Show'' interview, Lee stated he understood Warner Brothers' attitudes towards casting in the series: "They think that business wise it is a risk. I don't blame them. If the situation were reversed, and an American star were to come to Hong Kong, and I was the man with the money, I would have my own concerns as to whether the acceptance would be there".

Producer Fred Weintraub had advised Lee to return to Hong Kong and make a feature film which he could showcase to executives in Hollywood. Not happy with his supporting roles in the United States., Lee returned to Hong Kong. Unaware that ''The Green Hornet'' had been played to success in Hong Kong and was unofficially referred to as "The Kato Show", he was surprised to be recognised on the street as the star of the show. After negotiating with both Shaw Brothers Studio and Golden Harvest, Lee signed a film contract to star in two films produced by Golden Harvest. Lee played his first leading role in ''The Big Boss'' (1971) which proved to be an enormous box office success across Asia and catapulted him to stardom. He soon followed up with ''Fist of Fury'' (1972) which broke the box office records set previously by ''The Big Boss''. Having finished his initial two-year contract, Lee negotiated a new deal with Golden Harvest. Lee later formed his own company Concord Productions Inc. (協和電影公司) with Chow. For his third film, ''Way of the Dragon'' (1972), he was given complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. In 1964, at a demonstration in Long Beach, California, Lee had met Karate champion Chuck Norris. In ''Way of the Dragon'' Lee introduced Norris to moviegoers as his opponent in the final death fight at the Colosseum in Rome, today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes and one of the most memorable fight scenes in martial arts film history. The role was originally offered to American Karate champion Joe Lewis.

In late 1972, Lee began work on his fourth Golden Harvest Film, ''Game of Death''. He began filming some scenes including his fight sequence with 7'2" American Basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a former student. Production was stopped when Warner Brothers offered Lee the opportunity to star in ''Enter the Dragon'', the first film to be produced jointly by Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. Filming commenced in Hong Kong in February 1973. One month into the filming, another production company, Starseas Motion Pictures, promoted Bruce Lee as a leading actor in ''Fist of Unicorn'', although he had merely agreed to choreograph the fight sequences in the film as a favour to his long-time friend Unicorn Chan. Lee planned to sue the production company, but retained his friendship with Chan. However, only a few months after the completion of ''Enter the Dragon'', and six days before its 26 July 1973 release, Lee died. ''Enter the Dragon'' would go on to become one of the year's highest grossing films and cement Lee as a martial arts legend. It was made for US$850,000 in 1973 (equivalent to $4 million adjusted for inflation as of 2007). To date, ''Enter the Dragon'' has grossed over $200 million worldwide. The film sparked a brief fad in martial arts, epitomised in songs such as "Kung Fu Fighting" and TV shows like ''Kung Fu''.

Robert Clouse, the director of ''Enter the Dragon'', and Raymond Chow attempted to finish Lee's incomplete film ''Game of Death'' which Lee was also set to write and direct. Lee had shot over 100 minutes of footage, including out-takes, for ''Game of Death'' before shooting was stopped to allow him to work on ''Enter the Dragon''. In addition to Abdul-Jabbar, George Lazenby, Hapkido master Ji Han-Jae and another of Lee's students, Dan Inosanto were also to appear in the film, which was to culminate in Lee's character, Hai Tien (clad in the now-famous yellow track suit) taking on a series of different challengers on each floor as they make their way through a five-level pagoda. In a controversial move, Robert Clouse finished the film using a look-alike and archive footage of Lee from his other films with a new storyline and cast, which was released in 1978. However, the cobbled-together film contained only fifteen minutes of actual footage of Lee (he had printed many unsuccessful takes) while the rest had a Lee look-alike, Kim Tai Chung, and Yuen Biao as stunt double. The unused footage Lee had filmed was recovered 22 years later and included in the documentary ''Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey''.

