Bruce Lee (Traditional Chinese: 李小龍; Simplified Chinese: 李小龙; Hanyu Pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎolóng; Jyutping: Lei5 Siu2 Lung4) (1940 - 1973) was a martial artist and actor. He is the inventor of Jeet-Kune-Do, and heavily credited with as the modern father of the mixed martial arts philosophy. He believed that no one martial art was supreme, but only by mixes parts of each and adopting a flexible philosophy could one reach true potential. Lee was Kato on the Green Hornet series and went on to star in martial arts films until his untimely death. He came up with the idea of the TV series Kung Fu, about a Chinese monk displaced in America, but was disappointed to see the role go to David Carradine - a white American. Lee also trained Chuck Norris, who was a top middleweight karate champion before turning to acting himself.
Lee was born November 27, 1940, in San Francisco. He died of mysterious, uncertain causes on July 20, 1973. Bruce Lee was an atheist.[1]