Myth and Identity in the Martial Arts
Myth and Identity in the Martial Arts: Creating the Dragon is a study of the role of myth and ideology in the formation of social identity, focusing on a variety of communities of practice involving the martial arts in East Asian and Western history. Myths of the martial arts should not be understood as “falsehoods”, created as means of legitimizing modern practices, but should instead be understood as narratives that enable individuals and communities to formulate social identities and to accord meaning to their practices. This book covers six influential sources of myth and identity formation in the history of martial arts, including early Chinese and Indian philosophy, the formation bushido thought in the Edo period of Japan, Republican-era Chinese conceptions of nationhood and physical culture, Western contributions and the innovations of Bruce Lee, African-American conceptions of martial arts as response to oppression in the 20th century, and the contemporary ideologies of mixed martial arts.
Alexus McLeod is professor of religious studies at Indiana University.