Apart from ''Game of Death'', other future film projects were planned to feature Lee at the time. In 1972, after the success of ''The Big Boss'' and ''Fist of Fury'', a third film was planned by Raymond Chow at Golden Harvest to be directed by Lo Wei, titled ''Yellow-Faced Tiger''. However, at the time, Lee decided to direct and produce his own script for ''Way of the Dragon'' instead. Although Lee had formed a production company with Raymond Chow, a period film was also planned from September–November 1973 with the competing Shaw Brothers Studio, to be directed by either Chor Yuen or Cheng Kang, and written by Yi Kang and Chang Cheh, titled ''The Seven Sons of the Jade Dragon''. Lee had also worked on several scripts himself. A tape containing a recording of Lee narrating the basic storyline to a film tentatively titled ''Southern Fist/Northern Leg'' exists, showing some similarities with the canned script for ''The Silent Flute'' (''Circle of Iron''). Another script had the title ''Green Bamboo Warrior'', set in San Francisco, planned to co-star Bolo Yeung and to be produced by Andrew Vajna who later went on to produce ''First Blood''.}}

The weight training program that Lee used during a stay in Hong Kong in 1965 placed heavy emphasis on his arms. At that time he could perform single biceps curls at a weight of 70 to 80 lb (about 32 to 36 kg) for three sets of eight repetitions, along with other forms of exercises, such as squats, push-ups, reverse curls, concentration curls, French presses, and both wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. The repetitions he performed were 6 to 12 reps (at the time). While this method of training targeted his fast and slow twitch muscles, it later resulted in weight gain or muscle mass, placing Lee a little over 160 lb (about 72 kg). Lee was documented as having well over 2,500 books in his own personal library, and eventually concluded that "A stronger muscle, is a bigger muscle", a conclusion he later disputed. Bruce forever experimented with his training routines to maximise his physical abilities and push the human body to its limits. He employed many different routines and exercises including skipping rope, which served his training and bodybuilding purposes effectively.

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. Mito Uyehara recalled that "Bruce always felt that if your stomach was not developed, then you had no business doing any hard sparring". According to Linda Lee Cadwell, even when not training, Lee would frequently perform sit ups and other abdominal exercises in domestic living throughout the day, such as during watching TV. She said of Lee, "Bruce was a fanatic about ab training. He was always doing sit-ups, crunches, Roman chair movements, leg raises and V-ups".

Lee trained from 7 am to 9 am, including stomach, flexibility, and running, and from 11 am to 12 pm he would weight train and cycle. A typical exercise for Lee would be to run a distance of two to six miles in 15 to 45 minutes, in which he would vary speed in 3–5 minute intervals. Lee would ride the equivalent of 10 miles (about 16 kilometres) in 45 minutes on a stationary bike.

Lee would sometimes exercise with the jump rope and put in 800 jumps after cycling. Lee would also do exercises to toughen the skin on his fists, including thrusting his hands into buckets of harsh rocks and gravel. He would do over 500 repetitions of this on a given day. An article of the S. China Post writes "When a doctor warned him not to inflict too much violence on his body, Bruce dismissed his words. 'the human brain can subjugate anything, even real pain' —Bruce Lee".

Physical feats

Lee's phenomenal fitness meant he was capable of performing many exceptional physical feats. The following list includes some of the physical feats of which, according to author John Little, Lee was capable: Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second. Lee could take in one arm a 75 lb barbell from a standing position with the barbell held flush against his chest and slowly stick his arms out locking them, holding the barbell there for several seconds. In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind. Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger. Lee performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups. Lee could cause a 300-lb (136.08 kg) bag to fly towards and thump the ceiling with a sidekick.

Also, according to the ''Intercepting Fist'' DVD, Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 minutes or longer.

Nutrition

According to Linda Lee Cadwell, soon after he moved to the United States, Lee started to take nutrition seriously and developed an interest in health foods, high-protein drinks and vitamin and mineral supplements. He later concluded that in order to achieve a high-performance body, one could not fuel it with a diet of junk food, and with "the wrong fuel" one's body would perform sluggishly or sloppily. Lee also avoided baked goods and refined flour, describing them as providing calories which did nothing for his body.

Lee consumed green vegetables and fruit every day. He always preferred to eat Chinese or other Asian food because he loved the variety that it had. Some of Lee's favorite Chinese dishes were beef in oyster sauce, tofu and steak and liver. He also became a heavy advocate of dietary supplements, including Vitamin C, Lecithin granules, bee pollen, Vitamin E, rose hips (liquid form), wheat germ oil, Acerola – C and B-Folia.

