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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

Ji Gong: The Adventures of a Mad Monk in Chinese Martial Arts Fiction

Guo Xioting. Trans. John Robert Shaw. Adventures of the Mad Monk Ji Gong. Rutland VT: Tuttle. 2014. 542 Pages. Introduction: Meeting Crazy Ji Inscription on the Sarira Relics of the Recluse from the Lake, Elder Fangyuan (Square-Circle), Jidian (Crazy Ji)... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: March 9th, 2015: Shaolin, Wushu and Hong Kong’s Most Popular Martial Arts

    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... Continue Reading →

Aaron Cantrell (of Everything Wing Chun) on the Evolving Market for Wooden Dummies

      Introduction   There are a number of different ways of observing a community.  One of the most frequently overlooked is to pay attention to their physical culture.  What sorts of objects do individuals invest their scarce time... Continue Reading →

Do the martial arts unite or divide us? Kung Fu and the production of “social capital”

        Introduction     The martial arts emerge from a nexus of swirling social anxieties. Are these arts the epitome of personal violence, or a pathway to peace? Do they find expression within singular warriors, or are... Continue Reading →

New “Top Picks”: The Best of Kung Fu Tea!

      Introduction     I have been meaning to pull together an updated list of "Top Picks" for a couple of months.  Somehow I could never find the time.  But with about 290 posts (most of which are... Continue Reading →

The Invisibility of Kung Fu: Two Accounts of the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts

      Introduction: Race and the Invisibility of the Chinese Martial Arts     There is some debate as to which statesman can rightfully claim the honor of being the “first” American advisor employed by China’s new Republican government.... Continue Reading →

Historical Fact vs. Social Discourse in the World of China’s 19th Century Martial Artists

      Introduction: What do historical documents reveal?     Students of martial arts studies often investigate the various “discourses” which surround these fighting systems. Such discussions turn to the media (movies, TV programs, video games, internet postings, wuxia... Continue Reading →

Yim Wing Chun and the “Primitive Passions” of Southern Kung Fu

    Introduction     We all know the story (and those who do not may want to quickly review the most popular version of it here). With the destruction of the Shaolin Temple at the hands of a fearful... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: February 13th, 2015: Bruce Lee, Martial Arts Studies and the Return of the Kung Fu Panda

      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... Continue Reading →

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