The Dragon Spirit -
Bruce Lee's Legacy Is
A Generation Of Inspired Martial Artists
by Willie Johnson
When he competed on the tournament circuit, Willie Johnson was one of the most successful kung fu
stylists in the world. When you consider that he often competed in the forms, sparring and
weapons divisions, and frequently brought home the gold in all three, it's even more impressive.
From the competitive arena, Johnson moved into show business, landing a role on the syndicated
children's series WMAC Masters. Now he keeps busy running a successful kung fu school in Laurel,
Maryland. In the following essay, Johnson reflects on his early days in the martial arts and his
reason for starting it all.
-Editor
Like thousands of other martial artists around the world, I was influenced by Bruce Lee. I
actually started training because of him. To me, he was more than a role model; he represented a
way out.
Growing up in the community in which I grew up, the Lafayette Projects in Baltimore, Maryland, was
very difficult. The streets were full of drug dealers, pimps and other criminals. It was hard
for anyone to find a hero. One day I went to see a movie called Chinese Connection, and the
moment I saw that giant figure of Bruce up on the screen, I knew that's what I wanted to be: a
martial artist. To me, Bruce was like Superman.
From that time on, I did everything I could do to become like Bruce Lee. He was the only person
that most of us in the projects could relate to. That's because he was a real person; unlike
other movie stars, he didn't seem that far away.
Watching Chinese Connection changed me. Within a week or so of the time the movie opened at the
theater, I was taking my mom's broomsticks and cutting a dog chain in half to make my own
nunchaku. From watching the movie, I learned how to use that traditional weapon in a very basic
way. At that time my parents couldn't afford to pay for martial arts lessons for me, so I
learned a lot from the Bruce Lee mov- ies. I would actually go into the theater with a Polaroid
camera and try to take pictures of the action scenes so I could take them home and paste them on
my wall. Every morning I would wake up and see Bruce Lee, and every night I would see him before
I went to sleep.
I watched all Bruce's films-many times over. I saw Enter the Dragon about 30 times, Chinese
Connection about 50 times, and the others a similar number of times. As a kid, I believe I had
more Bruce Lee pictures than anyone. I even had posters of him on the walls and ceiling.
Bruce was obviously my hero. Everything I do today in the martial arts has been influenced by
his philosophy, his way of life, his style of fighting and his approach to the martial arts.
Without him, I don't think I would be as seriously into the arts as I am today. I even owe my
experiences on the WMAC Masters television series to him.
The legacy of Bruce Lee is still influencing martial artists, including me. In certain ways, I
think Bruce's wisdom allowed me to move beyond what he was doing. I'm not saying that I'm better
than he was, but he intended his philosophy to show all martial artists the way to progress. He
always said that once he got you from point A to point B, it was time to let go and try to find
your own way.
By listening to his interviews, reading his books and watching so many of his movies, modern
martial artists are able to absorb much of Bruce Lee's philosophy. Once they become comfortable
with that and start feeling confident, it's time for them to develop their own approach, their
own method. That's how my system of martial arts, called wushudo, came about. Wushudo means "to
flow in harmony with the universe"; I think it's similar to what Bruce Lee was trying to say
with jeet kune do.
To contact Willie Johnson, write to "The Bam's" Kung Fu, 8750 Cherry Lane #C- 15, Laurel,
Maryland 20707.
|
