Bruce Lee Podcast - #22 Linda on Bruce and Brandon

#22 Linda on Bruce and Brandon

12/01/16 • 74 min

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Bruce’s wife and Shannon’s mom Linda Lee Cadwell joins us again and she shares more stories about Bruce, telling of his spirit of generosity and charity. And for the first time she shares stories about their son Brandon Lee. When Linda first visited Hong Kong in 1965, it was a tough time for many Hong Kong people. There were a lot of very poor people and many would stand on corners asking for donations. Bruce never passed up anyone without giving some coins and saying a kind word. He had great feeling for those who were less fortunate and was always willing to give his possessions and time to those in need. For most of their marriage, Linda and Bruce never had two dimes to rub together, but Bruce was always generous with his money, time and expertise. At a time when the country was still mired in racial tension, Bruce’s studio was filled with people of all races and backgrounds. He taught movie stars and regular people in the same way. Bruce himself faced discrimination again and again, so it was of utmost importance to him to see the humanity in all people. As a child actor, Bruce was surrounded by successful Chinese artists who taught him about the beauty of Chinese culture and how to live gracefully in the face of adversity. This daily immersion with artists influenced his outlook and his identity as an artist. He had many adult mentors in his life including his martial arts teacher Ip Man who taught Bruce much of the philosophy that he later expanded upon. Linda thinks that these early creative and philosophical teachers were critical in helping Bruce stay optimistic and fluid as he faced hardships in his life. One of the main hardships Bruce faced was his massive back injury. He was in bed for many months recovering. But he used that time studying, writing and researching his own rehabilitation program. They couldn’t afford a full time physical therapist so Bruce took charge of his own recovery. He never accepted the doctors’ diagnosis that he would never walk normally or practice Kung Fu again. During this recovery time Bruce developed his philosophies and his writings. Brandon shared many similar traits with his dad. He was rebellious, passionate, and his charismatic energy came through the screen. When his father died, Brandon was 8, and it was then that he decided to be an actor. Linda shares that he never wavered in that passion. Brandon was a free spirit, and didn’t always follow the straight and narrow, especially in school, but he was an avid reader and writer. Like his father, Brandon was an artist who did things his own way. #AAHA (Awesome Asians and Hapas) This week our #AAHA is Yuja Wang, a Chinese concert pianist and child prodigy from Beijing. She started studying piano at 6 and studied at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, later studying at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. She is known for wearing very interesting clothing when she performs, often changing her outfits to reflect the music she is playing. She has become someone who is known for heightening the musical experience through the visual aspect of her performance. Yuja tours the world performing and is doing things her own way. Yuja Wang, we think you’re awesome! #BruceLeeMoment Today we have an excerpt of an email from Sam Litvan, read the full version on our website: “I remember how I learned that he wrote, produced and directed his films, this made me realize that there is no one role for any of us. He cleared that idea that being macho doesn't preclude one from being intelligent or funny...I've had many influences over the course of my life, but what Bruce Lee achieved in his short time motivates me to accomplish as much as I can because what his short life taught me is that none of us know just how much time we have and so we must value every second.” Share your #AAHA and #BruceLeeMoment recommendations with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at [email protected]

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#21 Bruce’s Bday Wish: Be Water, My Friend

11/27/16 is Bruce Lee’s birthday and he would have been 76 years old today. In honor of his birthday we are reposting the Be Water, My Friend episode (#2) with a special birthday message from Shannon Lee. To honor Bruce, take a moment for yourself today to listen or re-listen to this episode. It’s filled with great tips on how to center yourself, clear your head and move around obstacles you have in your life. "Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

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#23 Yin Yang

The Yin Yang symbol is circle with two interlocking teardrop shapes in complimentary colors with a dot on each side. It’s used in popular culture, but it is a core Chinese philosophy. The Yang side represents positivity, firmness, masculinity, substantiality, brightness, day, and heat. The Yin side represents negativity, softness, femininity, insubstantiality, darkness, and coldness. Excerpt from Book 1 Chapter 28 of the Tao Te Ching: “Know the masculine, but keep to the feminine. And be a valley to the realm....If you are a valley to the realm then constant virtue will be complete and you will return to the uncarved block. The uncarved block is cut into vessels wise men use them as rulers of vessels, the great cutter does not cut away.” Read the full version here Bruce Lee could take heady philosophy and physicalize it, giving it a purpose in a human context, and illustrating it in an entertaining way. Instead of viewing the Yin and Yang as opposites, Bruce would say that they are complimentary to each other. He said that the basic theory in Yin Yang is that “nothing is so permanent as to never change.” Bruce’s core symbol for Jeet Kune Do is a modified Yin Yang symbol that he added to. He added two arrows around the Yin Yang to represent the continuous interplay of the two parts and a Chinese phrase around the arrows that says: “Using no way as way, Having no limitation as limitation.” Bruce had his friend George Lee create 4 plaques that showed the stages of a man's cultivation: Partiality, Fluidity, Emptiness, and the core symbol for Jeet Kune Do. Bruce incorporated his version of the Yin Yang into his martial arts practice by not only learning hardness and toughness, but gentleness and softness, as sometimes you need to flow with your opponent’s energy as opposed to always stopping or hitting. Yin and Yang are in harmonious relationship with one another. “Taoism is a philosophy of the essential unity of the universe, of the leveling of all difference, the relativity of all standards, and the return of all to the one. The divine intelligence, the source of all things. From this naturally arise the absence of desire for strife, contention, and the fighting for advantage. It emphasizes non-resistance and the importance of gentleness.” “Fluidity leads to interchangeability, self knowledge leads to awareness, totality leads to ultimate freedom.” Take Action: What extremes are you holding on to? When you’re in conflict, can you to hold on to your point of view, yet soften to hear the other person? Whatever your position is, it is half of the Yin Yang symbol, try and soften to see the other side. If you’d like to share how you’re doing with this action item on Yin Yang, email us at [email protected] or on social @BruceLee. #AAHA (Awesome Asians and Hapas) This week’s #AAHA is Cary Fukunaga, an American film director, writer, and cinematographer, and his recommendation comes to us from his childhood friend. Cary is known for directing Sin Nombre, Jane Eyre, HBO’s season 1 of True Detective, and Netflix’s Beasts of No Nation. On Beasts of No Nation he was the writer, director, cinematographer, and producer, which reminds us how Bruce Lee would write, produce, and direct his own work. Cary, we admire your mastery, artistry, storytelling, and hard work, keep being awesome! Read his friend’s wonderful email recommendation in our show notes on our website. #BruceLeeMoment This week’s #BLM is from Tory Elena, here’s an excerpt, read her full moment in our show notes online: “I grew up practicing martial arts with my family and my father and I shared a love for Bruce Lee’s films...I’ve rekindled my passion for martial arts and studying the philosophy and words Bruce left behind for the world....As a professional creative I use the JKD motto as a mantra in my life, “Using no way as way. Having no limitation as limitation.” “ Share your #AAHAs and #BruceLeeMoments with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at [email protected]