The proceedings of the third International Martial Studies Conference offer a unique
opportunity for broadening our historic perspective, drawing focus in particular to
the role of martial activities in intercultural exchange. First of all, it analyzes a field of
study that receives scant attention from both the general public and historians. It also
offers the possibility of comparing scientific, historical, and cultural data belonging to
two geographical areas that have played a fundamental role in developing universal
civilization. Finally, it presents such knowledge and notions not as relegated to a
distant past but still present and alive in contemporary Masters of martial arts.
The promoter and curator of the conference and its associated exhibition Way of
the Sword: Warrior Traditions in China and Italy, Hing Chao, is a highly successful
entrepreneur, a profound scholar of Chinese culture (and especially of traditional
martial arts), and a cultural operator with a marked propensity for intercultural
dialogue: he is, in fact, not only the author of numerous books on martial arts but also
the founder of the International Guoshu Association-an organization dedicated to
safeguarding the heritage of Chinese martial arts-and of the Hong Kong Culture
Festival.
The level of specialization reached by many scientific disciplines and research
sectors makes it difficult for a single scholar to make comparisons and parallels with
other fields of study and with scholars who, in different latitudes, carry out similar
research. Such comparisons, however, are often helpful not only to recognize the
imprint of common humanity but also crucial to better understand notions that have
already been acquired and to renew the perspective in which we analyze them: as
Klukhohn (2018, 18), the American anthropologist, said: "The longest way round is
often the shortest way home."
The papers presented at this conference are significant because they offer updated
information about weaponry and martial art research in Europe and China. They
also provide international scholars with knowledge that sometimes has a limited
circulation outside the country of origin (in this case, Italy and China).
