Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century

Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century

by Peter A. Lorge
ISBN-10:
0521878810
ISBN-13:
9780521878814
Pub. Date:
12/05/2011
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
ISBN-10:
0521878810
ISBN-13:
9780521878814
Pub. Date:
12/05/2011
Publisher:
Cambridge University Press
Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century

Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century

by Peter A. Lorge
$99.0
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Overview

In the global world of the twenty-first century, martial arts are practiced for self-defense and sporting purposes only. However, for thousands of years, they were a central feature of military practice in China and essential for the smooth functioning of society. Individuals who were adept in using weapons were highly regarded, not simply as warriors but also as tacticians and performers. This book, which opens with an intriguing account of the very first female martial artist, charts the history of combat and fighting techniques in China from the Bronze Age to the present. This broad panorama affords fascinating glimpses into the transformation of martial skills, techniques, and weaponry against the background of Chinese history, the rise and fall of empires, their governments, and their armies. Quotations from literature and poetry, and the stories of individual warriors, infuse the narrative, offering personal reflections on prowess in the battlefield and techniques of engagement. This is an engaging and readable introduction to the authentic history of Chinese martial arts.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780521878814
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Publication date: 12/05/2011
Pages: 282
Product dimensions: 6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Peter A. Lorge is a Senior Lecturer of History at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. He is the author of War, Politics and Society in Early Modern China, 900–1795 (2005) and The Asian Military Revolution: From Gunpowder to the Bomb (Cambridge, 2008).

Table of Contents

1. From the Stone Age to the end of the Spring and Autumn Period; 2. The Warring States period; 3. The Qin and Han dynasties; 4. The six dynasties; 5. The Sui and Tang dynasties; 6. The five dynasties and ten kingdoms and the Song dynasty; 7. The Yuan dynasty; 8. The Ming dynasty (1368–1644); 9. The Qing dynasty (1644–1911); 10. Post-imperial China.
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