The knife hand strike, once the crown jewel of karate demonstrations, has had quite a fall from grace. Once upon a time, every martial arts student dreamed of chopping through boards like a lumberjack with an anger management problem. Instructors would proudly line up pine planks, and students would step forward with the confidence of someone who definitely wasn’t about to bruise their hand. These days, though, the karate chop feels like it’s been filed away with other retro

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.

The January 1976 cover featured acclaimed point fighter turned kickboxer and proud BKF member Lenny Ferguson—now known as Abdul Latif Muhammad. He made history as the first African American to win the Grand Championship at the Long Beach Internationals and was a member of the Los Angeles Stars in the NKL league. Still active today, Muhammad is regarded as one of the true pioneers of Southern California martial arts.

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

It’s an argument as old as the dojo itself: Would you rather face someone who’s stronger  than you — or better trained? Every generation...

“Sensei, is what you’re talking about similar to what Miyamoto Musashi said in Go Rin No Sho  when he was explaining the effects of go no sen ?” This is the sort of question one occasionally hears in the dojo. Of course, we can say that there are no stupid questions, but we need to understand that at times there are inappropriate questions. One of the most inappropriate questions you can ask in the dojo is one that’s intended not to better your understanding of a topic but to

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

On a hot Saturday afternoon, when most people were seeking a cool theater or a breezy beach, I headed to Pasadena to watch my friend and...

There's something powerfully intimidating about a traditional dojo. It looks like nothing we have in the West. What is intimidating is the emptiness of it all. There’s nothing to distract, nothing to divert one’s attention. The emptiness, severe and silent, can work on the mind. This emptiness is deliberate. Life is full of distractions. Many of them serve to keep us from looking into ourselves, a process that can be uncomfortable. We can distract ourselves with video games,

If you’re taking medical advice from someone like me, you have more serious problems than can be addressed in a column. So it is that I never offer any advice on gaining flexibility. If you have questions about improving yours, consult a physical therapist. Unless your sensei has that kind of professional training, he has no business giving you instruction on flexibility other than to say, “This is what has worked for me.” That is what I would say. I can tell you, however, wh

Do you know his name? Do you remember his legacy? If you do, share a memory—keep his spirit alive. He began his martial arts journey in...

The February 1993 cover of Black Belt featured Joe Lewis, the legendary fighter who revolutionized American martial arts. A former Marine...

The master of martial arts demos himself—Tadashi Yamashita—graced the cover of Karate Illustrated in 1978. Already an international star...

From his first championship win in 1964 to earning the Black Belt Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, Mike Stone has never...

This 1980 cover of Black Belt  magazine featured Mike Stone , the first American Karate Champion and a member of the prestigious Black...

What’s the most unforgettable breaking demo you’ve ever seen? The August 1975 cover of Black Belt Magazine featured tae kwon do master...

The November 1973 edition of Karate Illustrated featured Emil Farkas , widely known as the “Karate Instructor to the Stars.” As the...

The December 1982 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, alongside his wife, Lisa. Sliwa...

Many Black Belt  readers may be familiar with the Japanese phrase ken ki tai ichi . It means that one’s weapon ( ken , which can be...

Here’s one for you to kick around with your dojo mates the next time you’re relaxing after training. It was back in the 1960s, a time...

Imagine a political leader going to Duluth to tell Minnesotans this: “You are the descendants of Vikings. You have the blood of warriors...

The March 1994 cover of Black Belt Magazine featured Richard Norton alongside kickboxing champion Peter Cunningham, photographed by Doug...

Using a serrated bread knife, can you cut a baguette, a loaf of French bread, in a single stroke? If you can't, you have work to do in...

The May 1975 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Parker Shelton , a leading competitor in judo and karate during the 1970s. Ranked as...