Mythologies of Martial Arts

by Paul Bowman

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.

210 pages, Hardcover

Published December 15, 2016

Reviews

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is more a collection of loosely connected essays on the topic. Unfortunately, most of those essays feel like academic ramblings without a strong thesis. This lack of a strong thesis extends out to the full book, leaving me feeling more like I have read a working draft and less like I have read an actual book.

[Wes Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really interesting book. Recommend to those in the field of cultural studies.

Here is my full review at Sport In American History--

https://ussporthistory.com/2017/09/16...

[Alex · Rating 1 out of 5]

don’t waste your time on this garbage