"Lee also gained, however, the maturity through adversity – what the Chinese call “eating bitterness”– to merge his brawling tendencies with a philosophical approach to combat."

Eating bitterness

Kevin Chong considers the story of an iconic cross-cultural star

"At this point, the brash young man became an underdog. While studying at high school and then at the University of Washington, Lee washed dishes at a restaurant of a family friend; he married Linda Emery, whose mother disapproved of their mixed-race union. Lee also gained, however, the maturity through adversity – what the Chinese call “eating bitterness”– to merge his brawling tendencies with a philosophical approach to combat. He developed a martial arts style of his own, Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist), that combined kung fu – known for its complex movements – with more efficient forms of fighting such as fencing and boxing."