Bruce Lee Memorials

[Lucas]

omg wow i want that pen! can you loan me some cash Gene? I'm good for it, i swear...

[GeneChing]

Dragon Rising in Shunde: 2010
Bruce Lee's Cultural Festival
By Wenming Guang, translation by Gigi Oh and Gene Ching

March April 2011

[GeneChing]

...but I can't resist. It's so **** newsworthy.

Keni Styles to Enter the Dragon for Axel Braun/Vivid
By Peter Warren
Feb 02nd, 2011 09:15 AM

LOS ANGELES—AVN Director of the Year Axel Braun has cast Male Performer of the Year nominee Keni Styles as martial arts screen legend Bruce Lee for forthcoming project Bruce Lee XXX: A Porn Parody, slated to be distributed by Vivid Entertainment beginning July 20.

"After the success of Elvis XXX: A Porn Parody, I decided to have some fun and spoof another one of my childhood heroes," Braun said. "Bruce Lee was one of the most influential martial artists of the last century as well as a talented actor, philosopher, film director and screenwriter, and Keni is the obvious choice to play the legend—he's a terrific performer and a real-life martial arts champion. Bruce Lee's fans will not be disappointed."

The movie will incorporate elements of celebrated Lee films Game of Death and Enter the Dragon, as well as the TV show The Green Hornet, in which he played Kato.

Also in place to portray famed figures surronding Lee in the title are Sean Michaels as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Vegas as Steve McQueen, Dale DaBone as John Saxon, Madison Scott as Faye Dunaway and Lexi Belle as Lee's wife, Linda.

Bruce Lee Porn Parody Star Keni Styles Breaks Asian Male Stereotypes
Submitted by Harry Mok on February 4, 2011 - 12:11pm



Bruce Lee might well be turning over in his grave to the news that they’ve finally gotten around to doing a porn parody of him.

That’s right, Bruce Lee XXX: A Porn Parody is set to be released on July 20, the anniversary of the martial arts star’s death in 1973. The adult video will star Keni Styles, a Thai import via Great Britain who’s the only Asian male starring in straight porn movies produced by a major studio in the United States

At least a white actor hasn’t been cast to play Lee, which wouldn’t have been a surprise because in porn size does matter, and the overarching stereotype is that Asian guys don’t measure up. There are very few Asian American men starring on mainstream TV and movies, but in straight porn, they were totally missing in action until Styles came along.

Having a heterosexual Asian-male porn star could be construed as a sign that some of those stereotypes are falling by the wayside. In some ways it’s also an affirmation or a reclamation of the masculinity of Asian American men.

This is Asian American studies professor Darrell Hamamoto’s theory, and he produced a short porn film with an Asian American male and female couple to try and prove his point. (See my story on Salon.com. No photos but content might be NSFW.) A few other Asian American men have made some inroads (Asian men are common in gay porn, more fodder for stereotyping), but Styles is the first to make it big, so to speak, in straight porn.

The image of Asian males in American society has been discussed and dissected for years, and I’ve done my fair share. But no porn movie is going to make the myriad of racial and sexual stereotypes about Asian American men and women go away. Styles probably is on track with what he said in Jeff Yang’s Asian Pop story:

"I often interact a lot with Asian American guys in online forums, talking about the issues they face. And many of them really feel hard done by American culture -- they feel unattractive, they feel defeated. While I have a lot of empathy, there's a sense in which this is self-inflicted. I didn't grow up in the States; I don't know first-hand what they've been through. But I can say, I didn't have an easy street of it myself, and you know, I've overcome."

Styles seems to be exuding confidence and living life to the fullest. There’s no reason why all Asian American men can’t do the same ... even if they don't want to be porn stars.

[GeneChing]

Elvis, Tupac and Other Dead Celebs Liven Up COMEBACK KINGS
By Albert Ching, Newsarama Staff Writer
posted: 04 February 2011 05:53 pm ET



Back in 2003, writer Peter Milligan and artist Mike Allred planned to bring Princess Diana back to life as part of the Marvel superhero team X-Statix — that move was met with so much controversy that the story was eventually changed to remove Diana, but if the past eight years have left you with a burning desire to see famous dead people fighting crime in comic books, Ardden Entertainment has a new title that just may be up your very specific alley.

