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OverviewMartial arts, once restricted to a few specific locations and practiced by small groups of devotees, have truly spread throughout the world. The plethora of tae kwando and karate dojos in U.S. shopping malls attests to the popularity of various kinds of martial arts in this country. Though generally perceived and advertised as means of self-defense, body sculpting, and self-discipline, martial arts are actually social tools that respond to altered physical, social, and psychological environments. This book examines how practitioners have responded to stimuli such as feminism, globalism, imperialism, militarism, nationalism, slavery, and the commercialization of sport. In a series of chapters devoted to Asian, African, and European systems of the late 19th to early 21st centuries, the authors examine the forces and philosophies that shaped fighting arts in diverse cultural settings. Because of political, social, and economic factors, this period witnessed the spread of martial arts to areas outside of their original contexts. Some of these arts flourished in their new environments, but others did not. The authors demonstrate that martial arts are not the conservative strongholds of tradition posited by conventional wisdom, but are instead responsive and mutable barometers of change. This book is essential for students of multicultural dialogues and devotees of martial arts performance and practice. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Joseph R. Svinth , Joseph R. SvinthPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint: Praeger Publishers Inc Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 23.50cm Weight: 0.652kg ISBN: 9780275981532ISBN 10: 0275981533 Pages: 336 Publication Date: 30 November 2003 Recommended Age: From 7 to 17 years Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsReviewsComprehensive martial arts collections serving undergraduates, professionals, and general readers. - Choice Author InformationTHOMAS A. GREEN Associate Professor of Anthropology, Texas A&M University. JOSEPH R. SVINTH is Editor of Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |