Introduction: Why do we study ephemera? In many respects the study of the history of the traditional martial arts is the study of Chinese popular culture. Sometimes we approach the subject from the perspective of political or military history, and... Continue Reading →
Introduction The first half of the 20th century was a time of rapid transformation for the traditional Chinese martial arts. Early in the era these fighting systems tended to be associated with practical pursuits such as military or militia training,... Continue Reading →
Introduction "Chinese Martial Arts in the News" is a semi-regular feature here at Kung Fu Tea. In these posts I attempt to round-up and briefly discuss the major stories affecting the world of the traditional Chinese fighting systems. I always... Continue Reading →
By Rob Argent ***I am very happy to welcome Rob Argent back to Kung Fu Tea. Rob's first guest post was a study of the martial arts in video games which he contributed to the 2013 Web Symposium on Chinese... Continue Reading →
Introduction: Informants and the Problem of Reliability The study of the traditional martial arts has tended to rely rather heavily on interviews with “participant informants.” Cultivating relationships with informants and learning about their worldview consumes much of a... Continue Reading →
Lives of Chinese Martial Artists (10): Chen Shichao and Chen Gongzhe: Creating the Jingwu Revolution
Introduction It is hard to think of any group or association that has had a greater effect on the emergence of the modern Chinese martial arts than the Jingwu Athletic Association. Founded in Shangahi in the closing years of... Continue Reading →
Introduction Welcome to another edition of Chinese Martial Arts in the news. This is a semi-regular feature in which we review a roundup of media stories dealing with the martial arts over the last three to four weeks. We try... Continue Reading →
Introduction: Gender and the History of the Chinese Martial Arts Women are a challenging subject in Chinese martial studies. One the one hand traditions about female boxers, nuns, bandits and heroes abound in the folklore of the “Rivers and Lakes.” ... Continue Reading →
I found that I could not analyze ritual symbols without studying them in a time series in relation to other “events,” for symbols are essentially involved in social process. I came to see performance of ritual as distinct phases in... Continue Reading →
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