A Second Look at a Rare Photograph It would be an understatement to say that period photographs of Qing-era martial arts activities are rare. For a variety of reasons these themes were less popular with both western... Continue Reading →
The Album Recently I had the good fortune to come across a photograph of a Chinese dadao (big knife) that dates to the late 1930s. Images such as these were sometimes collected by Japanese soldiers in occupied... Continue Reading →
Kung Fu Tea Turns Two Years Old! Today is the second anniversary of my first post here at Kung Fu Tea. The last two years have been a blast as well as something of a blur. Looking back... Continue Reading →
Introduction Conflict seems to inspire trophy hunting. In the west this often takes the form of fading photographs of someone’s grandfather holding a vintage Luger. A large number of katanas also made their way back to the United States... Continue Reading →
***One of the questions that I have been attempting to tackle in my more recent writing is the degree to which we should be thinking about the "traditional" Chinese martial arts as a quintessentially modern activity. From the perspective... Continue Reading →
Introduction No topic within the study of the modern martial arts is more burdened with nationalist myths and legends than military fencing. By the middle of the 20th century blades were supposed to have become obsolete on the battlefield. Yet... Continue Reading →
Introduction Understanding the actual history and use of hudiedao (or Butterfly Swords) reflects the challenges faced by students of martial studies more generally. These short paired swords, with their distinctive D-shaped hand guards, are one of the most commonly... Continue Reading →
Meeting a New Friend Recently I have been spending a lot of time (and practice hours) thinking about the Mook Yan Jong. This type of wooden dummy is commonly used in Wing Chun schools around the world. I had not... Continue Reading →
Introduction It is clear that weapons training is enjoying a renaissance within the modern martial arts community. Recently some of this attention has come to focus on the blades of the Second World War. It is interesting to speculate on... Continue Reading →
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