In English, our slang expressions and idioms reflect the role firearms have played in our history. No doubt you've heard many of them: “He's firing with both barrels,” “You should stick to your guns,” and so on. In Japan, the sword was the weapon that dominated. Whether you were a samurai who carried two swords or a member of another class who wore a single long or short sword, the blade played an enormous role in your culture.

The famed Tong Dojo of New York — home to black belt champions like Thomas “La Puppet” and Hawk Frazier — was led by George Cofield. Cofield established the Tong Dojo in 1959, becoming one of the first Black instructors to commercially teach martial arts in the United States.

Who Were These Two Gentlemen and What Was Their Place in Karate History? Read on to find more... The All-Japan Karate Championships, founded in 1957, has long stood as the ultimate proving ground for Japan’s top karateka. Organized annually by the Japan Karate Association (JKA), the event brings together the best of the best to test their skill in Kata  and Kumite . When the very first championship was held, it was strictly a domestic affair - only Japanese competitors were p

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

My Time With Professor William K.S. Chow It was April 1986, and I was piloting a rental up a long hill in Honolulu. Just as I started to doubt the directions, I topped out and spotted the church. The structure was dark and silent, almost looking abandoned, but nearby stood another building, the fellowship hall. The lights were on, and cars were in the lot. I parked and nervously approached the open door, a briefcase containing my letter of introduction and some photos in han

Let’s spend a little time with a man whose parents seemed to have some idea of what they were bringing forth when they christened him...

Eastern arts, for the most part, have a built-in hierarchy of adherence to lineage and tradition. In other words, “My master was taught...

In addition to forgetting, one of the problems with aging—oddly enough—is remembering. "I remember when you could get a cup of coffee for 10 cents." "I remember when gas was 25 cents a gallon." After hearing me make a few statements like that, a young student asked, "What about Judo? What was it like back in the day?" This is the way I happened to experience the history of judo.

There is a moment, in some rituals of the tea ceremony, that calls for the kettle to be lifted from the charcoal brazier that heats it....

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...

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.

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

Get ready, grasshopper… we’re rewinding to the '70s and stepping into the world of the TV Series Kung Fu!

The practice of martial arts in the United States started small and was mostly limited to World War II veterans