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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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theory

Advances in Martial Arts Studies

We are delighted to announce the publication of issue 14 of Martial Arts Studies!In addition, we are very happy to let you know that Martial Arts Studies has recently been accepted by Scopus for indexing, which will give the journal a boost in visibility.... Continue Reading →

Sometimes a Cigar is Just a Lightsaber: Fetishism and Material Culture in Martial Arts Studies

“The lightsaber has become an important touchstone, both within the films and within our culture…They serve as a source of identification and identity.  They are the ultimate commodity: a nonexistent object whose replicas sell for hundreds of dollars.  This is... Continue Reading →

Towards a Political Hoplology: Violence and the Construction of Identity in Krav Maga

Andrea Molle. 2021. Krav Maga and the Making of Modern Israel: For Zion’s Sake. Rowman & Littlefield. 2022. $105 Hardcover, $38 Kindle. “There is also another function of violence, and it is to reduce uncertainty through promoting solidarity among individuals.  I call this... Continue Reading →

A Brief History of Nostalgia and the Future of the Martial Arts

    That Special Time of Year It must be that time of year again.  December is the season in which Disney unleashes a new Star Wars movie on an eager public, complete with a weaponized marketing campaign. Sitting in... Continue Reading →

Forgetting about the Gun: Firearms and the Development of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts

***Its my birthday!  To celebrate we are taking a second look at an early photograph with one of my favorite pictures of a Japanese samurai.  And essay that comes with it is decent as well.  Enjoy!***   Giving Up the... Continue Reading →

The Book Club: The Shaolin Monastery by Meir Shahar, Chapters 5-Conclusion: Unarmed Combat in the Ming and Qing dynasties.

  Introduction This is the third and final installment of our in-depth review of Meir Shahar’s groundbreaking work, the Shaolin Temple.  Today we will be looking at the evolution of unarmed boxing in late Ming and Qing era China.  I... Continue Reading →

Martial Arts Studies: Issue 10 Release!

Paul Bowman and I are happy to announce that Issue 10 of Martial Arts Studies is now available. As always, this interdisciplinary peer reviewed journal is free to read or download by anyone with an internet connection. Please post links... Continue Reading →

Why Religion Needs to Play a Greater Role in Chinese Martial Studies than it does in the Chinese Martial Arts.

  ***Greetings! Here is one of my earlier attempts to talk about the topic of theory within martial arts studies (from back in 2012, when there was a lot less of it).  It is one area where my thinking has... Continue Reading →

Top Five Changes in Martial Arts: 2020 Edition

  Introduction I was scrolling through Facebook the other day and came across a “Top Five” list…of other “Top Five” lists. It was a wonderfully meta idea and it made me realize how long it had been since we had... Continue Reading →

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