Amy Sanbo Video Series, Video 1 of 3 Videos

Segments of Tom Bleecker's live interview recordings with Amy Sanbo and Lonny Kaneko on Vashon Island in September 1992.

[@worldviewSciPhiloReligio]

👏👏Very good. These events from the past told by someone who lived them are a beautiful story... Taki Kimura and Bruce got along well despite their differences (age/Japanese/Chinese). Bring more stories like these. The past is important for us to understand the present.- God blessed you🙏 - From Brazil

[@TomBleecker]

Thanks for your kind words.

[@elliottdiaz1687]

There needs to be a serious 3 hour biopic about Bruce's life story.

[@IlianNachev]

Tom, Thank you for these videos on Bruce! I have just realized that you love him just as much as I do! I can listen to you talk about him all day, every day… As a side note, when I was in college in South Carolina, I was watching a documentary about Bruce while all alone on campus during the summer break, and I got so impressed by his ability to perform one hand two finger push ups that I set up a goal for myself to achieve that! Well, you could say I was a bit overconfident to even consider that I could ever come close to this amazing feat, but I just loved Bruce so I started trying and one day, believe it or not, I succeeded! I was so proud of myself that I made a video of it (that’s later, when I was doing my Master’s in Hawaii) and uploaded it on KZbin. To my huge surprise, that video collected about 1.5 million views in a very short period of time! Anyway, I just thought that I would share my story about my fascination with Bruce Lee… 🙂

[@TomBleecker]

What a fascinating story and a tribute to perseverance and determination! Thanks for your post!

[@parshotamlal1749]

In my opinion you are the only person I know who can actually tell the people who Bruce lee was. There are so many other authors out there written books on Bruce, but of what I have seen about your videos and other information you have given l can clearly say you are the one genuine gentleman is telling like it is. Bless you Mr Bleecker.

[@TomBleecker]

Thanks for your kind words. I learned many years ago that it helps a great deal in writing a biography if the author has a firsthand experience with the subject. I've considered myself fortunate to have known Bruce and am flattered when other biographers publish material in their books that they obtain from mine.

[@Aikunle78]

Thanks so much for sharing. Gold quality!

[@CharlesDamianoBLC]

Tom really enjoying your videos! They really add a new light on many topics. Nice work!

[@tapthatt2012]

Some great videos!

[@CharlesDamianoBLC]

@@tapthatt2012 indeed! Great info!

[@reddchan]

God bless you, invaluable for people who enjoy true to life story telling

[@TomBleecker]

Thank you. The truth is always better than fiction.

[@1888swordsman]

I always wondered what became of her. Thank you

[@Primevals33]

Pure Gold Tom, Thank you.

[@Aikunle78]

Absolutely!

[@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd]

Beautiful work Tom another great interview with A LOT of insight into what made Bruce tick, how he actually behaved, and conducted himself during, his time in Seattle and during, his time at *UW* (Washington University). Both Lonny and Amy, brought crucial details to, light.

[@TomBleecker]

Glad you enjoyed the video.

[@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd]

@@TomBleecker hope you're going to post the next video of Amy Sanbo soon. I'm rather enjoying these quite a bit.

[@TomBleecker]

@@Perun.Tha.Unvaxxd The next video of Amy Sanbo is taking more time than I anticipated because I'm having to work around a considerable amount of interview that she shared with me "off the record." I should have a video up tonight, although now of Amy. Thanks for your post.

[@jwfloating-world]

What a fascinating interview Tom. Both Amy and Lonny talking about Bruce Lee before he became "Bruce Lee." A couple of things I noticed. Bruce had this terrific grip that Dan Insosanto once said, "Could take you to the floor." Another fan said that Jim Kelly backed this up. And Bruce uses it to get Amy's attention. Also Amy mentioned his skinny calves. In a recent discussion on Charles Damiano's Bruce Lee Collection channel, he said Bruce wore the shin guards at the beginning of Enter the Dragon to cover them up. Can't wait for the next one.

[@TomBleecker]

Bodybuilders will attest to the fact that the hardest muscle to "gain" are the calves because of the short range of motion. Bruce also had skinny thighs and in the late 1970s mentioned to Joe Lewis that he (Bruce) was having a difficult time gaining muscles in his legs. Glad you enjoyed the video. My three days on Vashon Island with Amy and Lonny were very enlightening in several areas. Thanks for your post.

