The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do [Paperback]

Sid Campbell (Author), Greglon Lee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2003

In 1962 author Greglon Lee's father, martial arts expert James Yimm Lee, joined forces with the future superstar Bruce Lee (1940-1973) to form the Jun Fan Gung-fu Institute, now considered the birthplace of Jeet Kune Do. Their relationship was crucial in Lee's progression from unknown student to celebrated master, shaping Lee's ideology and outlook on the martial arts for years to come. Using extensive interviews with dozens of Bruce's students and contemporaries as well as anecdotes based on rare documents and family history, the authors present an engaging picture of Bruce Lee as an extraordinarily talented young man who was also a warm and caring person. This insider's look at Bruce Lee's formative years also outlines the development of Lee's legendary skills between 1962 and 1965, an era previously unchronicled.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Sid Campbell of Oakland, California, is the founding president of the World Okinawan Shorin-Ryu Karate-Do & Kobudo Association, and helped introduce the art of karate to the Western world. Ranked as 9th dan, Campbell has taught over 15,000 students, helped award 800 black belts, and supervises over 48 schools around the world.

Greglon Yimm Lee is a practitioner of Jeet Kune Do, a promoter of civic functions, and a co-producer of martial arts instructional videotapes. Lee is an active member of the JKD world and resides in Berkeley, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Frog Books (October 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583940898
• ISBN-13: 978-1583940891
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.6 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #900,102 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars James Yimm Lee & Bruce: Incredible!, March 2, 2004

By 

C. J. Hardman (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (Paperback)

An incredibly enthralling look at the relationship between two of the most influential martial artists of the 20th century. One now a well-known icon (Bruce Jun Fan Lee), the other just coming into his due (James Yimm Lee). For the first time, in this extensive work we can read about the symbiotic relationship between Bruce Lee and James Yimm Lee (not blood related to one another despite the last name). The book is helped immensely through the participation of Greglon Yimm Lee, James Lee's son, who offers insight into the life of his father and family life previously unknown.

Largely forgotten, or formerly summed up in a few brief paragraphs, James Lee wrote and published the first publicly available serious gung fu books in English. James Lee was a consummate martial artist in his own right, having studied at one of the first public Sil Lum (Shao-Lin) schools in San Francisco (under T.Y. Wong), as well as making it a practice to trade techniques and practice with other martial artists throughout the Bay area. Another famed student of James Lee's covered in this book is Al Novak, a pioneer in his own right.

James Lee was one of the first martial arts men to advocate the practical approach through his books, keeping useful information, and rejecting the notion of maintaining "tradition for tradition's sake." As a matter of fact, if you compare any of J.Y. Lee's early self-published books, you can see the progression J.Y. Lee made from blind obedience to tradition, to creating his own practical tradition. Of course, most of us don't have access to these books--which is what makes this volume, "The Dragon and the Tiger", a treasure.

There are photos and explanations of James Lee's early books, training devices, and classes--and the full story of how Bruce Lee came to adopt many of James Lee's theories and methods. It isn't difficult to see how James Lee's concepts became popularized by Bruce Lee, who adapted many of James Lee's methods to his own needs (as James Lee had intended). Bruce Lee of course, later became legendary for his own practical approach, which was later systematized in his Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jeet Kune Do, influencing contemporary martial arts thought in the U.S. and the World.

This is a book about friendship. About a journey into study and research and human limits that two men undertook together. It provides new information not contained in any other work which makes for an enjoyable read and a hard-to-set-down book. Finally, a book that gives credit where it is due--to James Yimm Lee: teacher, student, and argueably perhaps the greatest influence upon Bruce Lee. You needn't be a Bruce Lee fan to enjoy this book, anyone with an interest in American martial arts history, the Chinese community in America, or American history in general should find this fascinating.

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't put it down!, January 10, 2011

By 

Kenobi "Kenobi" (S. Cal) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (Paperback)

This book was presented in a very candid, easy read fashion and flowed--like water. I enjoyed it tremendously and was hooked from the first page. I am currently on my second book on the series and that too is equally great. It's wonderful that the author took the time, energy and effort to do the research, connected the dots and presented the materials in a way that connect with the reader. I felt like I was there during the time when the story unfolded. Both Bruce Lee and James Yimm Lee were remarkable martial artists and human beings and deserved praise and recognition that were bestowed upon them. I must admit, I didn't know about James Lee much before reading the book and now have much respect for him. Bruce of course was Bruce and what can I say more?

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Poorly Written Story Of Great Martial Artists, June 14, 2008

By 

Leon Nez "Warrior" (Phoenix, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dragon and the Tiger: The Birth of Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (Paperback)

This is a poorly written book about two great martial artists. I've been a martial artist and a Bruce Lee fan for over 30 years and have read many books and magazine articles about the legendary martial artist, and have to say this book has been a great disappointment. The book is slow and boring and I would not recommend it to anyone. Better to read one of Jesse Glover's, Dan Inosanto's, or John R. Little's books on the subject.