Bruce Lee birthday: Here is how the legend impacted martial arts

It was 45 years ago that a legendary superstar named Bruce Lee passed away at the young age of 32. Today, November 27, marks the birthday of the late star who would have completed 79 years had he still been alive. Bruce Lee pioneered various combat disciplines that paved the way for mixed martial arts to become what it has become today.

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Bruce Lee: His impact on martial arts

Despite having done 20 roles as a child star in Chinese films, Bruce Lee always had a huge inclination towards martial arts. He wanted to pursue a career teaching it to people. After gaining popularity in his formative years through films, he moved on to supporting roles in movies and has also trained the likes of James Coburn and Steve McQueen.

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Bruce Lee bridges the gap between the West and the East

Bruce Lee is considered the first actor to bring together the West and the East. He got his first big success with his film - The Big Boss. It turned out to be a huge success. The next project was the 1972 film Fist of Fury which performed even better and smashed records. The biggest success came with Way of the Dragon - a film that went on to showcase the unique talents of the expressive performer. The final colosseum battle between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris is still regarded as one of the best fighting sequences to ever be filmed. As time progressed, Bruce Lee changed the perception of Chinese culture and also helped to popularize the sport of martial arts in the West. Fans all over the world were deeply fascinated by his sheer agility and brute power.

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Bruce Lee becomes a legend - Enter the Dragon

Enter the Dragon was the first movie that was co-produced in Hong Kong and Hollywood. This is exactly what Lee had been waiting for as the film led to an explosion of martial arts movies across the world. Enter the Dragon was going to make him a superstar, but instead, Bruce Lee became a legend as he passed away a few months before the film premiered. The film came out over 45 years ago, but still remains one of the best movies in its genre.

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