Legacies of the Sword

Legacies of the Sword
Author: Karl F. Friday
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Total Pages: 252
Release: 1997-07-01
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 9780824818791

Western scholars and educators are generally far less familiar with the samurai in his original-and, ostensibly, primary-role as warrior and masters of arms than in his other functions as landowner, feudal lord, literature, or philosopher. Yet, any attempt to comprehend fully the samurai without considering his military abilities and training (bugei) is futile. With verve and wit, Karl Friday combines the results of nearly two decades of fieldwork and archival research to examine samurai martial culture from a broad perspective: as a historical phenomenon, as a worldview, and as a system of physical, spiritual, and moral education.

Kathakali Dance-Drama

Kathakali Dance-Drama
Author: Phillip Zarrilli
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 288
Release: 2003-09-02
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1134651104

Kathakali Dance-Drama provides a comprehensive introduction to the distinctive and colourful dance-drama of Kerala in South-West India for the first time. This landmark volume: * explores Kathakali's reception as it reaches new audiences both in India and the west * includes two cases of controversial of Kathakali experiments * explores the implications for Kathakali of Keralan politics During these performances heroes, heroines, gods and demons tell their stories of traditional Indian epics. The four Kathakali plays included in this anthology, translated from actual performances into English are: * The Flower of Good Fortune * The Killing of Kirmmira * The Progeny of Krishna * King Rugmamgada's Law Each play has an introduction and detailed commentary and is illustrated by stunning photographs taken during performances. An introduction to Kathakali stage conventions, make-up, music, acting, and training is also provided, making this an ideal volume for both the specialist and non-specialist reader.

Mantis Boxing Anthology

Mantis Boxing Anthology
Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
Total Pages: 122
Release: 2016-10-08
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN: 1893765377

A praying mantis insect faces any danger regardless of its opponent’s size and strength. If you’ve seen their parade of innate fearlessness, it is easy to see why they have inspired the creation of a Chinese martial art style. This anthology assembles the work of four highly qualified authors who present rare information about praying mantis boxing. In the first chapter, Dr. Martin Eisen interviews Gin-foon Mark, a noted fifth-generation master of Guangxi Province Bamboo Grove Praying Mantis. Mark discusses training in Chinese temples and compares it with the common training methods found today. The goals, training, and results are very different. The classical methods include developing the senses for fighting, and medical applications. Dr. Daniel Amos studied praying mantis boxing in Hong Kong. When a person starts to study a martial art, he or she is actually joining a social group to do so. The social structures of Hong Kong martial arts temple cults provide Chinese shunted aside by the dominant status system with an alternative, albeit secondary, system of status achievement. Here, the author presents details of his study and the social setting. The essence of China’s varied martial styles has often been preserved in writings. At the heart of this heritage are “character formulas”: a short list of characters that is used to establish the most elemental characteristics of a particular martial style. In the third chapter, Dwight Edwards provides an analysis of “The Twelve Character Formula of Seven Star Praying Mantis Boxing.” In the following chapter, Ilya Profatilov shares the results of years of researching the mantis systems in China. Old manuscripts describe the origins, theory, and curriculum of praying mantis boxing. Additionally, oral folk traditions, legends, fantastic stories, and songs are utlized. Referencing such sources, the author details the history of this realistic combat system, showing that it preserves its original techniques and classical forms. In the final chapter Profatilov discusses a favored close-range technique he recounts from his tutalage under Master Lin Tangfang (1920-2009) in a small village in Shandong Province. He uses the past to inspire his practice, as we hope this anthology will stimulate further research and practice to all readers.

Black Belt

Black Belt
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2002-10
Genre:
ISBN:

The oldest and most respected martial arts title in the industry, this popular monthly magazine addresses the needs of martial artists of all levels by providing them with information about every style of self-defense in the world - including techniques and strategies. In addition, Black Belt produces and markets over 75 martial arts-oriented books and videos including many about the works of Bruce Lee, the best-known marital arts figure in the world.

Religion and the Formation of Taiwanese Identities

Religion and the Formation of Taiwanese Identities
Author: P. Katz
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 294
Release: 2003-06-27
Genre: Science
ISBN: 1403981736

This volume centres on the creation of varied forms of individual and group identity in Taiwan, and the relationship between these forms of identity, both individual and collective, and patterns of Taiwanese religion, politics, and culture. The contributors explore the Taiwanese people's sense of who they are, attempting to discern how they identify themselves as individuals and as collectives and then try to determine the identity/roles individuals and groups construct for themselves. Ranging from the local essays to the national level and within the larger Chinese cultural/religious universe, these essays explore the complex nature of identity/role and the processes of identity formation which have shaped Taiwan's multileveled past and its many faceted present.

