This book brings together artists, curators, researchers and conservators to consider the significance of coconut fibre armour from the islands of Kiribati. Taking as its focus the armour found in museum collections, it investigates the historical context that led to these unique artefacts leaving the Pacific and entering the orbit of British collectors and institutions, as well the legacies of those practices in the present. As well as exploring the historical milieux surrounding its collection, the book includes essays from expert conservators that discuss the challenges of caring for coconut fibre armour. Other contributions include case studies focusing on the construction and variety of the armour and helmets, and the findings of a comprehensive survey which has tracked down and documented every piece of Kiribati armour held in UK museum collections. Finally, the book considers the significance of coconut fibre armour in the present, with particular reference to the work of a group of I-Kiribati artists whose creativity has led to the production of a contemporary suit of armour inspired by the armour of the past.

Technical Analyses for Kung Fu internal Style Long Pai Chuen. Self Defence review based on analytic approach to retrieve Effectiveness and Efficiency values. Fighting system analysed in order to retrieve insight in making "the best fighter" athlete.

Textiles are ubiquitous materials that many of us take for granted in our everyday lives. We rely on our clothes to protect us from the environment and use them to enhance our appearance. Textiles also find applications in transport, healthcare, construction, and many other industries. The revised and updated 2nd Edition of The Chemistry of Textile Fibres highlights the trend towards the synthesis, from renewable resources, of monomers for making synthetic fibres. It contains new information on the influence of legislation and the concerns of environmental organisations on the use of chemicals in the textile industry. New sections on genetically modified cotton, anti-microbial materials and spider silk have been added as well as a new chapter covering functional fibres and fabrics. This book provides a comprehensive overview of the various types of textile fibres that are available today, ranging from natural fibres to the high-performance fibres that are very technologically advanced. Readers will gain an appreciation of why particular types of fibre are used for certain applications through understanding the chemistry behind their properties. Students following ‘A’ level courses or equivalent and first-year undergraduate students reading textile technology subjects at university will find this book a valuable source of information.

Ever wondered why a particular type of fibre is used for a certain application? Readers of this book will gain an appreciation of the answer to this question and more through understanding the chemistry behind the properties of the fibres. Providing a comprehensive overview of the various types of textile fibres that are available today, ranging from natural fibres to high-performance fibres that are very technologically advanced, the book is a revised and updated new edition of a highly successful text. Textiles are ubiquitous materials that many of us take for granted in our everyday lives. We rely on our clothes to protect us from the environment and use them to enhance our appearance. Textiles also find applications in transport, healthcare, construction and many other industries. The third edition of The Chemistry of Textile Fibres updates a significant amount of the information provided in the previous editions, such as the synthesis from renewable resources of monomers for producing synthetic fibres, emerging applications of nanofibres, production of electrically conducting fibres incorporating graphene and carbon nanotubes, and nano-finishing of textiles. It also gives greater emphasis to those aspects of textile chemistry that combat adverse environmental impact, including the chemical decomposition of synthetic polymers and strategies to reduce the damaging impact of microfibers. It introduces the production of micro- and nanomaterials from cellulose as an alternative to relatively toxic and non-ecofriendly micro- and nanomaterials produced from other sources, together with the bio-functionalisation of textiles. Students following A level courses or equivalent and first-year undergraduate students reading textile technology subjects at university will find this book a valuable source of information.