Question about Brandon Lee

[Yung Apprentice]

Bruce died when Brandon was young. I'm sure he taught him some stuff, but I doubt Bruce was his only teacher.So where did Brandon learn KF, who trained him, and in what style?

[Silumkid]

I believe Brandon spent quite a bit of time training with Dan Inosanto. I know he also mentioned a "Yin/Yang" style in an interview but can't recall who the teacher was. I have the interview somewhere...I'll try to find it.

Cheers!

[Radhnoti]

My understanding is that originally Brandon studied with his father. Then with Wong/Inosanto.

He also studied Muay Thai (one of only 14 in the world certified to teach Tai boxing, according to one website I found) and Yee Chuen Tao (which I have no knowledge of).

Two interesting facts, again according to internet "fact" pages:

1. After his death, martial arts experts put Brandon at a 7 out of 10 on skills scale.

2. One time a burglar broke into his home and Brandon, surprisingly, was there. As a result, the burglar ended up being taken to the hospital with broken bones.

I REALLY enjoyed his film "Rapid Fire".

[Yung Apprentice]

HAHAHAHA!!! That was the movie I was watching that made me think of this question! So he did Muy Thai, too? How come they rate him only a 7?

[Radhnoti]

I think it's because the ones ranking him were MASTERS, I'd be happy if a master rated me 5...er...or 4. :D
Bruce always said he was a martial artist first and an actor second.
Brandon always said he was an ACTOR first and a martial artist second.

[Silumkid]

Rad,

Since Yung already mentioned Bruce, I left that part out. ;)

The story about the burglar is true...Brandon himself told that story on a late night interview show (may have even been The Tonight Show) and in a couple different martial arts mag interviews. Straight from the horse's mouth so to speak.

Didn't Brandon do the Muay Thai at Inosanto Academy? I remember an article with him talking about his training and he said something like "I believe in real world fitness. Having huge muscles is great if you want to lift really heavy things, but come to the academy and go a few rounds on the Thai pads and I'll be running circles around you." (paraphrase)

Rapid Fire is a great movie. Legacy of Rage is pretty cool too I think. Showdown in Little Tokyo....terrible movie with some good Brandon fight scenes. Too bad they made him play the "ah-so" Asian to Dolph Lundgren's big "hunky" white hero.

[Yung Apprentice]

I kinda liked him in "Showdown in Little Tokyo", maybe I'm just weird! I haven't seen Legacy of Rage, I'll have to find that one. I wasn't to fond of the Crow, it was alright.

[Radhnoti]

Just to finish (I think) Brandon's filmography. "Kung Fu- The Movie" was ok, but "Laser Mission" was so horrendous it's almost campy. And he was interviewed in "Bruce Lee - The Immortal Dragon".

I never knew he was in a film called "Legacy of Rage", I'll have to go check that out. Is it hard to find in the U.S.?

[GeneChing]

Actor who accidently killed Bruce Lee's son passed away (http://www.indiaglitz.com/actor-michael-massee-who-accidently-killed-brendon-lee-passed-away-tamil-news-170116.html)
IndiaGlitz [Thursday, October 27, 2016]

https://igmedia.blob.core.windows.net/igmedia/tamil/news/micheal_masee_271016_m.jpg

Michael Massee (61) who recently starred as The Gentleman in ‘The Amazing Spiderman’ and ‘The Amazing Spiderman 2’ passed away on October 20th. The actor is famous for his roles in television series ‘24’ and ‘Interventions’ among others.

In 1993 Michael Massee starred as Funboy opposite Brendon Lee in the cult classic ‘The Crow’. During the filming Massee shot at Lee with a gun, which unfortunately was loaded and the twenty nine year old died on March 31st 1993. Brendon Lee like his illustrious father Bruce Lee had a tragic end.

Michael Masse never got over the Brendon Lee incident as revealed by him in many interviews as he was traumatized by the accident. He is survived by his wife Ellen and two children.

I remember hearing about Masse and how traumatized he was by the accident, but I'd lost track of him over the years.

