His first contact with martial arts was in the hands of his own father Li Hoi Chuen who taught Tai Chi Chuan, with the sole purpose of deviate you from the path of violence. Bruce knew a boy of his age, or little older, which was always involved in fights and never He lost. One day Bruce asked therefore and this guy, William Cheung commented that it was due to his art. William suggested you learn Wing Chun and Bruce accepted. The behavior of Bruce when he entered for the first time to the Academy of Yip Man was not all respectful that should have been, especially in the case of an oriental boy, by Yip Man decided that Bruce was not able to learn an art Wing Chun, and so reported by William Cheung. Bruce decided to come back the next day with humility and respect, Yip Man gave him a chance.
Bruce was between three and four years learning under the tutelage of Yip Man Wing Chun although it was the hand of Wong Shun Leung with whom learned directly. Bruce he was enrolled at the English colegio de San Francisco Javier, for those times, there were inter-school tournaments, among them and because it was English schools had boxing tournaments, Bruce decided to take part in one of them that was held in St. George’s College, and won it using the techniques he knew, Wing Chun. Shortly after he returned to win another Championship, but this time of Cha-Cha-Cha. At the age of eighteen he left Hong Kong to move to his country of birth and claim their nationality, United States. Some versions say that Bruce’s father was forced to take this decision because he feared that his son finally join with the Chinese mafia, the triad. In this way Bruce embarked on 3 December 1958 on the freighter Daisy May, with a 3rd ticket class and $100. There Bruce Lee had installed a sack and a Wooden Dummy to train provided that the time allowed is, though neighbors complained about the noise that did when he trained and had to leave it.
As he had no friends, began to attend meetings of a Chinese society, where there were people who also practiced kung Fu, there could learn techniques from other styles as the Mantis and other styles of northern China, which dominated the use of legs, use that Bruce was unaware since Wing Chun works the legs to a very low level. The society decided to give a demonstration and Bruce and could know to what would be one of his best friends there in Seattle, a boy of color called Jesse Glover. Jesse always had been interested in martial arts, Judo had done, but when he saw Bruce felt that he should train with him. Bruce accepted the proposal of teach. The first place where trained was the dining room of the apartment of Jesse Glover. In his first encounter Bruce asked Jesse he recalled everything what they knew about Kung Fu. Jesse had not never trained Kung Fu with a master, all the knowledge they possessed had brought them a book of James Yimm Lee. Bruce asked that he show such book and after leafing through it a while made him know that the shown style belonged to the Hung family, and that he had practiced it on occasion in Hong Kong, since it was a well-known style there.