Bruce Lee – Visionary Punches

Rushed to the hospital from an actress’s home and died at the height of his film career, Bruce Lee (1941-73) is a classic Shakespearean tragic-hero who is still a legend since his demise on 20 July, 1973.  He is an epiphany of a typical high school drop-out, winning Cha-cha dancer, charismatic actor, teacher and sportsman all rolled into one.

The organizers disallow photo-taking in the venue, 
hence the photos taken hastily are less than desirable.

The exhibition, set to run for five years, is an unprecedented result of a joint effort pulled together by the Bruce Lee Foundation, curators and individual bodies.  A large collection of memorabilia has been amassed from various sources to reveal different stages of his extraordinary life.  In the aftermath of recent bickering over a permanent venue dedicated to Lee sadly turned sour in Hong Kong, this is the best effort yet in a worldwide level.

Lee did not simply leave a lasting impact on martial arts forty years after his death.  His integrated adaptation of boxing, karate, Wing-Chun and other schools of fighting is a cross-discipline forth-runner of selecting the most effective means to achieve a goal.  In other words, it is the pursuit of efficiency, unbounded by doctrines, so highly valued in contemporary problem-solving process. 

The yellow jersey, not related to the Tour de France, is the iconic costume worn by Lee in the half-finished film – The Game of Death.

The mirrored wall from “Enter the Dragon” is reconstructed though without much vibe.  The China-town impression, blindly adopted by local curators, makes one feel tight-fisted with anger.  On the side note, I would recommend “Fist of Fury” for those who have not seen his films.  Honestly most of his other films should be viewed solely for personality-following purpose.

Two sketches among many by Lee explored the possibilities of fighting sequence in his films.  More daunting is his scribble of physical exercises to be taken on an hourly basis (not shown here). His dedication to body fitness put most people into shadow.

A toy-sized burial ground intended as a joke for a friend.  The inscription reads: In memory of a once fluid man crammed and distorted by the classical mess.  It is still a relevant guard against bigotry and self-righteousness.  To me, this is the essential contribution of Lee that stands the test of time.

The big-budgeted exhibition setting is largely based on the actor’s childhood home.  The deco is a bit nostalgic for liking yet the result is not as cheesy as imagined.

A more contemporary throw near the exit focuses on the play with Lee’s quotations through interactive means.  One of them says: “Empty your mind. Be formless. Shapeless. Like water.”

Bruce Lee: Kung Fu-Art-Life is held at Hong Kong Heritage Museum from 20 July 2013 to 20 July 2018.  Check the official website for film showing time prior to visit: www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk.

「武．藝．人生 — 李小龍」   〈中文摘要〉

他從女星丁佩香閨被送往醫院，在最瘋靡影迷的時候暴斃，李小龍是莎士比亞式經典悲劇英雄。他亦集頑皮輟學生、恰恰舞冠軍、魅力巨星、導師及運動員各優點而成為神話載體。

此展覧由李小龍基金會，相關策展人及有心人仕聯合籌備，規模不可多得。而展出的大量珍藏，包括他在聖方濟書院的文件均可窺察其生命歷程之一二。觀乎近年擬建永久館的風波，項目最終付諸流水；這盛事不愧是歷來最高水平的「小龍」展覧。就場地設計牢困懷舊色彩，部份更有唐人街感覺（即西方角度下的典型中國特色），筆者只能無奈視此番枝節乃習以為常之蹩腳毛病。

小龍不單為武術遺留長久而深遠的影響。從西洋拳、空手道、詠春及其他格鬥派別所融會的武學其實可解讀為跨學科思維模式的先驅，以最具經濟和便倢之道達成目標。這就是當今世代所崇尚，師成本效益之策以解决問題的信條。