[boxerbilly]

Bruce died when Brandon was young. I'm sure he taught him some stuff, but I doubt Bruce was his only teacher.So where did Brandon learn KF, who trained him, and in what style?

Primarily at the Inosanto Academy . He basically trained every art taught there and was certified in Jun Fan and Thai boxing I believe. Danny was not his only instructor. Primary one.

[Phantom Dreamer]

Way of the Dragon, behind the scenes.

The young boy on the left is 7-year-old Brandon Lee, correct.
10358

Another shot of Brandon Lee with Bruce on the Way of the Dragon set.
10359

Individuals at another forum, that shall remain nameless, claim the young boy is not Brandon! So I guess Bruce Lee impregnated Linda Lee's long lost identical twin sister the same time they conceived Brandon!

[mickey]

Greetings,

Those supposed photos of Brandon look fake, BIG TIME. According to his father, he had blonde hair and blue eyes.


mickey

[Phantom Dreamer]

Greetings,

Those supposed photos of Brandon look fake, BIG TIME. According to his father, he had blonde hair and blue eyes.


mickey
Sure, as a baby, not at 7 years of age.

[GeneChing]

Good statement from Brandon Bruce Lee's twitter. Brandon was the first person I thought of when I heard this news.


Sheriff: Alec Baldwin Discharged Prop Firearm That Left Cinematographer Dead and Director Wounded (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/alec-baldwin-rust-movie-incident-1235035095/)
An investigation is underway and no charges have been filed, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Department.

BY TRILBY BERESFORD, RYAN PARKER
OCTOBER 21, 2021 4:56PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/alec_baldwin.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
JIM SPELLMAN/GETTY IMAGES

A prop firearm was discharged by Alec Baldwin on the New Mexico movie set of Rust, killing a cinematographer and wounding the director, according to the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.

Director of photography Halyna Hutchins, 42, died Thursday after being injured when the prop gun was “discharged” by Baldwin, the Western’s producer and star. Hutchins had been transported by helicopter to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the sheriff’s department said.

A spokesperson from Rust said in a statement: “The entire cast and crew has been absolutely devastated by today’s tragedy, and we send our deepest condolences to Halyna’s family and loved ones. We have halted production on the film for an undetermined period of time and are fully cooperating with the Santa Fe Police Department’s investigation. We will be providing counseling services to everyone connected to the film as we work to process this awful event.”

The Ukraine-born, Los Angeles-based DP graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2015. Her credits included indie films Archenemy, Blindfire and The Mad Hatter.

The second victim was the film’s director, Joel Souza, 48, who was taken by ambulance to Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center. Juan Ríos, a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, told THR on Thursday evening that he was in critical condition, However, on Friday morning, Ríos said his condition is unclear and referred to the hospital for that information.

An update on the investigation will likely not occur until next week, Ríos said, as interviews are ongoing and evidence is being collected. Baldwin was interviewed Thursday by investigators at the sheriff’s department, Ríos said.

Directors Guild of America president Lesli Linka Glatter said in a statement that the DGA is “incredibly saddened” to hear of Hutchins’ death and Souza’s injuries. “We await further details and a full investigation. Our hearts go out to Halyna’s family, to Joel, and to everyone impacted.”

Ríos told The Hollywood Reporter that an active investigation was underway and no charges have been filed.

“According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. “Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged.”

Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the Bonanza Creek Ranch set near Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 1:50 p.m. MT after a 911 call indicated an individual had been shot on set.

A spokesperson from the production said the “accident” involved the misfire of a prop gun with blanks. “Production has been halted for the time being. The safety of our cast and crew remains our top priority,” the initial statement said.

The Local 600 labor union, of which Hutchins was a member, said in a statement, “The details are unclear at this moment, but we are working to learn more, and we support a full investigation into this tragic event. This is a terrible loss, and we mourn the passing of a member of our Guild’s family.”

Firearm accidents on Hollywood sets are extremely rare, but do occur. In 1993, Brandon Lee, the son of famed martial arts star Bruce Lee, was accidentally shot and killed on the set of The Crow by another actor who fired a revolver that had been improperly prepared.