Lee disliked dairy food although he felt that for building muscle he must consume milk. As a result he only ate dairy as part of cereals and protein drinks, usually using powdered milk instead of fresh milk. Lee's diet included protein drinks; he always tried to consume one or two daily, but discontinued drinking them later on in his life. They typically included non-instant powdered milk which is reported to have a higher concentration of calcium than other forms of powdered milk, eggs, wheat germ, peanut butter, banana, brewers yeast for its B vitamins, and Inositol and Lecithin supplements. Linda Lee recalls Bruce Lee's waist fluctuated between 26 and 28 inches (66 to 71 centimetres). ''"He also drank his own juice concoctions made from vegetables and fruits, apples, celery, carrots and so on, prepared in an electric blender"'', she said.

According to Lee, the size of portions and number of meals were just as important. He would usually consume four or five smaller meals a day rather than a couple of large meals, and would boost his metabolism by eating small healthy snacks such as fruits throughout the day. Fruit and vegetables provided him with the richest source of carbohydrates; he was particularly keen on carrots which would make up one half of the contents of the drink, with the remaining being split between the other fruits and vegetables. The reason why Lee was so keen on juicing vegetables and fruits is that he believed it allowed the body to assimilate many nutrients more easily. The enzymes in the juiced vegetables acting as organic catalysts which increase the metabolism and absorption of nutrients. Given that most of these enzymes are destroyed when vegetables are cooked, Lee would try to consume them raw.

Lee often drank a royal jelly and ginseng drink as they contain B-complex vitamins, including a high concentration of vitamin B₅ (pantothenic acid) and vitamin B₆ (pyridoxine), acetylcholine, hormones, and eighteen amino acids which allow for a quick energy boost. In traditional Chinese medicine, ginseng is also said to improve circulation, increase blood supply, allow quicker recovery times after exhaustion and stimulating the body. In addition, Lee regularly drank black tea, often with honey or with milk and sugar.

Philosophy

Lee is best known as a martial artist, but he also studied drama and philosophy while a student at the University of Washington. He was well-read and had an extensive library. His own books on martial arts and fighting philosophy are known for their philosophical assertions, both inside and outside of martial arts circles. His eclectic philosophy often mirrored his fighting beliefs, though he was quick to claim that his martial arts were solely a metaphor for such teachings. He believed that any knowledge ultimately led to self-knowledge, and said that his chosen method of self-expression was martial arts. His influences include Taoism, Jiddu Krishnamurti, and Buddhism. On the other hand, Lee's philosophy was very much in opposition to the conservative world view advocated by Confucianism. John Little states that Lee was an atheist. He was asked in 1972 what his religious affiliation was, and he replied, "none whatsoever". Also in 1972, he was asked if he believed in God, and he responded, "To be perfectly frank, I really do not".

The following quotations reflect his fighting philosophy. "Be formless... shapeless, like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You pour water into a bottle; it becomes the bottle. You put water into a teapot; it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow, or creep or drip or crash! Be water, my friend..." "All types of knowledge, ultimately leads to self knowledge" "Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it". "Do not deny the classical approach, simply as a reaction, or you will have created another pattern and trapped yourself there". "Quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough". "I always learn something, and that is: to always be yourself. And to express yourself, to have faith in yourself. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate him". "It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential".

Death

On 10 May 1973, Lee collapsed in Golden Harvest studios while doing dubbing work for the movie ''Enter the Dragon''. Suffering from seizures and headaches, he was immediately rushed to Hong Kong Baptist Hospital where doctors diagnosed cerebral edema. They were able to reduce the swelling through the administration of mannitol. These same symptoms that occurred in his first collapse were later repeated on the day of his death.

On 20 July 1973, Lee was in Hong Kong, to have dinner with former James Bond star George Lazenby, with whom he intended to make a film. According to Lee's wife Linda, Lee met producer Raymond Chow at 2 pm at home to discuss the making of the film ''Game of Death''. They worked until 4 pm and then drove together to the home of Lee's colleague Betty Ting Pei, a Taiwanese actress. The three went over the script at Ting's home, and then Chow left to attend a dinner meeting.

