Description: This book is an investigation of the role of myth and creation of social identity in martial arts, looking at historical contexts and important movements in East Asia and the West, from ancient times to the present day.
Brief description: Alexus McLeod is professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University.
Review Quotes:
""Myth and Identity in the Martial Arts is a timely and welcome addition to the martial arts studies literature. Alexus McLeod's engaging and accessible text provides a persuasive analysis of how martial arts mythologies feature in the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves. The broad scope of its analysis will appeal to readers across academic disciplines with a substantive interest in how myths provide vital fodder for the social construction of identity."" --Alex Channon, University of Brighton
""A must-read for anyone interested in the intersections of martial arts, philosophy, culture, and identity. Multidisciplinary, yet a work of serious philosophy. Encyclopedic, but still theoretically focused, McLeod's writing is accessible to scholars, practitioners, and fans of martial arts culture."" --Steve Geisz, University of Tampa