Bruce Lee & Brandon Bruce Lee
'Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.' - Bruce Lee A father and son, Bruce Lee and Brandon Bruce Lee both passed away in their prime: Bruce on July 20, 1973 and Brandon on March 31, 1993. Both were great teachers, martial artists, actors, family men and human beings. Their loss, especially Brandon's, touched my soul and left a permanent impact. I grew up as the last of five siblings and by the time I came along and reached my elementary to teen years, my brother, Kenny was already out of the house due to him being much older. To add insult to injury, my father was also out of the house due to my parent's divorce. All that was left were three sisters and a mom and two of my sisters had already flown the coup. So, here I was a young boy and teen, without a strong male figure in my life. I definitely realized that I wasn't having a typical family life. With that being said, when my brother Kenny would come to visit me, it would be an incredibly special event and I would be all psyched because he would usually take me out to the movies or some other brotherly thing. One of my brother's strongest role models was Bruce Lee. I can still remember him taking me to see my first Bruce Lee movie in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. I must have been around 11 years old. The movie? 'Enter The Dragon'. Watching it was an incredible experience and it left me stunned, energized and excited...kinda like a 7 year old on Ridlin. I couldn't believe Bruce could do all those moves, kicks, and fight off countless attackers. On a related note and for great enjoyment, make sure and check out a great game called, "I Know Where Bruce Lee Lives". It's an ingenious creation and an interactive experience! If you love Bruce Lee, remember the bad guys in his films, and are ready for a punch up, go to: www.skop.com/brucelee I can still vividly recall, after seeing 'Enter The Dragon' with my brother, how I went on like an idiot to my brother as we walked outside about how cool it was and I even asked Kenny how Bruce Lee did all the moves and that it was amazing and on and on. I actually believed that Bruce not only did ALL his own stunts and moves but was a living, breathing SUPERHERO!. It was at that moment that Kenny brought me back to reality with the simple words, "Myles...It's only a movie." Regardless of what my brother told me that day, I had a deep and permanent respect and admiration for Bruce Lee after that movie. The fact that my brother, whom I respected, loved and looked up to, dug Bruce so much, it made me feel like I was doing something right. The only trouble was, Bruce Lee was dead. Wait a minute! How could that be? He seemed so indestructible on film. How could the wrong medication for a migraine cause a cerebral edema, killing him? Being that I was so young and clue-less, I had a hard time understanding that one. Talk about a dose of reality! But, that reality didn't hold a candle to the deadly tragedy that would befall Bruce Lee's only son, Brandon Bruce Lee, twenty years after his death. I remember as I became an adult and began to feel comfortable in my own skin, I had many influences/people to thank for slowly becoming the man I had always dreamed about. Major influences in my family was my brother Kenny and my dad, Kenneth Sr. Unfortunately, my dad's ailing health and untimely passing prevented me from showing him my full potential. But, he knew, before he died, that I had it in me and that's all that matters. Major influences outside my family had to do with a select number of celebrity types from film to music. Bruce Lee was an enormous influence and I can still feel his impact to this day. Brandon Lee pushes that influence off the chart. When he came along, I took notice but around the time of 'Rapid Fire', when he fully embraced his father's legacy and the martial arts, I was left speechless. FINALLY! It had always bothered me (and still does) that the children of famous parents hadn't gotten their due and risen up to take hold of their legacy. For instance, two HUGE examples of missed opportunities, at least in the music world, were The Beatles and Led Zeppelin. I was (and still am with Zep) a firm believer that the sons of John Lennon and John Bonham should have stepped into their father's shoes after they died. By that I mean, that after John Lennon was murdered, the remaining Beatles should have reunited for a special tribute concert and had Julian Lennon step into his father's shoes. I really believe that would have been unbelievable in scope, meaning and love. Also, when drummer John Bonham of Led Zeppelin died, the group should have eventually reformed with John's son, Jason on drums. I've heard Jason and if you close your eyes, you'll think you're listening to his dad John. It's unbelievable. Going back, I kind of thought the same thing when I first heard Julian sing...how he sounded so much like his father John. Unbelievable and haunting. So, getting back to Bruce Lee, when Brandon came along, embraced the martial arts and his father's legacy and did 'Rapid Fire', I was witnessing the ONLY person worthy to step into Bruce Lee's shoes...his only son Brandon. I can't even put into words how elated I was, not only that Brandon was honoring his father by pursuing similar goals with such focus, hard work and talent but, that FINALLY, there was a martial arts guy that had it all! Looks, brains, talent, spirit, a beautiful soul and the perfect lineage to back it all up. I knew that it would only be a matter of time before Brandon's career would dwarf all others in comparison whether it be Jean Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, Jeff