Böcker av Hing Chao

The proceedings of the third International Martial Studies Conference offer a uniqueopportunity for broadening our historic perspective, drawing focus in particular tothe role of martial activities in intercultural exchange. First of all, it analyzes a field ofstudy that receives scant attention from both the general public and historians. It alsooffers the possibility of comparing scientific, historical, and cultural data belonging totwo geographical areas that have played a fundamental role in developing universalcivilization. Finally, it presents such knowledge and notions not as relegated to adistant past but still present and alive in contemporary Masters of martial arts.The promoter and curator of the conference and its associated exhibition Way ofthe Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, Hing Chao, is a highly successfulentrepreneur, a profound scholar of Chinese culture (and especially of traditionalmartial arts), and a cultural operator with a marked propensity for interculturaldialogue: he is, in fact, not only the author of numerous books on martial arts but alsothe founder of the International Guoshu Association-an organization dedicated tosafeguarding the heritage of Chinese martial arts-and of the Hong Kong CultureFestival.The level of specialization reached by many scientific disciplines and researchsectors makes it difficult for a single scholar to make comparisons and parallels withother fields of study and with scholars who, in different latitudes, carry out similarresearch. Such comparisons, however, are often helpful not only to recognize theimprint of common humanity but also crucial to better understand notions that havealready been acquired and to renew the perspective in which we analyze them: asKlukhohn (2018, 18), the American anthropologist, said: "The longest way round isoften the shortest way home."The papers presented at this conference are significant because they offer updatedinformation about weaponry and martial art research in Europe and China. Theyalso provide international scholars with knowledge that sometimes has a limitedcirculation outside the country of origin (in this case, Italy and China).