Martial artist and actor Bruce Lee was only 32 years old when he died suddenly in 1973. In the half-century since, Lee has continued to hold a prominent place as a pop culture icon.
Much of that comes from what he did on-camera.
Lee introduced U.S. audiences to Chinese kung fu as “Kato” in the ABC television series “The Green Hornet.” On the big screen, he challenged stereotypes about Asian meekness in “The Way of the Dragon,” which is famous for Lee’s fight scene with Chuck Norris. His final film, “Enter the Dragon,” put Lee’s distinct approach to martial arts front and center. It also made such a lasting impression that it inspired part of the title and other elements of the Wu-Tang Clan’s 1993 debut album, “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)”.
What people saw in Bruce Lee was eminently physical. But he was also a deeply philosophical thinker.
Lee believed martial arts were more than a bodily discipline; they were a metaphor for living a fully realized life. When he died, he left copious notes for such living — principles that his daughter, Shannon Lee, has followed herself. She shares those principles in her 2020 book, “Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee.”
Lee spoke about the book and her father’s legacy with St. Louis on the Air host Elaine Cha at a live event co-sponsored by the Very Asian Foundation, the Bruce Lee Foundation and Left Bank Books in March.
Listen to highlights from the conversation, including audience questions about the relevance of Bruce Lee’s principles today and the relationship between Shannon’s father’s work and her own pursuits, by listening to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube; or clicking the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Ulaa Kuziez, Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. Our audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
