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From the Archives: Global Capitalism, the Traditional Martial Arts and...
***For today’s post we are headed back to the archives. I am becoming more interested in the ways that the traditional martial arts have been promoted by the Chinese government as a means of...
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Dream Factories: The Silver Screen and the Popularity of Close Range Fighting...
Knife vs. Magazine fight from the Bourne Supremacy (2004). “[…] In contemporary martial arts discourse, the most important distinction to be negotiated is not between the screen and street, but...
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Kung Fu Tea Turns Three! A Quick Look Back
Birthday Cake. Source: Wikimedia (CC). Happy Birthday! Earlier this week (on July 27th) I got a prompt from WordPress reminding me that it was a special day. Kung Fu Tea first said “Hello World”...
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Stephen Chan Discusses the Life of Chan Wong Wah Yue: Swordswoman, Militia...
Source: http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com Introduction Within the field of International Relations Stephen Chan (OBE) needs no introduction. He is a Professor of Global Politics in the School...
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Guest Post: Grappling with History – Martial Arts in Classical Hollywood Cinema
James Cagney – Oscar-winning Judoka (ca. 1943) Introduction Upon the gracious invitation from Dr. Judkins, I thought about what I could add to a historical perspective on the martial arts....
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Chinese Martial Arts in the News: August 10 2015: Trouble at Shaolin, the...
Vladimir Putin watches a Kung Fu exhibition with the Abbot Shi Yongxin at the Shaolin Temple in Henan. Shaolin has become an important stop for visiting VIPs. Source: People’s Daily. Introduction...
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Research Notes: “Advance of the Tigers” through Western Eyes
“The 18th (Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot, At the Storming of the Fortress of Amoy, August 26th 1841.” This print shows a highly imaginative recreation of events. While Tiger Soldiers were located in...
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“The Professor in the Cage”: Can Gottschall Bring Science to the Study of...
Jonathan Gottschall’s Professor in the Cage. 2015. A Surprise at the Bookstore A remarkable thing happened on the way to the airport. Knowing that I would be spending a disturbingly large amount...
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From the Archives: Conceptualizing the Asian Martial Arts: Ancient Origins,...
Youth engaged in militia training outside of Guangzhou in the 1850s. Note the long thin blade being held behind the rattan shield by the kneeling individual. source http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com....
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Chinese Martial Arts in the News: August 31, 2015: Masculinity, a Tiger...
Residents of Ganxi Dong village demonstrating their martial arts skills. Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News.” This is a semi-regular...
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Costly Signals, Credible Threats and the Problem of Reality in the Chinese...
Chinese martial arts display. Northern China, sometime in the 1930s. I particularly like the wide assortment of traditional weapons which can be seen in this photo. Source: Author’s Personal...
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What Does Martial Arts Studies Owe the Kung Fu Community?
“Local Militia Shandong. 1906-1912 by Fr. Michel de Maynard. “No man can do justice to another’s human total.” -Victor Turner, The Forest of Symbols (1967, p. 150). Introduction If culture is...
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On Knowing Your Lineage by Paul Bowman
Statue with Sword and Wine Gourd. Another figure in China’s long tradition of eccentric warrior-sages. Source: Vintage German Postcard. Introduction Our essay for today is a guest-post of sorts,...
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Chinese Martial Arts in the News: September 21, 2015: Culture Festivals, Kung...
Bruce Lee sketching on the set for Game of Death. Photograph: Bruce Lee Estate. Source: The Guardian. Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News.” This is a semi-regular feature...
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What is a lineage? Rethinking our (Dangerous) Relationship with History
Introduction Every practicing martial artist knows that the most deadly attack is the one that you did not see coming. A successful ambush is extremely difficult to counter. And this is precisely...
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Revealing the Secrets of Wing Chun Kung Fu: Chao, Weakland and the Cultural...
Plum Flower Maiden Dancing from Pole to Pole. Circa 1880. Source: Wikimedia (though I believe that Stanley Henning was the first person to publish this image in his essay for Green and Svinth.)...
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Prof. Maofu Gong Discusses the State of Folk Wushu and Martial Arts Studies...
Prof. Maofu Gong of Chengdu Sport University. This photo is used by permission of the owner. Introduction Prof. Maofu Gong is an Associate Professor of Sports Culture at Chengdu Sport...
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Chinese Martial Arts in the News: October 12, 2015: Columbus Day Edition!
Shaolin Masterclass. Photo by Jack Latham. Source: FT.com Introduction For readers in the United States, happy Columbus Day! And what better way to enjoy your three day weekend than getting caught...
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Research Notes: Glimpsing the Future of Martial Arts Studies
A press photo issued by the Japan Press Illustrated Service. The caption on the back reads “Instruction of Halbert and Sword.—The halbert has been instructed from old as a peculiar Japanese military...
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Five Chinese Martial Studies Books that We Need to Read
Austrian National Library in Vienna. Source: Wikimedia. photo by Matl, 2006. Introduction As some of you may have noticed, posts here at Kung Fu Tea and on the Facebook group have been coming a...
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