The Death of Bruce Lee

Ancient Chinese curse and wisdom

The news of Bruce Lee's death came in across the wire, and sent shivers down everyone's spine. There was yellowed footage of his death, his funeral, and his coffin. There were even shots of him lying in his coffin. There was queer and strange Chinese violin music that had this wilting and weeping sound to it.  It had this quivering, sorrowful sound that reminded one of a woman whining. His coffin wad dragged through the streets, as the rain drizzled on it. There were paper dragons dancing and bumping through the streets. They were paraded by; they celebrated the sad news of his death. The infinitely powerful dragon had been cut down in his youth. Some said he had tempted the gods; some said that he had incurred the wrath of an ancient Chinese curse. He had built his house upon a graveyard, and there was a hex upon his soul. The storm clouds gathered above his head, and the Chinese gods reached from beyond the grave and touched him with the hand of death.  

Strange transmissions came from a strange place. It was rumored that wise old Chinese men were talking in back rooms. The body lying in the coffin was not actually Bruce Lee.

Reviews

[Akshay Rawal]

Wish the body lying in the coffin were not actually Bruce Lee's.
He is a LEGEND. My dad insistently showed me Enter The Dragon and I watch it everytime it airs on TV, especially the three fights at the three levels in the climax.
Not only was he a superb martial artist, but also a conscientious and thoughtful man, and loved psychology. I was shocked when I came to know he died at a young age of 24.
Thanks for this piece. It adds to his awe and aura.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you so much for reading and for the compliment! Bruce changed everything. We wouldn't really have martial arts in cinema if it weren't for him. I thought there was something so poetic and tragic in his death.

[Akshay Rawal]

Yeah, and this write-up highlights that well.

[Jack Wolfe]

I opened this piece being a fan of Bruce Lee and hoping for a new perspective upon his life and death. I enjoyed the retelling of events, but I’m wondering if there’s more the author (you) meant to bring to light. The legend and the curse are well known, some say Brandon’s fatal shot on the set of ‘The Crow’ played a roll. The movie ‘Dragon, The Bruce Lee’ story used it as a heavy theme, finishing with Bruce (Jason Scott Lee) conquering the curse/demon elevating his heirs . . . of course we know that didn’t truly happen. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed reading, I’m just curious of your intentions with the piece, or is it simply homage to a great man and legend? I ask because I’m curious if I missed something, not putting the work down. In fact it’s well written and brings a great being to the forefront of our minds.

[Samuel Pennell]

I'm not sure that there is any new perspective on Bruce Lee's death in here, it was just told from the point of view of a little kid (me), who watched a documentary on his death a few years after it happened. I tend to write about snapshots in time, because I tend to think that stories and movies that have a certain moral to their story to be kind of cheesy. It is as if they say: here is what's wrong, and here is what we should do about it. Things like that seem too cheesy and sentimental to me, like things are oversimplified and kind of insult my intelligence. To say that Bruce was the good guy and this guy over here was the bad guy seems a little too like that. This story is just told from the point of view of a little kid who did believe that, though.

I don't know that there really will be any major new developments or perspectives on Bruce's death; I believe that he got hit on the head too much, or something else to do with his training made his brain swell up, and he got a headache at his girlfriend's house, so she gave him a painkiller. He had an allergic reaction to it, it made his brain swell more, and it killed him. For this reason, I don't know if there will be any new developments in Bruce's death that will really interest me. This piece is really about me sitting in front of the TV in the early 80s, and seeing the queer, strange, and haunting images of a foreign culture "celebrating" a death, and seeing a dead man lying in his casket. It was just haunting and macabre.

What seemed interesting about this piece is that I used to believe the stuff about the hex and the Chinese men saying that wasn't really his body lying in the casket. It is just an "imaginative" moment when I go back in time to a time when I used to believe that stuff. I guess the "curse" is supposed to last 3 generations, and it was spooky that Brandon died accidentally at a young age as well, so we will see if anything bad happens to Shannon Lee's child (I hope and pray not!). But anyways, it was just interesting to have an imaginative moment, wherein I believed all of that stuff again. I tend to think of Bruce and Brandon's deaths simply as misadventure, and I don't think I'd explore the reasons for their deaths any further than I did in this piece. Anything is possible, and I tend to side with the boring, scientific reasons for their deaths these days. I don't tend to believe the stuff about the hex anymore, even if Shannon's child were to die prematurely.

[Jack Wolfe]

I couldn't agree with you more. I wasn't putting the work down, just a curious statement.

[TL Boehm]

Bruce Lee has left the building...or not. Found this little hint of a bigger story quite fascinating.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you! I wanted to plant a little jewel of intrigue there at the end.

[Author Rucha Joshi]

It is sad indeed. heartfelt.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thanks, Ivory! It was a haunting experience. The ghost of Bruce Lee haunts me.

[Avinash]

Hearsay can go in anyway. It is an art in itself. The storyteller who could not write often resort to it.
Your way of writing provides weight to the gravity of the situation. Fact is the world is still mourning the death of Bruce Lee. Thanks for inviting.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thanks for reading! I almost called this piece "The Curse of the Dragon."

[Einstein Noodle]

i had not known of all the theories surrounding his death .. only the family curse ... which is even spookier given his son's untimely and weird death .. i might start reading new papers if articles were delivered the way you have .. there is such a quiet reverential superstitious pall over it ..

such a tragic end just when he was coming into his own :(
E.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you, E! I really appreciate you reading and of course your review is really insightful as well! That was a great line from you as well "a reverential superstitious pall...." What a great way to describe it! That is so true, and it didn't escape me either (even back in 1993) that Brandon died in a very spooky accidental manner. Thanks so much for reading.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. giving me a chill for sure .. who can say what happens in the land of dragons and mirrors .. i think this post is a heavy distillation of life .. (whatever that means) ;))}
E.

[Rachelle]

Hmm... Makes one think of all the rumors but this is a new one to me.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you Rachelle!

[Dayran]

Aristotle referred to the balance of mind in body ... its an important rule. Our health and condition should be able to keep balance with our drives and ambition. It makes for a long life. Nice ...

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you for reading Dayran! Bruce pushed himself beyond his limit, and indeed this may have been his downfall as well. Know thyself, right?

[Dayran]

It helps!.............................

[icelandicblue]

That I had not heard. Much mystery has surrounded his untimely demise. You write with a reverent hush in this piece.

[Samuel Pennell]

Thank you, Icelandic! I appreciate your insightful analysis. It means a lot!