Speakman, Chuck Norris, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone. I really felt that underneath all the flash and exterior, that Brandon had the most gifted, humble and compassionate soul. That was a HUGE influence on me. I gave Brandon all the "props" in the world for making it happen while remaining completely humble, grounded and real. I would have to say that a lot of thanks was in order to Brandon's mother Linda and his beautiful sister Shannon. From what I saw, they had such a strong, honest and loving family unit that was incredibly resilient and empowering. No wonder Brandon was such an incredible soul. He was surrounded by it all and so much more at home, which leads everything back to Bruce! The day I found out Brandon had died in an unfortunate firearm accident on the set of 'The Crow', I was sent into a state of shock. Not only did a part of me die that day, but I realized at that very moment, that life is truly NOT FAIR. Brandon Bruce Lee's untimely passing robbed his family, the martial arts community, the entertainment industry, the legacy of his father and the world of not only his incredible untapped potential but of a wonderful and incredible human being. I didn't know Brandon personally and I didn't have to when it came to understanding the type of person he was. He was, and is, irreplaceable and the comfort I can take from the situation is that I became a better man through his passing because whether I'm exercising or experiencing difficulty in life, all I have to do is think back to Brandon and my spirit is lifted. To end on a high note, after Brandon's passing, I had the unbelievable pleasure of witnessing the American television debut of the amazingly beautiful Shannon Lee on the now defunct show 'Martial Law' which starred Sammo Hung. Discovering her was healing to my soul and made me proud. Healing because my hurt and sorrow at the loss of Brandon was softened through the beauty, grace, and talent of Shannon. Proud, because her strength, personality, charisma, and determination was honoring the legacy of her father Bruce and brother Brandon. She gave me newfound inspiration, happiness and strength and for that I will be eternally grateful. I know that Brandon and Bruce are looking down on Shannon and smiling and I am most certain that her mother Linda must be incredibly proud and ecstatic that she has been blessed with the incredible soul and spirit that is Shannon Lee. While on the subject of Shannon, I remember seeing her picture in the Hollywood Reporter along with a short piece on her upcoming television series. Exploring the Internet, I found the below piece on the trials and tribulations Shannon was experiencing trying to get her project green-lit. It is a disturbing example of the mediocrity known as broadcast television:
'Please Mail Warner Brothers' Despite huge ratings success with martial arts type action shows like 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' and 'Kung Fu: The Legend Continues', Warner Brothers are back pedaling on their previously announced 'Shannon Lee Project'. It was to be an 'action' TV show. Warners seemed to have been under the impression that she was an expert like Sammo Hung in 'Martial Law' or like Mark Dacascos in 'The Crow'. It appears that when they found out she was *not* an expert they seemed to decide that public opinion was against giving Shannon a show and anyway it would all have to be faked. So it would not be seen as 'legitimate' or realistic. The argument about 'real' skill wasn't applied to the stars of 'Buffy' or 'Kung Fu' so why be prejudiced against Shannon? The 'real martial artist' argument is not only inappropriate, it is STUPID! How many Doctors on TV or in films are 'real' Doctors? How many times does a star step aside when they have to drive a car? Apart from a few notable exceptions, Jet, Jackie, Bruce, etc, most 'real' fighters can NOT act! So following this argument to it's natural conclusion, 'real' martial artists would need a 'stand in' for the 'acting' scenes! That would be REALLY stupid, wouldn't it? Shannon Lee *deserves* her own TV show because she is a great actress and her genetics have invested her with 'natural' abilities which she is training hard to develop. She is already *more* than convincing as a martial arts movie star. To help Warner Brothers appreciate just how much we would like to see Shannon Lee in her own TV series please write to the following address...... The Warner Brothers Television Network, Or telephone them....... Tel: (USA)818/954-6479 http://www.thewb.com Or if you can find their e-mail address, please e-mail them. Thank you, on behalf of Shannon and all her fans around the world, for your support
I think at this point, if Shannon is still interested in doing a series, she should turn to cable television as they are far more adventurous and willing to explore new and exciting territories, unlike network television which is far more interested in quantity NOT quality. And, to tell you the truth, Shannon deserves better than the Warner Brothers Television Network would be able to deliver. It amazes me at their inability to make her series happen. If the suits and powers that be at the WB knew half of what they think they do, they would realize that a television series starring Shannon Lee would be empowering on so many levels. Empowering to women. Empowering to Asian-Americans. Empowering to the martial arts. Empowering to Shannon and the Lee family. On top of it all, the series would help to honor the legacy of Bruce Lee and Brandon Lee. Nay-sayers be damned.
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