The Dragon and the Tiger, Volume 2: The Untold Story of Jun Fan Gung-fu and James Yimm Lee

by Sid Campbell, Greglon Yimm Lee

Although the time Bruce Lee spent in Oakland, California is often treated as a mere footnote on his path to stardom, these years had a substantial impact on the martial artist and man he would become. After many years of research, authors Sid Campbell and Greglon Yimm Lee (son of James Yimm Lee) continue their fascinating, up-close description of Bruce Lee's early life.

The Dragon and the Tiger, Volume 2 takes up where Volume 1 left off, detailing Bruce Lee's departure from Seattle and his adventure-filled return to Oakland. We follow him as he comes to better know Gung-fu extraordinaire James Lee and his circle of martial arts friends. As Bruce discovers James's numerous talents—as an author, publisher, martial arts equipment inventor, herbal pharmacologist, body builder, and phenomenal 'brick breaker'—he begins to make regular trips from Seattle to Oakland to learn from this exceptional man. Bruce Lee also begins teaching his Jun Fan Gung-fu and elements of chun to his newfound friend.

Bruce Lee and James Yimm Lee were both highly opinionated free thinkers and when Bruce and his new bride Linda Emery Lee moved to Oakland and lived with James Lee's family, they began to share ideas, insights, philosophies, friendship, camaraderie, and a deep respect for one another's special traits and talents. Although James was twenty years Bruce's senior, they forged a bond and became more like brothers than friends- young Greglon Lee even took to calling Bruce and Linda 'Uncle' and 'Aunt.' This rare friendship and further never-before-revealed details from the life of the young Bruce Lee unfold in The Dragon and the Tiger, Volume 2 , a story the authors refer to as the 'Fusion of Two Fighters.'

Genres: Martial Arts

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

Reviews

[Jeff Finder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a continuation of the story of Bruce Lee's Oakland years and the role James Yimm Lee played in the development of Jeet Kune Do. It shows the broadening circle of innovative martial artists in the early 1960's who opened up the world of martial arts as we know it today. We get insights into the sharing of knowledge by people like Wally Jay, Ed Parker and Ralph Castro. Not a lot has been published about Bruce's development during this period but it set the stage for the fame that was to come. Based on letters, documents and recollections of those who knew Bruce first hand, including the authors, this is a fascinating glimpse into the intellectual and emotional growth of a young Bruce Lee, and a revealing portrait of his relationship with a mentor who opened many doors. Once again written in a familiar and breezy novel-style by grandmaster Sid Campbell, an icon in Bay Area martial arts in his own right, I found this book a fast and compelling read.