A Brief History of the Martial Arts: East Asian Fighting Styles, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu by Clements, Jonathan

A Brief History of the Martial Arts: East Asian Fighting Styles, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu

'If I had to pick a single general martial arts history book in English, I would recommend...
$54.35 SGD
$54.35 SGD
SKU: 9781472136466
Product Type: Books
Please hurry! Only 0 left in stock
Author: Jonathan Clements
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Subtotal: $54.35
10 customers are viewing this product
A Brief History of the Martial Arts: East Asian Fighting Styles, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu by Clements, Jonathan

A Brief History of the Martial Arts: East Asian Fighting Styles, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu

$54.35

A Brief History of the Martial Arts: East Asian Fighting Styles, from Kung Fu to Ninjutsu

$54.35
Author: Jonathan Clements
Format: Paperback
Language: English

'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.

Author: Jonathan Clements
Publisher: Robinson Press
Published: 11/21/2017
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.00w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781472136466

About the Author
Jonathan Clements is the author of many books on East Asian history, including biographies of Empress Wu, Admiral Togo, the statesman Prince Saionji and Coxinga, the Japanese-born 'pirate king'. He divides his time between London, England and Jyväskylä, Finland. His website is schoolgirlmilkycrisis.com


This title is only available via back order

Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, simply login to your account, view the order using the "Complete Orders" link under the My Account menu and click the Return Item(s) button. We'll notify you via e-mail of your refund once we've received and processed the returned item.

Shipping

We can ship to virtually any address in the world. Note that there are restrictions on some products, and some products cannot be shipped to international destinations.

When you place an order, we will estimate shipping and delivery dates for you based on the availability of your items and the shipping options you choose. Depending on the shipping provider you choose, shipping date estimates may appear on the shipping quotes page.

Please also note that the shipping rates for many items we sell are weight-based. The weight of any such item can be found on its detail page. To reflect the policies of the shipping companies we use, all weights will be rounded up to the next full pound.

Related Products

Recently Viewed Products