The infamous challenge match between Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man is coming around again in a big way. Even now, over half a century later, this fight is hotly debated. Kung Fu Tai Chi ran an eyewitness account over a decade ago in our July+August 2006 cover story, "Keeping Secrets: Grandmaster David Chin's Legacy of Hop Gar Rebels and Guang Ping Tai Chi Revolutionaries." Grandmaster Chin is one of the few surviving eyewitnesses to the duel. Just last month, journalist Charles Russo published Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America, an overview of pioneering American martial arts masters that centers around it too. And coming soon to a theater near you is Birth of the Dragon, starring Philip Ng, a previous contributor to Kung Fu Tai Chi. In addition, Jeremy Arambulo has offered his take on the Bruce Lee - Wong Jack Man duel in his web-published graphic novel A CHALLENGE.

We caught up with Arambulo to discuss his new work.

 

GC: What got you interested in this topic?

JA: I’d read Michael Dorgan’s “Bruce Lee’s Toughest Fight” article sometime in the late '90s and early 2000s. I felt it was a refreshingly objective take at the time, especially after its mythical depiction in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and the Bruce Lee camp’s side of the story. I’d thought vaguely about constructing a fiction around the fight for years until finally spending 2012–13 researching and writing the script.

GC: What are you looking to achieve with A CHALLENGE?

JA: I wanted to tell an Asian-American story. While their Asian descent informs large aspects of their personality, they aren’t completely defined by it. I’d like the main characters’ struggles and dramas to be relatable to most readers, because Asian-Americans are still relatively underrepresented in Western pop culture.

GC: Were you attempting to be historically accurate with A CHALLENGE or is it more of a fable?

JA: I consider it a work of fiction, inspired loosely by true events. While I did research on the duel, in addition to minor research on Northern Shaolin and Wing Chun, I was mostly concerned with the relationship between my three main characters: Jack, Frank, and Nancy.

GC: What sources did you base A CHALLENGE upon?

JA: My main reference was "Rick Wing’s Showdown in Oakland, which I highly recommend to anyone interested in the duel. Wing’s book was invaluable since he studied under Wong Jack Man and had access to many of the people directly involved with the circumstances around the duel.

GC: Were you aware of the controversy surrounding the Bruce Lee vs. Wong Jack Man duel?

JA: Yes, especially after reading the aforementioned Dorgan article and Wing’s book. It reminds me of Rashomon, in which each participant and witness has a dramatically different perspective on the same event.

GC: Ever see our forum thread on this topic?

JA: Sorry, I haven’t! I generally avoid forums and comments sections since I’ve witnessed enough online vitriol for ten lifetimes.

GC: Beyond your new book, there’s a new movie and a new book on the Bruce Lee vs. Wong Jack Man duel.  Why do you think this duel has held such fascination for so many years?

JA: Bruce Lee has been an icon for decades now. The mystique of him engaging in a real-life duel, which apparently had no clear winner, can only become more appealing in these times where everything’s captured on video.

GC: Did you try to reach out to Wong Jack Man?

JA: No, because he’s known to be a private person and I wanted to respect that. His lack of public persona felt like a good opportunity to interpret the “Jack Wong” character in a totally original way.

GC: Did you reach out to the Bruce Lee Foundation?

JA: I didn’t, concerned that they wouldn’t be too pleased with my story’s depiction of Bruce Lee’s notorious temper. Regardless, I hope they don’t find A CHALLENGE to be disrespectful to Bruce Lee’s legacy because he was, and will always remain, a hero to me.

GC: Have you had any readers from the Bruce Lee or Wong Jack Man circles comment on A CHALLENGE?

JA: I’ve heard from fans and followers of both Bruce Lee and Wong Jack Man through social media. Their reception’s been positive. I was also happy to receive a nice letter from Charles Russo, author of the thoroughly-researched new book, Striking Distance: Bruce Lee and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America. This comic’s had a relatively limited audience so far, but I’m hoping that will change once it’s finished by the end of the year.

GC: Why do you think Bruce Lee has such iconic longevity?

JA: I don’t think any other martial artist or Asian actor has matched the cultural impact that Bruce Lee made in his lifetime. I think it takes a uniquely bold spirit to push through the societal boundaries of both martial arts and show business the way he did. He was my lone ideal for Asian masculinity growing up in the 1980s and I’m thankful that Asian Americans are currently making small steps forward in pop culture, although there’s obviously still a long way to go.

GC: Will A CHALLENGE ever be published in print or do you intend to only release it as a web graphic novel?

JA: Yes, I plan on shopping it around to prospective publishers as I finish these last two chapters. The intention was always to have it be printed as a single 222-page book.

GC: Do you plan to do more graphic novels around the martial arts?

JA: My next graphic novel will likely go a completely different direction, away from martial arts. A CHALLENGE has consumed my life for almost 5 years, so I’ll definitely need a break!