(1940 – 1973) Birth name Lee Yuen Kam. Growing up in Hong Kong, Lee returned in 1959 to his birthplace, San Francisco’s Chinatown, and established the Jun Fan Kung-Fu Institute, teaching martial arts to people of any race (most Asian Martial Arts schools generally taught people of their own nationality or race). Lee then began to develop Jeet Kune Do, a syncretic art that includes techniques from all types of fighting—boxing, Thai kick-boxing, Japanese karate, etc.

After playing the part of Kato in The Green Hornet (ABC, 1966–7), Batman and a Lone Ranger clone, Lee was enticed to make several movies in Hong Kong that became extremely popular in the United States. Lee died just prior to the release of Enter the Dragon (1973), which cemented his reputation and mystique.