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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (13): Zhao San-duo—19th Century Plum Flower Master and Reluctant Rebel

  The Yellow River Breaches its Course. Water Album by Ma Yuan. Source: Wikimedia.   ***I am happy to report that the book chapter that I have been working is going well and that I can finally see some light... Continue Reading →

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... Continue Reading →

Chi Sao, Ip Man and the Problem of “Dispersed Training” in Wing Chun

    Introduction   Rather than delving into a deeply historical discussion, today’s post is intended to be a personal reflection on the role of Chi Sao, or sticky hands training, in the modern Ip Man lineage Wing Chun. That... Continue Reading →

How did China’s Boxers become “The Boxers”?

    A Girl Who Lived with Monkeys   No text can be read in isolation.  Each is connected to other works through a network of invisible threads.  These are the product of suggestion, desire, memory and meaning.   The... Continue Reading →

A Sword’s Story

      What is it?     The first question seems straight forward.  This sword was purchased at auction a few years ago.  It is a short saber, often called a duandao by martial artists. Its blade is just... Continue Reading →

Research Notes: Jingwu and the Female Martial Artists of 1920

    Introduction     I am interested in the frequent, seemingly unconscious, way in which the word “traditional” is appended to the name “martial arts” in modern speech and writing.  One does not simply study “Japanese wrestling” or “Chinese... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: March 27th 2017: Taijiquan, Ip Man 4 and Things that You Just Can’t Make Up

    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 traditional fighting arts.  In addition to discussing... Continue Reading →

The Boxer Rebellion and Stories We Tell about Chinese Martial Arts

      Confronting the Boxers   It is probably an irony that I have written so little on the Boxer Uprising during my casual and academic discussion of the martial arts.  It was a chance encounter with the Boxers... Continue Reading →

Doing Research (10): Trying to Think Inside the Box with Paul Bowman

    Introduction   Welcome to the tenth entry in our series of guest posts titled “Doing Research.”  If you missed the first essay by D. S. Farrer (which provides a global overview of the subject), the second by Daniel Mroz... Continue Reading →

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