When most people think of Chuck Norris, they picture Walker, Texas Ranger , his karate championships, or that legendary fight with Bruce...

In today’s world of deepfakes and AI-generated content, it’s getting harder and harder to tell what’s real and what’s fabricated. With...

Richie Barathy was equal parts as a brawler and a showman, Barathy earned a reputation for his explosive breaking demonstrations in an...

Most champions walk their path alone, but Nabil Anane has never known solitude in his martial arts journey. For every training session,...

On November 12, 1993, two men stepped into an oddly shaped cage to determine who possessed superior fighting skills. Twenty-six seconds later, the face of the martial arts and the entire sporting landscape had changed forever - although no one knew it at the time. One of those men was a massive sumo wrestler from Hawaii, who fought under the name of Teila Tuli. The other was a lanky Dutch striker named Gerard Gordeau. Their looks weren’t the only thing that was different; the

Who remembers this classic? The January 1987 cover of Karate Kung Fu Illustrated  featured the aerial kicks of taekwondo, performed by...

Fifteen years ago, a homesick teenager from Phatthalung Province stood overwhelmed on the bustling streets of Bangkok, tears streaming...

In the 1980s, a wave of devices hit the market promising to improve one’s flexibility. Among them was a contraption that became legendary...

There was a time when Thai star Shadow Singha Mawynn's mother couldn't afford a 50-cent tube of skin cream for her son. But now, those...

Every martial artist dreams of training for life—not just hitting a peak in their twenties and fading out, but staying strong, sharp, and motivated well into their fifties, sixties, and beyond. The secret? It’s not about training harder. It’s about training smarter and building habits that keep your body—and your passion—going for the long haul. Here are the habits that can keep you kicking, punching, and rolling for decades: 1. Treat Recovery Like Training You don’t “earn” t

The July 7, 2015, edition of The Washington Post  described an incident in which a man on a moving train allegedly punched a passenger until he fell, then stabbed him repeatedly in the torso and arms until he died. As the crime unfolded, other passengers in the coach watched; not one intervened. The tendency to not get involved, dubbed the “bystander effect,” is becoming the norm these days, particularly in big cities where a sense of community doesn’t exist. Rather than help

How a humble start, a master’s in psychology, and a passion for coaching shaped one of MMA’s rising grapplers. As the managing editor of...

Some dreams find you when you're not looking. For Bampara Kouyate, one Instagram message transformed his entire world, launching the #2...

The February 1973 cover of Black Belt magazine spotlighted martial artist Darnell Garcia . A Chuck Norris student who earned his black...

Loss has a way of reshaping champions, and for Jackie Buntan, the pain of losing her father has become fuel for her most ambitious goal...

Learn How to Deal With Them Now in the Dojo — or Use Your Techniques at Your Own Risk on the Street! I’d arrived early to meet a friend for dinner, but his class was still in session, so I watched from the viewing area. The students were practicing handgun defense under the tutelage of a senior student — which probably explained why it appeared so casual. I’m sure you’ve seen classes like that one, with mundane repetitions, comfortable surroundings and friendly pairings. You

Early Days in Silat Fighters in Southeast Asia have practiced pencak silat for thousands of years, but it didn’t capture the attention of Western martial artists until the late 1980s. Suddenly, the Indonesian system was everywhere, with its vicious counterattacks and precision takedowns attracting self-defense practitioners who wanted the best in street-fighting functionality. As a bonus, it offered a fascinating dose of Asian culture. I had the good fortune of starting my si

Before Tae Bo became a household name , the martial arts world got its first real glimpse of Billy Blanks  in January 1983. That month’s...

Donnie Williams and Steve Muhammad , two towering figures of the Black Karate Federation (BKF) . Together, they formed a dynamic duo...

Most martial artists know that Fred Weintraub served as producer of Enter the Dragon , the 1973 Bruce Lee blockbuster. What few know is that Weintraub, even though he doesn’t regard himself as a martial artist, has a laudable track record in fight filmmaking. He’s produced a slew of other movies, many of which boasted notable Hollywood stars. Here’s a partial list with some of Weintraub’s fondest memories — and comments from Black Belt ’s resident cinema expert.

In Hyuk Suh , the founder of Kuk Sool Won, graced the November 1983 cover of Black Belt  magazine , but his story began long before that....

NEVER STOP EVOLVING Ricardo Liborio had spent most of the year preparing for a single match against grappling legend Mario Sperry at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship. Then, three weeks out, he fractured his wrist. Nearly 20 years earlier, when Liborio was considered one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors on the planet, his career had come to a similarly sudden halt. It happened when a broken jaw and the 11 surgeries required to repair

Known as Burmese boxing in the West and Myanmar traditional boxing in the land of its birth, lethwei is a bare-knuckle fight sport...