Bruce Lee Podcast

I sat down with our Warrior podcast friends to discuss the 50th anniversary of my father’s legacy with our cast and crew joining in on the fun. July 20 marks the date not just of my father’s passing but of the beginning of his enduring legacy. And so for us this is a time of reflection and celebration. I am always astonished and humbled by and grateful for the impact that my father has had on culture and on the human spirit. My continued reverence for this impact is why I am inspired to carry on my own study of it and to share his legacy far and wide. He was able to accomplish so much by following his heart, his inner knowing and by being the best version of himself he could cultivate and express! And here we are still talking about him 50 years later. So please enjoy this special celebratory episode and here’s to 50 more years of goodness! xShannon Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

Landing July 20, 2023 is a special edition of the Bruce Lee Podcast to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s Legacy created by our friends at Max’s Warrior Season 3 Companion Podcast and featuring Shannon and other members of the cast and crew of Warrior! Thank you for celebrating with us, everyone! Enjoy the episode! Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

Our guest this week on the special Bruce Lee Foundation edition of the Bruce Lee podcast is Ashanti Branch! Ashanti is a key-note speaker, has been consulted by the US Surgeon General’s office on the youth mental health crisis, is a Fulbright Fellow and 4x Tedx Speaker. His work with youth has been featured at SXSW, on CNN with Lisa Ling, on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and in the documentary about American masculinity 'The Mask You Live In', which premiered at Sundance Film Festival. He is the Founder and Executive Director of the Ever Forward Club (EFC), a non-profit organization that ensures underserved students graduate high school by addressing the underlying causes of dropout rates and youth violence, and providing grassroots solutions like mentorship, safe spaces and emotional tools. Learn more about Ashanti Branch in the podcast show notes! Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

This episode’s guest is Dr Bernadette Lim of Freedom Community Clinic in the Bay Area of CA. Bernadette Lim, MD, MS (she/her) founded Freedom Community Clinic at age 24. Growing up in a family with Filipino and Toisanese ancestral roots that faced trauma in the Western medical system, she wanted to become the first physician in her family and use ancestral, holistic healing methods. Inspired by her experiences and the rich history of healing justice activism in the Bay Area, Bernadette created Freedom Community Clinic to uplift ancestral science and wisdom and expand on historical legacies of bringing whole-person healing back to the people. Bernadette graduated from UCSF School of Medicine in 2022 and earned her master’s degree at UC Berkeley School of Public Health in 2019. She serves as faculty at the San Francisco State Institute for Holistic Health Studies. In addition, she is a hatha yoga teacher and Reiki healing practitioner. She graduated cum laude from Harvard University in 2016 and was a Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to India. She has been honored as an Echoing Green Fellow, Dalai Lama Fellow, World Policy Forum Young Global Changer, National Minority Quality Forum 40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health, Yamashita Prize Outstanding Emerging Social Activist in California, and a Pacific Standard Top 30 Under 30 Thinker in Policy and Social Justice, among many others. Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guest on this week’s episode of the Bruce Lee Podcast is actor, musician and activist, Perry Yung. You may know him as Father Jun from our show Warrior on Max! But Perry was the founder of the Asian American performance collective SLANT Performance Group and has been a member of La Mama’s Great Jones Repertory Group since 1993 where he has performed leading roles in Andrei Serban and Elizabeth Swados’ Fragments of a Greek Trilogy around the world. Perry is also a traditionally trained Japanese shakuhachi flute craftsman and musician. He leads meditation flute making and playing workshops in Zen temples and theater workshops across the United States. More recently he has been integrating the sound of the zen flute into film and television such as in Warrior for Cinemax/HBOmax and A Father's Son directed by Patrick Chen. Show notes and more episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s first guest on this special Bruce Lee Foundation edition of the Bruce Lee Podcast is Joël Barraquiel Tan, the Executive Director at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience in the Seattle Chinatown-International District (CID). Joël and the Wing Luke are dear and trusted partners of the Bruce Lee Foundation, and together we are working to create lasting community impact in the Seattle CID through Bruce Lee’s teachings and legacy with the recently designated permanent Bruce Lee Gallery, our Camp Bruce Lee program and further community initiatives! Learn more about Joël in the shownotes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

For this new, mini season, the Bruce Lee Foundation is taking over the podcast for the month of May. May is AAPI Month and also Mental Health Awareness Month so what could be more perfect than to highlight the work of the Bruce Lee Foundation (BLF) and some of our amazing partners! The BLF is expanding its programming to focus more widely on youth mental wellness through the teachings of Bruce Lee. I always say that my father trained his mind just as diligently as he trained his body, and it was this secret sauce that lead to the depth of his impact worldwide! And so the BLF is committed to passing along those tools that can help our young people navigate life more clearly and gracefully. All four episodes this month will feature an amazing partner and/or collaborator of the BL F’s who is either in the AAPI space or the Youth Mental Wellness space. Or both! These marvelous humans are out there in the world doing amazing work in one form or another, and it is my privilege to be able to sit in conversation with them. And we also talk about Bruce Lee, of course! So join me this May 2023 for a special BLF edition of the BL Podcast! And be water, my friends! xShannon . Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

