He choreographed the most unbelievable fight scenarios into the most realistic fight scenes. His character would take out as many as 50 men, if not more, in a matter of minutes, and leave viewers amazed at what they just saw. He managed to produce this simulation of potentially fatal attacks and counter-attacks at a frantic pace, while pulling at the last possible inch before contact. Amazingly enough, no one was ever seriously hurt. It was one small Chinese man taking out groups by himself, and the audience believed it. This is because he sold these scenes with passion, charisma, intensity, speed, and most importantly, unduplicated martial arts mastery.
Before being an international action movie star, Bruce Lee was the ultimate martial artist. Before he was the ultimate martial artist, he was a talented and confident expert in Kung Fu. What is perhaps most intriguing about the final product of near perfection that millions of fans grew to worship, is that imperfections planted the seed of his untouchable greatness.
When Bruce Lee was in his mid-twenties, he was newly wed and financially insecure. To bring in extra income, Bruce opened a martial arts school in Oakland. The school was opened to any student interested in learning Wing Chun Kung Fu, not discriminating against age, sex, race, or religion. He wanted to teach anyone who honestly desired to learn. While noble in his intentions, this practice was frowned upon within the Chinese martial arts community. No Chinese martial artist before this opened a school to teach non-Chinese students. Their community stood firmly against sharing their culture's secrets with those they considered foreign.
Immediately after his school opened, a messenger brought Bruce a scroll with a message written in his native Chinese. It demanded that he stop teaching the Chinese martial art to non-Chinese, primarily Americans. If he did not, San Francisco based Master Wong Jack Man was to come to Oakland, representing the Chinese martial arts community, to beat some sense into young Bruce. Because he started as a teenager, at this time, Bruce had little more than ten years of formal Wing-Chun training. Most people with this disadvantage of experience, in comparison with a Master, would agree to the terms and teach to only the Chinese. Bruce refused to succumb to these demands.
