Bruce Lee and I: An Intimate Portrait by Bruce Lee's Training Partner and the Father of Taekwondo in the United States

Non Fiction, Biographical, grade 7 through adult.

Trade Paper

Private Letters and Photographs

Synopsis

The legendary martial artist and film star Bruce Lee had many students, but few teachers. Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, who brought Tae Kwon Do from Korea to the United States in 1956 and has taught over 250 members of the U.S. Congress, is one of those teachers. Bruce Lee and I is Rhee’s intimate, non-fiction, biographical account of the 10-year friendship between these two martial arts legends. The book includes 19 private letters from Bruce Lee to Jhoon Rhee, and Bruce Lee photos from the private Jhoon Rhee Collection, and behind-the-scenes stories about the making of The Green Hornet, The Big Boss, Enter the Dragon, Fist of Fury, and other Bruce Lee television shows and films. In this beautifully-designed, mainstream book with mass market appeal, Rhee explains how he taught his friend’s secret punching technique to Muhammad Ali, who then credited “Mr. Jhoon Rhee’s Accupunch” with his knock out of British champ Richard Dunn. “Jhoon Rhee and Bruce had a teacher-teacher relationship, one built on mutual respect.” writes Linda Lee Cadwell, wife of the late Bruce Lee, in her foreword. The book has 15 chapters, 22 photos, 19 reproductions of private letters that include Bruce Lee’s poetry, an index, and footnotes.

Grand Master Jhoon Rhee

Grand Master Jhoon Rhee, age 69, is the “father” of Tae Kwon Do in the United States, where there are now 5,000,000 active participants (Korea Herald). Master Rhee has twice been featured in Parade Magazine (circulation 50,000,000) including the cover feature with photo on March 16, 1997. In August 1999 he was awarded the prestigious lifetime achievement award by Martial Arts Professional and described as “a living embodiment of the benefits of the martial arts way of life.” Master Rhee designed and introduced safety gear into martial arts, which is credited with broadening the sport and exercise activity into a mass market appeal. He has been teaching martial arts in the Congressional Gym to Members of the U.S. Congress for 34 years, 3 days a week, and does 1,000 push-ups a day, 500 sit-ups, breathing exercises and a daily fitness program called RheeShape: The Balanced Life Program. He introduced Tae Kwon Do to the former Soviet Union in 1991 and has returned 18 times to teach and promote the sport, oversee the development of Jhoon Rhee Tae Kwon Do Schools, and give motivational speeches. The Jhoon Rhee USO Show entertained U.S. troops in South Korea and visited Japan in the summer 1999, in a manner similar to the Bob Hope USO Shows of the past. Master Rhee travels regularly throughout the U.S., Canada, and the C.I.S., giving seminars to martial arts studio owners and other professionals. He is also an accomplished musician, performing classical music on the harmonica.