In 1984, actor Jon-Erik Hexum was involved in a prop gun incident on the set of CBS’ Cover Up. During a break in filming, Hexum accidentally shot himself while playing with the firearm, not realizing a blank was still in the prop gun. He died from his injuries six days later at the age of 26.

The official Twitter page for Brandon Bruce Lee posted: “Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on “Rust”. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period.”

In Rust, Baldwin stars as infamous Western outlaw Harland Rust. When his estranged grandson is convicted of an accidental murder and sentenced to hang, Rust travels to Kansas to break him out of prison. The two fugitives must then outrun U.S. Marshal Wood Helm and bounty hunter Fenton “Preacher” Lang.

The film also stars Frances Fisher, Jensen Ackles and Travis Fimmel.


Oct. 22, 7:51 a.m. Updated to reflect Joel Souza’s condition is unknown.
10:10 p.m. Updated with statement from the DGA.

[GeneChing]

I'm splitting this off from the Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?70743-Stunts-injuries-amp-deaths/) into its own indie thread - Rust: accidental shooting of Halyna Hutchins (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72174-Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins) - and tagging our Brandon-Lee (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17174-Question-about-Brandon-Lee) thread too because this triggers that memory so much.


Ernie Hudson Heartbroken Over ‘Rust’ Shooting, Says He Can’t Watch ‘The Crow’ (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/ernie-hudson-brandon-lee-movie-the-crow-1235036439/)
The iconic actor, who was in the Brandon Lee film, agrees with those who are calling for Hollywood to ban real guns from sets after the latest tragedy.

BY RYAN PARKER

OCTOBER 25, 2021 12:27PM
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MCDCROW_EC003.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1
Ernie Hudson in 'The Crow' EVERETT COLLECTION

Ernie Hudson, like the rest of Hollywood, is reeling from last week’s deadly shooting on the set of Rust where a gun discharged by Alec Baldwin killed director of photography Halyna Hutchins and wounded the film’s director.

The iconic Ghostbusters star knows firsthand about the devastation left in the wake of such a tragedy as he appeared in The Crow, the 1994 film in which Brandon Lee was fatally wounded.

Hudson told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday he was heartbroken for Hutchins’ family and for Baldwin, whom he has known for years after the pair worked on 1985’s Love on the Run.

“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Hudson tells THR. “It bought back a lot of memories of Brandon. We go on, we keep moving forward — but there is always that space in your life. You’re heartbroken. You have no control, but you still have to process it and how do you do that? I am just so heartbroken that anything like that can happen again.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MSDCROW_EC007.jpg?w=300
Brandon Lee in ‘The Crow’ EVERETT COLLECTION
The son of legendary martial artist and film star Bruce Lee, Brandon Lee was fatally wounded in March 1993 on The Crow set by a prop gun. He was 28. His sister, Shannon, told THR last week that the family supports a growing initiative to ban real guns from sets. Hudson says he also supports that move.

“If that’s the answer, then I would like to see real guns removed from sets,” Hudson concurs. “I don’t think it is necessary to have real guns and live rounds on the set. We have the technology now to put flashes in without the [blank cartridge] rounds. I thought we found a way to do it safer.”

The Rust investigation is ongoing and Hudson notes all the facts need to come out. However, he can speak to being on productions that felt rushed. “The problem is when they start cutting budgets and they start being in a hurry,” he says. “That is what happened on The Crow. They were pushing to get it done. You put lives at risk.”

Hudson also expressed grief for Baldwin, nothing that the late Michael Massee was devastated after he fired the gun that killed Brandon Lee. “There is nothing worse than something like that happening,” Hudson says. “I remember Michael, his life was never the same.”

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/MSDCROW_EC011.jpg?w=300
Rochelle Davis and Hudson in ‘The Crow’ EVERETT COLLECTION
In The Crow, Hudson plays police Sgt. Daryl Albrecht, who responds to the scene where Brandon Lee’s Eric Draven and Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) are brutally murdered on Oct. 30, the informal Devil’s Night. Draven rises from the grave with mystical powers a year later to avenge their deaths and seeks the help of Sgt. Albrecht.

