?When I?m Putting On My Pants??: Bruce Lee Turned Every Small Activity Into Martial Arts Play, Revealed in His Biography

Bruce Lee stamped his name in Hollywood as a martial-artist-cum-actor in an era when most foreign actors struggled to do so. He broke cultural barriers and still serves as a major inspiration for most Asians looking to do so. But those insane moves did not come so easily. Bruce trained like a madman, and even in his spare time, he hardly took a break. We learn more about this enigmatic persona in his biography by Matthew Polly.

In 2019, Matthew Polly wrote Bruce Lee: A Life, a biography of the legendary martial artist describing every detail of his life. In it, Polly dedicated a certain section to a unique habit of Lee. Collecting quotes from various others, Polly described how Lee made sure everything he did was a small martial arts activity in itself.

How Bruce Lee turned every activity into Martial Arts

Besides his training, Bruce Lee did every other activity like any normal man. Except, his normal routine turned into small training sessions in no time. He used to curl dumbbells while watching TV, or would continuously punch a small makiwara board while driving, much to the annoyance of his passengers. That’s not all. Even a simple and regular activity like dressing up was a martial arts activity for Lee. He said, “When I’m putting on my pants, I’m doing a balancing act”.

Bruce Lee had a lean physique but a taut one. It was still surprising to many, how he could pull off those lightning-fast tricks with so much strength. Nevertheless, his contact training still took a toll on his body. His knees hurt, but he kept on practicing rapid sidekick. It resulted in a clicking sound whenever he lashed his leg out.

Mitoshi Uyehara, founder of Black Belt magazine, said about Lee, “Bruce Lee always seemed to be wet. Even in an air-conditioned room, as soon as he gesticulated, he would quickly perspire”. It was not a result of any condition, but of Bruce Lee constantly and diligently forging on his training.

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Uyehara continued, “One night he rode his exercycle for 45 minutes without stopping. When he got through, he was completely drenched. Even the floor beneath was so wet that it had to be mopped right away”. Polly noted these direct quotes from the Black Belt founder in his book.

Lee was much more than just a tough fighter

It is fair to say, Bruce Lee was obsessed with his training and perfection as a martial artist. However, Lee was much more than just a hard fighter with his tough persona on and off the screen. Polly also writes that Lee was a deep thinker who philosophized life. He would often spend his afternoons in the library reading philosophy books and talking to his agents about it.

Bruce Lee’s fanaticism about training almost made him a myth-like figure in the martial arts world. His moves were allegedly too quick for the camera and thus had to do several retakes when he first started out in the industry. He was also famous for his fight sequences with Chuck Norris on screen and shared a healthy rivalry with him offscreen.

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It’s 2022 and Bruce Lee’s mythological-like-legacy is still fascinating to many. Matthew Polly’s book on the man brought many such unknown facets to light.