Comeback Kings, starting in March, brings together Bruce Lee, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Andy Kaufman and Tupac Shakur as a super-secret team of super-spies, who faked their own deaths as part of “Project Resurrection.”

Newsarama talked via e-mail with co-writers Matt Sullivan and Gabe Guarente and artist Ethan Young about the series, what each Comeback King brings to the group, and what’s influenced their celebrity satire.

Newsarama: Matt, Gabe, this is definitely a series with a unique concept — what are the origins of the story? And how did you go about selecting which dead celebrities would comprise the team?

Matt Sullivan: The stars we chose are obviously all icons that died too young who could still be alive today — but they also all have an audience that believes (or wants to believe) they faked their own deaths. We thought it’d be interesting to use that folklore as a satirical springboard to comment on both celebrity culture and the superhero genre simultaneously. There’s actually a lot of common ground between the two. Our superstars are all larger than life characters, with both heroic attributes and tragic dimension — just like many comic book heroes. There are similar core issues: Are their talents (and the fame resulting from them) a gift or a curse?

Gabe Guarente: So when we started talking about the names that fit the bill — Bruce, Elvis, Andy Kaufman — we saw how each one could be different personality type in a super team. Andy could be the goofy master of disguise, Jim could be the brooding ladies man, etc. It seemed so natural, we wondered why they never teamed up before. Would have been the best Enter the Dragon sequel ever.

Nrama: Ethan, how did you get on board, and how does it compare to other work you've done in your career?

Ethan Young: Gabe and Matt found my website, youngillustrations.com, where I basically offer illustration services for all different types of projects: comics, storyboards, logos, you name it. They pitched me on the idea of a satirical super-hero comic and I was intrigued from the get-go. It's a lot of fun to work on. I've been able to expand my repertoire and fool around with zip-a-tone; most of my other work is just traditionally inked. I think the final product is going to look neat! People who are more familiar with my previous works will see Comeback Kings as a pleasant surprise.

Nrama: Tonally, a pop culture satire like this is fairly rare in mainstream comics. What kind of media has influenced you along the way?

Sullivan: Mad and Cracked parodies were certainly old-school influences. So was Robert Smigel and Adam McKay's X-Presidents, the SNL/TV Funhouse animated sketch turned comic book that had former presidents like Carter and Reagan as a superhero team. Reality TV shows like Celebrity Rehab were also in the mix. There are also structural similarities to movies like Oceans 11 and The Expendables — and of course, comics like The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Fables. Basically, Comeback Kings is like Superfriends with superstars.

Guarente: I’m also a heavy consumer of celebrity weeklies and tabloids. So when I see headlines such as “Elvis Is Alive,” I probably take it way too seriously.

Nrama: By the nature of the series, it definitely seems like there's a large humorous aspect to this, but also some straight-up action and intrigue. What can you tell us about the tone of the story?

Sullivan: The tone is darkly satirical, at times even spoofy, but we hope it’s still emotionally involving and exciting on an action genre level. I always liked the way the best of Bond could combine winky wit with genuine action and suspense. But my personal standard bearer for mixing sharp punch lines with intense emotional content is Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

Guarente: Being a huge comic buff myself, I also wanted to incorporate the spirit of titles like The Boys, where there’s some tweaking of comic conventions, but you’re still drawn in by the story.

Nrama: And if it's not too spoiler-y, what's the nature of how these celebrities have remained alive? For instance, Bruce Lee would be 70 if he were alive today, but he looks pretty spry on the Comeback Kings #1 cover.

Sullivan: They're getting cryogenic treatments that keep them physically at around the same age that they were when "died." We'll always remember them at that age anyways, so this was a satirical, sci-fi way of making our collective memory of them a literal living reality on the page. That said, they are not immortal and can most definitely die again. Time has taken its toll on them — but it’s also given them wisdom they didn’t have in their previous lives.

Guarente: It’s sad, but I actually did do some research in what advances there have been in anti-aging technologies and worked some of those into the story. Beyond, you know, Rogaine.

Nrama: Let's look at the members one by one. Bruce Lee, despite the age factor just mentioned, definitely would seem to be an asset. What's his portrayal like in Comeback Kings?

