(Taken from “Knowing Is Not Enough”, Fall 1998)
In the last edition of Knowing Is Not Enough, we presented the first installment of the world premiere of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Nucleus member, Daniel Lee’s wonderful interview with his sifu, Bruce Lee. The interview, recorded in 1972, reveals the warm, personal side of Bruce Lee in which he speaks openly about his beliefs regarding martial art, his philosophy of life, how he dealt with being challenged, and what he thought of arts such as Thai kickboxing. This month, we pick up from where we left off with part two of this historic interview. All members of Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do join with us in thanking Daniel Lee for sharing so openly with us of this very personal and educational recording. – JL
DANIEL LEE: I know you’re busy. I just wanted to be sure that I at least had a chance to say “hello” to you.
BRUCE LEE: Thank you. I’m glad to hear your voice again. I’m selling my house, you know.
I heard. Danny told me about it. Anything – if you want me to clean or anything – let me know.
Thank you. Well, this time I’m getting the “Bekin Man.”
The “Bekin Man”?
Yeah, [laughing] the hell with all this! Too goddamn much trouble. I’ll just let them do it. Right now I’m just sorting out what I need. In fact, I’m just going to bring some of my books, some of my clothes, and that’s about it.
Are you going to store some things, and then when you come back you’ll get another …
If I come back, depending on [how] the film situation is here; if it is good, then I’m going to buy another house.
I think whatever you do over there [in Hong Kong] will have tremendous impact on your work over here [in America] because …
Well, depending. Depending how the quality of it is going to be. I mean I’m not talking about myself alone, you see. I mean directing, budget-wise, cinematographer-wise – a lot of things. I mean lighting everything.
Do you think that Hong Kong [the movie industry] is up to [US] standards?
Not really – but it could be, I mean …
Given the manpower and the facilities?
That’s right. I mean, it’s “Hollywood” of China.
Right! You can make more films sometimes in a year, than [you could in] the Hollywood area.
I mean that’s about it, you know.
Actually in “The Big Boss” you speak Cantonese, right?
Yep.
Then what do they do?
They just dub it. All the Mandarin pictures are dubbed. All of them.
Is [The Big Boss] going to come out over here sometime? [Do you know] when?
Yeah, well it will be but I don’t know when because, like I told you, because of its tremendous success they’re really holding it back trying to get the best deal they can. They’re trying to distribute it. Rank, you know, in England, is trying to distribute it all over England. I don’t know how the deal came about. I opened a film company recently, called Concord, and my partner is coming over next week, so I should find out more about it [then].
Good. We’re eagerly waiting for this film to be here.
Okay, man. I think you will like it, [it’s called] “Tong San Tai.” “Sim Mo.”
“Sim Mo” – you’re still in the middle of that, right?
No, no, no. I’m finished [shooting that movie] already. I died afterward.
Oh that’s historical figures, you have to …
No, no, no. You see [in the movie] I am Fok Yuen Gap’s student. I’m not Fok Yuen Gap himself. That is more interesting because Fok Yuen Gap is, you know, sort of limited because you’ve got to follow how his history goes, you see. So I’m actually portraying his student.
Oh, you’re portraying his student!
Yeah, and it’s very interesting because I fought with a Japanese and a Russian and all that – just like Fok Yuen Gap – and the fight scenes are really tremendous. I mean, I like them, myself, so you can imagine if I enjoy them, the regular people should really dig it.
Do they fight in their own style? The Russian, for instance, like a Russian wrestler?
No, no, no. The Russian fights like karate, boxing, wrestling – everything, all together. And I bite him and everything [both laugh]. Man, all hell breaks loose. At the end, you know, Jo Gai, you know, at the rented area. Remember? When “Dogs and Chinese are not allowed in the park”, and all that. Remember, in Shanghai?
Yeah, I know the history.
Well, exactly. We’re doing that. And at the end I died under the gun fire. But it’s very worthwhile death because it means, you know, Sim Mo Goon and the Chinese, and all that. I walk out and I say “Screw you, man! Here I come!” Boom! And I leap out, and leap up in the air, and [then] they stop frame and then “ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-bang! – like [the ending of the movie] Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – except they stop the frame so that I’m in the middle of the air, you know?
Uh-huh. It’s a very “honorable end.”
Yep – according to the Chinese fashion, of course! [laughs] And the audience will eat it up!
I know that.
Boy, you should see the film goers in Hong Kong! They are very, very – they’re too much! I mean [laughs] when they don’t like [a film] they just say “Dooo La Pho Me Noo Ah!” – like that. And when they like it, they clap their hands, you know. And that’s what it is.
Well I think you’re going to have four more films coming up in that same idea and more higher …
It is. In fact the third film I’m going to Europe to film it. It’s about a Chinese who doesn’t know how to speak English, [and] lands somewhere in a Western country. He carries his ancient weapon and darts and all that. And then the fourth one is going to be very, very much like The Silent Flute, only it’s not, you know. Where it shows a man started off…well, you’ll see it in the future. I mean it’s very meaningful and entertaining as well.
