Introduction I would like to begin today’s post by noting that Joseph Svinth (whom most of you will already know from his many contributions to Martial Arts Studies) really deserves to be listed as a co-author on this piece. Joe was kind enough to bring Thomas Handforth’s many prints to my attention and…
Tag: chinese martial studies
The Five Tiger Stick Society: Pilgrimage, Local Religion and the Martial Arts
An Unexpected Lunch A friend from graduate school called during one of one of those terrible afternoons that only the month of February can conjure. I was sitting in my windowless office at the University of Utah, ostensibly writing lectures for the semester’s new course preparations. Half an hour later I found myself…
The Soldier, the Marketplace Boxer and the Recluse: Mapping the Social Location of the Martial Arts in Late Imperial China.
***As I mentioned earlier this week, I am currently preparing for the upcoming Martial Arts Studies conference in Cardiff. As such I have decided to revisit one of the earlier major essays that I wrote for this blog (all the way back in 2013). Kung Fu Tea was just starting to grow at that…
Traditional Chinese Martial Arts and the “YMCA Consensus”
***I am very excited to introduce the following guest post by my friend Scott Phillips. In this essay Scott draws on his extensive study of modern Chinese religious and social history in an attempt to develop a powerful new concept for describing and theorizing the massive reforms of the Chinese martial arts…
The Wing Chun Jo Fen: Norms and the Creation of a Southern Chinese Martial Arts Community.
***I am happy to report that I am making good progress on my current writing project. But it is still an ongoing task, and one that consumed much of my weekend. As such our post for this Monday is another essay pulled for the archives. This essay asks what Ip Man’s “rules of conduct”…
Why is Ip Man a Role Model?
Donny Yen reprises his role as Ip Man. Is this “Ip Man” your role model? ***Greetings! I am currently on the road for research. As such, we will be delving into the archives for today’s post. This essay (first published in 2014) takes a closer look at Ip Man’s transformative social memory in…
An Updated and Revised Social History of the Hudiedao (Butterfly Swords)
In January of 2013 I posted an essay titled “A Social and Visual History of the Hudiedao (Butterfly Sword) in the Southern Chinese Martial Arts.” As a student of Wing Chun I have always been fascinated by these weapons, and as a researcher in the field of martial arts studies I have been equally curious…
Recovering Alfred Lister: A Forgotten Observer of the Southern Chinese Martial Arts (Part I)
***While never discussed within the Chinese martial studies literature, Alfred Lister may have been the single most important western observer of the Chinese martial arts in the second half of the 19th century. Over a period of four years he produced four different statements (two relatively brief, and two much more detailed) that…
Research Notes: An Account of Kung Fu in Hong Kong’s Theaters during the 1860s.
Introduction I would like to preface the following research note by dedicating it to any of my readers who enjoy a good Kung Fu comedy. If you are a fan of Jackie Chan’s work, or maybe Kung Fu Hustle, what follows will be especially appreciated. But for any historically minded reader, the…
Now Available: Winter 2016 Issue of Martial Arts Studies
We are happy to announce that the Winter 2016 Issue of Martial Arts Studies is now available, free of charge, to any reader or institution. This open source, peer reviewed, interdisciplinary journal is an imprint of Cardiff University Press. Simply click the cover image, or this link, to download a complete copy. You…
Through a Lens Darkly (42): Chinese Martial Arts in the University, 1928
Introduction At the end of the last class at the “Central Martial Arts Academy” (the location where I am conducing my current research on lightsaber combat and the “hyper-real martial arts”) we all gathered for an impromptu class photo. Digital technology makes this a quick and easy process, especially compared to…
Why do you draw the line? More on Definition in Martial Arts Studies
***Paul Bowman recently wrote an essay dealing with attempts to both define the martial arts and to think about the development of martial arts studies as a distinct field. Given the importance of the points that he raises, and the amount of interest that they are likely to generate among readers of Kung Fu…
