Remembering the 'Dragon'

Chinese-American martial artist Bruce Lee, whose full name was Bruce Jun Fan Lee, died at the age of 32. His martial arts films reached a large international audience and catapulted him into stardom.

Lee was born in San Francisco on November 27, 1940. At the age of 13, he was introduced to Master Yip Man, who taught him the Wing Chun style of kung fu. Lee went on to become a kung fu teacher himself and develop a fighting style he called "Jeet Kune Do" (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). Director Wong Kar Wie made a film base on Yip Man's life in 2013.

Bruce Lee gained popularity by mastering martial arts. In movies he combined his speed and precision with breathtaking action scenes. He is considered by many one of the most influential martial artists of all times.

While studying at university, Lee met Linda Emery, who was to become his wife in 1964. One year later, the couple's first son Brandon was born. Lee described him proudly as the only blonde, blue-eyed Chinese in the world. Their daughter Shannon was born four years later. Brandon, however, was accidentally shot and killed on the set of the movie "The Crow." He was 28 years old.

The movie "Way of the Dragon" made Lee and martial arts known to a global audience. Lee himself wrote the script and asked karate world champion Chuck Norris to act as Lee's nemesis in the movie. The fighting scenes made cinema history.

The first joint Chinese-American film production was released in 1973. "Enter the Dragon" was to become not only Bruce Lee's last but also his most successful movie. However, Lee didn't live long enough to see this. Lee died just days before the premiere, presumably from an allergic reaction to a painkiller.

Scenes filmed before Lee's death were incorporated into the movie "Game of Death." Lee is seen wearing a yellow-and-black tracksuit in the film, indicating that he didn't represent any of the classic forms of martial arts. Inspired by Lee, actress Uma Thurman wore a similar suit in Quentin Tarantino's cult film "Kill Bill."

Bruce Lee paved the way for many famous martial arts actors such as Jackie Chan (photo left), Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme. But it was Chan that established himself as Lee's legitimate successor by combining an acrobatic fighting style with comedy features.

Commemorating the 40th anniversary of his death, a seven-foot bronze statue of Bruce Lee was unveiled in Los Angeles's Chinatown, showing the martial arts expert in a defensive pose.