The following interview was conducted during Bruce Lee’s screentest for "Number One Son," a television series that was never made.
Instead, Lee would be cast as "Kato" in The Green Hornet television series.
However, this interview provides a unique keyhole through which to view Bruce Lee’s views on his life, art and career up to this time in his life (i.e., 1965).
In two years time he would forsake much of the gung fu methodology he herein embraced, and would create the art of Jeet Kune Do and, ultimately, its application as the "way of no-way."
The screentest is used in part in John Little’s forthcoming film, Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey, which also includes the never-before-seen "The Game of Death" footage we have all been waiting to see for so long.
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BRUCE LEE IN 1965 (An Interview), By John Little
Now Bruce, just look right into the camera lens right here and tell us your name, your age and when you were born.
BRUCE LEE: My last name is Lee, Bruce Lee. I was born in San Francisco. 1940. I'm 24 right now.
And you worked in motion pictures in Hong Kong?
BRUCE LEE: Yes, since I was around six years old.
And when did you leave Hong Kong?
BRUCE LEE: 1959. When I was eighteen.
I see. Now look over to me, Bruce, as we talk. I understand you just had a baby boy?
BRUCE LEE: (smiles) Yeah.
And you've lost a little sleep over it, have you?
BRUCE LEE: (laughs) Oh, three nights.
And tell the crew what time they shoot the pictures in Hong Kong.
BRUCE LEE: Well it's mostly in the morning because it's kind of noisy in Hong Kong, you know? Around three million people there, and so every time when they have a picture it's mostly, say, around 12:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. in the morning.
I see. (sarcastically) You love that, do you?
BRUCE LEE: (smiles)
And you went to College in the United States?
BRUCE LEE: Yes.
And what did you study?
BRUCE LEE: Ah, philosophy.
I see. Now you told me earlier today, that karate and ju-jitsu are not the most powerful or the best forms of Oriental fighting. What is the most powerful or the best form?
BRUCE LEE: (smiles) Well, it's bad to say "the best" but, in my opinion, I think Gung Fu is pretty good.
And would you tell us a little bit about Gung Fu?
BRUCE LEE: Well, Gung Fu was originated in China. It is the ancestor of karate and ju-jitsu. It's more of a complete system and it's more fluid. By that I mean, it's more flowing; there's continuity in movement instead of one movement, two movement and then stop.
Would you look right into the camera lens and explain the principle of the glass of water as it applies to Gung Fu?
BRUCE LEE: Well, Gung Fu -- the best example would be a glass of water. Why? Because water is the softest substance in the world, but yet it can penetrate the hardest rock or anything -- granite, you name it. Water is also insubstantial; by that I mean you cannot grasp hold of it, you cannot punch it and hurt it. So every Gung Fu man is trying to do that; to be soft like water, and flexible and adapt itself to the opponent.
I see. What's the difference between a Gung Fu punch and a karate punch?
BRUCE LEE: Well, a karate punch is like an iron bar -- whack! A Gung Fu punch is like an iron chain with an iron ball attached to the end and it goes Wang! And it hurts inside (laughs).
Okay. In a moment we're going to cut and in just a second we'll have you stand up and show us some Gung Fu and some movements in Gung Fu.
BRUCE LEE: Okay.
Part Two
Now look directly into the camera Bruce. Now the camera will pull back and, Bruce, first show me the movements in the Classical Chinese Theater.
BRUCE LEE: (curiously) "Classical Chinese Theater?"
Well, you know, what we talked about in the office; how they walk and how they start a move.
BRUCE LEE: Well in the Chinese Opera, they have the Warrior, and then the Scholar. The way the Warrior walks would be something like this; Walking this way, straight, come out -- bend [ing his leg], straight, and then walk out again. An ordinary scholar would be just like a female; a weakling -- 90 pounds in Charles Atlas (laughs). You would be just walking, you know, like a girl – real…shoulders up and everything.
So you can tell by the way they walk you can immediately tell who they are?
BRUCE LEE: Right, what character they represent.
Now show us some Gung Fu movements.
BRUCE LEE: Well, it is hard to show it alone, but I will try and do my best.
All right, maybe one of the fellows will walk in. Go ahead, Frank. (sounds of camera crew cajoling one of their senior members with "go ahead Frank," Come on, Lee -- get in there!")
BRUCE LEE: (joking to crew) Although "accidents do happen," but, you know, there are various kinds of strikes. It depends on where you hit and what weapon you will be using. To the eyes you would use fingers. (he flicks out an eye jab and the man, startled, backs up a bit. Lee says to him: "Don't worry. I won't hit you." He fires a second eye jab) Or, straight to the face (he fires a straight punch), using the waist. (he fires a second punch) Everything on. (fires a third punch).
Hold it just a minute. Let's move the gentleman around this way so that you're doing it more into the camera. (the questioner appear in the shot and guides the gentleman from a 90 degree angle to the left, so that the angle is more of a three-quarter or 45 degree angle) Okay, swell.
BRUCE LEE: And then there is the bent-arm strike (Lee demonstrates a slow motion backfist)-- using the waist again -- into a backfist. (Lee performs one more slow-motion backfist, followed by one at half-throttle and two more lightening fast backfists).
And let's have the Assistant Director back up just a little bit...(everyone laughs). Okay, go ahead. Continue.
BRUCE LEE: And then, of course, Gung Fu is very sneaky; (sarcastically) you know the Chinese. They always hit low (he again performs a slow motion backfist to the man's head). From high (he moves his backfist from the man's head area quickly to a groin strike) -- go back to the groin.(the man reacts -- Bruce says "Don’t worry").
Now turn around the other way, would you Bruce?
BRUCE LEE: Okay. Do you want him to move too?
Yes. Man in Foreground: (trying to explain his reactions to Lee's techniques) These are just natural reactions.
BRUCE LEE: Right. Right (smiles).
Look into the camera a little bit and show us again.
BRUCE LEE: All right. There's the finger jab (performs a lighting-fast finger jab). There is the punch (performs a lightening-fast punch), there is the backfist (performs a lightening-fast backfist to the head), and then low (performs a lightening-fast backfist to the groin). Of course, then they use legs -- straight in the groin (performs a lightening-fast front kick to the man's groin area) and then come up (performs a high hook kick to the man's shoulder area). Or, if I can back up a little bit -- they start back from here (throws a high hook kick to the man's face area) and then come back. (Lee smiles and pats the man's shoulder: "He's kind of worried.")
He has nothing to worry about. Now again, show us how a good Gung Fu man would very cooly handle it and then walk away, rather than get involved in a series of actions that...(a buzzer goes off, the man in the foreground turns and says "Sound!"). Okay. (scene ends).
Part Three
Now Bruce, so that we can clearly what you're doing this time, we'll face the fact that there's nobody there (i.e., in the shot with him).
BRUCE LEE: Okay.
Show me now the difference between Ju-jitsu, which is long and involved, and Gung Fu, which is very quick, if you have an opponent.