Your mission, should choose to accept it… Recently I have been invited to contribute chapters to a number of upcoming projects. I am still attempting to decide what some of these should be, but in two cases the editors of the volumes in question have approached me with specific requests. For…
Month: April 2016
Chinese Martial Arts in the News: April 25th, 2016: Tourism, Weapons Based MMA and Old School Kung Fu
Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News.” This is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea in which we review media stories that mention or affect the traditional fighting arts. In addition to discussing important events, this column also considers how the Asian hand combat systems are portrayed in the mainstream media….
Star Wars: An American Martial Arts Film Franchise?
“When there is a fake—hippopotamus, dinosaur, sea serpent—it is not so much because it would not be possible to have the real equivalent, but because the public is meant to admire the perfection of the fake and its obedience to the program. In this sense Disneyland not only produces illusions, but—in confessing…
Research Notes: The Chinese and Japanese Martial Arts as Seen on Western Newsreels
“In the west, Asian martial arts are everywhere. They are part of the texture of popular consciousness. Nonetheless I want to argue that they remain marginal. That is to say, although Westerners may see them often, and all over the place, they are not simply the norm.” -Paul Bowman, “the Marginal Movement of…
It is a bad idea to fall in love in a Kung Fu story. Honestly.
Kung Fu and the Marriage Market Love and Kung Fu simply do not mix. At least that is the strongly implied message to be found on the pages (and silver screens) of many traditional Chinese martial arts stories. Things are different in the West. In America audiences cheered when Daniel LaRusso walks away with…
Thinking About Failure in the Martial Arts
The Meaning of a Bruised Elbow I have been working on a couple of projects that have taken me away from blogging in recent days. These are the sorts of commitments that should bear fruit for the readers of Kung Fu Tea down the road, but in the mean time they are making…
Conference Report: Kung Fury – Contemporary Debates in Martial Arts Cinema
Introduction A few months ago I decided to make a more concerted effort to report on academic conferences and seminars happening within the field of martial arts studies. My hope is to promote greater awareness of current discussions within our growing research community. Readers interested in following these trends might want to begin by…
Chinese Martial Arts in the News: April 4th, 2016: Taijiquan, Shaolin and New Books
Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News.” This is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea in which we review media stories that mention or affect the traditional fighting arts. In addition to discussing important events, this column also considers how the Asian hand combat systems are portrayed in the…
