NOBODY DID THEM LIKE BRUCE LEE?

San Francisco, CA– Bruce Lee worked out extensively on a trampoline during his years living in Los Angeles. A trampoline in the backyard, there’s a picture of it in his book entitled Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method. In the book, Bruce is seen bouncing about holding dumbbells, all the while using the height to practice his jumping kicks.

NO LEE GYMNASTICS IN BRUCE LEE FLICKS?

Truth be told, Bruce did not perform gymnastic stunts in his films. The cartwheels Lee’s character does after the Sammo Hung fight in Enter The Dragon, was not Bruce. And the jumping backflip Bruce does against Bob Wall in that same flick, well both of these gymnastic moves were performed by Yuen Wah.

JACKIE CHAN A “STAR” IN PEKING OPERA SCHOOL

Yuen Wah was trained at the Peking Opera School along with Jackie Chan and the aforementioned Sammo Hung. The most talented members of the Peking Opera School were called the Seven Little Fortunes.

“SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES” WAS STUNT TEAM

The group consisted of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao, Yuen Wah, Corey Yuen, Yuen Tak, and Yuen Mo. These “Seven Little Fortunes” were used for demonstrations and film work as extras, above and before anyone else at the Peking Opera School.

LEE PUT “SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES” TO WORK

Bruce used several of the Seven Little Fortunes in his different films. For instance, 17 year old Jackie Chan appears in both Chinese Connection and Enter The Dragon. In interviews Chan has stated that Sammo Hung was able to get him the job working in Bruce Lee films.

FLYING CHAN LOST HIS WIND

The body that flies through the Japanese tea garden in Chinese Connection (you can spot a rope around his waist) is none other than Jackie Chan. He volunteered for the gig in order to get noticed, but instead got the wind knocked out of him during the stunt, as they ran to Chan to back slap him on what a great job he did.

CHAN IN ENTER THE DRAGON TOO

During the Escrima scene in Enter The Dragon, you will notice three guards run to Bruce Lee through the tunnel. The guard in the middle is 17-year old Jackie Chan. You will see Chan get killed by Bruce Lee’s Escrima sticks in front of the acid bath, the same that Jim Kelly got lowered into.

BRUCE SOMETIMES A LITTLE TOO REAL

While filming Bruce actually connected on Jackie too hard, as he could only lay on the ground until the scene was finished. After the scene was finished, Bruce Lee ran over and asked him if he was okay.

LEE “SENSITIVE” IN MANY WAYS

Bruce Lee felt so bad about what he did to Chan that he took the rest of the afternoon off from filming Enter The Dragon. Hanging out with his buddies at a bowling alley in Hong Kong, they didn’t believe Jackie when he said he was working on a Bruce Lee film. That afternoon Bruce and Jackie walked into the bowling alley and spent a number of hours hanging out with the fellows.

BRUCE THOUGHT ENTER THE DRAGON OPEN #1 SUCKED

Sammo Hung played the young Shaolin monk that fights Bruce Lee during the opening scene of Enter The Dragon. That particular scene with Sammo Hung was the last scene of the movie filmed as Bruce wanted more of a bang to the opening.

BRUCE LEE “CALLED THE SHOTS”

The previously filmed opening had a girl on a motorcycle delivering invitations to Han’s Tournament, a scene that was dumped. Initially, Sammo Hung was in Korea working when Bruce requested his presence for Enter The Dragon.

BACK TO “SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNE” GUYS

All the members of these Seven Little Fortunes have been prolific in the Hong Kong film industry. Outside of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao has probably been the most successful of the group. Biao appeared in Way Of The Dragon and Meals On Wheels that included the classic fight scene between Jackie Chan and Benny Urquidez.

REMEMBER THAT FAMOUS BRUCE LEE BACKFLIP?

During earlier years, Bruce Lee was often credited in film books as doing the incredible backflip that Yuen Wah did. Talk about tenure, Wah has kept busy in the film industry in recent years with a large role in Kung Fu Hustle.

“SEVEN LITTLE FORTUNES” NOT KUNG FU GUYS

The story I heard was that the Seven Little Fortunes, that includes Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, were not trained in Kung Fu at all. They were actually trained in a mixture of Hapkido, Western Boxing, and Chinese Gymnastics.

LAST NOTES ON GREEN HORNET TV SHOW

Looking for a Batman like success, ABC TV bought one season of “The Green Hornet” (1966) starring Bruce and Van Williams as The Hornet. A bigger hit abroad than it was in the US, the series ran in other countries as “The Kato Show.” Decades later, Williams all but said, “They didn’t think the time was right for an Asian to be the lead star in a US series.”

IMMITATION IS FLATTERING TO SOME

Jackie Chan has always mentioned in interviews through the years, that like Bruce Lee he too is a great imitator, and mostly does a kick boxing like workout with his stuntmen. Chan says for a contemporary film, “I jab, cross, and kick.” If Chan is doing a period piece, he moves his hands in circular moves with open strikes.

Malcolm Boutwell

THOSE AMAZING BRUCE LEE FILM STUNTS