Sullivan: In addition to being a martial arts master, Bruce is the leader. He considers the team to be an artists’ colony with its own code of social justice. Even though Jim Morrison died first, Bruce tracked him down and recruited him to be part of Project Resurrection, adding uniquely qualified members to the squad over the years. The members of the team all possess self-sabotaging streaks and have trouble with authority, so it’s up to Bruce to navigate their egos and idiosyncrasies, the same way he combined different fighting styles to create something new and improved.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Nrama: And then there's Elvis Presley — are we getting fat Elvis or skinny Elvis here? And he's apparently pretty handy with a sword, judging by the cover.

Guarente: Well, Elvis hasn’t quite given up the banana and peanut butter sandwiches. But he still feels like the Jailhouse Rock-era Elvis, thanks to Bruce’s training. We portray him as kind of a gregarious daredevil, who will pick up any weapon — a sword, a rocket launcher — as long as it makes him the King.

Sullivan: Our Elvis is also detoxed and in fighting shape. In real-life, Elvis was in the Army and also took karate lessons — a background that wouldn’t be out of place on any superhero’s resume.

Nrama: Jim Morrison's strengths were his unique charisma and elliptical lyrics. How do those apply to the job of being a super spy?

Sullivan: Our Jim Morrison is definitely a ladies man, who shares poetry with Tupac and loves to push boundaries. He’s fearless (maybe TOO fearless). But his main asset is that he can "break on through to the other side" — forgive me — and communicate with the spirit world.

Guarente: He’s kind of like a hippie John Constantine, with a heavier drug habit.

Nrama: Judging by his lyrics, Tupac always seemed like a pretty tough dude. Where does he fit in with the team?

Sullivan: Our Tupac is a thug angel, torn between being a socially-conscious man of honor and a ready-to-die gangsta who just doesn’t give a ****. Focusing his revolutionary impulses beyond “me against the world” is his mission — and his struggle.

Guarente: Also, as the youngest member of the group, he’s brash and doesn’t like to take orders from guys who he thinks are well past their primes. You’ll also be interested to see where he is in his alter ego “retired” lifestyle, before getting called back into duty. It’s definitely a softer side to the Tupac you might know.

Nrama: Andy Kaufman certainly seems to be the wildcard of the group. What does he bring to the table?

Guarente: Comic relief, certainly. But more than that, too. Like The A-Team’s Murdock, he’s a little unstable, possibly even a danger to everyone else. But the real-life Andy was so good at transforming himself, we felt he could really help everyone disappear into their characters when they go undercover.

Sullivan: And let’s not forget, he’s also the World Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion — a skill that most definitely comes into play! And unlike the rest of the group, our Andy is still considering coming back to the world as himself — a prolonged punch line to his ultimate practical joke (though he’d never call it a joke).

Nrama: There’s clearly a heavy amount of celebrity likenesses in the comic — what makes Ethan Young the right illustrator for the job?

Guarente: When we went through Ethan’s portfolio, we saw that he had done some celebrity sketches in the past (Iggy Pop, Billy Idol). But we were more drawn to his panel work, which had a cool, stark indie quality, kind of like Charles Burns. So we thought he would be comfortable doing the celebs without going into caricature and lend the art enough gravitas that it could still work as an action-adventure story.

Sullivan: And when I heard Bruce Lee was Ethan’s idol, that just sealed the deal.

Nrama: Ethan, with a cast of recognizable faces, is it more important to you to get the likenesses right, or to put your own artistic interpretation on the characters? Or maybe a combination of both?

Young: I would have to say both. Luckily, since it's a satire, the faces don't have to be 100% spot-on. You can toy with it slightly, like a caricature. So long as certain aspects stand out, the audience will recognize the specific celebrity. Bruce Lee's got his hair, his build, and his stare. Elvis has the curled lips and pompadour. Things like that.

This sounds pretty amusing, I must say.

[GeneChing]

Almost put this in Martial Arts in Live Theater. Maybe I'll cross reference...

Taiwanese director takes on action icon Bruce Lee in new play
2011/03/09 14:48:47


Taipei, March 9 (CNA) Taiwanese stage director Wang Chia-ming, who is known for his blurring of the distinction between popular and avant-garde forms of expression, will present a new drama linking Taiwan in the 1970s with martial arts icon Bruce Lee.

"This is not a play with any direct reference to the life story of Bruce Lee. There will not be an actor playing the action legend, " Wang told reporters at a Tuesday press conference. "Lee represents `energy' or a `consciousness' in my play. He is more of a symbolic figure," he added.

