Seattle native Han Eckelberg, who provided the voiceover and starred in The Bruce Lee Kit launch video, has been inspired by the life and legacy of Bruce Lee for as long as he can remember.
“Growing up, [Bruce Lee] has always been that advocate…He's just kind of been a role model in the community and for myself", said Eckelberg. “I looked up to him as someone who broke down stereotypes…He was a strong Asian man and that was something that often was overlooked in a lot of American media.”
While Eckelberg grew up in South Seattle and Beacon Hill, he spends a lot of his time in the Chinatown-International District (CID) where he ensures Bruce Lee’s legacy is kept alive. He frequently goes to the Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association, where he participates in lion dancing and Choy Lay Fut, a style of Kung Fu. Having been a member for six years, Eckelberg wears many hats at the association, serving as a martial arts instructor, and the team’s graphic designer and videographer.
Eckelberg said his involvement in martial arts has had a lot to do with Bruce Lee.
“Bruce Lee definitely influenced me to engage in martial arts and he inspired many martial artists we see in movies and sports today,” he said. “I consider all of them to be role models and major influencers in my life and I’m happy we can contribute and recognize [Bruce Lee’s] legacy.”
Eckelberg’s presence in the Chinatown-International District is shown through his role as an education guide at the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience as well. He supports the museum by leading tours and workshops surrounding the culture and history of the CID and those who lived and contributed to the neighborhood, including Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee is also represented through Eckelberg’s art. In 2020, he illustrated an art piece of the local legend on a staircase at the Odegaard Undergraduate Library at the University of Washington. The art installment titled “Bruce Lee Ascending” was later voted the Best Artwork at the 2020 UW Maker’s Summit.
“Whenever I focus on my own art style, I just want to make sure that it pays homage to the ancestors before us, Bruce Lee, part of that lineage, and part of that legacy in Seattle,” said Eckelberg.
He emphasized how the Sounders’ approach to the community jersey launch displayed exactly that.
“I think the Sounders did a wonderful job in connecting both the city, the club, and the philosophy of Bruce Lee,” he said. “Sometimes people just focus on his martial arts, but really all his movements and his actions are formed by his beliefs, so I think the Sounders did a great job in recognizing that.”
Eckelberg underlines Bruce Lee’s ongoing recognition in Chinatown and the overall International District, but with the recent release of the community kit, he hopes Lee’s life will leave the same lasting impression on the rest of Seattle and beyond.
“His philosophy, everything he stood for, I will say a lot of people in our community reflect that, we appreciate the duality, we appreciate that balance…. So, I think what people will take away with the Bruce Lee kit is really his fundamentals and the fact that no matter what style you practice, no matter where we are, in certain situations of our life, we always believe in ourselves,” said Eckelberg.
“There is a balance to everything that we do, and we can take a lot of inspiration from the footsteps of legends like Bruce Lee.”
Make sure to arrive early to Sunday's match against Sporting Kansas City to watch Han and Mak Fai's lion dance performance in the North Plaza pre-match. You can find more information HERE.
