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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Biography

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (15): Fei Ching Po – Professional Gambler and Female Martial Artist in Early 19th Century Guangzhou

  Introduction Stories of skilled female warriors have a long history in China. The legend of the Maiden of Yue illustrates these ancient roots.  Yet it was during the final decades of the Qing dynasty that the female martial artist... Continue Reading →

William Chen: Introducing Americans to Taijiquan in the Summer of 1965

“I trained under William Ch’en in Taiwan and in New York City. He fools you. Meek, slender, and quiet, he might be a scholar or a student of the Book of Changes, never a boxer.….He is so relaxed that he... Continue Reading →

The Invisibility of Kung Fu: Two Accounts of the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts

      Introduction: Race and the Invisibility of the Chinese Martial Arts     There is some debate as to which statesman can rightfully claim the honor of being the “first” American advisor employed by China’s new Republican government.... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (14): Ark Yuey Wong—Envisioning the Future of the Chinese Martial Arts

        Ark Yuey Wong in 1965: Opening a New Era in Western Kung Fu       1965 was a pivotal year for the traditional Chinese martial arts in North America. Simply put, it was the moment... Continue Reading →

Halloween Edition: Leung Kai’s Ghost Story – Remembering a Modern Choy Li Fut Master.

***In honor of Halloween I thought that I would dip into the archives and revisit a fun post from earlier in the year.  What follows is an actual Kung Fu ghost story.  I think that readers will find it both... Continue Reading →

Why is Ip Man a Role Model?

      Introduction: A Question from a Reader     The title (and subject) of today’s post is borrowed from a google query that brought a reader to this blog last week. WordPress has an incentive to encourage writers... Continue Reading →

Remembering Chu Shong Tin and the Relationship between Theory and Observation in Chinese Martial Studies

    Introduction – The Loss of Chu Shong Tin   A few weeks ago the Wing Chun community lost one of its leading lights. It is hard to overstate Master Chu Shong Tin’s contributions to the emergence and preservation... Continue Reading →

Two Encounters with Bruce Lee: Finding Reality in the Life of the Little Dragon

      John Little (ed.) 2000. Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon. Rutland: Tuttle Publishing.   Tommy Gong. 2014. Bruce Lee: The Evolution of a Martial Artist, 2nd edition. Black Belt Books, a Division of Ohara... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (13): Zhao San-duo—19th Century Plum Flower Master and Reluctant Rebel

    Introduction   In the summer of 1902 a martial artist and rebel leader named Zhao San-duo (alt. Zhao Luo-zhu) was arrested in the course of a tax uprising in Guangzong County. Betrayed by a local wu juren (a... Continue Reading →

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