Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts

Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts PDF

Author: Donn F. Draeger

Publisher: Kodansha International

Published: 1980

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9780870114366

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This guide to all of the main fighting arts of Asia introduces and comparesighting methods and techniques, ranging from the artful Chinese "t'ai chi"nd Japanese "jujutsu", to the lethal "pentjak-silat" of Indonesia.

Some Western Pioneers in Asian Martial Arts: An Anthology

Some Western Pioneers in Asian Martial Arts: An Anthology PDF

Author: Michael DeMarco

Publisher: Via Media Publishing

Published: 2020-11-02

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13:

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“Pioneer” — as a noun is defined as “a person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.” As a verb, it means “develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge, or activity).” This anthology gives the reader the experience of the explorers who went to foreign lands to discover and learn about a specific field of knowledge and skills:the Asian martial arts.The eight chapters included here share a common root in the pioneers' desire to travel far and wide in search for practical martial arts useful in the street as well as for commando units. The pioneers discussed in this anthology experienced lives submerged in foreign cultures, lives compounded by the difficulties of communicating in foreign languages, changing diets, and often being in hostile living conditions. Their lives are far from the associations we usually associate with martial arts now steeped in pure exercise for health, or tournament competitions. Becoming familiar with of some of the Western pioneers of Asian martial arts bring us back to understand many of the original reasons for learning these combatives. Their lives and experience show us how and why the more serious side of Asian fighting arts remain illusive for most who, in practice, need not confront the lethal aspects of these traditions.

A Brief History of the Martial Arts

A Brief History of the Martial Arts PDF

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Robinson

Published: 2016-10-13

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1472136470

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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.

Asian Martial Arts

Asian Martial Arts PDF

Author: Michael DeMarco

Publisher: Via Media Publishing

Published: 2017-05-23

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 080484870X

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Asian Martial Arts: Constructive Thoughts & Practical Applications represents an international gathering of friends who happen to be highly qualified martial art scholars and practitioners. This martial arts book is a collection of articles from practitioners who have come together in celebration of the 20-plus years that Journal of Asian Martial Arts has inspired scholarship to higher academic standards while encouraging all aspects of responsible practice. Each article was written specifically for Asian Martial Arts, with topics representing the rich variety found in the Asian martial traditions.

The Fighting Arts

The Fighting Arts PDF

Author: Howard Reid

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Published: 1983

Total Pages: 248

ISBN-13:

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Discusses the techniques and philosophy of Asian fighting systems, such as judo, karate, and kung fu, and describes the practices of masters of the martial arts.

Taekyon: The Korean Martial Art

Taekyon: The Korean Martial Art PDF

Author: Michael DeMarco

Publisher: Via Media Publishing

Published: 2016-10-25

Total Pages: 73

ISBN-13: 1893765393

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When people discuss Korean martial arts, they rarely mention taekyon. They are usually totally unfamiliar with the name because there hasn’t been much written about it. The four chapters in this anthology give an excellent overview of taekyon as a system noted for it’s dance-like qualities and combative style, especially for leg techniques. Taekyon stands unique as it represents most closely to a pure Korean martial tradition. Chapter one by Stanley Henning gives a detailed overview of martial arts in Korea. From the beginning, Korean martial arts were intertwined with those of China. Even the historical references to Korean martial arts are all in Chinese. The author concludes that traditional Korean martial arts are but a vague memory, with taekyon being the sole survivor. In the next chapter, Robert Young skillfully presents what is known about taekyon. With over 150 years of verifiable history, taekyon is the most thoroughly documented of Korean martial arts. Its skills and techniques greatly differ from those of other modern Korean styles. It is the only plausible candidate for the descendant of ancient subak. This well-researched chapter includes theory and techniques and lineage chart. Dr. Willy Pieter expands upon the historical development of Korean martial sports as presented by Young. There is an emphasis on the hwarang (“flower boy”) and their presence in Korean culture and martial traditions in particular. The etymology of Korean martial systems are questioned. The final chapter by Yung Ouyang offers a fuller picture of what taekyon represents as a moving art. Traditionally, taekyon was a game as well as a martial art, so many did not credit taekyon for its combative elements. It has largely been ignored by those interested in the fighting arts. It is gaining recognition as a legitimate heir to the traditional Korean martial arts, but is also undergoing influences from Japanese traditions and Western sports. Taekyon deserves to be recognized for its uniqueness among the martial arts of Asia. This anthology will serve as solid reference for all interested in the Korean combative traditions, and especially taekyon for its aesthetic appeal as a form of dance and graceful yet powerful combative method.

