Given the proliferation of social media in the martial arts community, one sees all sorts of posts nowadays related to Japanese budo and...

In all likelihood, I look at martial arts and self-defense training differently than you do. Yes, I’m an avid practitioner, as well as an instructor. However, I also have hands-on knowledge gained while training special operators — on base, five hours a day, every day — for a year. And I coached the 3rd Ranger Battalion, leading them to the first All-Army Combatives Championship. Please don’t envision any of this as a Rambo fantasy. My work involved training people who risk t

Young people who grew up in the age of the internet will find it difficult to grasp just how hard it used to be to track down information about rare martial arts. Case in point: hisardut. I first heard about the Israeli self-defense system in 1990 while attending college on the East Coast. I was part of a small group of die-hards who kept their eyes and ears open for leads on events that featured styles that were new to us. A campus flyer indicated that a hisardut seminar wou

Southern pride Keith Vitali graced the May 1980 cover of Karate Illustrated , marking the start of the flashy 80s era. A former Karate...

On November 16th and 17th, the Battle of the Martial Arts tournament will be held in South Florida at the Broward County Convention...

Fisticuffs — now there’s a word we’ve all heard. It conjures up visions of old-timey bare-knucklers going at it from upright long-guard...

Let’s start with a definition. For the purposes of this column in giving tips for martial art teachers, the term “training scar” does not...

For decades, I’ve wished I could supplement my martial arts skill set with a few years of boxing without subjecting myself to the punishment

"One of the major speed bumps is the need to do something... the more you seek, the less you find." – Alan Baker In this episode,...

The cover of the December 2009 issue of Black Belt Magazine  showcased the powerful Fedor Emelianenko standing strong. Known as a...

It's time to take your first step toward being able to say, “I learned Muay Thai in Bangkok!” One of the most popular combat sports to...

Almost every day of the week except Sunday, I put on my gi and drive to the dojo, then teach for several hours. I started doing this in...

Mike Tyson is famous for saying, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” Think what you want about the former heavyweight boxing champ, but there’s deep wisdom in his words. That wisdom happens to be the reason martial arts instructors so often remind their students about the necessity of having a backup plan. The logic applies whether you’re engaging in a friendly sparring session in the dojo or fighting full contact in the ring. Or battling for your life

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry sailed into Edo harbor (now Tokyo) with four steam-powered warships. The United States was on a mission to open Japan to the outside world, and the arrival of this fleet caused chaos to erupt. It continued until the following year when Perry returned, and a reluctant compromise was reached between East and West.

Olympic judo has become a hidden powerhouse in MMA, with athletes who bring its techniques often finding success in the cage.

In case you had to miss the fun, we made sure to capture the highlights of the event on film.

Black Belt Magazine's decision to return to print was made after careful consideration and consultation with prominent martial artists and..

Muay Thai, the “Art of Eight Limbs,” has a long-standing history in combat sports, rooted in ancient Siamese battlefields and refined..

The October 2007 issue of Black Belt Magazine featured martial arts pioneer S. Henry Cho , powerfully showcasing the skills which he...

A few years ago, a female MMA champion was being interviewed by a reporter for a sports network. By “reporter,” I mean one of those...

Before Jigoro Kano and the Meiji Restoration, there was jujitsu. Back then, a person practiced in an ordinary kimono, usually a hakama and..

The cover of the May 1970 issue of Karate Illustrated  featured the incredible Dan Inosanto , showcasing a fast and powerful side kick....

"To always be yourself. Have faith in yourself. Don’t look for a successful personality and duplicate it. These are very strong pointers...

Footwork is a mainstay of combat sports and self-defense. The feet are the deuce and a half that gets your munitions to the field of...