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Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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chinese martial studies

Rituals of the Red Spear Movement: Invulnerability, Spirit Possession and Battle Magic

      ***This is the third entry in our occasional series on the Red Spear movement.  For the first two parts of this project see here and here.***     Introduction   The Red Spears are a forgotten moment... Continue Reading →

Tai Hsuan-chih Remembers “The Red Spears, 1916-1949”

    Introduction   This is the second entry in our ongoing study of the Red Spear movement in northern China during the first half of the twentieth century. For a brief overview of the origins of this movement and... Continue Reading →

The Red Spear Society: Origins of a Northern Chinese Martial Arts Uprising

    Introducing the Red Spear Movement     There can be no doubt that Chinese martial studies has made substantial strides in the last decade. Still, to understand the nature and direction of this research area it is important... Continue Reading →

Kung Fu is Dead, Long Live Kung Fu: The Martial Arts as Voluntary Associations in 20th Century Guangzhou

  Introduction   Daniel M. Amos is one of the less appreciated, but more important, voices in the academic study of the southern Chinese martial arts. In 1983 he deposited a doctoral dissertation at the University of California, Los Angeles,... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: September 8th, 2014: Memory and Innovation in the Traditional Fighting 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 the traditional fighting arts.  In addition to discussing... Continue Reading →

Martial Studies in Latin-America

  ***A few months ago I had the opportunity to exchange emails with William Acevedo regarding his various research projects. As we discussed the growing interest in martial arts studies around the globe we decided that it would be very... Continue Reading →

Through a Lens Darkly (25): A Sawback Dadao in Hangzhou

    The Album   Recently I had the good fortune to come across a photograph of a Chinese dadao (big knife) that dates to the late 1930s. Images such as these were sometimes collected by Japanese soldiers in occupied... Continue Reading →

Through a Lens Darkly (24): Captured Chinese Swords and Traditional Weapons

  Introduction Conflict seems to inspire trophy hunting. In the west this often takes the form of fading photographs of someone’s grandfather holding a vintage Luger. A large number of katanas also made their way back to the United States... Continue Reading →

Will Universities Save the Traditional Asian Martial Arts?

    Douglas Wile. “Asian Martial Arts in the Asian Studies Curriculum.” JOMEC Journal 5 (2014): 60 pages.   Can universities preserve the traditional Asian martial arts? At the outset one must start by admitting that this is an audacious... Continue Reading →

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