Bruce Lee, who was born 65 years ago this past Sunday, believed in evolution (lowercase “e”). While posters of his bare upper body have adorned three generations of college dorm room walls and his legacy is obvious in Hollywood action movies, few Americans are aware that Lee founded the art of Jun Fan Gung Fu, which later became Jeet Kun Do, or JKD. Lee designed JKD to be a philosophy of fighting (rather than a style) based on the belief of blending styles and changing techniques as needed.

He borrowed stances from Western boxing and from Greco-Roman wrestling which improved his flow and used traditional moves and techniques from all over Asia that were the heart of his fight. Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White calls Lee the “father of mixed martial arts.”

While he was once quite controversial in the Chinese martial arts community for teaching Westerners Eastern “secrets” and for challenging the rigidity of ancient methods as dogmatic, Lee is known around the world today as a symbol of discipline, as an emblem of justice, and as an icon of strength in the turbulent ‘70s.

Lee’s personal philosophy was focused on continual improvement and adaptation, too. “All knowledge ultimately means self-knowledge,” he once said in an interview. He majored in philosophy at the University of Washington and was said to incorporate ways of thinking from Buddhism, Taoism, and J. Krishnamurti in his personal life.

The birthday was celebrated around the world; in London there were free screenings of Enter the Dragon – Lee's best film, which came out a month after his death – and statues were erected from Bosnia to Hong Kong. Any appropriate honorary celebration, though, would feature a blend of the best of what's available.