Japanese Martial Arts

“Pioneer” — as a noun is defined as “a person who is among the first to explore or settle a new country or area.” As a verb, it means “develop or be the first to use or apply (a new method, area of knowledge, or activity).” This anthology gives the reader the experience of the explorers who went to foreign lands to discover and learn about a specific field of knowledge and skills:the Asian martial arts.The eight chapters included here share a common root in the pioneers' desire to travel far and wide in search for practical martial arts useful in the street as well as for ...

There are simularities and differences between the European and Japanese medieval warrior traditions that reflect the social evolutions within those cultures. Over the years publishing the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, we published articles that presented the main themes found in this unique area of comparitive studies. The most important of these writings are assembled in this anthology for your convience. Chapters 1 and 2 are by Dr. Willy Pieter, a leading scholar with a thorough grasp of European and Japanese martial art traditions. His first chapter examines the feudal system and how ...

Donn Draeger was the most influential martial artist/scholar of the 20th century. His more than twenty books and long list of accomplishments support this argument. For this reason, we are publishing this anthology of articles that focus on this outstanding person. Although short in length, this book is rich in content covering the inspiring life and contributions of a leading pioneer in the Asian martial traditions. The author of the first chapter, Robert W. Smith, was a close confidant of Draeger during his career. With Draeger, Smith co-authored the classic Asian Fighting Arts (later ...

A needle may draw a thread through printed pages to bind a book. In this little memoir, I feel like a needle that drew a common thread though a segment of martial art history. This book details three interrelated activities: (1) martial art studies, (2) involvement as founder of Via Media Publishing, producing a quarterly journal and books, and (3) teaching martial arts. Publishers, writers, researchers and serious martial art practitioners will benefit with the detailed overview of Via Media and its publications. Via Media produced the Journal of Asian Martial Arts, known for its high ...

空手チョップを武器に外国人レスラーと激闘を繰り広げ，戦後日本を熱狂させた力道山．大相撲から，アメリカで大人気を博していたプロレスへ転じ，テレビの誕生・発展とともに国民的ヒーローとなった．

The origins of Asian martial arts in the United States reach back to the Pacific Rim and immigration. This anthology is dedicated to the profoundly significant period—roughly from mid-eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century—in which gifted Japanese taught their brand of jujutsu/judo to small groups that gradually disseminated knowledge of combatives into the American mainstream. Wingard provides insightful coverage of the “manly arts” in America as they swept the land along with moving populations. Hlinak analyzes Japanese-American immigration into the American West, ...