A big fan of martial arts, the director said the beginning of a string of political events started with Taiwan's withdrawal from the United Nations in 1971, followed by Japan breaking off relations with Taiwan in 1972, former President Chiang Kai-shek passing away in 1975, and the U.S. cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979.

"In the 1970s, we were like completely shut off from the international community. We could not see clearly and we became very confused in terms of national identity, " he said. "So when we saw Bruce Lee kicking his enemies in his films and creating a buzz in the West, we just wanted to shout and scream with him," he added.

However, the new creation is neither a political drama nor a hero play. Instead, Wang said, he deconstructs all the important elements of the 1970s to create "Bluesy Lee -- Welcome to the 70's, " a sci-fi mythology spanning six generations.

In the three-hour drama that will make its debut in Taipei May 13-15, 10 actors will have to play up to 50 roles, and the costume design and music will portray the distinctive atmosphere of 1970s Taiwan, according to Wang. (By Hermia Lin)

[GeneChing]

There's a vid if you follow the link. Ozzy humor. Doesn't get into the Bruce Lee stuff tho...

Review: Dave Thornton in I Wanna be Bruce Lee
April 11, 2011 – 1:29 pm, by Matt Smith

In his early thirties, Thornton is wondering what he’s achieved in life. He doesn’t own a house, no wife, no children, no job, and at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (“just the biggest comedy festival in the world, what evs”) playing to a room of seven people. And then there’s Bruce Lee, who by the same age is loved on two continents and achieved so much.

Broadly within the confines of ‘Bruce Lee achieved so much, and I’ve achieved so little’, Dave Thornton’s new show is a mixture of hilarious observational material, expressive mannerisms, and witty audience interaction. With great gags and an easy-going friendliness, he’s got a style everyone should find funny.

So Dave takes us through his life a bit, he relates an elaborate prank his roommate played on him, trips to Adelaide and Brisbane, and at one point that seemed relative at the time, how a robot would look dancing the ‘human’. Be ready for some brilliant flailing with an inane grin at that point!

While the structure is a bit loose (and Bruce Lee isn’t mentioned for twenty minutes) you won’t notice it for a moment. Thornton has a self-indulgent youthful style that is prone to interesting accents, wild tangents, and energetic delivery. The front few rows can expect to be talked to, but not in an aggressive way. Thornton weaves great audience banter naturally into his storytelling, I imagine his show is slightly different every time.

Dave Thornton in I Wanna be Bruce Lee, Athur’s Bar at Rosati, 8:30pm until 24th April.

[GeneChing]

Fuel TV Sets 'Bruce Lee Lives!'
3:05 PM 4/25/2011 by Lesley Goldberg

Six-episode docu-series will include rare interviews and premiere in July.

Fuel TV is paying tribute to marshal arts master Bruce Lee with Bruce Lee Lives! an original six-part series launching July 17.

Entertainment figures including Ryan Phillippe, Carlos Santana, Criss Angel and Zach Snyder are among the names who will share personal stories about how the late legend influenced them.

Produced by Pangolin Pictures, the series will also explore Lee's influence on pop culture today.

“Despite Bruce Lee’s passing almost 38 years ago, he continues to have an overwhelming impact on the martial arts world and many credit him with being the father of modern-day mixed martial arts,” said Shane Coburn, Fuel TV's director of development and current programming. “But Lee’s vision went far beyond hand-to-hand combat as he pushed athletic, artistic and cultural boundaries.”

Lee died in 1973 at the age of 32. The series will include rare interviews and an in-depth look at his successes, failures and untimely death.

Bruce Lee Lives! bows Sunday, July 17 at 10 p.m.

Sort of like How Bruce Lee Changed the World but in six episodes?

[GeneChing]

...but this felt more about the tribute to Lee to me.

Pacquiao’s Style Takes Inspiration From Bruce Lee
David J. Phillip/Associated Press
By GREG BISHOP
Published: May 1, 2011

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — The boxing genius of Manny Pacquiao includes feet that belong in “Riverdance,” calves the size of grapefruits and deceptive power generated from his core. His movement is unorthodox, scattered and perpetual, as if designed by a jazz musician. He creates angles unlike any other fighter, past or present, appearing, disappearing, shifting, striking; on balance, off balance, even off one foot.

