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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Han dynasty

Bringing the Hooked Buckler to Life: Two Views of the Gou-Rang

Mysteries In a post reviewing the portrayal of weaponry in Han Dynasty mortuary art I confessed that I really, really, want to assemble a recreation of the sorts of long, horizontal, weapons racks that you see in some of these... Continue Reading →

A Life in Stone: Images of Weapons During the Han Dynasty

Silent Riddles Our discussion of the origins of modern martial arts is always haunted by twin specters. The first is the claim of great, almost unimageable, antiquity.  The second is arguments from silence.  We have explored at length all of the cultural,... Continue Reading →

Knight Errantry and the Soaring Sky

  For ten years I have been polishing this sword; Its frosty edge has never been put to the test. Now I am holding it and showing it to you, sir: Is there anyone suffering from injustice? The Swordsman (剑客) by Jia... Continue Reading →

Evaluating Swords: A Lost Martial Text from the Han Dynasty

    Introduction No modern civilization enjoys a longer and richer history than China.  Yet accessing it can be a challenge for scholars. Nowhere is this more obvious than in the study of martial arts. The oldest existing Chinese hand... Continue Reading →

LK Chen and the Rebirth of the Han Jian

    Introduction Over the last year many Chinese martial arts students in the West have become aware of the replica Han dynasty weapons currently being produced by LK Chen in Guangdong.  These high-quality pieces are all the more attractive... Continue Reading →

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