The Chinese martial studies community suffered a great loss with the recent passing of Brian Kennedy (1958-2019) at the age of 61. Any such event is a tragedy, and this was all the more unexpected as Brian was active... Continue Reading →
Of Boy Scouts and Kendo A recent post focused on the role of the global scouting movement in promoting the spread of the Asian martial arts during the first half of the 20th century. In that essay I mentioned... Continue Reading →
Kai Filipiak. 2012. “'Saving Lives'—Lu Kun’s Manual on City Defense.” Journal of Chinese Military History. 139-188. Introduction Winter is a great time to catch up on one’s reading. And if you run a blog that means... Continue Reading →
Introduction Given that this post will be released on Columbus Day, I thought that it might be fun to think about some "new world" martial arts history. Lau Bun was both a colorful and critical figure in the early... Continue Reading →
Introduction Gu Ruzhang is one of the best known martial artists of the Republic of China era. He is remembered today as a pioneer who helped to bring Northern Shaolin to Southern China. Most accounts of his illustrious career start... Continue Reading →
Introduction Greetings! I am currently on the road for a conference and workshop. As such, I will be sharing some papers that were presented at the Martial Arts Studies Research Network's recent conference in Bath. If you missed the... 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 →
Jared Miracle. 2016. Now with Kung Fu Grip! How Bodybuilders, Soldiers and a Hairdresser Reinvented Martial Arts for America. Jefferson, North Carolina:McFarland & Company. 185 pages. $29.95 Introduction Now with Kung Fu Grip is the... Continue Reading →
Introduction One of the first books that I reviewed on this blog was A Killing Art: The Untold History of Tae Kwon Do by Alex Gillis. To this day it remains one of my favorite discoveries and... Continue Reading →
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