Bruce Lee: Sifu, Friend and Big Brother. Doug Palmer
BRUCE LEE
SIFU, FRIEND AND BIG BROTHER
PRAISE FOR
BRUCE LEE:
SIFU, FRIEND AND BIG BROTHER
“BRUCE LEE HAS been the subject of numerous books over the nearly five decades since his death, but of all the books written about Bruce, no one has had the personal experiences that Doug Palmer reveals to us here. I have known Doug since 1963 when we both attended gung fu classes under our Sifu Bruce. Doug and I went to the same high school where we were exposed to a multicultural education. I have known Doug to be a true and loyal friend over all the years since Bruce passed away.
“Doug is a wonderful storyteller whose words paint an intimate and personal portrait of my late husband. Doug, who knew Bruce from the very early days when he first arrived in the United States, shares well-crafted stories of their adventures together that reveal how Bruce evolved from a skinny Hong Kong kid to the world-renowned martial artist, movie star and philosopher he ultimately became.
“Doug’s stories reignited many memories for me of our life in Hong Kong to the frantic days of moviemaking to the times of quiet contemplation when Bruce was formulating his life’s goals. Bruce was a phenomenal man worth getting to know and understand, and this book sheds light on the evolution of Bruce Lee through a prosaically personal lens. For Bruce Lee enthusiasts around the world, Bruce Lee: Sifu, Friend and Big Brother is an important book!”
—LINDA LEE CADWELL
“This book brought back a lot of fond memories of the summer days in Hong Kong in 1963 when my late brother Bruce brought back a friend of his from Seattle who stood over me like a giant but was so gentle, kind and humorous. We clicked and became close friends instantly. I am sure this beautifully written work will breathe fresh air into the life of a great legend!”
—ROBERT LEE
“It is truly a pleasure to hear Doug’s personal stories about my father. I think that is where this book shines the most—in the firsthand experiences that he and he alone possess. I am grateful to Doug for sharing his memories with us all and giving us more personal insight into Bruce Lee.”
—SHANNON LEE
“Doug Palmer’s Bruce Lee: Sifu, Friend and Big Brother is a vivid, tender, and humorous recollection of a young legend in the making. Palmer’s friendship with Bruce Lee boasts a privileged view into not only a masterful fighter, but a loyal son and prankster brother. Both memoir and martial arts travelogue, Palmer has the unique distinction of accompanying Lee through two rough-and-tumble, but rapidly developing cities that Lee called home. From Seattle’s startling ethnic diversity in the 1960s to colonial Hong Kong’s close encounters with show business and violence, Palmer takes us on a thrilling ride to understanding the heady cultures, both Eastern and Western, that inspired the Little Dragon to ascend to the highest echelon of combat arts.”
—BAO TRAN, DIRECTOR, THE PAPER TIGERS
“With both careful detail and a friend’s honesty, Doug Palmer’s Bruce Lee: Sifu, Friend and Big Brother is a unique and rare glimpse not only into Bruce Lee’s early life in America but his family life in Hong Kong as he was coming of age. There are very few people in the world that have this personal insight into the life of a legend like Palmer does, which makes this book so special to any Bruce Lee fan.”
—BAO NGUYEN, DIRECTOR OF BE WATER
“At the age of sixteen, Doug Palmer befriended a young immigrant named Bruce Lee. The two formed a deep and lasting bond. His excellent memoir is a sympathetic tribute to a man whom he came to call Sifu, friend, and big brother, a fine study of the life of an icon who changed the world, and most of all, a poignant story wonderfully told.”
—JEFF CHANG, AUTHOR, CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP: A HISTORY OF THE HIP-HOP GENERATION
“Growing up in Hong Kong, Bruce Lee was an undisciplined student and a punk who got into a lot of street fights. As a martial artist, he was just above average. Then he moved to Seattle in 1959 and, over the course of five years, he transformed himself and martial arts completely. Yet this crucial period remains relatively unknown. Doug Palmer’s Bruce Lee: Sifu, Friend and Big Brother gives us a close, personal account of Bruce as a loyal friend and inspiring teacher who was constantly evolving. He makes Bruce Lee come alive against the backdrop of the early ’60s, an age of innocence and transformation. A portrait of the martial artist as a young man, Doug’s book is enlightening reading.”
—ANG LEE, DIRECTOR, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN AND CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON
“A captivating tale about a lifelong friendship between an American from Seattle and Bruce Lee. Intelligent, well-written and engrossing from start to finish. Filled with fascinating anecdotes about the martial arts, life in Hong Kong, the movie business, and Muhammed Ali… Well worth the time.”
—ROBERT WHITING, AUTHOR OF YOU GOTTA HAVE WA AND TOKYO UNDERWORLD
“An insider’s account of an unusual cross-cultural friendship, formed before Bruce Lee's fame took hold. Palmer didn't just study with Lee—he spent a memorable college summer in Hong Kong living with his family in 1963. He bears intimate witness to Lee's journey from outsider to international star, enriching his account with personal memories and his own considerable expertise in the martial arts.”
—JANICE P. NIMURA, AUTHOR OF DAUGHTERS OF THE SAMURAI
Copyright 2020 © Doug Palmer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020940639
ISBN: 978-1-63405-985-5
Cover photo courtesy of David Tadman
Cover and book design by Dan D Shafer with Katie Meadows
Published by Chin Music Press
1501 Pike Place #329
Seattle, WA 98101-1542
First [1] edition
Paperback original
Author and Bruce Lee, Hong Kong, summer 1963
TABLE OF CONTENTS