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Bruce Lee and the perfection of Martial Arts (Studies): An exercise in alterdisciplinarity

Barrowman, Kyle 2019. Bruce Lee and the perfection of Martial Arts (Studies): An exercise in alterdisciplinarity. Martial Arts Studies (8) , pp. 5-28. 10.18573/mas.80

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Abstract

This essay builds from an analysis of the philosophical underpinnings of Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do to an analysis of the current state of academic scholarship generally and martial arts studies scholarship specifically. For the sake of a more comprehensive understanding of the philosophical underpinnings of jeet kune do, and in particular its affinities with a philosophical tradition traced by Stanley Cavell under the heading of perfectionism, this essay brings the philosophical writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Ayn Rand into contact with Lee’s writings during the time that he spent formulating his martial arts philosophy. Additionally, this essay uses the philosophical insights of Emerson, Rand, and Lee to challenge longstanding academic dogma vis-à-vis poststructuralist philosophy, the methods of academic intervention, and the nature of philosophical argumentation. Though pitched as a debate regarding the content and the status of Bruce Lee and his combative philosophy, this essay endeavors to inspire scholars to (re)examine their conceptions of Bruce Lee, martial arts, and martial arts studies.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General)
G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
J Political Science > JC Political theory
Publisher: Cardiff University Press
ISSN: 2057-5696
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 6 August 2019
Date of Acceptance: 30 June 2019
Last Modified: 05 May 2023 11:59
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/124728

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