Akja, calm down, son...I'm not trashing Bruce Lee. I'm simply telling the truth. If that hurts, I'm sorry. My facts ARE factual. And integrity is a great "excuse" for not revealing my sources. They do not wish to be made public and I respect their wishes.
I will not reveal my sources. End of that part of the statement.
Ed Parker was responsible for Lee getting into a television series which ultimately led to him getting into the Hong Kong movie industry. Without having had the prior TV experience and notoriety, I doubt that Run Run Shaw would have ever cast a second glance his way. Yes, I believe that Mr. Parker is indirectly responsible for Lee's entry into the Hong Kong movie industry.
Lee did absolutely nothing to encourage the growth of the martial arts industry here or anywhere else. He never held any competitive events, never conducted seminars of any kind (in fact, his private lessons ran over $80 per lesson which, in those days, was a LOT of money), only wrote a short book and a small pamphlet (most people know about the book but I have an original copy of the pamphlet).
Once he made it into the movies, he did not maintain his school (he was rarely there as an instructor) although some of his students did open clubs of their own.
He was one of the first kung-fu practicioners to perform before the American public and that's part of what made him famous. However, there were numerous other teachers (who were older and not as handsome as Lee) who did the same thing; Timmy Wong, Arthur Lee, Ark Wong, and others. They never made it big on TV or in themovies so they're not as famous.
I believe that the reason Lee did not compete is that he had everything to lose and nothing to win.
If he won, people would say, Oh well, he's the famous Bruce Lee. Of course he won!"
On the other hand, if he lost, he'd lose everything...especially his reputation.
I don't hold with the "self realization" line about what works and what doesn't.....I have known and trained with some of the finest karate masters and kung-fu teachers in the world. In the blink of an eye they could dispatch an opponent with ease. Yet, they also are skilled enough to pull their blows for the sake of safety when practicing. I don't understand why Lee could not have done the same thing.
No, I think he did the wisest thing. He simply didn't compete at all. It was the smartest move.
My point is simply that there are a lot of myths flying around regarding Bruce Lee. I simply wish to set the record straight, as I would about any well-known martial arts practicioner. Sometimes, when myths are shown for what they really are, it makes us uncomfortable, but that's part of the learning and maturing process.
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