He was very caring: Shannon Lee reminisces her father, Bruce Lee

The legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee, was undeniably one of the most iconic figures of his time. Not only did he stun the world with his artistry, innovations and endurance, but he also broke cultural barriers and stereotypes that paved the way for many artists and innovators to come.
At the Times Literature Festival 2021, Shannon Lee, author, actor, marshal artist and Bruce Lee's daughter, in conversation with Prasenjit Mund, Joint news Editor, Times of India, communicates the same ideas her father preached and practiced during his lifetime.
Lee begins the discussion by talking about the journey of writing her book "Be Water, My friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee", where she touches upon the different aspects of Bruce Lee's life and philosophies and how it continues to inspire millions in the contemporary world.
She describes the process of writing as 'beautiful', but also very 'difficult'. She says, "In an attempt to express something to someone else, you really get to learn more about it yourself."
"Anyone who has tried to write something of this length knows this battle to sit down and focus," she adds.
Delving deeper into the intricacies of the book, the author explains how Bruce Lee's ideas and philosophies were just not limited to his profession, but applied to various human experiences.
According to Lee, what her father, Bruce Lee discovered through his martial art experiences was also very relevant to life. She narrates the story of when her father could not perceive the relationship between 'being gentle' and 'winning' and was often upset with his master Yip Man. But over the years, Lee explains how her father understood and realised that 'victory by force' was not really victory, but 'victory by bringing someone in' was 'true victory'.
Traversing back to the time when she was writing the book, the author talks about how she discovered many aspects of her father, not just through his words, but also the stories that she heard from family and friends. While the difficulty to pen down the loss and the tragedy was immense, by connecting the philosophy to the stories of her father, the author hopes to help people experiencing difficulties in today's world.
The session ends on a lighter note, where Lee speaks and reminisces her father's sense of humour and his knack for pulling pranks on people. Adding to it, she says, "But he was also very caring. He liked to help people (which often got missed due to his profession). But It came with a desire to be in a genuine connection with the people."