Ted Wong Passes Away

Ted Wong
November 5, 1937 - November 24, 2010

It is with a heavy heart that we must regretfully inform you that Sifu Ted Wong, who was the protégé as well as a close friend of Bruce Lee, passed away on November 24.


Wong's journey in Jeet Kune Do began in Los Angeles, California in 1967, as a pupil of Bruce Lee. Shortly after, Bruce Lee saw something special in Ted Wong and took him as a private student. From July 27, 1967 to October 14, 1971, Wong studied under Lee at least 122 times. According to Lee’s own appointment books, Wong spent more time receiving private instruction than any other person.

With Lee’s death in 1973, Wong found himself without a teacher. What followed is a story of great pain, moral integrity and self-reliance. While others were quick to capitalize on their association with Lee, Wong threw himself into 15 years of seclusion, studying the material his teacher had left behind. He tracked down the sources that influenced those writings, books that had been in Lee’s library to draw connections between what he had seen Lee do so many times and the principles outlined in his writings. 

When he lost his instructor, Wong faced the same temptation we all do: to look to outside sources—different masters, different styles. He chose to do the opposite, and it wasn’t an easy path to follow. But Wong had all he needed: the road map left by his teacher and the benefit of many hours spent with one of history’s greatest martial artists.

Ted Wong's Jeet Kune Do
Certification by Bruce Lee, 1967

In the 15 years that followed, Wong developed a solid understanding of what Lee had tried to teach him. Wong didn’t supplement his arsenal with techniques from other arts. The only thing he added to Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do was an understanding and analysis designed to enable future generations to benefit from Lee’s lifework. In the 15 years it took Wong to connect the dots between his training and Lee’s writings, others misinterpreted those writings and misrepresented their teachings as jeet kune do.

After decades of turning down requests for interviews, Wong found himself in the spotlight. While he could have turned a handsome profit by opening a school, Wong did not take that route. Instead, Wong planted JKD seeds in countries around the globe, including Japan, Hong Kong, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Holland, Scotland, Italy and Spain, as well as across the United States. He made regular trips to those locations for years and built a small army of loyal students.

Ted Wong is known today as one of the most knowledgeable men in the world when it comes to Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do. He studied under Bruce Lee from 1967 to 1973.

In his spare time, Wong served on the board of the Bruce Lee Foundation, where he contributed his time as an adviser and instructor. For his selfless contributions to the foundation, the legacy of Bruce Lee and the art of Jeet Kune Do, Black Belt inducted Ted Wong into its Hall of Fame as the 2006 Man of the Year.

Rest in peace, Sifu Ted Wong.