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 renamed as Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts). Smith was in a unique position to provide details about Draeger’s character, academic and martial skills. Donn Draeger wrote two letters to Smith (dated September 2, 1969 and June 29, 1981) that gave insight into Miyamoto Musashi. Smith was writing a book review and asked Draeger for his opinion on the historical swordsman. With the help of Joseph Svinth, Smith merged and edited these letters. This contains Draeger’s response in his typically ebullient tone of correspondence with Smith. Donn Draeger can easily be considered as the “father of Asian martial arts research” in the West since he conducted pioneering research in the field and was one of the highest ranking black belts in a number of Japanese combative arts. As a scholar, he became involved in a Japanese research society for martial arts, and built upon it. Author Hugh Davey writes on the founding and influence of the International Hoplology Society Draeger founded. Draeger shaped the lives of several generations of martial artists. It was unknown to most that he had died in a Wisconsin hospital following medical treatments for natural sicknesses and perhaps for poisoning. In the last chapter, Dr. Friman tells of his discovery of Donn Draeger’s gravesite. Finding his grave in 1998 brought proper respects from friends, including Kaminoda Tsunemori, master of jo and sword. Scholars of combative traditions and martial arts practioners—especially those participating in the Japanese arts—will benefit greatly by reading this short anthology. Draeger’s life is inspiring to both the scholar and practitioner.

This is the first book in English that adopts a critical socio-historical perspective to examine the important themes and challenges of Asian indigenous culture and sport. Written by leading sport historians and scholars, the chapters in the book contain real-life case studies and comparative studies in Asian sport. The book examines the history, contemporary governance and management, gender, and ethnic issues embedded in folk sports and physical culture, and the challenges faced by Asian indigenous sports and their evolution. Based on cutting-edge research from China, Japan, Korea, Israel and beyond, this book will be a valuable addition to any course in sport history, sport culture, sport development and sport sociology. It will stimulate those who are seeking ways to promote and develop indigenous sports, from intangible cultural heritage protection to global sport partnership. It will also be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners, who wish to understand the changing face of Asian society and Asian indigenous sport. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of The International Journal of the History of Sport.

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 academic and aesthetic standards. Its contents reflect the history of two decades and provides rich information for practitioners and scholars, making The Best Fighta valuable reference work. In addition to reading, the primary way to learn a martial art is through instruction. In reading about my studies and teaching experience, readers can relate to their own involvement in martial arts. What is important here is the portrayal of my instructors, their teaching methods, and reasons for being involved in martial arts. Their accounts should offer insights and inspiration for others who study and practice any martial art.

This book examines the profound interplay of martial arts, combative, and self-defense disciplines with nationalism and ethno-religious politics through the analysis of Zionism, the birth of the State of Israel, antisemitism, and the life of the contemporary Jewish Diaspora in the United States. It connects martial arts studies and political science, spearheading the new field of political hoplology. Focusing on the complex formative process of national communities, their growth, resilience, and consequences for the individuals, Krav Maga and the Making of Modern Israel presents the unique case of Krav Maga (literally hand to hand combat), a self-defense system developed between the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which is now considered a staple of Israeli culture and a prime self-defense practice. Through its chapters, the book provides strong evidence supporting the idea that physical violence is indeed needed as a unifying experience to allow national communities to emerge and thrive. Furthermore, it examines the growing importance of violence for modern democratic societies and suggests the existence of a “gladiatorial effect,” or the need for a certain level of violence to exist to maintain a harmonious, stable, and cooperative society.

“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 commando units. The pioneers discussed in this anthology experienced lives submerged in foreign cultures, lives compounded by the difficulties of communicating in foreign languages, changing diets, and often being in hostile living conditions. Their lives are far from the associations we usually associate with martial arts now steeped in pure exercise for health, or tournament competitions. Becoming familiar with of some of the Western pioneers of Asian martial arts bring us back to understand many of the original reasons for learning these combatives. Their lives and experience show us how and why the more serious side of Asian fighting arts remain illusive for most who, in practice, need not confront the lethal aspects of these traditions.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the historical, political, and technical evolution of taekwondo. Many of the supposedly ‘traditional’ and ‘ancient’ Korean cultural elements attached to taekwondo are, in fact, remnants of East Asia’s modernization drive, and largely inherited from the Japanese martial arts. The current historical portrayal has created an obstacle to a clear understanding of the history of taekwondo, and presents problems and contradictions in philosophy and training methodology. Using rich empirical data, including interviews with leading figures in the field, this book brings together martial arts philosophy with an analysis of the technical aspects and the development of taekwondo, and provides a detailed comparison of karate and taekwondo techniques. It debunks nationalistic mythology surrounding taekwondo to provide a reinterpretation of taekwondo’s evolution.

Why do so many Americans practice martial arts? How did kung fu get its own movie genre? What makes mixed martial arts so popular? This book answers these questions for the first time with historical research. At the turn of the 20th century, the United States enjoyed a time of prosperity but feared that men were becoming soft. At the same time, the Japanese government sponsored research to develop the best fighting techniques for its new empire. Before World War II, American men boxed and Japanese men practiced judo and karate. Postwar Americans began adopting Chinese, Brazilian, Filipino and other fighting styles, in the process establishing a masculine subculture based on physical and social power. The rise of Asian martial arts in America is a fascinating untold story of modern history, from the origin of karate uniforms to the first martial arts themed birthday party. The cast of characters includes circus strongmen, professional cage fighters, an award winning comic book artist, the inventors of judo, aikido and Cornflakes, and Count Juan Raphael Dante, a Chicago hairdresser and used car salesman with the "Deadliest Hands in the World." Readers will never look at taekwondo class the same way again.