“I can’t watch The Crow,” Hudson admits. “It breaks my heart, and I can’t get past it. So much of it was action stuff, but Brandon and I got a chance to act together.”

Noting that one of his favorite scenes in the film is an emotional moment when Draven comes to visit Sgt. Albrecht after he arises from the grave, Hudson laments: “He was such a great guy. And you think about all the potential.”

[GeneChing]

Eliza Hutton Breaks Silence 28 Years After Fiancé Brandon Lee's Death in the Wake of Rust Shooting (https://people.com/movies/eliza-hutton-breaks-silence-28-years-after-fiance-brandon-lees-death-in-the-wake-of-rust-shooting/)
Eliza Hutton, Brandon Lee's fiancée, is urging "those in positions to make change to consider alternatives to real guns on sets"
By Dan Heching
October 25, 2021 11:04 PM

Eliza Hutton is coming forward for the first time since her fiancé Brandon Lee died following last week's tragic accidental shooting on the set of the Alec Baldwin film Rust.

Brandon died at 28 in a similar accident in March of 1993 on the set of his film The Crow. Hutton, 57, tells PEOPLE that the accident on the New Mexico set of Rust that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounded director Joel Souza is yet another "avoidable tragedy."

"Twenty eight years ago, I was shattered by the shock and grief of losing the love of my life, Brandon Lee, so senselessly. My heart aches again now for Halyna Hutchins' husband and son, and for all those left in the wake of this avoidable tragedy," Hutton tells PEOPLE.

"I urge those in positions to make change to consider alternatives to real guns on sets," she says.

Also this week, Hutton posted a photo of herself with Brandon taken in Venice, Italy, in October 1992 when they got engaged to her private Instagram account.

"There's no such thing as a prop gun," she wrote in the caption.

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2021%2F10%2F26%2F Eliza-Hutton-and-Brandon-Lee-3.jpg
CREDIT: COURTESY ELIZA HUTTON
The pair had planned their wedding for April 17, 1993, after The Crow was scheduled to wrap production. Lee, son of martial arts star Bruce Lee, was killed on set on March 31st during the final week of production.

Brandon was killed when another actor shot him using a gun that was supposed to have only been loaded with blanks.

https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F20%2F2021%2F10%2F26%2F eliza-hutton-and-brandon-lee-1.jpg
Brandon Lee, Eliza Hutton | CREDIT: COURTESY ELIZA HUTTON
On Friday, Brandon's sister Shannon Lee shared a statement in the wake of the Rust shooting.

"Our hearts go out to the family of Halyna Hutchins and to Joel Souza and all involved in the incident on Rust. No one should ever be killed by a gun on a film set. Period💔" she wrote on her brother's Twitter page, where she tweets on behalf of his legacy.

As investigations into what happened on the Rust set continue, a Change.org petition has been launched calling for the ban on all real firearms on film and television productions.

The petition was created by Bandar Albuliwi, a director who graduated from the American Film Institute Conservatory, where Hutchins was also an alumnus.

"Halyna was a talented cinematographer and a good friend whose life was taken tragically due to a real firearm being used on set," Albuliwi said. "We need to make sure this never happens again. There is no excuse for something like this to happen in the 21st century. Real guns are no longer needed on film production sets. Change needs to happen before additional talented lives are lost."

On Monday evening, the petition had been signed by almost 29,000 people out of the 35,000 requested signatures.

threads
Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins (http://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72174-Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins)
Brandon-Lee (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17174-Question-about-Brandon-Lee)

[GeneChing]

Actor Brandon Lee was killed by a prop gun, years before the 'Rust' shooting death (https://www.npr.org/2023/01/20/1150034900/brandon-lee-killed-prop-gun-rust-shooting-death-alec-baldwin-halyna-hutchins)
January 20, 20235:23 AM ET
GIULIA HEYWARD

https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/01/19/pm6x0g_custom-395b8e3c5a7567be6503b0811ca3abf9d256f80f-s800-c85.webp
Actor Brandon Lee died at age 28 while filming The Crow in 1993.
Alamy Stock Photo
Actor Alec Baldwin is facing criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. The incident is reminiscent of another on-set tragedy: the accidental shooting of actor Brandon Lee during filming of The Crow nearly three decades earlier.