I heard [that] there’s a film, a picture made over here, something about Chinese Gung Fu and all that, [it was made] while you were in Hong Kong.
Yeah, it’s a television deal.
It’s called “Kung Fu,” or something like that.
Yeah, it’s called Kung Fu, and I was supposed to do it – but the network decided against it. And Warner Bros. wants me to be in another television series. But I’m glad they decided against it, know you? Because [laughs], if not, I would have been tied up this year.
That’s right. They’re just shooting that here.
Yep.
Well when you come back [you can] do another good series.
Naw, television is really… I mean…
It’s a one-shot job, isn’t it?
Yeah, you look at all [of] the television series – I mean all of them are gimmicks; shallowly treated.
Very much so.
I mean, you look at [television series such as] Mannix and Ironside; it’s all “fast money,” you know what I mean? Unlike a film where you can put a few months in it and work on it. But not television. Man, you’ve got to finish [an episode] in one week. And how can you keep up the quality every week? And people get tired of it. I mean, it’s not my bag, you know what I mean Dan? I mean, my personality, you know?
You want to really actually get deeper into the quality of [what it is you’re doing].
That’s right, man. That’s right. Money comes second. That’s why I’ve disbanded all the schools of Jeet Kune Do; because it is very easy for a member to come in and take the agenda as “the truth” and the schedule as “the Way,” you know what I mean?
Well, I think you have to pick a few of the true die-hard followers who don’t go out and say “This is JKD!” You know?
Yeah, that’s why I tell Dan to be careful in selecting more students. And so you should help him in that area …
Very true. So you can rest [assured] on me.
Great.
I’ve been working with Dan a lot anyway, we’re real close together.
Great. Well, Dan, what do you do? Dan, I told him last time, is becoming very stylized; he does all the preparations before kicking and it seems like his consciousness is really dominating. Something is bugging him, you know what I mean?
Yeah. Well, I think that too much of the heavy bag kicking has effected him, in that he’s got too much body twisting instead of just going right in – “zoom!”
Yeah; [you] get the power in the momentum, rather than in the preparation prior to that. Because you can kick a heavy bag that way but you cannot kick an opponent that way.
Yeah, well his instep yesterday I think he was checking because his toe was touching first instead of flat.
Yep, I told him that.
So he’s working on it real hard and we sort of had a taste of it and we’re trying not to get too much heavy bag work, rather [we’re going to focus on getting] the suddenness of the movement.
Yeah.
Well if you have any [time] before you leave [for] any training sessions or something…
“Training sessions!” [laughs] I’ll be so god-damned busy! [both laugh] Well, anyway…
I want to see you personally too. Sometime.
Okay, man. Okay, so let’s see now, I …
I want to see you. It will be another year or so before you come back.
Yeah. Well, anyway I have your phone number. So, if anything should happen I’ll give you a call.
Okay.
Okay?
Come over, [even if] just [for] a few minutes [would be] satisfying.
Okay, Dan. Great.
Good talking to you, Bruce.
Take it easy, man.
Take care now.
Take care. Thanks for calling, Dan.
You’re welcome.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.
This marked the last time that Daniel Lee ever spoke with his sifu, Bruce Lee.
1 Dan Inosanto
2 The Bekin Man was a professional moving company in Los Angeles, California.
3 Depending on how high the overall quality of the films Bruce was being paid to appear in was, then it would determine if he could make films full-time and, thus, be able to afford to commute between Hong Kong and America.
4 The Big Boss was Bruce Lee’s first film for Golden Harvest Studios in Hong Kong.
5 The J. Arthur Rank Film Company of Great Britain.
6 English translation: “Chinese Big Brother” also: “The Ching Wu School/Fist of Fury.”
7 The Mandarin version of this name (and the one that was mentioned in the English translation of Fist of Fury, released in North America as The Chinese Connection was “Ho Yuan Chiau.” Ho Yuan Chiau was a famous Chinese martial artist known as “the Yellow-Faced Tiger.” He was also a martial art teacher of considerable renown, having founded the Ching Wu School of Self-Defense in Shanghai—the school is still in existence today.
8 English translation: “Jo Gai” = “Borrowed/Rented area” and “The Eight Country Federation For Armed Forces.”
9 English translation: “The Ching Wu School.”
10 English translation: “Ahhh! It can’t be like that!”
11 This film would turn out to be The Way of the Dragon, later released in North American as Return of the Dragon.
12 The ancient weapon Bruce is referring to here is the nunchaku, or two-section club that he employed during his dojo and Mr. Suzuki fights in The Chinese Connection.
13 Dan Inosanto, who served as Bruce Lee’s assistant instructor at Bruce’s LA Chinatown school.
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