A Brief History Of The Martial Arts

Author : Jonathan Clements
Publisher : Robinson
ISBN 13 : 1472136470
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.73/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book A Brief History of the Martial Arts written by Jonathan Clements and published by Robinson. This book was released on 2016-10-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Folk tales of the Shaolin Temple depict warrior monks with superhuman abilities. Today, dozens of East Asian fighting styles trace their roots back to the Buddhist brawlers of Shaolin, although any quest for the true story soon wanders into a labyrinth of forgeries, secret texts and modern retellings. This new study approaches the martial arts from their origins in military exercises and callisthenics. It examines a rich folklore from old wuxia tales of crime-fighting heroes to modern kung fu movies. Centre stage is given to the stories that martial artists tell themselves about themselves, with accounts (both factual and fictional) of famous practitioners including China's Yim Wing-chun, Wong Fei-hong, and Ip Man, as well as Japanese counterparts such as Kano Jigoro, Itosu Anko and So Doshin. The history of martial arts encompasses secret societies and religious rebels, with intimate glimpses of the histories of China, Korea and Japan, their conflicts and transformations. The book also charts the migration of martial arts to the United States and beyond. Special attention is paid to the turmoil of the twentieth century, the cross-cultural influence of Japanese colonies in Asia, and the post-war rise of martial arts in sport and entertainment - including the legacy of Bruce Lee, the dilemma of the ninja and the global audience for martial arts in fiction.

Author : Fay Goodman
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781859677780
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.89/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts written by Fay Goodman and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ancient martial arts disciplines are used not only for self-defense; they also contribute to a person's sense of harmony and well-being. Featuring specially commissioned photographs drawing on the expertise of highly qualified practitioners, this book examines in detail the history and philosophy behind the martial arts and the etiquette and techniques of primary and more advanced moves. 700+ color photos.

Author : Yu Huan Zhang
Publisher : Paradigm Publications
ISBN 13 : 0912111631
Total Pages : 264 pages
Book Rating : 4.36/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book A Brief History of Qi written by Yu Huan Zhang and published by Paradigm Publications. This book was released on 2001 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Brief History of Qi takes the reader through the mysterious terrain of Chinese Medicine, Chinese language, Chinese martial arts and Qi Gong - a truly evocative guide to virtually all the traditional Chinese arts and sciences. This book is devoted to a topic represented by a single Chinese character, Qi. When presented with the concept of Qi, students of Chinese culture, Chinese medicine, Chinese martial arts and a wide range of Chinese traditional arts and sciences face one of the most perplexing challenges of their tenure. The book begins with an examination of Qi's linguistic and literary roots, stretching back through the shadowy mists of Chinese pre-civilisation. The authors then trace the development of the concept of Qi through a number of related traditional Chinese disciplines including painting, poetry, medicine and martial arts. The book concludes with an examination of the depth and breadth of Qi as manifested in life's cycles.

Author : Laura Scandiffio
Publisher : Annick Press
ISBN 13 : 9781550377767
Total Pages : 68 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Martial Arts Book written by Laura Scandiffio and published by Annick Press. This book was released on 2003 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history and philosophy of the various martial arts and how they have evolved to today's practice.

Author : Meir Shahar
Publisher : University of Hawaii Press
ISBN 13 : 0824831101
Total Pages : 298 pages
Book Rating : 4.03/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Shaolin Monastery written by Meir Shahar and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2008-01-10 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This meticulously researched and eminently readable study considers the economic, political, and religious factors that led Shaolin monks to disregard the Buddhist prohibition against violence and instead create fighting techniques that by the 21st century have spread throughout the world.

