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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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nationalism

Towards a Political Hoplology: Violence and the Construction of Identity in Krav Maga

Andrea Molle. 2021. Krav Maga and the Making of Modern Israel: For Zion’s Sake. Rowman & Littlefield. 2022. $105 Hardcover, $38 Kindle. “There is also another function of violence, and it is to reduce uncertainty through promoting solidarity among individuals.  I call this... Continue Reading →

Martial Arts and World Peace

Peace Park in Salt Lake City, UT. Source: Photo by Benjamin Judkins. Never let it be said that I was afraid to go big in a title. But in all seriousness, we need to talk about the international global order.... Continue Reading →

Nationalism, Immigration and Identity: The Gracies and the Making of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 1934–1943

  ***With the ongoing discussion of the very serious COVID-19 situation, it is easy to forget that we just released the ninth issue of Martial Arts Studies.  This open issue is packed with an exceptional variety of full length research... Continue Reading →

Who “Owns” Kung Fu? Intangible Cultural Heritage, Globalization and the Decentering of the Asian Martial Arts

  ***In the last week I have found myself delving ever deeper into the literature on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) designations and the traditional martial arts.  When seeking to understand the relationship between politics and these fighting systems, one would... Continue Reading →

Zheng Manqing and the “Sick Man of Asia”: Strengthening the Nation through Martial Arts

    Introduction: Zheng Manqing Accepts a Challenge While doing some preliminary historical research on Zheng Manqing, the well-known painter, physician and Taijiquan master, I came across a fascinating account of a challenge match that he was involved with during... Continue Reading →

Martial Arts and Politics: Silat in Defense of Religion and the Malay Nation

  Lawrence N. Ross. 2017. “Demi Agama, Bangsa dan Negara: Silat Martial Arts and the ‘Third Line’ in Defense of Religion, Race and the Malaysian State.” In Sophie Lemiere (eds.) Illusions of Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People. Vol. II. Strategic Information and... Continue Reading →

Politics and Identity in Chinese Martial Arts – An Essential Overview

  Lu Zhouxiang. 2018. Politics and Identity in Chinese Martial Arts. New York and London: Routledge. 232 pages. $140/$45 USD (Hardcover/Digital).   Perhaps the clearest testament to the growing enthusiasm for Martial Arts Studies is the number of books and... Continue Reading →

1920: Jingwu Brings Kung Fu to Guangzhou’s Public Schools

  It goes by many names. Organization, bureaucracy…”hard work”… It’s the sort of social effort that defines modern industrialized life. Weber famously termed it the “iron cage” of rationality. We so frequently speak of, or imagine, the martial arts as... Continue Reading →

Martial Arts and the Body Politic: A Review in Memory of Denis Gainty

    Denis Gainty. 2013. Martial Arts and the Body Politic in Meiji Japan. London and New York: Routledge. 208 pages. $55 USD. Reviewed by Benjamin N. Judkins.   The passing of Denis Gainty in 2017 robbed the martial arts studies... Continue Reading →

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