How Bruce Lee Changed The World In Discovery Channel's Special Tribute To The Icon

CEBU, Philippines - In his short but eventful life, Bruce Lee managed to secure a permanent place in Hollywood history, popular culture, and the hearts of martial arts fans everywhere. He introduced ancient martial arts to the modern world with a style that he developed called Jeet Kune Do, and with just five mainstream films under his belt subsequently went on to influence popular culture all over the world. But few really knew the man behind the lightning-fast moves. This January, Discovery Channel's HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD reveals the dedicated career of this iconic movie star and unparalleled martial artist. Take a cinematic journey through the life of the legend in HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD, premiering Sunday, January 24 at 9:00 pm. Encores on Monday, January 25 at 12:00 am, 8:00 am and 2:00 pm, Thursday, January 28 at 7:00 pm and January 31 at 4:00 am and 8:00 am.

Before the 1970s, Western perception of the orient was Chairman Mao, communism and cheap consumer products. Chinese culture was as remote as any could be, impossibly exotic and seemingly impenetrable. Then came Bruce Lee - the very first Asian superstar. Bruce Lee was a martial arts extraordinaire. His incredible skill and understanding of Chinese martial arts landed him many movie roles in Hollywood and as one of the first Asians to break into the international movie scene he fought against Asian stereotypes and prejudice within the industry.

Though he completed a mere handful of movies before his early death in 1973, Bruce Lee's explosion onto the movie scene was the catalyst for the global acceptance of all things Asian. Between 1972-1975, the number of students taking up martial arts surged at an unprecedented rate to what many now refer to as the Bruce Lee era. Some of his famous students included basketball star Kareem Abdul Jabbar, actor Chuck Norris, and martial artist Daniel Inosanto.

Discover HOW BRUCE LEE CHANGED THE WORLD in this special, chronicling his birth to his life in life San Francisco to his meteoric rise as a movie star and the mysteries surrounding his death just a month before the opening of his only U.S. film, Enter the Dragon. Featuring rare footage of interviews and home movies, hear from those he influenced including Jackie Chan, John Woo, comedian Eddie Griffin, hip-hop artists LL Cool J and RZA, Marvel Comics’ Stan Lee and famed Hong Kong film producer, Raymond Chow among many others.