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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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soft power

Through a Lens Darkly (65): Filipino Knives, Imperialism and the Asian Martial Arts

Vintage Postcard. Source: Author's Collection It sometimes seems as though I am only Wing Chun aficionado who doesn’t have a sideline in the Filipino martial arts. On a cultural level we can thank Bruce Lee and his high-profile relationship with... Continue Reading →

Research Notes: An Ancient Form of Physical Culture (1955)

  Introduction I have been reviewing every issue of China Reconstructs as part of my ongoing research on how successive governments attempted to use martial arts (and traditional culture more generally) to generate soft power and shape the image of China within... Continue Reading →

Research Notes: The Katana Invades America

    Why is the Katana more popular than the Jian A good friend recently sent me a link for a YouTube video asking why Chinese swords are not as well known in Western popular culture as their Japanese counterparts. ... Continue Reading →

Research Note: When Martial Arts Divided Us

  Introduction It seems to be taken as an article of faith in much of the popular writing on the martial arts that these hand combat systems provide not only an avenue for self-actualization, but also the ability to bridge... Continue Reading →

Contesting Kung Fu’s Soft Power: What Modern Chinese History Can Teach Us About Public and Cultural Diplomacy

  Introduction On May 24th I was asked to deliver the closing keynote address for the 2019 Martial Arts Studies meetings at Chapman University.  A special note of thanks must be extended to both Andrea Molle and Paul Bowman for... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: June 14, 2019: Xu, Soft Power and Women in Martial Arts

  Introduction Its been months (and multiple conference trips) since our last news update, which means that there is no better time to get caught up on recent events! For new readers, this is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea ... Continue Reading →

“Glory Days” and the Twilight of the Guoshu Movement

  ***My last update hinted at a couple of sources that I will be addressing in my upcoming keynote for this years (quickly approaching) martial arts studies conference.  But there is never enough time to get through everything you want... Continue Reading →

Judo in Taiwan, 1895-1945: The Dark Side of Martial Arts Politics

  Dong Jhy and J. A. Mangan. 2018. “Japanese Cultural Imperialism in Taiwan: Judo as an Instrument of Colonial Conditioning.” in Mangan, Horton, Ren and Ok (eds.) Japanese Imperialism: Politics and Sport in East Asia – Rejection, Resentment and Revanchism.... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: August 27, 2018: The Back to School Edition!

  Introduction Welcome to “Chinese Martial Arts in the News.”  The nights are getting chilly and the new semester is just getting under way.  That means it is time for our "Back to School" news update.  While we have been... Continue Reading →

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