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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Chinese Martial Arts

Through a Lens Darkly (10): “They have a cannon?” Chinese Martial Arts Schools as Local Militia Units, 1896-1940.

Introduction I recently came across a very interesting photograph.  It was taken by the important (if under-appreciated) combat photographer Sha Fei sometime between 1938 and 1940.  At that point in time he was documenting the progress of the 8th Route... Continue Reading →

From the Archives: Can Southern Chinese Kung Fu Ever be “Internal?”

Introduction Here is a second post from the Kung Fu Tea archives.  This post was originally published on September 5th, 2012.  That was still in the first few months of the blog, well before I had started to establish any... Continue Reading →

From the Archives: A Really Short Reading List on Chinese Martial Studies.

Introduction As I mentioned over at the Facebook group, I need to take a week off from Kung Fu Tea.  My father, who is also a college professor, is recovering from surgery and has asked to me cover some of... Continue Reading →

Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (6): Ng Chung So – Looking Beyond the “Three Heroes of Wing Chun”

Note: this article originally appeared as a guest post at "Wing Chun Geeks." Ng Chung So: Looking Beyond the “Three Heroes of Wing Chun” The origins of Wing Chun are shrouded in mystery.  We seem to like it that way. ... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: April 1st, 2013: Women and Self Defense Around the Globe

Introduction: Chinese Martial Arts in the News It is time for another roundup of news stories about the Chinese Martial Arts.  This is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea.  We have a lot of articles to cover this... Continue Reading →

The Value of a Comparative Case: Jean-Marc de Grave discusses “The Training of Perception in Javanese Martial Arts.”

Introduction: A drift on the sea of knowledge. Let me ask you a question.  Do you ever feel like you have too much to read, study or research?  Are you familiar with that creeping feeling that you will never, ever,... Continue Reading →

Tools of the Trade: The Use of Firearms and Traditional Weapons among the Tongs of San Francisco, 1877-1878.

  Introduction: The Evolving Relationship between Firearms and the Martial Arts. In a number of previous posts we have examined the complex, often hidden, relationship between the development of the modern Chinese martial arts and firearms.  It is frequently stated... Continue Reading →

Aaron Cantrell, owner of Everything Wing Chun, talks to Kung Fu Tea about the Future of the art.

Introduction When discussing the Chinese martial arts, there is a tendency to focus obsessively on their distant roots and ancient origins.  One of the things that I have always found interesting about Wing Chun is that its more recent history... Continue Reading →

David Palmer on writing better martial arts history and understanding the sources of “Qi Cultivation” in modern Chinese popular culture.

  Catching Qigong Fever. I have read my fair share of books on religion in late imperial and modern China.  Unfortunately I had been neglecting a classic.  In 2007 David Palmer released a volume titled Qigong Fever: Body, Science and... Continue Reading →

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