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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

Available for Pre-order: The Creation of Wing Chun – A Social History of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts

  Last week I noticed that Kung Fu Tea had attracted over half a million views since its launch in 2012.  That seemed like a significant milestone and I wanted to do something to mark the occasion, but I wasn't... Continue Reading →

From the Archives: Understanding Opium Use among Southern Chinese Martial Artists, 1890-1949

  ***I am in the middle of a reading project to prepare for some up-coming posts here at Kung Fu Tea.  As such I have decided turn to the archives for this Friday's post.  This essay was initially written to... Continue Reading →

Writing (and Reading) Better Martial Arts History in Four Easy Steps

Introduction   Consider the following. Could the internet as we know it exist without lists? Articles reporting the “Top 10 Mistakes of 2015,” or “5 Facts Every Mother Should Know” seem to dominate the medium. Compiling these strange collections of... Continue Reading →

Five Moments that Transformed Kung Fu

    Introduction   I was recently having a conversation with T. W. Smith who runs the Kung Fu Podcast. He was developing an idea for a show and asked me what five specific moments did the most to transform... Continue Reading →

Research Notes on Southern China: Bound Feet, Popular Publishing and a Culture of Consumption

Introduction I have been working on a couple of projects that have taken me away from the blog over the last couple of weeks. One of the more challenging of these has been a review David Faure’s very detailed writings... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: April 27th, 2015: Swords, Shaolin and Martial Arts Studies

    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... Continue Reading →

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 →

Through a Lens Darkly (30): Magic Lanterns and the Asian Martial Arts, 1900 – 1920

    Introduction   When introducing topics like the transnational translation of the martial arts, the construction of popular beliefs about Asian culture through images of violence, or even the reduction of hand combat’s once radical message to yet another... Continue Reading →

Searching for Cheng Man Ching: Nigel Sutton and the Wisdom of Taiji Masters

      Nigel Sutton. The Wisdom of Taiji Masters: Insights into Cheng Man Ching’s Art. Tambuli Media. 2014. 167 pages.     Introduction: Remember a Master of Five Excellences     Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man Ching) may not receive... Continue Reading →

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