Handbook of Japanese Mythology

Handbook of Japanese Mythology
Author: Michael Ashkenazi
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 396
Release: 2003-11-05
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1576074684

An introductory guide to the mythology of Japan—one of the most pervasive yet least understood facets of Japanese culture. Handbook of Japanese Mythology makes it easy to travel this vast yet little-known mythological landscape. The book reveals the origins of Japan's myths in the very different realms of Buddhism, Shinto, and folklore, and explores related mythologies of the Ainu and Okinawan cultures and recent myths arising from Japan's encounters with modernization. It then offers vivid retellings of the central Shinto and Buddhist myths, plus descriptions of major historical figures, icons, rituals, and events. For students or long-time enthusiasts, it is the ideal guide for investigating Japanese reverence for the sun, the imperial family, and the virtues of purity and loyalty. Readers will also learn why sumo wrestlers stomp before each match, how a fussy baby creates thunder, why Japan has a god for soccer, and much more.

Religious Violence Today [2 volumes]

Religious Violence Today [2 volumes]
Author: Michael Jerryson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 941
Release: 2020-07-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1440859914

Through sections containing overview essays and reference entries related to particular religions, this resource explores the rise of religious violence, hate crime, and persecution around the world. Religious violence and persecution have been growing steadily both within the United States and around the world. Drawing on the expertise of a wide range of scholars, this current and comprehensive reference helps readers understand the persecution of members of particular faiths as well as violence committed by members of those faiths. In doing so, it promotes a greater understanding of the role of religion in global politics, domestic and international terrorism, and religious bigotry. The book contains sections on particular religious traditions from around the world. Each section begins with an overview essay surveying violence related to that particular religion, whether committed by or against members of that faith. Reference entries in each section then provide objective, fundamental information about particular topics related to violence and the religion discussed. The entries provide cross-references and suggestions for further reading, and the work closes with a bibliography of resources for further study.

Chinese Combatives: An Anthology

Chinese Combatives: An Anthology
Author: Michael DeMarco
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
Total Pages: 242
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Sports & Recreation
ISBN:

According to traditional Chinese martial arts custom, instruction in the lethal arts were transmitted under strict secrecy. At the turn of the twentieth century, the martial arts had started to be taught publically with a focus on health. However, many fighting techniques were not shown or taught. As a result, today some systems are more well-known than others. This anthology brings together some of the lesser-known arts in one volume and some aspects of their theory, application, and place historical place in society. The first two chapters by Shannon Phelps give a wonderful presentation of the Fu family Wudang arts—including the unique sixiangquan, a blending of liangyiquan, baguazhang, xingyiquan, and taijiquan under the genius of Fu Zhensong (1872–1953) and family. Dr. Daniel Amos authored the next two chapters reflecting his studies of Southern Praying Mantis. His first-hand experience and scholarly background offered him a special view as an insider into the social aspects involving the practitioners. These include association with criminal associations, spirit possession for fighting application and protection, and the changing relationships within the “gongfu family.” Chapters 5, 6 and 7 cover important concepts and practices of baijiquan an piguzhang as transmitted by Li Suwen (1864–1934) and brought to Taiwan by Liu Yunqiao (1909–1990). The authors stress the importance of fundamental training methods, starting from the static horse stance, to dynamic changing stances while incorporating various techniques performed with explosive issuing energy (fajing). Of particular interest for many will be the sections dealing with big spear (daqiang) training. The final chapter provides a comprehensive overview of tongbei boxing history, styles, and principles, including special highlights of the White Ape system. The authors emphasize the traditional mindset, inner feelings, and overall fighting spirit needed to train the real high-level skills. Training methods and sample applications bring life to tongbei theory. By providing great detail on the styles presented—along with associations with other noted styles and masters—this special anthology is an important reference for any interested in Chinese martial arts. I personally thank the authors for sharing their exceptional work.

Weapons, Culture and the Anthropology Museum

Weapons, Culture and the Anthropology Museum
Author: Tom Crowley
Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2018-04-18
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1527510484

Largely due to the tastes of nineteenth century Western collectors and curators, weaponry abounds in ethnographic museums. However, the relative absence of Asian, African, Native American and Oceanic arms and armour from contemporary gallery displays neither reflects this fact, nor accords these important artefacts the attention they deserve. Weapons are often those objects in museums which most strongly record traumatic histories of colonial conquest around the world, showcase a society’s most complex technologies, and encode a wealth of historical information relating to violent conflict, cultural identities, and indigenous masculinities. This volume brings together an international collective of museum professionals, indigenous cultural historians, anthropologists and material culture specialists to address the historical role of weapon collections in ethnographic museums, and to reconsider the value of studying arms for the purposes of writing richer cultural histories. From Australia to the Amazon, from Uttar Pradesh to ancient Ulster, the essays in this book endeavour to return ethnographic weapons to the centre of material culture studies. In doing so, they offer a blueprint for a more sophisticated future treatment of world weaponry.