Lee became an iconic figure known throughout the world, particularly among the Chinese, based upon his portrayal of Chinese nationalism in his films, and among Asian Americans for defying Asian stereotypes. He is noted for his roles in five feature-length Hong Kong martial arts films in the early 1970s: Lo Wei's The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1972) Golden Harvest's The Way of the Dragon (1972), directed and written by Lee and Golden Harvest and Warner Brothers' Enter the Dragon (1973) and The Game of Death (1978), both directed by Robert Clouse. The direction and tone of his films dramatically influenced and changed martial arts and martial arts films worldwide. In the 1970s, his Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the Hong Kong martial arts films to a new level of popularity and acclaim, sparking a surge of Western interest in Chinese martial arts. He subsequently moved to Los Angeles to teach, where his students included Chuck Norris, Sharon Tate, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. After later adding a second school in Oakland, California, he once drew significant attention at the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships of California by making demonstrations and speaking. He opened his first martial arts school, operated out of home in Seattle. It was during this time in the United States that he began considering making money by teaching martial arts, even though he aspired to have a career in acting. In 1961, he enrolled in the University of Washington.

His early martial arts experience included Wing Chun (trained under Yip Man), tai chi, boxing (winning a Hong Kong boxing tournament), and apparently frequent street fighting (neighbourhood and rooftop fights). However, these were not martial arts films. īorn in San Francisco and raised in British Hong Kong, Lee was introduced to the Hong Kong film industry as a child actor by his father. He is credited with promoting Hong Kong action cinema and helping to change the way Chinese people were presented in American films. Lee is considered by critics, media, and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century, who bridged the gap between East and West. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often credited with paving the way for modern mixed martial arts (MMA).

Bruce Lee ( Chinese: 李小龍 born Lee Jun-fan, 李振藩 Novem– July 20, 1973) was a Hong Kong-American actor and martial artist.

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