Lee, who was the son of martial artist Bruce Lee, died after his co-star, actor Michael Massee, fired at him with a prop gun during filming on March 30, 1993, in Wilmington, North Carolina. Although the revolver was loaded with blanks, the gunpowder in the blank cartridge ignited, leading Massee to unknowingly fire a bullet fragment at Lee, who later died in surgery.

While Massee did not face any criminal charges, Lee's mother did successfully sue filmmakers for an undisclosed amount.

Decades later, a similar incident occurred when Baldwin fired a live round from a Colt .45-caliber pistol at Hutchins during filming for Rust. Baldwin, who maintains that he did not intend to fire at Hutchins, sued those involved in the handling and supplying of the prop gun and reached a settlement in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Hutchins' husband, Matthew Hutchins.

On Thursday, prosecutors in Santa Fe, N.M., said Baldwin and another member of the Rust crew would face criminal charges for their involvement in the cinematographer's death.

Nancy Gertner, a trial lawyer, retired judge and senior lecturer at Harvard Law School, told NPR that filing criminal charges, in the deaths of both Lee and Hutchinson, is often up to the acting prosecutor's discretion. She called the decision to charge Baldwin with involuntary manslaughter both "unusual" and "difficult to prove."

"No one intended for this to happen," Gertner said. "So these kinds of charges are reserved for only the most extreme kinds of negligence, the most gross negligence, the largest deviation from what ordinary standards would be."

Gertner points to other members of the crew — including the film's armorer, who is also facing charges of involuntary manslaughter — and their handling and management of the gun before it came into Baldwin's possession.

"There are people along the continuum here who had direct responsibility for that gun and failed in that responsibility," she said. "One way of thinking of that is, in one sense, Baldwin is the least culpable on that line."

To prove Baldwin's culpability, Gertner said the prosecutors are theorizing that Baldwin held a greater responsibility in the death than originally thought. She also pointed to the roles that social media and "the unbelievable crush of publicity" might be playing in the prosecutors' decision.

"In other words, was the Lee case going to be on every single night on television, and on Twitter and on every major outlet?" Gertner said. "Does that put pressure on prosecutors in ways that it never has before? And that could be a difference."

Robert Weisberg, a criminal law professor at Stanford University, echoed the same sentiment that an involuntary manslaughter charge is often up to the prosecutor's discretion, calling the incident involving Baldwin "very factually messy."

"I don't think we know enough yet about the forensics of the shooting, at least compared to what was settled in the Brandon Lee case," he said. "And some possible outcomes from further investigation or actual trial testimony, in the Baldwin case, might more clearly differentiate the cases."

Weisberg pointed to labor issues surrounding the production company behind Rust. The Los Angeles Times reported that a half-dozen crew members reportedly walked off the set hours before the shooting incident, and others told the news outlet that gun safety protocols weren't being followed while filming.

"A jury could infer, 'Well, on that basis, he should have thought twice, or three times, about the gun,'" Weisberg said. "Even if there hadn't been incidents on that set about that particular gun, but rather, you should have done an inference: 'We're not running the set very well. And I better really be careful here.'"

The incident that led to Lee's death spurred the need for better protocols when using prop guns on set. Following her brother's death, martial artist Shannon Lee told Agence France-Presse in 2021 that mandatory gun safety training should be required for actors.

"It shouldn't happen again," Lee told the news agency.

Gertner also said that previous reports of equipment being irresponsibly handled on set could add to Baldwin's culpability.

"So that too could have distinguished this case from the Lee case," she said. "If someone tells you that you speed all the time and you continue to speed, that makes you much more culpable."

Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?72174-Rust-accidental-shooting-of-Halyna-Hutchins)
Question-about-Brandon-Lee (https://www.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?17174-Question-about-Brandon-Lee)