Later Lee complained of a headache, and Ting gave him an analgesic (painkiller), Equagesic, which contained both aspirin and the muscle relaxant meprobamate. Around 7:30 pm, he went to lie down for a nap. When Lee did not turn up for dinner, Chow came to the apartment but could not wake Lee up. A doctor was summoned, who spent ten minutes attempting to revive him before sending him by ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Lee was dead by the time he reached the hospital.

There was no visible external injury; however, according to autopsy reports, his brain had swollen considerably, from 1,400 to 1,575 grams (a 13% increase). Lee was 32 years old. The only substance found during the autopsy was Equagesic. On 15 October 2005, Chow stated in an interview that Lee died from a hypersensitivity to the muscle relaxant (meprobamate) in Equagesic, which he described as a common ingredient in painkillers. When the doctors announced Lee's death officially, it was ruled a "death by misadventure".

Don Langford, Lee's personal physician in Hong Kong, had treated Lee during his first collapse. Controversy erupted when he stated, "Equagesic was not at all involved in Bruce's first collapse".

Donald Teare, a forensic scientist recommended by Scotland Yard who had overseen over 1,000 autopsies, was assigned to the Lee case. His conclusion was "death by misadventure" caused by an acute cerebral edema due to a reaction to compounds present in the drug Equagesic.

The preliminary opinion of Peter Wu, the neurosurgeon who saved Lee's life during his first seizure, was that the cause of death should have been attributed to either a reaction to cannabis or Equagesic. However, Wu later backed off from this position, stating that:

: "Professor Teare was a forensic scientist recommended by Scotland Yard; he was brought in as an expert on cannabis and we can't contradict his testimony. The dosage of cannabis is neither precise nor predictable, but I've never known of anyone dying simply from taking it."

Lee's wife Linda returned to her hometown of Seattle, and had him buried at lot 276 of Lakeview Cemetery. Pallbearers at his funeral on 31 July 1973 included Taky Kimura, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Chuck Norris, George Lazenby, Dan Inosanto, Peter Chin, and Lee's brother Robert.

Lee's iconic status and untimely demise fed many theories about his death, including murder involving the triads and a supposed curse on him and his family. ''Black Belt'' magazine in 1985 carried the speculation that the death of Bruce Lee in 1973 may have been caused by "a delayed reaction to a Dim Mak strike he received several weeks prior to his collapse".

Legacy

Certified instructors

Bruce Lee personally certified only three instructors. Taky Kimura, James Yimm Lee, and Dan Inosanto. Inosanto holds the 3rd rank (Instructor) directly from Bruce Lee in Jeet Kune Do, Jun Fan Gung Fu, and Bruce Lee's Tao of Chinese Gung Fu. Taky Kimura holds a 5th rank in Jun Fan Gung Fu. James Yimm Lee held a 3rd rank in Jun Fan Gung Fu. Ted Wong holds 2nd rank in Jeet Kune Do certified directly by Bruce Lee and was later promoted to Instructor under Dan Inosanto; feeling that Bruce would have wanted to promote him. Other Jeet Kune Do instructors since Lee's death have been certified directly by Dan Inosanto, some with remaining Bruce Lee signed certificates.

James Yimm Lee, a close friend of Lee, died without certifying additional students apart from Gary Dill who studied Jeet Kune Do under James and received permission via a personal letter from him in 1972 to pass on his learning of JKD to others. Taky Kimura, to date, has certified only one person in Jun Fan Gung Fu: his son Andy Kimura. Dan Inosanto continued to teach and certify select students in Jeet Kune Do for over 30 years, making it possible for thousands of martial arts practitioners to trace their training lineage back to Bruce Lee. Prior to his death, Lee told his then only two living instructors Kimura and Inosanto (James Yimm Lee had died in 1972) to dismantle his schools.

Both Taky Kimura and Dan Inosanto were allowed to teach small classes thereafter, under the guideline "keep the numbers low, but the quality high". Bruce also instructed several World Karate Champions including Chuck Norris, Joe Lewis, and Mike Stone. Between the three of them, during their training with Bruce they won every karate championship in the United States.