In the final episode of this season of the Bruce Lee Podcast, Shannon Lee reflects on the theme of family and shares her guests' reflections on family as well as what might help our whole human family to be more as “one family”. Shannon shares some of her father’s thoughts on family as well as other philosophies tied to Shannon’s exploration on the theme of family, for… “Under the sky, under the heavens, there is but one family!” - Bruce Lee Thank you to all the guests who participated this season and happy holidays and happy new year to everyone! See you in 2022! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Welcome to the Bruce Lee Podcast. This week’s episode has another member of our Warrior family joining Shannon. Hoon Lee plays the wily Chinatown fixer Wang Chao, another of Shannon’s favorite characters on Warrior. Hoon is an award-winning actor with a rapier like wit, a keen intellect and a kind heart. Please read Hoon’s bio below to see the multi-faceted cast of characters he has portrayed on both stage and screen, including the King of Siam in The King and I, Job from Banshee, and most recently Toad on the second season of SEE. Hoon is an intelligent, funny and thoughtful man whose generosity as an actor and human being is appreciated. Shannon loves listening to him and the other cast members verbally spar and roast one another whenever they are together. But seriously, his care for his fellow actors and the characters of Warrior won him a place in the writer’s room for season three! Shannon is so excited for what they are cooking up for season three and she knows you are too! But for now, please tune in and listen to Hoon and Shannon talk Warrior, acting, and the meaning of family on this edition of the Bruce Lee Podcast! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Today’s guest on the Bruce Lee Podcast is another member of Shannon’s immediate family, her Uncle Robert Lee. Robert is her father’s youngest brother by eight years. He is also a musician and performer. Shannon is excited for you to be able to listen to her uncle reminisce and share stories about his brother and family as well as his thoughts on family. It was special for Shannon to get to spend time with her uncle on today’s podcast and she hopes you enjoy it as well! Take a listen and get to know Shannon’s uncle, Robert Lee! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guest this week on the Bruce Lee Podcast is another member of the Warrior Family. Dianne Doan plays the cunning and strong tong leader Mai Ling on Warrior but Shannon knows Dianne as a lovely, sensitive and talented soul whose gentleness precedes and surrounds her strength. Originally from Canada, Dianne started off as a dancer until she found acting in high school. Dianne has appeared in a number of hit shows such as Disney’s Descendants, History’s Vikings, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow and ABC’s Once Upon a Time. Shannon is so thrilled to share their vulnerable and engrossing conversation with you all about family, acting, Warrior, her first comedy and diving in to the unknown. Shannon had such a great time with Dianne and she knows you will too! So listen in and get to know and love Dianne Doan on the Bruce Lee Podcast! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guests today on this week’s episode of the Bruce Lee Podcast are her actual family members – Andy, Christie, and Julie. They are Shannon’s first cousins and the children of her father’s sister - her Auntie Agnes Chan! They all live on the east coast and though they haven’t spent much time together in their lives, they all have a huge affection for one another as you’ll come to see. This episode will release at a time when many families are gathering together here in the US, sharing time and good food so it is a happy coincidence that Shannon will share her little family reunion with all of you during this time. So let Shannon tell you a little about her cousins…. Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guest this week on the Bruce Lee Podcast is another amazing member of the Warrior family, Dean Jagger. Born in Yorkshire, Dean studied acting in London, later landing a role on Game of Thrones playing the character of Smalljon Umber. But Shannon came to really know and love him as Irish bare-knuckle boxing champion Dylan Leary on Warrior where Dean does an amazing job of heading up the unofficial Irish labor movement on the show. Dean brings a riveting level of realness and strength to the role while also managing to be sympathetic and engaging for audiences. While he and Andrew Koji play nemeses on Warrior, in real life, they have developed a sincere bond of friendship that goes beyond the show. Shannon got to be in South Africa on set to watch the filming of the late night slug fest between Ah Sahm and Leary and it was truly amazing with everyone around, cast, crew and extras giving all their support and energy to these two as they gave it their all until the sun was coming up over Capetown. Dean is a wonderful, fun, energetic, upbeat human being that Shannon loves hanging out with. And he and his name have some fascinating Bruce Lee origin stories too! Come listen in while Dean and Shannon talk Bruce Lee, Warrior, Family and Life and share some Wisdom on the Bruce Lee Podcast! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon has known today’s guest, Steven Ho, for more than 25 years. Steven is a martial artist, stunt performer, trainer, stunt coordinator, director, a dad and Shannon’s dear friend. If you follow the Bruce Lee social media, then you know Steven as the dad of super successful, adorable and amazing identical twin martial artists The Twinjas who have been doing weekly segments for us now going on 18 months. Steven is a real deal martial artist as you’ll discover when you listen to this episode. His love of martial arts was first sparked at the age of 4 by none other than Bruce Lee. An original Mutant Ninja Turtle from back in the day, Steven has gone on to work in all aspects of the business, including writing and directing his own film Soundman. He currently serves as fight choreographer and consultant for The Walking Dead franchise. Steven is a devoted husband and father and is committed to ensuring that the next generation carries on the true values of martial arts in the spirit of Bruce Lee. Come listen in as Shannon catches up and talks family with Steven Ho. Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guest on today’s podcast is Dustin Nguyen. Shannon first met Dustin on the set of her brother Brandon’s film, Rapid Fire and now they have become friends through their work together on Warrior. Dustin is a seasoned actor, director and producer. He is the only Vietnamese triple threat that can work both in the US and Vietnam with equal success. As an actor, Dustin has worked on such successes as Little Fish, 21 Jump Street, Seaquest DSV, Floating Lives, and HBOMax’s Warrior, where he also directs. In Vietnam he has appeared in the blockbuster The Rebel and the critically acclaimed The Legend Is Alive and he starred in and directed Once Upon A Time in Vietnam, which went on to be the first Vietnamese film to be sold to over 20 countries. Affectionately referred to in Vietnam as the “Vietnamese Clint Eastwood”, Dustin is the rare talent that can traverse genres with ease. In addition to his talents, Dustin is a kind soul, a gentleman and a spiritual seeker. You can see why Shannon and Dustin are friends! Get to know the Dustin that Shannon knows and loves on this episode of the Bruce Lee Podcast! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon’s guest this week on the Bruce Lee Podcast is long time friend, movement artist and director, Jon Boogz. Jon and Shannon met more than a decade ago at a taping of So You Think You Can Dance, and they have been friends ever since! Shannon has watched Jon’s star rise over the last decade and it is rising still. She’s witnessed him go from living in a tiny apartment with 3 other dancers to working with such greats as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Naomi Campbell, and Gloria Estefan. Jon’s performances and choreography have been featured in Pharrell’s Adidas Original’s campaign and the Adidas Tribute to Standing Rock at ComplexCon, as well as on the new series on Starz Blindspotting. Boogz also co-founded Movement Art Is with fellow dancer, collaborator and friend Lil Buck in 2016 and together they have created projects that merge movement with social issues. Jon is passionate about dance and movement as a medium for self expression and higher awareness. Shannon loved their conversation and she feels like Jon really embodies the soul of an artist and expresses himself beautifully. She thinks for some, this conversation can help offer a window into parts of Bruce Lee’s soul as a movement artist as well. Check out the shownotes for more about Jon and where you can connect with him. But for now, please listen to Shannon and Boogz get real on the Bruce Lee Podcast! Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast

