09/01/2021
Even our heroes are human.
I have been practicing Bruce Lee's martial arts for 30 years now, being proficient in all 3 stages of Jun Fan/Jeet Kune Do as well as Concepts. I frequently read many of Sigung Lee's philosophical and martial writings as inspiration when I need a boost for my soul.
A couple months ago, some letters Bruce Lee wrote came to surface after being discovered by the recipient's daughter and went to auction. Bruce met Bob Baker at his Oakland JKD school, and the two became friends, with Bruce even giving Baker a roll in "Fist of Fury". Little did anyone know that Bob Baker was also a pretty big drug dealer.
Bruce Lee was no stranger to w**d and hash use, especially when he was with his Hollywood--Hippy crowd of actors, actresses, directors, hairdressers, et al. But Hollywood soon dug its grips into Bruce, and he found co***ne and other drugs.
Bruce was interested in every way to improve his performance... always wanting to be the best, do more, and be faster. By the time the Green Hornet ended and Bruce moved back to Hong Kong to start his movie career, he was doing more and more co***ne. According to the letters, he was going through a few hundred dollars a week in the early 70's. The orders are on Bruce's personal stationary, in his handwriting. His wife Linda also wrote letters to Baker about the drugs.
I really don't care what people do with their lives. But to me Bruce Lee was a personal hero. He overcame so much, worked hard, and grew an acting and martial arts career to be an icon. He had a strong body and strong mind. It was all so admirable. He touched many peoples' lives in a positive way. Even today, when I talk to some of his students about him, they get emotional and a little misty-eyed. People loved and respected him.
And to know now that he did it with illegal drugs and developed a dirty habit is a let-down. And it definitely played some part in his death if not what killed him.
I've spoken with some people who knew Bruce Lee over the past couple months about his drug use, and we all see how much sense it makes now. In the last couple years of his life, he never slept and was routinely agitated and short-fused, compared to his prior cool, Zen-like mood. He developed odd habits and was constantly paranoid, talking of people and organizations out to get him. The lack of inquiry by Linda into his death was always suspicious (and quite baffling) to anyone who knew her. There's a lot more I can go on about here, but you get the idea.
It seemed Bruce had a "Hollywood" personality and a martial arts personality, like two different people. From speaking with someone who worked on Enter the Dragon with him, many people knew of Bruce's drug use, but never spoke of it because it seemed so common to them, and it's kind of what everyone did during long hours on the set.
Times were different, and I wasn't there.
To his martial arts students and the martial community, it's a huge shock and let-down.
I always thought Bruce Lee used Chinese herbs to enhance his performance when he returned to Hong Kong. There're stories of him visiting herbalists often, looking for ancient secrets to god-like abilities. When I spoke to Hawkins Cheung years ago, he told me Bruce Lee used herbs like red ginseng and astragalus root daily. Hawkins tried to tell me something else, but his broken English didn't make sense to me.
To you, Bruce's fans and Bruce's students, this all may have no impact on your view of him. Or it just might be enough to totally distance yourself from anything and everything Bruce Lee.
Although I feel somewhat disappointed in this recent discovery, I still hold the teachings, art, dedication, movie-making, and most of all the SPIRIT of Bruce Lee with me. Although he might have neglected his responsibility to his young family, he harmed no one. He gave us ideas, possibilities, and realities that were never before thought of or conceived. I believe he made better people, and the world a better place.
Rest in peace, rest in power.
