Introduction Are the martial arts good? I think that most people who spend a lot of time practicing any of these systems would reflexively answer “Yes.” I know that I would. Fewer of us would pause to ask... Continue Reading →
For ten years I have been polishing this sword; Its frosty edge has never been put to the test. Now I am holding it and showing it to you, sir: Is there anyone suffering from injustice? -"The Swordsman" by Jia Dao (Tang... Continue Reading →
Introduction I would like to begin today’s post by noting that Joseph Svinth (whom most of you will already know from his many contributions to Martial Arts Studies) really deserves to be listed as a co-author on this... Continue Reading →
Introduction One of my on-going projects is a co-authored study of Wing Chun’s history (and social meaning) within the German martial arts community. I will admit that in the crush of competing papers and presentations this topic, while... Continue Reading →
***As I mentioned earlier this week, I am currently preparing for the upcoming Martial Arts Studies conference in Cardiff. As such I have decided to revisit one of the earlier major essays that I wrote for this blog (all... Continue Reading →
An Old Story It is a pattern that we know well. After a debate about the utility of the traditional martial arts (and what that suggests about the state of the Chinese body politic), things... Continue Reading →
Donny Yen reprises his role as Ip Man. Is this “Ip Man” your role model? ***Greetings! I am currently on the road for research. As such, we will be delving into the archives for today's post. This essay... Continue Reading →
***While never discussed within the Chinese martial studies literature, Alfred Lister may have been the single most important western observer of the Chinese martial arts in the second half of the 19th century. Over a period of four... Continue Reading →
"Taoism in Bits." A guest post by Paul Bowman [1] ***Xīnnián hǎo. We are fortunate to have a special guest post this week in honor of the Chinese New Year. This essay, by Prof. Paul Bowman, will help us to... Continue Reading →
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