It is this style — part performance art, part technical wizardry, unique to Pacquiao— that defines perhaps the best boxer of his generation. And it started with a videotape of the martial artist who became his idol. It started with Bruce Lee.

Last month, as Pacquiao molded his style specific to Shane Mosley, his welterweight opponent on Saturday in Las Vegas, he wrapped his hands inside the dressing room at the Wild Card boxing gym here. To explain the way he fights, he settled on three words.

“Like Bruce Lee,” he said.

Growing up in the Philippines, Pacquiao studied Lee, watching his movies on endless loops. He still often views his collector’s set. “Enter the Dragon” is his favorite. His conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, says he believes Pacquiao built his baseline movement off Lee’s template, the continual attacking, the feet drummed in and out.

“Bruce Lee jumped around and kicked his feet and shook his head and shoulders,” Ariza said. “His feet moved in concert with his hands. He could be choppy, but he was rhythmic. Manny does the same thing. It comes from that.”

A stick-thin, one-dimensional left-hander arrived at Wild Card in 2001, his style still reckless, raw. Pacquiao punched at high volume, seeking knockouts, but struggled against superior technicians.

By then, Pacquiao possessed the basics of his skill set. Because he fought with the speed of the boxers he most admired, Pacquiao cornered opponents, made them feel squeezed. His tempo, the sparring partner Shawn Porter said, feels less like 1 ... 2 ... 3 and more like 1-2-3-4-5-6.

If Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, could place one boxing skill above all others, he said, “speed is the greatest asset in the world.” Pacquiao’s speed is evident. At one workout, even the comedian Don Rickles said Pacquiao reminded him of Sugar Ray Leonard.

The early Pacquiao combined feet that moved like lightning with uncommon power for a man his size, power that started in those calves (his adviser Mike Koncz said thick legs ran in the family) and wound through his torso.

After Erik Morales defeated Pacquiao in 2005, Roach decided Pacquiao needed balance, and Roach set about enhancing his right hand. In practice, Roach instructed Pacquiao to throw jabs, uppercuts and hooks in three- to four-punch combinations, all right-handed. It took three years, but a different fighter emerged against David Diaz, and Pacquiao later knocked out Ricky Hatton with a right.

Roach divides Pacquiao’s career into two periods: before the Diaz fight and after. His style had started to take shape.

The next epiphany occurred by accident, when, during training, Pacquiao shifted left, around Roach and tapped his trainer on his left shoulder. “What are you going to do now?” he asked. Roach was stunned.

Back when Roach fought, boxers mostly engaged straight on. His work with Pacquiao, the angles they created, changed the way Roach trained. If Pacquiao shifted left, outside the right foot of his opponents, their natural instinct was to follow — into his left hand. If opponents chose not to engage, they had one option, to back away. Roach says Pacquiao improves his position with each angle created and makes it more difficult to counterpunch.

Roach and Pacquiao design angles specific to each opponent. The key, Roach said, is creating space and confusion.

“He still taps me on the shoulder every session,” Roach said. “I’ll always try to counter with what his next opponent would do. I always lose.”

Roach and Pacquiao did not invent this approach to boxing — Roach cited George Foreman’s 1990 knockout of Gerry Cooney as an earlier example — but they elevated angles into art. Roach sees boxing’s future in Pacquiao’s fancy footwork.

As Pacquiao kept moving up in weight divisions, Roach worried less about the weight or power that Pacquiao could add and more about the speed he could lose. Roach told Ariza, “Do not screw up his speed.”

In all his years, through dozens of world champions, Roach never saw a fighter who gained so much weight and retained speed and power. As a result, suspicions have been raised that Pacquiao used performance-enhancing drugs, a charge his camp denies. (Pacquiao has never failed a test.) Ariza points to other factors: different diet, isometric exercises for balance, plyometric exercises for explosiveness.

“He’s also just a freak,” Ariza said. “His resting heart rate in the morning is 42 beats per minute. If he did half the work he does, he would still be where he is today.”

Pacquiao's speed and continual movement help him create different angles from which to challenge opponents.

In his last fight, Pacquiao contested the junior middleweight Antonio Margarito. When Margarito’s trainer, Robert Garcia, watched film of Pacquiao, he saw a somewhat vulnerable fighter who lunged too often and left himself exposed. At least it seemed that way.

Garcia instructed Margarito to attack the body, but he failed to keep up and lost vision in one eye when Pacquiao fractured his orbital bone.

