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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Oriental martial arts > General
Wushu, the Chinese martial art form known as kung fu in the West,
embodies traditional Chinese culture and reflects the self defense
and fitness practices of the Chinese people. The core philosophy of
wushu is drawn from Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist principles and
the Eastern philosophy that humans are an integral part of nature.
In this illustrated introduction Wang Guangxi discusses the theory,
schools, weapons and development of this distinctive and
captivating branch of Chinese culture from ancient times to the
present day, including its representation in literature and film.
Unleashing Manhood in the Cage: Masculinity and Mixed Martial Arts
addresses the question "Why do mixed martial arts participants
endure grueling workouts and suffer through injury, with little or
no pay, just to compete?" The answer is because the participants
enjoy a form of idolization from their supporters, each other, and
culture more generally, which is linked to masculinity. In fact,
MMA organizers, from the very beginning, purposefully created
elements of the sport that are linked to dominant narratives about
manhood. In this context, men don thin open-fingered gloves, lock
themselves in a caged enclosure, and slug it out in a fight with
few rules to see who comes out on top. This all occurs while "ring
girls" in high-heels and skin-tight shirts and shorts stride around
outside the cage holding signs and peddling t-shirts. The sum of
these elements is the creation of a type of a publicly accessible
and consumable form of masculinity. The sport of mixed martial arts
is a rich and intriguing space where the construction of gender can
be explored through a sociological and ethnographic lens.
The Ultimate Chinese Martial Art - The Science of the Weaving
Stance Bagua 64 Forms and the Wellness Applications has three well
integrated parts. Part One describes the cultural, historical and
scientific background of the mysterious inner style martial art -
Bagua Palm - which used to be taught in a small circle of the Royal
families in China. Part Two gives a brief and yet detailed
instructions on the techniques and step by step exercises of Bagua
Palms with illustrations, including the example of the famous
Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms. Part Three summarizes the wellness
applications of the Bagua Palms as an inner style Chinese martial
art.The aim of this book is to help all people on this planet to
have a better understanding about wellness and the most effective
way to achieve it. The book will thus ultimately make its way to
the short list of books which truly leave their marks on the
progress of human civilization. The less than sophisticated style
of writing makes this book an easy and helpful reading for people
from all walks of life.This book is not just about Chinese martial
art. It is also about the link between Chinese culture and martial
art. With practical instructions on the actual exercise, this book
will benefit not just practitioners and trainers in Chinese martial
art but effectively all people who read it. This book is not only
going to be the martial art book of the year, but the martial art
book of the 21st century.This is the first martial art book written
by martial art practitioners who have thorough understanding of
both physics and actual fighting, with a solid background in
Chinese culture. All the three authors of the book have over 40
years of extensive experience each in Chinese martial art. In
contrast to conventional Chinese martial art scripts, this book is
written by three Chinese authors in plain and vivid English, which
is both filled with true understanding of the unique part of
Chinese culture and tuned to the cognitive habits of the
westerners.
The Ultimate Chinese Martial Art - The Science of the Weaving
Stance Bagua 64 Forms and the Wellness Applications has three well
integrated parts. Part One describes the cultural, historical and
scientific background of the mysterious inner style martial art -
Bagua Palm - which used to be taught in a small circle of the Royal
families in China. Part Two gives a brief and yet detailed
instructions on the techniques and step by step exercises of Bagua
Palms with illustrations, including the example of the famous
Weaving Stance Bagua 64 Forms. Part Three summarizes the wellness
applications of the Bagua Palms as an inner style Chinese martial
art.The aim of this book is to help all people on this planet to
have a better understanding about wellness and the most effective
way to achieve it. The book will thus ultimately make its way to
the short list of books which truly leave their marks on the
progress of human civilization. The less than sophisticated style
of writing makes this book an easy and helpful reading for people
from all walks of life.This book is not just about Chinese martial
art. It is also about the link between Chinese culture and martial
art. With practical instructions on the actual exercise, this book
will benefit not just practitioners and trainers in Chinese martial
art but effectively all people who read it. This book is not only
going to be the martial art book of the year, but the martial art
book of the 21st century.This is the first martial art book written
by martial art practitioners who have thorough understanding of
both physics and actual fighting, with a solid background in
Chinese culture. All the three authors of the book have over 40
years of extensive experience each in Chinese martial art. In
contrast to conventional Chinese martial art scripts, this book is
written by three Chinese authors in plain and vivid English, which
is both filled with true understanding of the unique part of
Chinese culture and tuned to the cognitive habits of the
westerners.
