Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong-American martial artist, actor, director, and philosopher. He was the founder of Jeet Kune Do, a hybrid martial arts philosophy drawing from different combat disciplines that is often credited with paving the way for modern mixed martial arts (MMA). Lee is considered by many commentators, critics, media, and other martial artists to be the most influential martial artist of all time and a pop culture icon of the 20th century who bridged the gap between East and West.