***We remember the martial arts through many mediums. Countless videos can be found on YouTube. Novels, opera and film have sanctified the heroes of the past. Books have archived the wisdom of countless communities. Yet over the last century no... Continue Reading →
Introduction Gu Ruzhang is one of the best known martial artists of the Republic of China era. He is remembered today as a pioneer who helped to bring Northern Shaolin to Southern China. Most accounts of his illustrious career start... Continue Reading →
Asking “What if?” Few things are more difficult to research than historical events that did not happen. This is especially true for social scientists who approach the question of theory creation and hypothesis testing from a more empirical... Continue Reading →
Introduction My original plan for the day included writing a conference report on the recent Martial Arts Studies gathering at Cardiff University (which, as always, was a blast). However, when I opened my email this morning I... Continue Reading →
***Greetings! I am currently preparing for the upcoming Martial Arts Studies conference in Cardiff. As such we will be taking a deep dive into the archives for today's post. This essay and biographical sketch was first published four... Continue Reading →
Who was China’s “Number One Sword?” Few individuals come to be known as both a warlord and a “sword saint.” Even by the standards of China’s tumultuous 1920s, the carving out of two such notable public personas... Continue Reading →
Introduction Few individuals have influenced our understanding of the martial arts during the late Ming dynasty more than Cheng Zongyou. His manuals provide historians a glimpse into a world of martial arts practice that is at the... Continue Reading →
The Yellow River Breaches its Course. Water Album by Ma Yuan. Source: Wikimedia. ***I am happy to report that the book chapter that I have been working is going well and that I can finally see some light... Continue Reading →
Introduction This is the second half of our two part series on the life and writings of Alfred Lister. A civil servant in Hong Kong during the second half of the 19th century, Lister provided his readers with some of... Continue Reading →
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