By William A. General Qi Jiguang (1528 – 1588) was born in a hereditary military family in 1528 at Dengzhou, Shandong province. Qi received education in both the Classics and military skills from a tender age and assumed his father’s rank in 1544. He took the military examinations receiving the Juren degree in 1549, but […]
While I settle down and organize my notes after my two weeks trip to China, I found a short film depicting some of the major events of the Chinese War of Resistance. What is interesting is that the whole project was done using LEGO pieces. Despite the use of a children’s favorite the images shown […]
By William A. Note: Updated on 8/12/2017 When Japan was forced to open its borders to foreigners beginning the Meiji Restoration, it also helped spread Japanese culture overseas in the form of movements like Japonism (from the French Japonisme) or the interest for Japanese objects from around 1872 onwards. This movement influenced European arts and […]
By William A. Note: This illustration appears to depict someone who looks more like Gichin Funakoshi father of Shotokan Karate rather than Chouki; Japanese sources point out this editorial mistake was a point of bitter rivalry between the two men. Western influence in Japan and China was a source of national self-reflection triggering at times […]
by William A. “If one has to fight, let civilization defeat barbarism (…) if they [the Chinese] could have the qualities of any of the western countries, it would be enough to stop such enterprise. Moreover, one would have to think what the Chinese could do to us in such case… However, right at this […]
By William A. with Translations by Mei C. “It is difficult to find a Chinese citizen in good shape, eager to learn new things, with a strong and proper attitude in life, this makes them lack courage and motivation. They have the characteristics of sick men; How many generations must pass until we realize that […]
By William A. M.Eng., with translations by Mei C. B.A. The China of the early XXth century experienced major political and social changes thanks to a combination of local and foreign forces creating the right environment from which many reformers arose. In the realm of Chinese martial arts, Ma Liang (馬良) also know as Ma […]
By William A. A Chinese martial arts master has died, the students make preparations for his funeral in anticipation of those people seeking to pay their respects. During a moment of silence following a speech by one senior member of the Chinese school, a group of Japanese martial artists make their entrance and arrogantly offered […]
By William A. “El hijo del Li Yuan, Li Shimin 李世民(el segundo emperador de la Dinastía Tang) quedó aprisionado en Luoyang. Para salvar a su hijo Li Shimin, Li Yuan buscó la ayuda del Monasterio Shaolin para reprimir la revuelta dirigida por Wang Shichong 王世充y rescatar a su hijo. El abad del monasterio Shaolin Zhi […]
By William A. with translations by Mei C. One of the topics I find fascinating is the practice of Chinese martial arts in the early XX Century. Specifically the Big Knife Units for which we are in the process of preparing a paper to be released in the near future. The main sponsor of such […]
Zhongguo Wu Xue 