This book, based on extensive original research, examines the practice by women in a university sport setting of kendo, the Japanese martial art which, using ba

This unique history of Japanese armed martial arts--the only comprehensive treatment of the subject in English--focuses on traditions of swordsmanship and arche

Winner of the Norbert Elias Book Prize 2020 This is the first long-term analysis of the development of Japanese martial arts, connecting ancient martial traditi

The phrase “martial arts studies” is increasingly circulating as a term to describe a new field of interest. But many academic fields including history, phi

The first women's self-defense manual written by a woman. Written in 1914 by Nohata Showa. Ms Showa was a women's historian and martial arts practitioner. Her e