“Whatever plan you have against Pacquiao, he just terminates it,” Garcia said. “What seems possible on video is not. Nobody fights like him — awkward, quick, strong, fast, good reflexes — nobody that complete.”

In recent years, Pacquiao honed the footwork that Roach said he deserved more credit for.

“When he moves,” Roach said, “his footwork is so exact, so perfect, it’s what creates the angles and wins all his fights.” Roach sees poetry when Pacquiao’s feet pump, but less like ballet and more like what Ariza calls “the Riverdance.”

The continual movement makes Pacquiao difficult to time. This disrupts the rhythm of his opponents, forces them to take risks.

“It’s an unpolished but very compelling and original athleticism,” the veteran trainer Joe Goossen said. “It’s not a continuing flow of beauty. It can be herky-jerky. It can be harsh, deliberate, unorthodox. But it’s effective.”

Roach says he wishes Pacquiao would finish opponents sooner, thinks Pacquiao is too nice. But Pacquiao views his style as boxing entertainment. He relishes the stage, revels in the attention.

Pacquiao also became a more polished strategist in recent years. Last month, he and Roach slowed regularly during mitt work, and Pacquiao made suggestions that they incorporated on the spot. Koncz said Pacquiao became a “professor of boxing” in his 2008 victory over Oscar De La Hoya.

As opposed to “volume of punches,” Koncz said, Pacquiao “moves sideways, makes angles, with more intent and purpose.” Roach taught Pacquiao elusive tactics, blocking tactics and sidestepping tactics that he had never used before. His style has become more nuanced, more advanced, his results a direct reflection of his evolution.

Pacquiao, 32, attributed that in part to age. Ariza credited the fighter’s outside interests, all the chess and darts and political ambition, for heightened brain activity that, rather than distract Pacquiao, helped him focus.

To beat the improved Pacquiao, Garcia and Goossen said, would require a superb defensive performance, movement to match his movement, an offensive assault to force him backward and, simply, luck. Because of his defensive style and tactical brilliance, Floyd Mayweather Jr. poses the biggest threat.

As Ariza surveys the boxing landscape, he sees fighters emulating Pacquiao, or trying to. They bounce like him, dance like him, shift like him. But they are not as efficient, powerful, creative or balanced. Pacquiao boasts a style that is often imitated, never replicated.

Ariza has long wanted to test Pacquiao for scientific purposes, for lung capacity, red blood cells, endurance. He could publish his findings in a scientific journal. But Pacquiao wants none of that. Part of his genius remains a mystery and always will.

“Bruce Lee,” Ariza said, “was like that.”

[GeneChing]

Bruce Harrell is a Seattle City Councilmember.

Bruce Lee Action Museum May Call Seattle Home
Published by Bruce Harrell at 9:41 am under Featured

Very recently, I met with Ms. Shannon Lee, daughter of famed martial artist, Bruce Lee. Ms. Shannon Lee is the executive director of the Bruce Lee Foundation. She visited here from Los Angeles to discuss the possibility of establishing a Bruce Lee Action Museum here in Seattle. This has been a goal of mine since attending Garfield High School. In the policy work that I do, building an urban infrastructure where youth of all backgrounds can embrace discipline, hard work, self-esteem, and a love of life, is important. Seattle must maintain and establish creative institutions that perpetuate these values

After my meeting with Ms. Lee, I wrote her confirming my interest in helping her establish the Bruce Lee Action Museum in our community. Letter to Shannon Lee (attachment).

Each year in Seattle, thousands of people visit Bruce Lee’s burial site and marvel the fact that Bruce Lee’s home was in Seattle. We are also very fortunate to have some of the most experienced collectors of Bruce Lee paraphernalia reside in Seattle. Moreover, Ms. Shannon Lee made it clear that she would love the Bruce Lee Action Museum to be in Seattle. For these reasons, I will be engaging in exciting work to assist these efforts to benefit Seattle and those who visit our region.

[GeneChing]

Would it be worth the fee for renting a two-hour room at the love motel, just to snap a touristy pic? I think so.

Plan for Bruce Lee museum in Hong Kong stalls
Min Lee, Associated Press
Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Now an hourly motel, the former Hong Kong home of Bruce Lee won't be turned into a tribute to the star.

Efforts to build a Bruce Lee museum in the late kung fu movie star's hometown of Hong Kong have been stalled again.

