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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

Revisiting Alfred Lister: A Forgotten Observer of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts (Part I)

    ***We have now come to the point in the semester that I call "deadline season."  As such, we will be dipping into the archives over the next few weeks to give me some additional time to work on... Continue Reading →

Research Note: Organizing the Women’s Section of the Jingwu Association, 1920.

An Unexpected Find It is basically a truism to say that the Western public didn’t know very much about the Chinese martial arts in the 1920s.  More interesting is the question of why.  Given the global popularity of Judo and... Continue Reading →

When Did Wing Chun Become “Intangible Cultural Heritage”?

    Social media is rarely surprising.  Its popularity derives from administering small doses of reassuring comfort, most of which suggests that the world is just as we had always imagined it.  There is actually something a little perverse about... Continue Reading →

Through a Lens Darkly (58): Contesting Wushu

    Introduction I recently noted that it is necessary to begin historical discussions by specifying whether we are examining events (or practices) as they actually happened, or the evolution of ideas about them.  This is not to say that... Continue Reading →

Subcultures and Neo-Tribes: Contesting the Meaning of Martial Arts

  Introduction While most of my own writing focuses on the Chinese martial arts, I tend to read rather widely.  In part this is simply a reflection of my interests, and perhaps some sort of escapist urge to keep me... Continue Reading →

Research Note: Kung Fu Diplomacy During the Cultural Revolution

  The History of Practice vs. The History of an Idea This post continues an occasional series looking at the ways in which the traditional Chinese martial arts were discussed in the PRC’s propaganda and cultural diplomacy efforts from roughly... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: March 22, 2019: Kung Fu and its Discontents

  Introduction Its been over a month since our last news update, which means that there is no better time to get caught up on recent events! For new readers, this is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea in which we... Continue Reading →

Martial Arts and Politics: Silat in Defense of Religion and the Malay Nation

  Lawrence N. Ross. 2017. “Demi Agama, Bangsa dan Negara: Silat Martial Arts and the ‘Third Line’ in Defense of Religion, Race and the Malaysian State.” In Sophie Lemiere (eds.) Illusions of Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People. Vol. II. Strategic Information and... Continue Reading →

The New Hoplology: Stick, Machete and Whip Fighting in the Caribbean

  Introduction Masters magazine has just released a free special issue that I think will be of great interest to the readers of Kung Fu Tea.  Late last year Prof. T.J. Desch-Obi and Dr. Michael J. Ryan, both friends and... Continue Reading →

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