While we all know Bruce Lee to be one of the most legendary fighters of all time, here are some facts for what would be his 77th birthday that show he is more than just an iconic kung fu master.
1. Bruce Lee's name wasn't acutally Bruce Lee
His real name was Lee Jun-Fan, which meant "return again". His mother gave him the name because she believed he would return again to the United States.
2. He started acting as a baby
The first film he appeared in was Golden Gate Girl when he was 3 months old.
3. He was a dance champion
In 1958, he won the Hong Kong cha cha championship.
4. Lee was a talented poet
He wrote many poems throughout his life, many of which are compiled in a collection titled Bruce Lee: Artist of Life, such as this one titled "The Dying Sun":
The dying sun lies sadly in the far horizon.
The autumn wind blows mercilessly;
The yellow leaves fall.
From the mountain peak,
Two streams parted unwillingly,
One to the West, one to the East.
The sun will rise again in the morning.
The leaves will be green again in spring.
But must we be like the mountain stream,
Never to meet again?
5. He could knock down an opponent with just an inch of force
His famous one-inch punch was first performed at the 1968 International Karate Tournament in Long Beach, California. It was not a fighting technique but rather a demonstration of how force and speed could be used to create an incredible amount of force. The technique, when implemented correctly, is so powerful it is said to potentially cause internal damage to the heart and other organs.
6. He was just 32 when he died
He collapsed during the shooting of his last movie Enter the Dragon and was rushed to the hospital. There he was diagnosed with cerebral edema, or excess fluid in the brain, and died 3 months later on July 20th, 1973.
7. Game of Death features footage from Bruce Lee's actual funeral
Since he wasn't able to finish his work on Game of Death before he died, the studio had his character fake his own death, and then took footage from his actual funeral to complete the script.
