Introduction It is hard to think of any group or association that has had a greater effect on the emergence of the modern Chinese martial arts than the Jingwu Athletic Association. Founded in Shangahi in the closing years of... Continue Reading →
Introduction: Gender and the History of the Chinese Martial Arts Women are a challenging subject in Chinese martial studies. One the one hand traditions about female boxers, nuns, bandits and heroes abound in the folklore of the “Rivers and Lakes.” ... Continue Reading →
I propose to speak on fairy-stories, though I am aware that this is a rash adventure. Faerie is a perilous land, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold. And overbold I may be accounted,... Continue Reading →
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 →
Introduction: Masculinity as a Core Value in the Traditional Southern Martial Arts. One of the few facts that everyone seems to “know” about Wing Chun is that the art was created by a female. Whether this is actually true... Continue Reading →
Why Talk About Gender in the Chinese Martial Arts? In my years of teaching I have noticed that any discussion of “gender” will usually elicit great interest from a certain percentage of my students, while you can literally watch the... Continue Reading →
This post provides the conclusion to our biographical sketch of Qiu Jin, an important southern Chinese revolutionary, poet, writer, martial artist and terrorist. I think the best way to read these posts is to print them out and read... Continue Reading →
Anachronism and Misunderstanding in the Chinese Martial Arts This is the first post in a new occasional series here at “Kung Fu Tea.” These entries will provide brief biographies, and pose some thoughtful questions, about the lives of China’s... Continue Reading →
Many of the debates in the Wing Chun world today focus on the question of lineage. People want to know which expression of Wing Chun best captures its essential essence? Which is truly “authentic”? Often it is assumed that authenticity... Continue Reading →
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