“Bruce Lee Way” unveiled honoring the martial arts legend to open his Kung Fu studio in Oakland in 1960s

OAKLAND — Martial arts legend Bruce Lee opened his Kung Fu studio in Oakland in 1964. 60 years later today, an intersection at Broadway and Garnet Streets was named after Lee as "Bruce Lee Way” to honor his roots and legacy in the city of Oakland.

The ceremony to unveil the new street sign honoring Lee took place on September 23, 2024. Lee's widow Linda Emery Lee, daughter Shannon Lee, and granddaughter Wren Lee Keasler attended the ceremony to witness the historical moment for their families.

Although Lee lived and taught Kung Fu classes in Oakland for a short time, from August 1964 to February 1965, the City of Oakland was very meaningful to Lee and his family where Lee's son Brandon was born and Lee could connect with his martial arts peers.

Lee, world class superstar in martial arts and film, was born on November 27, 1940 in the Chinese Hospital at San Francisco Chinatown, while his father, Hoi-chuen Lee, came to California for an international opera tour. The older Lee was a Cantonese opera singer. Lee's mother Grace Ho was of European ancestry, born in Shanghai, and related to the prestigious Ho family in Hong Kong.

Lee earned his U.S. citizen status in 1940 because of the birthright citizenship fought by Chinese American Wong Kim Ark in 1895 and ruled by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1898.

When Lee was four months old, his parents brought him back to Hong Kong where Lee grew up until age 18 when Lee returned to the United States for education.

While growing up in Hong Kong, Lee learned Wing Chun from martial arts master Ip Man.

In 1959, Lee moved to Seattle from Hong Kong to enroll at high school first and enroll at the University of Washington in 1961.

Lee started teaching Kung Fu classes when he was in Seattle by opening up a school out of his home and naming it Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute. Jun Fan was Lee's real Chinese name when he was born.

Linda Emery, who was born in Washington State, met her future husband at Lee's Kung Fu class, signing up as his student. Lee and Linda got married in August 1964 and moved to Oakland.

There was motivation for Lee to move to Oakland after marriage. Lee lived in James Yimm Lee's house when he relocated to Oakland. James Yimm Lee, who was a martial arts master, was 20 years senior to Lee and had no family relationship with Lee. They co-founded the second Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute in Oakland.

Lee was challenged by other martial artists in Oakland that he should not teach non-Chinese students Kung Fu in his studio. Lee, who had a mixed racial heritage, ignored the criticism and continued to include non-Chinese students in his classes until 1965 leaving for Southern California to pursue his second dream in the film industry.

Lee was successful to be offered an opportunity to play the role of Kato in the TV series "Green Hornet" from 1966 to 1967 that also began his career in the movie business worldwide.

"Thank you so much to Bruce Lee's daughter, Shannon, for joining us in Oakland this week to share how important Oakland was to Bruce Lee's life and accomplishments and to celebrate the unveiling of Bruce Lee Way!" said Oakland City Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan, who proposed the naming project at the Oakland City Council earlier in 2024.

"We honor Bruce Lee and his dedication and his commitment and the way he changed the world of martial arts and film. The way he changed the world of cross-racial collaboration. The way he built followers all over the world who to this day are inspired by what he taught and what he did by renaming this intersection Bruce Lee," Kaplan added.

Shannon Lee, Bruce's daughter who manages the Bruce Lee Foundation for the family, highlighted the connection between her father and the City of Oakland in the renaming ceremony.

"What's great about Oakland's and Bruce Lee is that here in Oakland, he found peers. He found peers who were open-minded, who were on the same track as him, who were interested in experimentation, who were interested in change, who were interested in inclusivity, who were interested in, you know, opening up their experience," Shannon said in her remarks. "And that is what Oakland is about even today. And that is what drew him here."

Many fans of Lee across the globe are well aware of Lee's birthplace in San Francisco Chinatown and his school days in Seattle. The connection of Lee to Oakland has not been widely mentioned.

The intersection of Broadway and Garnet Streets to be renamed as "Bruce Lee Way" was where Lee's Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute was once located. That spot has been occupied by the Toyota dealership for decades.