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Through a Lens Darkly (48): Opening the Stone Lock
Vintage Newspaper Photograph. Source: Authors’ Personal Collection. A Quick Update My other writing projects are continuing well, though weekends are never quite as productive as one might hope. But...
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A Killing Art
Introduction Greetings from my short writing sabbatical! There are two subjects that have been on my mind. The first is Korea as I spent much of the day editing a 15 page conference presentation...
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Star Wars: An American Martial Arts Film Franchise?
The Seven Form of Lightsaber Combat ***On November 19th at 4 pm I will be taking part in a live-chat (broadcast on YouTube) on ethnographic research in the martial arts and lightsaber combat. This is...
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Disenchanting Jianghu (Rivers and Lakes): Historical Experience and the Kung...
Introduction I am happy to report that all of the conference papers and book chapters I have been working on for the last month are now finished. Unfortunately, my blogging sabbatical must continue...
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Communicating Embodied Knowledge in Martial Arts Studies, Part 1
Introduction One of my few disappointments about the 2017 Martial Arts Studies conference was that a change in travel plans forced me to miss the final afternoon of the event. As such, I was not...
View ArticleTop Ten Figures Who Shaped the Asian Martial Arts – Part II
Welcome! This is the second (and concluding) section of my list of the top ten figures who helped to shape the development and spread of the modern Asian martial arts. Putting such a list together...
View ArticleMixed Martial Arts in Shanghai, 1925
I recently had a chance to explore and organize a large database of vintage newspaper articles. This material was gathered as part of my on-going “Kung Fu Diplomacy” project. Yet every so often I...
View ArticleDeconstructing Martial Arts, Constructing Martial Arts Studies
***The following guest post has been generously provided by Paul Bowman. It is significant in a number of respects, providing us with both a summery and commentary on the ongoing debate over the...
View ArticleThrough a Lens Darkly (49): Kung Fu at Springfield College, 1917
Introduction When we think about the early history of the Chinese martial arts in the United States we tend to focus our discussion on either San Francisco or New York. Los Angles, Chicago and Honolulu...
View ArticleIssue 5 of Martial Arts Studies Now Advailable: Choy Li Fut, Savate and the...
We are happy to announce that the fifth issue of Martial Arts Studies is now freely available. For new readers, Martial Arts Studies is the premier scholarly source for interdisciplinary work on a...
View ArticleRebellion and the Chinese Martial Arts
Rebel Yell Its hard to deny that there is something a bit subversive about the martial arts. Or maybe that’s not quite right. Dutiful law enforcement officers and loyal soldiers spend as much time...
View ArticleChinese Martial Arts in the News: Feb. 5th, 2018 – Kung Fu in Global Markets,...
Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News!” Things have been busy with the release of the new issue of the journal, so we haven’t had a proper news roundup in a while. Lots has...
View Article1928: Boxing, Dance and Self-Determination at the Edge of China
Tibet has been on my mind. Far removed from the near tropical waters of the Pearl River Delta, it certainly falls outside of my normal research area. The region has its own martial and weapons...
View ArticleThrough a Lens Darkly (50): Catching Up With A Group of Chinese Archers, and...
Old Friends One of the more rewarding things that I have been able to do with this blog has been to showcase previously unseen, or rare, images of Chinese martial arts. I have tried to keep these...
View ArticleKung Fu, City Defense and the Art of “Saving Lives”
Kai Filipiak. 2012. “'Saving Lives'—Lu Kun’s Manual on City Defense.” Journal of Chinese Military History. 139-188. Introduction Winter is a great time to catch up on one’s reading. And if you...
View ArticleQilin Dancing During the Lunar New Year and Southern Chinese Martial Arts
Introduction: What is a Qilin and why do they dance? Let me start off by wishing everyone a happy New Year! Since multiple holidays fall on the same weekend this year, I am current away from the...
View ArticleThe State of Martial Arts Publishing Today – A Roundtable Discussion
Introduction Greetings, and welcome! Earlier this year a reader asked me to comment on the current state of the popular martial arts publishing industry. I have certainly noticed a couple of...
View ArticleResearch Notes: “Glory Days” and the Twilight of the Guoshu Movement
Introduction “Soft power” and “public diplomacy” are closely linked, yet distinct, concepts. Perhaps the easiest way of understanding this distinction is that the first is a power resource that...
View ArticleQuanzhou Taizuquan – An Encyclopedia of Southern Kung Fu Culture
Zhou Kun Min. 2017. Quanzhou Taizuquan: The Art of Fujian Emperor First Kung Fu. Tambuli Media. 241 pages. $32.95 USD. I recently hosted a round table discussion focused on the state of the martial...
View ArticleChinese Martial Arts in the News: March 5th, 2018: Wu (the Fight Club) and...
Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News!” Lots has been happening in the Chinese martial arts community, so its time to see what people have been saying. For new readers, this is...
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