The transcript below is from the video “Extra Talks About His Fight with Bruce Lee in The Way of Dragon Film” by BruceLeeRealFight.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

Welcome to Bruce Lee Real Fight channel. Hello everyone hope you are having a good day. Today we are going to talk about an extra who fought Bruce Lee in the 1972 movie, ‘The Way of Dragon’. He was one of the thugs who appeared at the back-alley restaurant fight scene, and he ended up on the wrong end of Bruce Lee’s nunchaku sticks.

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

I was one of several baddies in a back-alley in Rome. My role was to attack him from behind with a fake sort of lead pipe, it’s actually wooden. And of course, in seconds flat, his nunchaku sticks had knocked me out. But there was a beautiful still from that, with him looking really cool with his nunchaku sticks and me looking like a total idiot.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

The name of this extra is Anders Nelsson. He was born in 1946, in California, to Swedish missionaries. Nelsson is six years younger than Bruce Lee. His family moved to Hong Kong in 1950, when he was just four years old. This is why he can speak Cantonese like a pro.

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

I played a tiny role in Bruce Lee’s movie, ‘The Way of Dragon’.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

Nelsson is a musician who emerged in the 1960s Hong Kong music scene. His acting career started as a small role in Bruce Lee’s 1972, ‘The Way of Dragon’. He got that part as a result of knowing Bruce Lee via his younger brother Robert Lee, who was a Hong Kong musician.

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

One day I had a tea in Tsimshatsui, I met Robert Lee, Bruce’s brother. We rocked in the 60’s. We are friends. He saw me and asked me to sit together. He introduced Bruce to me, and he said, ‘Are you free to start in the film tomorrow?’ I didn’t know how to answer at that time because he was Bruce. At last, I said, ‘Sure, I’d love to!’ He told me to appear at 6am, waited at the Ambassador Hotel, a shuttle bus took us to the location. And why were we to be picked up there? Because many film extras were found in the Chung King Mansion. Some were black and some were foreigners.

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

While we are on the set waiting for workers to set the lights and background, we often chit chat. Many extras were asking Bruce to teach them martial arts. Well, everyone knows martial arts is not something you can learn in minutes. So, I was sitting at the corner playing my guitar. Bruce really loved the song Guantanamera. You know, in two days, I sang it 17 times. Every break time, Bruce will say, ‘Hey, again!’ So, after the first day of shooting, Bruce walked to me and said, ‘Guai Lou, almost everyone asked me to teach them kung fu, why you are sitting here, do you want to learn?’ I said, ‘To be honest, I need a lot of time to learn how to play guitar, and I believe it takes a lifetime to learn kung fu. It’s not something you can learn in minutes or hours. I don’t want to disturb you.’ Bruce then said, ‘You are right.’

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

Why you are the one beaten by Bruce in the movie?

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

Bruce stars in the lead role and he was the director of the movie too. The fight scene was written by him. He said to me, ‘Here! This mark. When you see the director…’, Bruce had another director at that time, ‘When he says 3-2-1 action, remember do not lean forward. Pick up the stick on the floor and ready to hit me. Do not lean forward, you will get hit if you lean forward. Because the nunchaku is very close than me.’ I leaned forward for about half inch. I heard wind sound and I felt something went through my mouth. It wasn’t really hurt but Bruce wants to shake my hand. ‘Sorry, sorry, sorry.’ His hand was so strong. My hand was hurt. It feels bad than my mouth. After that, every time he sees me, he will shake my hand and say sorry. His hand is very powerful. He was using two nunchakus. One of it coincidentally hit my mouth. I am not sure if it was half inch, probably quarter inch, because I had no experience in shooting at that time.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

Do you thank Bruce for hitting you?

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

Absolutely! I’m grateful for that. At that time, I don’t know what to say to him. Bruce keeps saying sorry to me. It takes two days to shoot this fight scene. Unfortunately, I didn’t see Bruce again until he left us.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

What has Bruce Lee taught you?

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

We only met for two days. Many Bruce fans asked me what has Bruce taught me. Nothing is related to kung fu. Some people thought I’m good at kung fu, but actually I’m bad at it. Bruce taught me to take Vitamin C every day. And do not drink milk. Because he said, milk is for cow and not for human. Do not sit over 30 minutes or 45 minutes if I play guitar. He told me I have to stand up and walk around every half an hour. It’s very simple. We never talked about Chinese kung fu.

Anders Nelsson (An extra in the movie “The Way of Dragon”):

Bruce Lee, I’m not sure that anybody knows he loves to sing and dance. And his favorite song at the time when he was making, ‘The Way of the Dragon’, was Guantanamera. And he asked me to bring my guitar to the set of the movie and in one day, I played that song 17 times. He just says, ‘Hey, Guai Lou, sing again, sing again. Come, come, come.’ And after 17 times you know, I really hate that song now. I’m so tired of it.

Bruce Lee Real Fight Channel (Real Bruce Lee Fight Stories and Jeet Kune Do Training):

While everyone is wondering what it would be like to be in a Bruce Lee movie, Anders Nelsson doesn’t have wonder, because he has been in one. That’s the 1972, ‘The Way of Dragon’. And Nelsson feels grateful, although, he was pummeled by Bruce Lee with real nunchaku twice. Because of working with Bruce Lee, Nelsson has appeared in countless Hong Kong TV dramas since then.

Bruce Lee:

Water can flow, or it can crash. Be water my friend.