Fans have been calling for an official tribute to the screen icon for years. Their hopes appeared to be answered two years ago when the Hong Kong government and the owner of Lee's former home reached an agreement to convert the property - a two-story house currently used as an hourly love motel - into a museum.

But the Hong Kong government said Sunday that negotiations with the owner, businessman Yu Pang-lin, have broken down.

"Despite our efforts, we are unable to reach a consensus with the property owner over the scope of the restoration," the government said in a statement.

Wong Yiu-keung, president of the Hong Kong Bruce Lee Club, said Yu made unreasonable demands, such as wanting to set up his own offices in the museum.

The Hong Kong government said the Lee artifacts it had collected for the planned museum will be used for an exhibition at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum that is expected to open in late 2012.

Lee became a source of Chinese pride by portraying characters who defended the Chinese and the working class from oppressors in films like "Return of the Dragon." He died in Hong Kong in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain.

The actor has been honored with a statue on Hong Kong's Avenue of Stars, a waterfront promenade featuring the hand prints of the southern Chinese territory's noted actors.

[GeneChing]

If anyone watches it, please share a review here.

Bruce Lee TV series premieres tonight
BY JOHN SILVER jsilver@suntimes.com July 13, 2011 4:02PM
Updated: July 13, 2011 4:45PM

Despite the 1973 death of martial artist Bruce Lee, his life has had a profound impact on mixed martial arts.

The fighting icon changed martial arts and influenced countless athletes. Even though his death preceded the sport’s founding by two decades, UFC president Dana White has called him “the godfather of MMA.” Yet many younger fans are unaware of his legacy.

“Bruce Lee Lives!,” a new six-part series on Fuel TV, looks at Lee’s life and impact. Episode 1 premieres at 9 tonight on Fuel TV.

The show features several MMA fighters — Ken Florian, Tito Ortiz, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Cung Le, Jon Fitch and Rashad Evans — commenting on Lee’s influence in their lives and the impact on martial arts and society.

Lee battled with purists that didn’t believe martial arts should be taught to non-Chinese. His Jun Fan Gung Fu (literally translated to Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu) upset traditionalists because it blended the styles many martial arts — which is exactly what MMA does today.

“I would actually say Bruce Lee is the creator of mixed martial arts, without a doubt,” MMA trainer Dave Camarillo said.

In tonight’s episode, Florian credits Lee as a major inspiration and role model. The viewer tags along behind-the-scenes of UFC 131 when Florian won his featherweight debut against Diego Nunez.

“Bruce Lee, he went and wanted to achieve what he wanted to do and attacked it with vigor and passion and that’s the way I’ve wanted to approach my life and everyone should approach their life that way,” Florian said.

The show cuts between vintage footage of Lee’s life and athletes and celebrities — including Ryan Phillippe, Omar Epps, Seth Rogan, and Chris Angel — testifying stories of personal inspiration.

The 30-minute episode explores his struggle with overcoming serious injuries and initial racism of the Hollywood system not willing to cast an Asian man in a leading role. His message of hard work, perseverance and fighting the status quo still holds up and inspires today.

To find Fuel TV, go to fueltv.channelfinder.net/start.asp

[GeneChing]

Maybe you'll tune into this. It's short.

李小龍人偶動畫預告片 Bruce Lee stop motion teaser

[GeneChing]

Solar Gadgets_Bruce Lee Figures
CODE: CGGSCP0144
Price: $12.99


In stock

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Bruce Lee (born Lee Jun-fan; 27 November 1940 – 20 July 1973) was a Chinese American and Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement. He is widely considered by many commentators, critics, media and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of modern times, and a cultural icon. Now you can own the brilliant and famous Kung Fu master around your side.
Features :

The Bruce Lee Figures is made of PVC material.
The figures is 11.55cm tall in standing position.
Put the figures in the sun, the Bruce Lee signboard can swing back and forth.
It is a great collection for Bruce Lee fans, as well as an ideal decoration for your car, home or office.
Material: PVC
Color: Black + Coffee + Khaki
Height: around 11 CM

What is included ?

1 x Solar powered Bruce Lee Sculpture

Only the signboard swings? I would be more into it if Bruce himself swung a little. He was a Cha Cha champ, after all...

[GeneChing]

BRUCE LEE STAMP for 2012 - Year of the Dragon!