Myth and Identity in the Martial Arts

Myth and Identity in the Martial Arts: Creating the Dragon, Volume 1, provides a scholarly examination of how myth and ideology shape social identity within martial arts communities. Author Alexus McLeod moves beyond viewing martial myths as mere falsehoods used to legitimize modern practices. Instead, this history book presents these narratives as vital tools that allow individuals and groups to construct meaning and social standing through their physical disciplines.

The text explores six influential sources of identity formation across East Asian and Western history. It analyzes early Chinese and Indian philosophy, the development of bushido in Edo period Japan, and Republican-era Chinese views on physical culture. Additional chapters cover the Western innovations of Bruce Lee, African American responses to oppression through martial arts, and the contemporary ideologies found in mixed martial arts. This work is a significant contribution to cultural and ethnic studies, history, and the social sciences.