What do martial arts signify today? What do they mean for East-West
cross cultural exchanges? How does the representation of martial
arts in popular culture impact on the wide world? What is authentic
practice? What does it all mean? From Kung Fu to Jiujitsu and from
Bruce Lee to The Karate Kid, Mythologies of Martial Arts explores
the key myths and ideologies in martial arts in contemporary
popular culture. The book combines the author's practical,
professional and academic experience of martial arts to offer new
insights into this complex, contradictory world. Inspired by the
work of Roland Barthes in Mythologies, the book focusses on the
signs, signifiers and practices of martial arts globally. Bringing
together cultural studies, film studies, media studies,
postcolonial studies with the emerging field of martial arts
studies the book explores the broader significance of martial arts
in global culture. Using an accessible yet theoretically
sophisticated style the book is ideal for students, scholars and
anyone interested in any type of martial art.
What do martial arts signify today? What do they mean for East-West
cross cultural exchanges? How does the representation of martial
arts in popular culture impact on the wide world? What is authentic
practice? What does it all mean? From Kung Fu to Jiujitsu and from
Bruce Lee to The Karate Kid, Mythologies of Martial Arts explores
the key myths and ideologies in martial arts in contemporary
popular culture. The book combines the author's practical,
professional and academic experience of martial arts to offer new
insights into this complex, contradictory world. Inspired by the
work of Roland Barthes in Mythologies, the book focusses on the
signs, signifiers and practices of martial arts globally. Bringing
together cultural studies, film studies, media studies,
postcolonial studies with the emerging field of martial arts
studies the book explores the broader significance of martial arts
in global culture. Using an accessible yet theoretically
sophisticated style the book is ideal for students, scholars and
anyone interested in any type of martial art.
'If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in
English, I would recommend A Brief History of the Martial Arts by
Dr Jonathan Clements' RICHARD BEITLICH, Martial History Team blog
From Shaolin warrior monks to the movies of Bruce Lee, a new
history of the evolution of East Asian styles of unarmed combat,
from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu 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.
Suitable for those who is interested in finding out what makes
Aikido so multi-dimensional, or one who would like to understand
its ancient roots, this book gives the reader an understanding of
the essence of Aikido, and to explain the aspirations and
motivations of the true practitioners of Aikido. This book is an
excellent resource for anyone who is interested in finding out what
makes Aikido so multi-dimensional, or one who would like to
understand its ancient roots. The goal of this book is to give the
reader a clear understanding of the essence of Aikido, and to
explain the
Unleashing Manhood in the Cage: Masculinity and Mixed Martial Arts
addresses the question "Why do mixed martial arts participants
endure grueling workouts and suffer through injury, with little or
no pay, just to compete?" The answer is because the participants
enjoy a form of idolization from their supporters, each other, and
culture more generally, which is linked to masculinity. In fact,
MMA organizers, from the very beginning, purposefully created
elements of the sport that are linked to dominant narratives about
manhood. In this context, men don thin open-fingered gloves, lock
themselves in a caged enclosure, and slug it out in a fight with
few rules to see who comes out on top. This all occurs while "ring
girls" in high-heels and skin-tight shirts and shorts stride around
outside the cage holding signs and peddling t-shirts. The sum of
these elements is the creation of a type of a publicly accessible
and consumable form of masculinity. The sport of mixed martial arts
is a rich and intriguing space where the construction of gender can
be explored through a sociological and ethnographic lens.
This book has three goals *To motivate you choose tai chi as a way
of improving your health and increasing your happiness for an
entire lifetime. *To enliven your practice with or without a formal
teacher. *To provide guidance to advance your tai chi practice from
a mere act of 'doing' tai chi to a method of "tai chi as a way of
following your heart." Why tai chi? After more than thirty years of
practicing tai chi chuan, author Henry Zhuang shares what has kept
him with tai chi for so long, and how tai chi evolved to a
rewarding path toward improving life and happiness. Step-by-step,
the author presents a clear exploration of the benefits of tai chi.
