MARTIAL DIRECT- The Directory of Martial Arts Schools & Instructors

ISBN: 0-809-29722-1 / 2002 Contemporary Books

Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey

by John Little
Review by Bob Landers

I recently picked up a copy of the long anticipated book by John Little, Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey. I was very impressed with this book on several levels. For the collectors, this book contains many rare photographs and photocopies of Bruce Lee's Game of Death choreography notes as well as the backstory to the film (which was not filmed by Lee but shows how the movie would have looked).

The first section of the book deals with the movie itself. Both in Lee's time and how John Little obtained the footage and ultimately assembled the film in a worthwhile manner. The first part was pretty much an expanded version of the narrative of the film.

(By the way, if you haven't bought the video/dvd,
Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Journey
it is finally available.)

The second half of the book deals indepthly with Lee's Jeet Kune Do and how he applied scientific principle to martial art. It also included great chapters on Lee's philosophy and other aspects of his evolution as a martial artist.

I would say the second part is among John Little's best work on Lee and the book overall is great. The thing I like about John Little's writings is he gives insight not only into Lee the martial artist, but how Lee cultivated his mind as well in his process of self-growth. The mind and body being both partial truths in the same totality reminding us if we don't cultivate our minds, we won't do much with our physical skill.

This brings to mind a comment I once heard a wise man say. "You can't refine your technique if you don't intellectually understand what you are doing and why you are doing it."

I am rating this at 4 Stars for the following reasons:

It contained unpublished Bruce Lee notes and material.
It gave good insights into Lee's Jeet Kune Do and philosophy written in a scholarly manner.
It was fresh - as in not the same old stuff rehashed time and time again!

Whether a Bruce Lee fan or martial artist (some think these are mutually exclusive!), this book has much to offer and I highly recommend it.

August 2002

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