Introduction Most historical debates (both popular and academic) about the Chinese martial arts pit two opposing visions against one another. Sociologically informed theories tend to see the Chinese martial arts as a manifestation of fundamentally secular historical, economic... Continue Reading →
Wang Guangxi. 2012. Chinese Kung Fu. Cambridge University Press. 115 pages. Introduction The prestigious Cambridge University Press published not one but two books on the topic of the Chinese martial arts in 2012. Most students of martial studies will already... Continue Reading →
Introduction No assertion is more fervently advanced on behalf of the traditional Asian martial arts than assurances of their great antiquity. The relative ages of these systems seems to have become a matter of increased discussion and competition in... Continue Reading →
***I am currently in the middle of a more detailed research project, so for this Friday's post we will be looking back into the archives. The following essay was originally posted here at Kung Fu Tea in October of... Continue Reading →
by Esther Berg Introduction: More on Theory and Martial Arts Studies Here comes yet another reader response to the debate on ‘theory’ in Martial Arts Studies. To shortly summarize the state of discussion: In 2011, D. J. Farrer and John... Continue Reading →
By Stanford Chiou This post is my contribution to the recent discussion at Kung Fu Tea on the place of theory in martial studies (see here and here). There is no escaping the assumptions—or “theories”—on which perspectives are built, and... Continue Reading →
Alex Channon and George Jennings. 2014. “Exploring Embodiment through Martial Arts and Combat Sports: A Review of Empirical Research.” Sport in Society (February). Introduction: Why study embodiment in the Asian martial arts? One of the major trends that we have... Continue Reading →
Introduction At first individuals like Sun Lutang, Chan Wah Shun, Mok Kwai Lan, Li Pei Xian and Cheung Lai Chuen would not seem to have much in common aside from their love of the martial arts. Collectively they hail both... Continue Reading →
By Daniel Mroz, Ph.D., University of Ottawa, Canada ****I am very happy to introduce the following research report by my friend and colleague, Prof. Daniel Mroz of the University of Ottawa. He has recently returned from conducting some fieldwork... Continue Reading →
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