Hard Times

Then, suddenly, in 1970 Bruce Lee's worst nightmare became a reality when he received a massive back injury during a weight lifting session. The diagnosis was that Bruce had injured his fourth sacral nerve. Bruce was told by his doctors that not only would he be bedridden for several months, but he would never be able to practice kung fu again. Depressed and barely able to move, Bruce stayed at home looking after Brandon and new arrival Shannon while his wife, Linda worked as a receptionist with an answering service. With his body almost completely out of action, Bruce decided to focus his energy on his mind and began an intensive academic self study on martial arts. Eventually his notes filled eight, two-inch thick notebooks and years later these notes would be edited by Linda and published as "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do".

Bruce Lee was a strong believer in the power of the mind and refused to accept that he would be disabled for life. Sure enough, in time (six months) Bruce slowly and gradually reintroduced his body to the stresses of training again. Within one year Bruce seemed to be back to his old self- as fast, strong and flexible as ever. However, off screen and in private he would suffer chronic back pain for the rest of his life.

Now back on his feet again, Bruce decided to focus his iron will power on his career. More than ever he was determined to be a major star and to introduce the Eastern art of Kung fu to the rest of the world through film and television. He began working on an idea for a television series about a Shaolin monk who roamed the Old American West is search of knowledge and adventure. Warner Brothers liked the idea and made it into the major hit series Kung Fu however, to Bruce's intense disappointment the starring role was given to the Caucasian, America actor David Carradine. The ABC Network had decided that to use Bruce Lee for the lead role would be too much of a risk- apparently Bruce was too Asian looking and too small a name to risk on such a venture.

Still reeling from the disappointment of losing the role in Kung Fu Bruce took a fleeting visit to Hong Kong in 1971 and found, to his complete surprise, that he had become a well known and admired superstar there. It turned out that The Green Hornet had been renamed "The Kato Show" and was one of the most popular television shows in South East Asia! Not only that, but many of the films Bruce Lee had appeared in were being screened over and over again in cinemas throughout Hong Kong!