Dragon Temple Update
Thoughts on the Dragon Temple by Linda Lee
This page was taken from Black Belt Magazine. Check out their site to find out more about The Dragon Temple.
Dragon Temple is an important step in the evolution of martial arts. Its
existence recognizes the growth, popularity and significance of the arts
in the Western World. Dragon Temple legitimizes the study of martial arts
as a worthwhile endeavor.
When I was first exposed to the martial arts, about 35 years ago, they
were considered something exotic and foreign. The only reference you
could even find in the Yellow Pages of the telephone book was to Judo. In
the 90's, karate and kung fu are household names and martial arts
schools proliferate. It is time to institutionalize recognition of the
martial arts by creating a home for them in the Dragon Temple.
It is entirely appropriate for Dragon Temple to become the home of the
Bruce Lee International Museum of Martial Arts. As a martial artist and a
filmmaker Bruce is primarily responsible for the growth of martial arts
in this country. As my son Brandon used to say about his father's work,
"Bruce Lee single-handedly created a genre in the film industry." His
multitude of fans remain reverent of Bruce's physical skills and
creative genius and consider his films to be the classics of action
movies. In the 23 years since his death, the public has come to admire
Bruce, not only for his fighting talents, but to an even greater extent
for the depth of his knowledge about the martial arts. Bruce always
considered himself a martial artist first and an actor second. The
Dragon Temple Museum will bestow that honor upon him in the eyes of the
public.
I believe that the study of martial arts can contribute greatly to the
deterrence of juvenile problems in our society. A youngster studying the
martial arts gains confidence through being coming physically capable of
self-defense while at the same time learning the skills to use mental
self-defense techniques to avoid conflict. The values of respect and
integrity should be part of well-rounded martial arts training, and it is
essential that an underlying philosophy be taught in the curriculum.
Dragon Temple, as a non-profit corporation, can devote resources to the
development of the educated, total martial artist. This is the most
important function of the museum - it will make it a living, working
entity rather than just a warehouse of memerobilia.
It does my heart good to know that there will be a Brandon Lee Performing
Arts Center. While Brandon was an accomplished martial artist, his first
love was acting. At the time of his death his upcoming films were to
depart from the action genre and feature Brandon in dramatic roles. We
are thrilled that Dragon Temple will honor Brandon's ability in and love
for the dramatic arts.
The concept of Dragon Temple should unite the various styles of martial
arts. One of the reasons that Bruce did not refer to his way of martial
arts, Jeet Kune Do, as a style was because he said styles divide people.
The Dragon Temple can recognize that different styles exist and at the
same time bring them together under thesame roof. It will serve as an
educational resource to teach people that the goal of all martial arts
is the same: to gain insights into one's behavior by intelligently
processing the knowledge and information to which we are exposed
everyday. In addition, by combining several venues in the complex, there
will be several stages for the martial arts from various cultures and
nations. The martial arts world should welcome this harmonious
gathering of the arts.
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