Martial arts expert Matthew Polly in front of a statue of Bruce Lee in Tsim Sha Tsui. Polly, who dropped out of Princeton to become a Shaolin apprentice, is writing the late star's biography. Photo: Edward Wong

Going to Shaolin let Polly pursue spirituality and martial arts. No one talked to him for months, but he says his time there "eating bitterness" toughened him up. He later wrote a bestseller about the experience. Photo: AFP

Going to Shaolin let Polly pursue spirituality and martial arts. No one talked to him for months, but he says his time there "eating bitterness" toughened him up. He later wrote a bestseller about the experience. Photo: AFP

Going to Shaolin let Polly pursue spirituality and martial arts. No one talked to him for months, but he says his time there "eating bitterness" toughened him up. He later wrote a bestseller about the experience. Photo: AFP

Going to Shaolin let Polly pursue spirituality and martial arts. No one talked to him for months, but he says his time there "eating bitterness" toughened him up. He later wrote a bestseller about the experience. Photo: AFP