***Greetings! I am currently preparing for the upcoming Martial Arts Studies conference in Cardiff. As such we will be taking a deep dive into the archives for today's post. This essay and biographical sketch was first published four... Continue Reading →
Who was China’s “Number One Sword?” Few individuals come to be known as both a warlord and a “sword saint.” Even by the standards of China’s tumultuous 1920s, the carving out of two such notable public personas... Continue Reading →
***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... Continue Reading →
Introduction Certain events stand out in any historical treatment of the Chinese martial arts. The Boxer Uprising, the rapid popularization of Taijiquan and creation of the Jingwu Association in Shanghai all come to mind. Yet any discussion... Continue Reading →
Introduction In a recent post we explored the life and career of Xiang Kairan (1890-1957), a seminal figure in the creation of the modern, media driven image, of the traditional Chinese martial arts. Born to a wealthy... Continue Reading →
Introduction: The Architects of Kung Fu Diplomacy I recently had the opportunity to examine a very interesting series of magazine articles, produced in 1920, discussing the efforts of the (in)famous General Ma Liang to promote the... Continue Reading →
1928: What Happened in the World of Kung Fu? -The Central Guoshu Institute was established by the Nationalist (KMT) government and subsequently held its first national martial arts tournament in Beijing. -Cheung Lai Chuen... Continue Reading →
William Acevedo with translations by Mei Cheung. 2014. “Republic Period Guoshu Periodicals.” Classic Fighting Arts. Vol 2. No. 26 Issue 49. pp. 56-68. Introduction: The Traditional Chinese Martial Arts and the Printed Word Despite frequent assertions to the contrary,... Continue Reading →
Introduction: The Problem of History in the Life of a Historian Tang Hao is not a household name, even among avid practitioners of the traditional Chinese martial arts. While little known outside of certain specialized circles, few people have had... Continue Reading →
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