This open access book is the first publication to provide a comparative framework for the study of martial culture and historical martial arts in Europe and Asia, in particular in Italy and China. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of martial studies, contributors to this volume include historians, archeologists, art historians, scholars of fencing literature, metallurgists, as well as contemporary master swordsmiths and masters-of-arms in historical martial arts. Assembling researchers from these diverse fields, this book offers a multi-perspectival and dynamic view of martial culture...

This open access book is the first publication to provide a comparative framework for the study of martial culture and historical martial arts in Europe and Asia, in particular in Italy and China. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of martial studies, contributors to this volume include historians, archeologists, art historians, scholars of fencing literature, metallurgists, as well as contemporary master swordsmiths and masters-of-arms in historical martial arts. Assembling researchers from these diverse fields, this book offers a multi-perspectival and dynamic view of martial culture...

This book, the first research publication on China’s archery culture to appear in the English language, introduces the historic development, key concepts, and research methodologies for archery studies. Archery was the most important weapon of war in pre-modern China; at the same time, archery practice was intimately tied to Confucius’ cultural and pedagogic ideals. Chinese archery was divided into the domains of military archery (wushe) and ritual archery (lishe), and may be further distinguished intohan(Chinese) andhu(barbarian) archery traditions. Bringing together the leading scholars...