There is a place in America, a little more than five feet, that has drawn fans of macabre and mystery since the early 1970s. Much like the Morrison memorial in Pere Lachaise, France, this is the home of an American legend. He is also a Chinese legend. Decades after his death he is known for many things. Perhaps most prominently is an unparalleled devotion to the personal evolution, a devotion that would shape every aspect of his life. Martial arts master, brilliant philosopher, accomplished artist and published author, he changed the way we look at health and fitness, and at the same time took action entertainment to new levels. He was Bruce Lee.

Master Lee was born in California while his father, himself a legend in Asian entertainment, was touring the United States with the Chinese Opera. After the tour, the Lee family returned home to Kowloon, where a young Bruce would soon begin a life long journey of personal discovery. Master Lee launched his acting career with feature films at the age of six. A few years later he would discover the art of Wing Chun under the guidance Grandmaster Yip Man, a respected legend and innovator.

Training under a true master was a profound experience for the young entertainer, who spent his time studying martial art, making films and fighting in the streets. Somewhere along the way he learned to dance, and by the age of 18 was not only known for movies and street fighting, but also as the Crown Colony Cha-cha Champion.

By the 60s, Master Lee was in America again, making a name for himself teaching Wing Chun to pay his way through University. It is here that he met Linda Emery, soon to be his wife and the mother of his two children. His reputation grew, and with popularity comes adversity. The local Chinese community was upset with his teaching methods (primarily the fact that he taught the Chinese way to outsiders, non-Chinese) and again the young master was required to defend his ways through combat. This was in the early 60s, when tradition still ruled training. Fighting was demanding, and people got hurt. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Master Lee won the bout in a handful of minutes. The experience would change his life.

He was no stranger to fighting, in fact he had a reputation for it. Still, he was not satisfied with the result of this latest challenge. Thinking it took too long, that he hadn't fought the most effective fight he could, he began to revise his fighting philosophy. Jeet Kun Do, the term he most often used when referring to his way of fighting and training, would revolutionize martial arts around the world.

He began giving demonstrations at various tournaments, ultimately leading him back into acting. He spent time as Kato (a kung fu comic book hero) in a live action TV series, made guest appearances on many shows, and taught private lessons to America's entertainment elite. Then tragedy struck.

While weight training in his Los Angeles home, Master Lee suffered a back injury that would keep him off his feet (more or less) for almost a year. Many thought this would be the end of his career as an action hero and martial artist, but all were mistaken. He spent his time in study, refining his philosophy, cutting away the excess. This time would produce one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

Soon after recovering, Master Lee travelled to Hong Kong. Again the hand of cinema reached out to him, and he made the first of his biggest movies. "The Big Boss" (known as "Fists of Fury" in the USA) was a phenomenal success, securing a contract with Golden Harvest Studios for several pictures. His new way captured movie goers imaginations as far away as Hollywood, who came running with a big budget feature made just for him. Enter the Dragon is still considered one of the greatest martial arts films of all time.

Master Bruce Lee left this world in July 1973, just weeks before the release of Enter The Dragon, his final film. The streets of Hong Kong flooded with family, friends and fans from around the world. An estimated 25,000 people paid their last respects to their beloved friend and inspiration before Master Lee was laid to rest in Lake View Cemetery in Seattle, Washington.