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Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Biography

Imagining the Chinese Martial Arts without Bruce Lee: Sophia Delza, an American Taiji Quan Pioneer.

Introduction: Different Visions of the Chinese Martial Arts Assume that we find ourselves in a very specific, recognizable alternate universe.  It is almost exactly like ours, but in this world Bruce Lee never came to America.  Maybe he got along... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (6): Ng Chung So – Looking Beyond the “Three Heroes of Wing Chun”

Note: this article originally appeared as a guest post at "Wing Chun Geeks." Ng Chung So: Looking Beyond the “Three Heroes of Wing Chun” The origins of Wing Chun are shrouded in mystery.  We seem to like it that way. ... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (4): Sun Lutang’s Unified Theory of the Chinese Martial Arts: Daoist Spirituality, Health and Boxing (Part III)

Sun Lutang and the Field of Chinese Martial Studies This post is the third and final installment of our three part review of the life and contributions of Sun Lutang.  Sun was a master of Xingyi, Bagua and Taiji boxing... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (4): Sun Lutang–Secrecy, Reform and the Creation of the Modern Martial Arts School (Part II).

  Introduction: Sun Lutang at the Crossroads of Modernity In the first section of our special series on Sun Lutang we presented an outline of the life and career of a key figure in Chinese martial studies.  Sun has made... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (4): Sun Lutang and the Invention of the “Traditional” Chinese Martial Arts (Part I)

I am currently working on a paper that has me thinking about Sun Lutang again.  To my mind he has always been one of the quintessential pioneers of the modern Chinese martial arts.  So here is Part One of a... Continue Reading →

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming on the Development of the TCMA in North America

Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. Source: from the personal collection of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming.   Introduction Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming generously sat down with Kung Fu Tea for a lengthy and wide ranging discussion of his martial arts experiences in both Taiwan and... Continue Reading →

Ip Man and the Roots of Wing Chun’s “Multiple Attacker” Principle, Part 1

Law Enforcement and the Martial Arts in Republican China The intersection between law enforcement and the development of the modern Chinese martial arts is a fascinating topic that deserves a lot more attention than it normally gets.  In many ways... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (3): Chan Wah Shun and the Creation of Wing Chun

Chan Wah Shun and his Place in the Modern Wing Chun Community One of the biggest problems in researching the history of the martial arts is the martial artists themselves.  They love their styles (or the businesses that they support)... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists: Qiu Jin—the Last Sword-Maiden, Part I.

  ***Greetings!  This was my first entry in the long running "Lives of Chinese Martial Artists" series. Rather than just profiling the most famous martial artists I attempted to look at the actual life experiences of a wide range of... Continue Reading →

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