[@jwfloating-world]

@@TomBleecker Wow! Tom Bleeker replied to my comment. Thank you. As a Bruce Lee fan and Martial Artist for 40 years at first I found your Unsettled Matters book a bit hard to read as it dealt with topics that were previously ignored. But over time I've frequently re-read it and was impressed by the amount of detail included. Especially around the autopsy. In light of the recent Bob Baker drugs letters, you were spot on saying he was Bruce's goffer. One thing I'd like to ask please. During the autopsy you say that they tested for all drugs. Is it possible that cocaine was not tested for as it may not have been popular in Hong Kong at that time and therefore not considered.

[@TomBleecker]

@@jwfloating-world I had to look at that chapter to be certain what I wrote, which was, "Although Lam did not elaborate on which drugs he had tested for, it seems fair to assume that his list would have included cocaine." I mentioned that it was fair to assume that Dr. Lam tested for cocaine because although cocaine may not have been popular in Hong Kong, per se, Dr. Lam would have assumed that cocaine may well have been popular on a Hollywood movie set that was filming on location in Hong Kong. I hope this helps clarify.

[@jwfloating-world]

@@TomBleecker Thank you for your speedy reply and it does make sense. One thing I forgot to mention was your observation of no equagesic tablet was present at Bruce's first collapse on 10th May 1973. So much has been made about this painkiller perhaps it was used as a diversion by Raymond Chow and Betty Ting Pei. Since reputation is hardly credible, how can we take anything they said as factual.

[@CharlesDamianoBLC]

Thanks JW!

[@dranis23]

This was amazing. Thanks Tom

[@TomBleecker]

You're welcome. Glad you found the video worth viewing.

[@lisayamamoto6682]

Mr Bleeker, Uncle Lonny did get interned but I am not sure if he went to the same internment camp. I am playing your videos to my mother (Sanbo). I know she will enjoy them. Sincerely, Dr Lisa Yamamoto

[@TomBleecker]

Apart from my sideline commentary, I believe that everything in her two videos is also contained in her "Unsettled Matters" chapter "The Seattle Years." As an aside, many of Bruce's followers are delighted to finally hear your mother's voice instead of reading the written word. Cheers

[@lisayamamoto6682]

@@TomBleecker Yes, I have read it, but also heard many of the stories and more from the both of them. She enjoyed seeing and hearing the videos.

[@TomBleecker]

I agree.

[@frederickanderson1860]

So many horror stories from the last war. The dead are forgotten. Just to talk about one man who life was typical of many and l believe he wanted to be the best and he wanted it his way. He is dead and let it rest. Many people who have just as much talent and inner potential, never had the breaks due to poverty or born too soon.

[@fletmok3548]

There’s a kind of irony with Bruce’s anti-Japanese sentiment shown in his movies, his younger years under Japanese occupation in Hong Kong. He moves to America and his closest confidants are Japanese (Amy and Taky)

[@GoldenAgeSk8Video]

☝️ TRUTH!!

[@smiley-qb3nt]

It was about Japanese government I think not so much people

[@bigwavesun]

Lmao, "how do you feeel, are you okaaaaay?"

[@mozfonky]

Taky Kimura and anyone else I knew never got over the camps.

[@TomBleecker]

That had to be an extremely emotionally painful time for many of them because they were children. We often hear about reparations for the victims of slavery, and yet we rarely hear about reparations for those confined in these internment camps.

[@mozfonky]

@@TomBleecker they did get reparations somewhere around 90, I think 15-20 grand. Does that cover it? Of course not. My old high school Principal, Chris Kato, who was a highly ranked judoman and must have known bruce, has a potent letter to the government around the time of the reparations, basically saying, they couldn't repair the damage. You could sense the anger in that letter.

[@TomBleecker]

@@mozfonky It's all very confusing, isn't it? I'm glad they received reparations, particularly those who were children at the time. Of course, I supposed one then has to ask if the wounded and the families of the dead from the attack on Pearl Harbor deserve reparations from the Japanese government? It's complicated.

[@mozfonky]

@@TomBleecker well, having known so many people who were alive in that period, i just don't know many who weren't dramatically effected in one way or another. My dad fought at the tail end of WW2, my Uncle did, that entire era was pretty eventful. Taky had a brother in law who fought in the Japanese American regiment in WW2.

[@TomBleecker]

@@mozfonky I hear you. I'm not going on 76 years of age and am a great-grandfather. My father fought in WWII and the Korean War. Because he was away, I didn't see my father for six years (from ages 6-12). Back then, there was no Internet and sharing photos and texting. We were lucky to receive a letter once a month. This had a negative impact on me as a child, and I know hundreds of thousands of others.

[@frederickanderson1860]

My uncle survived the Japanese river kwai railroad in Burma. He never lost his hatred for the Japanese. Of course his grip is going to bruise a female.

[@adamkane7513]

_"You build bridge."_ *"Now"!*