Bruce Lee's 50th Death Anniversary: How the Kung-Fu King Changed Lives

Bruce Lee's 50th death anniversary made many people fondly remember how the influential martial artist changed their lives.

We have Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, and other celebrity martial artists who exist today. But no one can replace Bruce Lee.

Bruce Lee's 50th Death Anniversary: How the Kung-Fu King Changed Lives

At 32 years old, Bruce Lee died due to an allergic reaction to painkillers, as reported by ABC News.

The Kung-Fu King, who died on July 20, 1973, is still remembered by many martial arts and non-martial arts fans because of his philosophy in life.

When Lee was alive, he broke barriers and connected different cultures. Despite dying at a young age, Bruce Lee's legacy is still remembered for almost half a century.

Via CBS News, some of his families and fans shared how Bruce Lee changed their lives.

Shannon Lee, his one and only daughter, said that his father's legacy is the definition of "what's possible."

She explained that Bruce Lee showed everything a human being can do.

"There is just no place in the world where people don't know who he is, don't have affection for him. So many people from so many walks of life all over the globe," said Shannon.

Many of Bruce Lee's fans also shared how the most influential martial artist changed their lives.

Jeff Chinn, a Bruce Lee memorabilia collector, said that he was ashamed of his Chinese heritage because of the negative stereotype that is shown in movies, comic books, and TV shows.

However, it all changed when Chinn's father placed a poster of Bruce Lee on his bedroom wall.

"And I looked at the poster, and I was crying, and it was almost like Bruce Lee was speaking to me, saying, 'It's OK Jeff because I Bruce Lee am Chinese American and I want you to be proud of your heritage,'" said Jeff.

Fun Facts About Bruce Lee

There are lots of things to know about Bruce Lee. Aside from being the most skilled martial artist, Bruce also had a very unusual nickname when he was a child.

Bruce Lee's family called him Sai Fon, which translates to Little Phoenix.

Sai Fon is a girl's nickname. His family explained that Bruce Lee was called this because, in China, there's a belief that evil spirits are angry with boys.

Using a girl's nickname, Lee's family believed they could fool these evil spirits away.

Aside from Bruce Lee's unusual nickname, Google Arts & Culture provided more fun facts about him:

Bruce Lee started doing martial arts at the age of 13.
Bruce Lee had terrible eyesight. But his reactions and precision were still top-notch.
Bruce Lee was also an innovator. He designed numerous martial arts training equipment.