How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009)

For those who missed seeing The History Channel’s original two-hour documentary HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD, which premiered on THC May 17th, reader Tim Glover has kindly sent in the following informative and mostly positive review. Like the title suggests, the documentary examines the influence Bruce Lee’s legacy has had on the world since his death in 1973. It’s coming to DVD July 28th from A&E Entertainment.

The most recent documentary espousing the greatness of the legendary martial artist Bruce Lee comes from the very capable hands of The History Channel in association with the Lee family in the form of the aptly titled “How Bruce Lee Changed the World” (HBLCTW). While Lee’s life has been chronicled in a variety of documentaries in the past HBLCTW manages to take an approach that is both novel and informative. One of the most effective and fresh approaches used by HBLCTW is interviewing different people about Lee. Many of the aforementioned documentaries seemed to interview the same folks over and over giving them a “usual suspects” feel that is not the case with HBLCTW. This documentary addresses a whole new set of Lee devotees including Hong Kong film expert Bey Logan, comedian Margret Cho, actor/martial arts expert Donny Yen and former World Champion Boxer Sugar Ray Leonard among others.

HBLCTW really deconstructs Lee first acknowledging him as actor, icon, and skilled martial artist able to perform super human feats such as the two finger push up and one-inch punch. But Lee is much more and the documentary deftly addresses this by splitting his influences up into separate categories that are reviewed and dissected over the two hour run time of the program.

First up HBLCTW tackles Lee’s philosophy and its use in some unlikely endeavors like free running a form of urban acrobatics in which participants, use the city and rural landscape to perform movements through structures. Some of the practitioners of free running sited Lee’s philosophy of adopting instinctive movements through human body expression and applying them across an open space as essential to understanding free running. In a seemingly more linear fashion Shaolin Monk Sifu Shi Yang Ming sited Lee’s philosophy of knowing self and adopting those principles that are functional and rejecting those principles that are ineffective as paramount in his own teachings. Film director (X-Men Last Stand, Rush Hour) Brett Ratner noted Lee’s famous “Be water” philosophy as simple enough for a young child to grasp while layered enough for a master to consider.

Lee’s struggles with race are addressed in the breaking stereo types section of the documentary. It’s been well chronicled with regard to Lee’s difficulty in getting Hollywood to accept him as a leading man but HBLCTW’s view on Lee’s impact with individuals as an Asian minority role model was effective. Donny Yen sited Lee’s drive and success in a dominantly white world as being particularly important to him selecting martial arts as a vehicle for expression while Margaret Cho said she never realized why she could be successful as a comedian until she reflected on Lee’s influence in her life. The documentary also pointed out one incident where Lee experienced racial stereo typing first hand. The incident involved some producers of the Green Hornet television series mistaking Lee (who was dressed in his Kato costume) for a chauffeur and ordering him to get their car. When it is ultimately explained to the producers that Lee is in fact the co-star of their series the Green Hornet they simply brushed it off as a non-issue. When Lee was asked if the treatment was upsetting he simply responded “if I let that affect me I wouldn’t be Bruce Lee.”

HBLCTW spends a considerable amount of time reviewing Lee’s impact on the martial arts. It was Lee’s own creation of Jeet Kune Do (JKD) or Way of the Intercepting Fist that delivered a revolutionary approach to fighting that would change martial arts forever. Lee’s JKD is depicted as the forerunner to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) that is seen in Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC). Lee focused on three core principles in JKD; to be simple, direct, and non-classical. Dana White (UFC President) sees these core principles as the foundation of MMA he stated, “Lee was always trying to figure out the science of fighting, in realty you need a little piece of everything to be a complete fighter that’s what MMA is and that’s why Bruce Lee is the father of MMA.” Lee’s contributions to martial arts are undeniable he continues to be a seminal figure in the genre.

One area of Lee’s considerable influence that is often overlooked is with fitness and body building. Lee is celebrated for his incredible physique but HBLCTW actually delves into how the body building community views Lee. In this capacity professional body builder and former IFBB Arnold Classic Champion Flex Wheeler weighs in and establishes that Lee was seen as a pioneer by the body building community for overall symmetry, extraordinary abdominal muscles and an impressive back spread also know as a “Christmas tree.” Wheeler also credited Lee as being one of the first individuals to incorporate weight training into an endeavor (martial arts) that it was not typically associated with. Lee saw the benefits of using certain weight lifting routines in training for martial arts. Now this approach to weight training is common place. Former stuntman/actor Yuen Wah discusses some of the odd protein shakes that Lee concocted before this kind of supplement was available at the neighborhood health store. Wah also discussed Lee’s use of electro stimulus to the muscles to create a heightened sensitivity. This activity was seen as absolutely bizarre in the early seventies now electro stimulus is readily used in helping muscles to recover from injury or physical activity.

Perhaps the most encouraging chapter of HBLCTW is the new found acceptance of Lee as a truly transcendent figure by his homeland China. In this section of the documentary Shannon Lee (Lee’s daughter) is seen returning to Hong Kong where Bruce spent his formative years. Shannon is given a warm greeting on arrival as further evidence of the growing acceptance of Lee by the Chinese. There are also plans to turn the Lee home in Kowloon into a museum. Undoubtedly the biggest sign of acceptance by the Chinese of Lee was in the production of the 50-part TV series titled The Legend of Bruce Lee that was shown on China Central Television (CCTV) in 2008 and was the most watched TV series in CCTV history.

Viewing a documentary on the abbreviated life of Lee is often a bitter sweet affair. One can be impressed and inspired by the incredible things that Lee accomplished in just 32 years but ultimately feel that his life was too short and wonder what might he have gone on to do if he had lived? HBLCTW is able to establish that Lee did accomplish everything he set out to do and more. His art Jeet Kune Do is universally acknowledged and respected. His philosophies are studied and revered as useful tools to navigate life’s challenges in the real world. Ultimately, Lee is remembered for what mattered most to him honest expression of self and in that regard as Jackie Chan so eloquently put it he remains the best!

Related Topics: Bruce Lee, How Bruce Lee Changed the World (2009)