America’s Fascination with Asian Martial Arts

America’s Fascination with Asian Martial Arts PDF

Author: Michael DeMarco

Publisher: Via Media Publishing

Published:

Total Pages: 141

ISBN-13:

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Chapters in this book present meticulous research into the adaptation and significance of Asian combatives as infused within American society. These chapters are presented here as published according to their original chronological appearance in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. In the first chapter Dr. John Donohue presents an anthropological perspective on what Asian martial arts represent to Americans and why Americans choose to study them. The attraction goes far beyond the physical aspects of self-defense, embracing the symbolic associations of “warrior heros,” grasping of power and skills through mythical means, and a quest for a coherent world view. Though Asian martial systems do establish high principles, their interpretation and evolution are affected by powerful societal trends, ranging from the inclination toward mutual improvement to commercialism and militarism. In chapter two, Dr. Daniel Rosenberg brings a realistic picture of the favorable and not so favorable aspects of martial art studies. In chapter three, martial arts coverage by four major-market American newspapers are analyzed by Ellen Levitt. Since the articles reflect trends and attitudes, we should be concerned with how they and their styles are presented in newspapers. Frederick Lohse’s chapter shows that by identifying, or contrasting, ourselves with shared ideas and images, we construct an identity that is both salient to ourselves and understandable to those around us. Her examines some aspects of how practitioners in the USA use the martial arts as one means of constructing their narratives of Self. In chapter five by Geoffrey Wingard, an ethnographic “snapshot” is examined to illustrate the validity of the seminal studies of martial arts and aggression. This chapter shows how students representing traditional and non-traditional martial arts engage each other, represent their arts and exhibit aggressive and non-aggressive behaviors. The final chapter by John Donohue examines how the revolution in communications technology has altered American understanding regarding the relationship between skill acquisition/training and the end result of such training. Just what attracts people to study fighting arts? What psychological needs are met when one joins an instructional class? Practitioners and scholars will find much in this anthology to broaden the perspective and understanding of why Americans are so fascinated with the Asian martial traditions.

Martial Arts in Asia

Martial Arts in Asia PDF

Author: Fan Hong

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-12-18

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1351167782

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The reawakening of Asian martial arts is a distinct example of cultural hybridity in a global setting. This book deals with history of Asian martial arts in the contexts of tradition, religion, philosophy, politics and culture. It attempts to deepen the study of martial arts studies in their transformation from traditional to modern sports. It is also important that this book explores how Asian martial arts, including Shaolin martial arts and Taekwondo, have worked as tools for national advocate of identities among Asians in order to overcome various national hardships and to promote nationalism in the modern eras. The Asian martial arts certainly have been transformed in both nature and content into unique modern sports and they have contributed to establishing cultural homogeneity in Asia. This phenomenon can be applied to the global community. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue in the International Journal of the History of Sport.

Pressure-Point Fighting

Pressure-Point Fighting PDF

Author: Rick Clark

Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Published: 2012-10-16

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1462907504

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Supplement your martial arts skills with this expert guide to pressure point fighting. Western students of Asian martial arts have long been haunted by the aching suspicion that something is missing from the arts they love and practice wholeheartedly--something intangible, but something so essential that its absence leaves an unbridgeable void. For many, that missing ingredient is a true and thorough knowledge of the body's vital points: what they are, where they are, how to quickly find them under duress, how to use them, constructively or for destruction--and how to recognize them in the kata, hyung, or forms they thought they knew so well. In Pressure Point Fighting, martial arts expert Rick Clark offers a systematic introduction to this knowledge and to the tools needed to ferret out more of this information from forms and techniques already in place--knowledge and tools that are not dependent upon acceptance of the tenets of traditional Chinese medicine, or modern Western medicine, for that matter, but which are based solely on open-minded observation and willingness to try new, or old, approaches to martial arts training.