Some benefits are physical (strength, balance, vitality), while
others are internal (virtue, courage, harmony). This careful
examination will help you answer the first big question, "why
should I get involved with tai chi practice." What if I already
practice tai chi? If you already practice tai chi, you may need a
boost to help you stay on track, or help you over a block in your
progress. Simply doing the act (aerobics) is not enough. You must
find ways to constantly advance your mindset and your physical
body. Knowing what this means and how to do it are important tools
for keeping tai chi the most rewarding and enjoyable experience in
your life, day after day, year after year. The author will explain
for you: *The four spirits of tai chi *How tai chi cultivates the
mind and improves character *Eight important tips for proper tai
chi bodywork *Eight keys to pay attention to when practicing tai
chi chuan *The four principles of tai chi chuan *Five mindsets for
practicing tai chi chuan *Six points for your tai chi practice so
your heart is always in it *Eight imagery/energy drills to help you
get your mind / intent in the proper place All of these will
accelerate your skills, and help incorporate tai chi as part of who
you are, so you can use "tai chi as a way of following your heart."
'Fighting Scholars' offers the first book-length overview of the
ethnographic study of martial arts and combat sports. The book's
main claim is that such activities represent privileged grounds to
access different social dimensions, such as emotion, violence,
pain, gender, ethnicity and religion. In order to explore these
dimensions, the concept of 'habitus' is presented prominently as an
epistemic remedy for the academic distant gaze of the effaced
academic body. The book's most innovative features are its
empirical focus and theoretical orientation. While ethnographic
research is a widespread and popular approach within the social
sciences, combat sports and martial arts have yet to be
sufficiently interrogated from an ethnographic standpoint. The
different contributions of this volume are aligned within the same
project that began to crystallize in Loic Wacquant's 'Body and
Soul': the construction of a 'carnal sociology' that constitutes an
exploration of the social world 'from' the body.
SUCCESSFUL TAEKWON-DO: Vol 1, Fundamentals comprises Part One of a
comprehensively structured two-part full-color manual for students
on their way to the 1st dan in Taekwon-do. Written by two
acknowledged experts in the field, the 800 photos, diagrams and
charts combined provide a detailed perspective that will enhance
the student's understanding and application of the principles and
techniques of Taekwon-do. Vol 1 contains 136 full-color pages
covering the history, theory and philosophy of martial arts,
including the fundamentals of the mental and physical aspects of
being a competent martial arts practitioner. As well as being a
detailed general reference work for martial arts enthusiasts, this
beautifully constructed book is a new and valuable addition to
existing literature, and an absolute must-have for any serious
Taekwon-do student or practitioner.
In an English-language edition, this detailed training manual is a
complete guide to Gao-style bagua zhang, as preserved through the
lineage of Liu Fengcai. The youngest of the major bagua lineages,
Gao-style bagua shows the influence of taiji quan, xingyi quan, and
shuai jiao, incorporating traditional bagua weapons, pre-heaven
palms, and animal forms, with sixty-four individual post-heaven
palms and their accompanying two-person forms.
This is the story of Master Wu and the esoteric sword practice he
learned at the White Cloud Monastery in Beijing. It opens this
practice to the outside world for the first time, explaining its
history, theory, cosmology, and practice in great detail.The Eight
Immortals'Revolving Sword goes back for seventeen generations,
starting with Wang Chongyang, the founder of the Complete Reality
school and martial arts champion of the Song dynasty, and actively
continued through Qiu Chuji and other senior Daoist lineage
holders. Practicing sword to attain immortality is a profound
Daoist method. Master Wu shares his insights and practice
instructions as a way of self-cultivation, illuminating the power
of the practice to drive away inauspicious energies, eliminate
harmful incidents, and safeguard against ghosts. Able to harness
good fortune, practice of this sword set enhances inner
communication and creates an intimate connection with the
universe.In traditional Chinese fashion, Master Wu guides the
reader through the ins and outs of the history, folklore, and
technique of this sword practice, focusing especially on the
figures of the Eight Immortals and explaining their legends,
practices, and feats in great detail. Along the way, he highlights
the hidden jewels of training with insightful commentaries on
various parables, thereby to bring out the essence of Dao. He
succeeds masterfully at braiding together his unique training
history and deep Daoist insights with treasured traditional
stories, creating a thrilling account and setting a palpable
example of Daoisms' best kept inner secrets as brought to life in
actual experiences today.
Are you smarter than a bad guy? If not, you should read this book
Outsmarting the Bad Guys is a collection of powerful things that
women can do to prevent and survive attacks. The tips in this book
will change the way you think about your personal safety, and help
keep you out of harm's way. Susan Martinez is a black belt and
mother of a teen who survived a kidnapping and rape attempt.
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