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Kung Fu Tea

Martial Arts History, Wing Chun and Chinese Martial Studies.

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Martial Arts, Embodiment and Transformation: What Do We Know?

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 →

Through a Lens Darkly (21): Chinese Archery’s Troubled Republic Era Revival.

Introduction Given the current growth of interest in all types of archery, it is not hard to understand the explosion of interest in Late Imperial Chinese bows and techniques.  During both the Ming and Qing periods China was renowned for... Continue Reading →

Telling Stories about Wong Fei Hung and Ip Man: The Evolution of a Heroic Type

****We recently completed the "500 Likes" challenge at the Kung Fu Tea Facebook group.  As a result I let the readers vote on what two articles they would most like to see covered.  There were a lot of good suggestions... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: February 3rd, 2014: Galloping into the Year of the Horse, while Remembering China’s Vanishing Martial Traditions.

  Introduction Happy Lunar New Years and welcome to the first post of the Year of the Horse!  "Chinese Martial Arts in the News" is a semi-regular feature in which we review media stories that mention or impact the the... Continue Reading →

Essential Kung Fu Cinema (5): Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

***This is the fifth entry in Rob Argent’s series introducing us to the Kung Fu films that have helped to define the genera.  Readers looking to get up to speed on his in his earlier essays can find them by... Continue Reading →

Five Thoughts on Lineage, Legitimacy and Manipulation in the Traditional Chinese Martial Arts

Introduction Anyone who has done much reading on the history of the traditional Chinese martial arts will be very familiar with the idea of “lineage politics.”  Even the average practitioner, on either side of the Pacific, usually has more than... Continue Reading →

Through a Lens Darkly (20): Ip Man Confronts the “Indian” Police Officer

Introduction Vintage postcards are fascinating because they capture a dual image.  On the surface they present a simple picture of a notable location, individual or native custom.  Some of these images are historically important and you can occasionally glean a... Continue Reading →

Acquiring “Dark Powers” in the Southern Mantis Tradition: D. S. Farrer Examines the role of animals in the Chinese martial arts.

Introduction: Becoming Invulnerable in Southern Mantis Kung Fu The traditional Chinese martial arts are rich in animal symbolism.  Tigers, dragons, cranes, snakes and monkeys are common fixtures in the legends and folklore of these systems.  Some styles are imitative in... Continue Reading →

Chinese Martial Arts in the News: January 13th, 2014: Run Run Shaw, the Life of Ip Man and Breaking the “500 Likes” Barrier.

Introduction Welcome to 2014's first edition of "Chinese Martial Arts in the News."  This is a semi-regular feature in which we reviewing media stories that mention or impact the the traditional fighting arts.  In addition to discussing important events this... Continue Reading →

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