Shannon announces a new season of the Bruce Lee Podcast on Family. The new season launches Oct. 28th, 2021. Listen and watch this episode and others at brucelee.com/podcast

Shannon shares her thoughts in this solo podcast episode on what it is to be a warrior at the deepest level and discusses the concepts of wu-wei, simplicity, and wholeness. Find this episode's shownotes and other podcast episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

This is a Special AAPI Edition of the Bruce Lee Podcast Season 3 Wrap Up from Shannon Lee. Listen to all our APPI Edition Podcast episodes at Brucelee.com/Podcast

You may not have heard of Shannon’s guest for this episode unless you follow badass female martial artists or the ancient Hawaiian martial art of Lua but this woman is a fierce warrior through and through. Michelle Manu is the only woman to be given the designation of Knight’s Commander by the Royal Order of Kemehameha 1 for protecting and promoting Hawaiian culture through the Lua, the indigenous warrior art of Hawaii. Michelle dedicates herself to helping women by teaching self defense and passing on her knowledge. She also happens to be a lawyer, holds credentials from Harvard Business School, is a grandmother to twin boys, and is an expert in Polynesian dance. Right before Shannon and Michelle sat down to talk, Shannon looked out her window and saw a massive hawk sitting in her backyard. What a symbol to bless their conversation! And Shannon wants to encourage everyone who is listening to head on over to the Youtube video of their conversation where you can see Michelle show us some Lua hawk technique in honor of their pre-conversation visitor. But for now, please sit back and enjoy this deep and wonderful conversation Shannon had with Michelle Manu. Show notes & episodes on Brucelee.com/Podcast