In 1964, a young Bruce Lee owns and operates a San Francisco Kung Fu Academy, specializing in the Chinese martial art Wing Chun. Lee provides advice, roles as extras, and defends them from Chinatown gangs. One student, Steve McKee, spars with Lee while fighting in anger, causing Lee to counter and embarrass him.
McKee and Vinnie Wei work for Wei’s mother’s laundry business, where they learn Wong Jack-man is observing the American kung fu scene. While carrying out a delivery to the China Gate restaurant, McKee falls for an employee, Xiulan, who is forbidden to communicate with outsiders. McKee sneaks into the restaurant to gives Xiulan an English grammar book so that she can develop her language skills, as well as teach her roommates basic English.
McKee acquaints himself with Man, who is working as a dishwasher. Lee worries about Man’s presence, thinking he would be punished for teaching whites kung fu and asks McKee to set up a meeting. At the Long Beach International Karate Championships, Lee performs a karate exhibition against his kung fu and debuts his famous one-inch punch.
Among those in attendance, Lee points out Man in the audience. Man commends Lee’s skill and technique but notices that Lee is his own limitation. Lee challenges him to a fight as Man leaves in peace. McKee learns that Man is in America to perform penance working as a dishwasher because of a near-fatal kick, the Mon Shan.
Realizing that teaching McKee would help liberate himself, Man takes McKee as his student. Meeting up with Lee, who tells him that he would begin filming The Green Hornet, McKee reveals his intention to end his time at Lee’s academy.
