Martial Arts Studies Association (MASA) Webinar: Martial Arts and Cultural Connections
Martial Arts StudiesShow Notes
Chair: Dr George Jennings, Cardiff Metropolitan University (UK), MASA TreasurerDiscussant: Dr Fabiana Turelli, University of Manitoba (Canada)
Appropriation, Amalgamation, and Validation: Creating Authenticity in the Martial Arts Prof Emeritus Thomas A. GreenProfessor Emeritus of Anthropology, Affiliated Faculty Africana Studies and Religious Studies, Texas A&M University (USA) Abstract This study examines the role of martial arts as a cultural bridge between American practitioners and Asian traditions, with particular attention to the use of Asian terminology and historical narratives in legitimizing martial art styles. Drawing on a qualitative analysis of martial arts schools, instructional materials, and practitioner discourse in the United States, the research investigates how language and history are mobilized to construct authenticity. The study distinguishes between three modes of historical engagement: obligatory, in which adherence to Asian terminology and lineage claims is treated as essential; optional, where such references are selectively incorporated; and folk historical, characterized by informal or mythologized understandings of the past. Findings suggest that the use of Asian linguistic and historical frameworks serves not only as a marker of legitimacy but also as a mechanism for cultural connection, allowing practitioners to situate themselves within a broader transnational tradition. However, this process also raises questions about accuracy, appropriation, and the reinterpretation of cultural knowledge. In some cases, simplified or reconstructed histories function as accessible entry points for practitioners, while in others they reinforce hierarchical notions of authenticity tied to perceived cultural origins. This study contributes to broader discussions in cultural studies and martial arts scholarship by highlighting the complex interplay between language, history, and identity. It argues that martial arts practice in the United States operates as both a site of cultural exchange and a space where meanings of tradition and legitimacy are actively negotiated. Bio Thomas A. Green earned his PhD in Anthropology (with a concentration in Folklore) from the University of Texas at Austin. After teaching Folklore and Native American Studies at Idaho State University and Folklore at the University of Delaware, he joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1978. Dr Green also has held visiting professorships at the University of Texas at Austin (English and Anthropology), Luther College (Anthropology and Dance) and Southwest University of China, Chongqing, China (Ethnology and Sport Science). He has conducted research among groups ranging from mainland Chinese martial artists to African-American and Native American political activists, focusing on the ways that traditional art forms, especially festival, drama, and martial culture, identify and manage social relationships. He currently collaborates with Chinese colleagues on the impact of state recognition of martial practices as intangible heritage arts in China. In addition to over one hundred academic articles and notes, he has published twelve book-length volumes on these topics, including Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia (2001), Martial Arts in the Modern World (2003), and Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation (2010), volumes which have won a total of five awards. Dr Green has served in editorial roles for academic journals in the US, Europe and China, including Martial Arts Studies, Revista de Artes Marciales Asiáticas, IDO Movement for Culture: Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology, Humanities, and the Journal of American Folklore, the flagship journal of his sub-discipline. His recent research continues to focus on social functions of combat sport and African-descended and Chinese vernacular martial culture.
Perspectives on Sumo as an International Professional Sport Martin J. MeyerLecturer
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