Bruce Lee thrown out of WC because...

Discussion in 'Jeet Kune Do' started by baby cart, Feb 17, 2015.

  1. baby cart

    baby cart Valued Member

    According to this, Bruce Lee was thrown out of his parent art for behaving like a nether region:

    from http://en.allexperts.com/q/Self-Defense-2265/2015/2/martial-arts-west.htm

    Can any MA historian shed some light on this? Was Lee's behavior considered rude in the Orient but acceptable in the West, or was he really out of line?
     
  2. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    That Bruce was a hothead is beyond a doubt....however, he was certainly not alone in this regard

    From his letters to and from his peers and teacher in Hong Kong he always showed a lot of respect, so "thrown out" may not be the best description. The Chinese being culturally xenophobic as they were may be a better explanation, because Bruce was about 1/4 European

    WSL was alwasy supprtive of Bruce, and honest in is criticism too, and he never mentioned this to my knowledge. I also personally know one WC Grandmaster who still speaks fondly of Bruce and his ability, so those who "kicked him out" may have been different styists.
     
  3. Indie12

    Indie12 Valued Member

    According to accounts Bruce Lee or Lee Jun Fan as he's known in Hong Kong wasn't thrown out, but he really wasn't 100% accepted either. His sifu taught him seperately then the other students because he did have I believe 1/4 European in him. Plus by some accounts he was "absorbing" the material much faster then his peers which made him a bigger target. He certainly didn't always behave the way the Orients at that time (and still) believed he should, but by no accounts was he disrespectful towards this. It really wasn't until after 1963 when he founded Jeet Kune Do did many believe he was "out of line".

    In 1958? He actually left Hong Kong via his parents due to his fighting. He was never thrown out of the school, he left voluntarily due to his parents request for him to come to America to study and have a better life. His first gig was in Ruby Chows restaurant in Seattle (a family friend) which gave him a start.
     
  4. baby cart

    baby cart Valued Member

    I've read about what you just posted. Most sources I've found share the same sentiment.

    So this statement I've quoted in the OP post being propagated is essentially a retcon? Or is it a leak of some GMs' real feelings? What I really wanted to know is if that the behavior being described is before Lee created JKD or after.

    Problem is, I have no other evidence that MacYoung's sources were factually right and not just biased due to Lee's later works.
     

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