Author : Benjamin N. Judkins
Publisher : State University of New York Press
ISBN 13 : 1438456956
Total Pages : 366 pages
Book Rating : 4.59/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The Creation of Wing Chun written by Benjamin N. Judkins and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2015-07-16 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at southern Chinese martial arts traditions and how they have become important to local identity and narratives of resistance. This book explores the social history of southern Chinese martial arts and their contemporary importance to local identity and narratives of resistance. Hong Kong’s Bruce Lee ushered the Chinese martial arts onto an international stage in the 1970s. Lee’s teacher, Ip Man, master of Wing Chun Kung Fu, has recently emerged as a highly visible symbol of southern Chinese identity and pride. Benjamin N. Judkins and Jon Nielson examine the emergence of Wing Chun to reveal how this body of social practices developed and why individuals continue to turn to the martial arts as they navigate the challenges of a rapidly evolving environment. After surveying the development of hand combat traditions in Guangdong Province from roughly the start of the nineteenth century until 1949, the authors turn to Wing Chun, noting its development, the changing social attitudes towards this practice over time, and its ultimate emergence as a global art form. Benjamin N. Judkins holds a doctoral degree in political science from Columbia University. Jon Nielson is chief instructor at Wing Chun Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Author : Thomas A. Green
Publisher : Praeger
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 346 pages
Book Rating : 4.24/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Martial Arts in the Modern World written by Thomas A. Green and published by Praeger. This book was released on 2003-11-30 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Martial arts, once restricted to a few specific locations and practiced by small groups of devotees, have truly spread throughout the world. The plethora of tae kwando and karate dojos in U.S. shopping malls attests to the popularity of various kinds of martial arts in this country. Though generally perceived and advertised as means of self-defense, body sculpting, and self-discipline, martial arts are actually social tools that respond to altered physical, social, and psychological environments. This book examines how practitioners have responded to stimuli such as feminism, globalism, imperialism, militarism, nationalism, slavery, and the commercialization of sport. In a series of chapters devoted to Asian, African, and European systems of the late 19th to early 21st centuries, the authors examine the forces and philosophies that shaped fighting arts in diverse cultural settings. Because of political, social, and economic factors, this period witnessed the spread of martial arts to areas outside of their original contexts. Some of these arts flourished in their new environments, but others did not. The authors demonstrate that martial arts are not the conservative strongholds of tradition posited by conventional wisdom, but are instead responsive and mutable barometers of change. This book is essential for students of multicultural dialogues and devotees of martial arts performance and practice.

Author : Mark I. Cramer
Publisher : North Atlantic Books
ISBN 13 : 162317239X
Total Pages : 241 pages
Book Rating : 4.98/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book The History of Karate and the Masters Who Made It written by Mark I. Cramer and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2018-07-24 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A concise yet comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate, with biographies of the great karate masters This concise-yet-comprehensive history of traditional Okinawan and Japanese karate includes authoritative biographies of the great karate masters of the past and the philosophical issues they faced as karate changed and evolved. Bringing a fresh understanding to the study of the martial arts, Mark I. Cramer dispels many of the often-repeated martial-arts myths as he details the lineages of the modern styles of karate and describes the social, cultural, and political events that influenced them. While most books focus on a single style of karate or the biography of just one of the great teachers, this book offers a well-researched and detailed overview. By bringing all of this knowledge together in one volume, Cramer—an award-winning inductee into the USA Karate Federation’s Hall of Fame—fills a crucial gap.

Author : Peter A. Lorge
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521878810
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.14/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Chinese Martial Arts written by Peter A. Lorge and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the global world of the twenty-first century, martial arts are practised for self-defense and sporting purposes only. However, for thousands of years, they were a central feature of military practice in China and essential for the smooth functioning of society. This book, which opens with an intriguing account of the very first female martial artist, charts the history of combat and fighting techniques in China from the Bronze Age to the present. This broad panorama affords fascinating glimpses into the transformation of martial skills, techniques and weaponry against the background of Chinese history, the rise and fall of empires, their governments and their armies. Quotations from literature and poetry, and the stories of individual warriors, infuse the narrative, offering personal reflections on prowess in the battlefield and techniques of engagement. This is an engaging and readable introduction to the authentic history of Chinese martial arts.

Author : Bruce Haines
Publisher : Tuttle Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1462901395
Total Pages : 180 pages
Book Rating : 4.95/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Download or read book Karate's History & Traditions written by Bruce Haines and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-11-22 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic text treasured by martial artists for over twenty years, Karate's History & Traditions was long recognized as the most authoritative source on martial arts history and technique. Now Bruce Haines, historian and martial artist, has updated this rich source to reflect changes that have taken place in the last two decades. This detailed but well–rounded martial arts guide covers the history of the Asian fighting arts from antiquity to modern times, answering many of the questions currently being debated by martial artists around the world. Each chapter describes the fighting arts of masters in many areas, including: Okinawa Japan China India Indonesia Malaysia Thailand Cambodia Vietnam Korea The Philippines Undertaking years of arduous research using the most reliable historical data, Haines has filled in many of the gaps in the histories of the fighting arts and has proven false many popular myths.