Hong Kong legacy

There are a number of stories (perhaps apocryphal) surrounding Lee that are still repeated in Hong Kong culture. One is that his early 70s interview on the TVB show ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' cleared the busy streets of Hong Kong as everyone was watching the interview at home.

On 6 January 2009, it was announced that Bruce's Hong Kong home (41 Cumberland Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong) will be preserved and transformed into a tourist site by philanthropist Yu Pang-lin.

Awards and honours

Bruce Lee was named by ''Time Magazine'' as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.

Martial arts lineage

Lee was trained in Wu Tai Chi Chuan (also known as Ng-ga) and Jing Mo Tam Tui for the twelve sets. Lee was trained in the martial arts Choy Li Fut, Western Boxing, Épée fencing, Judo, Praying Mantis Kung-fu, Hsing-I, and Jujitsu.

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Media

Books authored

''Chinese Gung-Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self Defense'' (Bruce Lee's first book) – 1963

''Tao of Jeet Kune Do'' (Published posthumously) – 1973

''Bruce Lee's Fighting Method'' (Published posthumously) – 1978

Selected filmography

''For a complete list of Bruce Lee's filmography see''

Films

'' The Big Boss'' ''Fist of Fury'' ''Enter the Dragon'' ''Game of Death'' ''Game of Death II''

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Film	Role	Notes
style="text-align:center;"	1969	Marlowe (film)>Marlowe''	Winslow Wong
style="text-align:center;"	1971	|	Cheng Chao-an	Also known as ''Fists of Fury''
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	1972	|	Chen Zhen (fictional character)>Chen Zhen	Also known as ''The Chinese Connection''
''Way of the Dragon''	Tang Lung
style="text-align:center;"	1973	|	Lee	List of works published posthumously>posthumously
style="text-align:center;"	1978	|	Billy Lo	Released posthumously
style="text-align:center;"	1981	|	Billy Lo	Released posthumously (Stock footage)

Television

''Ironside (TV series) ''Blondie (1968 TV series) ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' ''Longstreet (TV series)

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Series	Role	Notes
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	1966	The Green Hornet (TV series)>The Green Hornet''	Kato (The Green Hornet)>Kato
''Batman (TV series)	Batman''	Kato
style="text-align:center;"	1967	Ironside'' ||	Leon Soo	Episode: "Tagged for Murder"
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	1969	Blondie'' ||	Karate Instructor	Episode: "Pick on Someone Your Own Size"
''Here Come the Brides''	Lin
style="text-align:center;"	1970	|	Himself	2 episodes, 1970–1972 (Hong Kong)
rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	1971	Longstreet'' ||	Li Tsung	4 episodes, 1971
style="text-align:center;"	''The Pierre Berton Show''	Himself

Games

In the Tekken series, Chinese American martial artist and chef Marshall Law bears a very close resemblance to Lee, both in appearance and fighting style, especially in Tekken 6.

In the Street Fighter series, Hong Kong action movie star Fei Long was inspired from Lee. Interestingly, compared to all the other Bruce Lee based characters from other franchises, Fei Long's story and background matches Bruce Lee's the closest. However there is a small difference, as Bruce Lee was born in the United States and lived in the USA as an adult and had an American wife, whereas Fei Long has no apparent connection to the USA.

See also

Bruce Lee Library

Bruce Lee statue in Hong Kong

Bruceploitation

Mostar Bruce Lee statue

References

;Bibliography

External links

Bruce Lee Foundation

Sijo Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee Interview

Category:1940 births Category:1973 deaths Category:American atheists Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Atheist philosophers Category:Hong Kong film actors Category:Hong Kong film producers Category:Hong Kong film directors Category:Hong Kong screenwriters Category:Hong Kong kung fu practitioners Category:Hong Kong wushu practitioners Category:Martial arts school founders Category:American sportspeople of Chinese descent Category:American martial artists Category:Chinese actors Category:Chinese Jeet Kune Do practitioners Category:Chinese Wing Chun practitioners Category:Wing Chun practitioners from Hong Kong Category:Chinese martial artists Category:Chinese philosophers Category:20th-century philosophers Category:Cantonese people Category:People from San Francisco, California Category:Stunt actors Category:American people of Hong Kong descent Category:American actors of Chinese descent Category:University of Washington alumni

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