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Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Chinese Martial Studies

Through a Lens Darkly (35): Chinese Soldiers and the Ring Hilted Dao (Saber)

  Chinese Officer and Soldier with Ring Hilted Sabers   Today's post is an early Christmas gift.  When I first decided that it would be wise (for research purposes) to collect and catalog images of period martial artists, I was... Continue Reading →

Doing Research (1): Fieldwork Methods in Martial Arts Studies by D. S. Farrer

  Introduction It is my distinct pleasure to introduce the first entry in a new series of guest posts titled "Doing Research."  Compared to other fields of scholarly inquiry, Martial Arts Studies has a distinctly democratic flavor.  This stems from... Continue Reading →

Research Notes: Spirit Possession in the Southern Chinese Martial Arts

    Introduction Spirit possession is a fascinating but rarely discussed aspect of the traditional Chinese martial arts.  Reformers in the field of physical culture spent much of the 20th century attempting to erase the national embarrassment of the Boxer... Continue Reading →

History, Mythology, Technique and Philosophy: Finding the “True” Origins of the Asian Martial Arts

  Introduction   History is difficult. It goes beyond gaining access to appropriate sources, records and languages. The challenges that we face are often more basic and conceptual. At the present moment there is a lot of interest, both in... Continue Reading →

Conference Report: Religion, Violence, and Existence of the Southern Shaolin Temple

Religion, Violence and the Asian Martial Arts Tel Aviv University – Department of East Asian Studies Conference, November 23, 2015.   Introduction Today’s post will introduce readers to some of the recent developments in the global field of Martial Arts... Continue Reading →

2015 Christmas Shopping List: Martial Arts Equipment and Long Reads to Get You Through the Winter Months

    “In business, be competent. In action, watch the timing. No fight: No blame.”   Introduction I bet you didn’t know that the Dao De Jing was full of Christmas shopping advice. It turns out that it is, and... Continue Reading →

Cyber Monday: Read Chapter 1 of The Creation of Wing Chun – A Social History of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts

  Given that today is "Cyber Monday," one of the largest on-line shopping days of the year, it is only fitting that I give something away.  A reader recently informed me that the State University of New York Press has... Continue Reading →

Bruce Lee: Memory, Philosophy and the Tao of Gung Fu

    Introduction: Bruce Lee at 75 Yesterday I celebrated Thanksgiving with my family. As is customary on this day of remembrance I took a few moments to think about the last year and review the many things that I... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: November 23, 2015: Trouble in the Badlands, Bruce Lee’s 75th Birthday and the Dawn of Martial Arts in America

  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,... Continue Reading →

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