Black Belt Magazine

Black Belt tells you everything you need to know about every style of self-defense in the world! It offers the broadest, most informative coverage of all aspects of the traditional fighting disciplines that were developed in Asia, as well as the modern eclectic systems that were devised in the West.

LIFE BEGINS (AGAIN) AT 60

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Black Belt Magazine

BLACK BELT TIME BRUCE LEE • REMEMBERED ON 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

TITO ORTIZ ELECTED TO CITY COUNCIL

JUDO SCHOOL ESTABLISHED ON MOUNT EVEREST

POLICE SHUT DOWN UNDERGROUND FIGHT CLUB

FRENCH WOMEN DOMINATE AT EUROPEAN JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS

WORLD TAEKWONDO TO MOVE HEADQUARTERS

PAN AM NO-GI COMPETITION CONCLUDES IN ATLANTA

TAKAKEISHO WINS EMPEROR’S CUP SUMO TITLE

MA BAOGUO REMOVED FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

LONGEST-REIGNING BOXING CHAMP FINALLY LOSES

LEDUC WINS AS BURMESE BOXING DEBUTS IN U.S.

RUSSIA DOMINATES WORLD SAMBO CHAMPIONSHIPS

CHINA SEEKS GREATER REGULATION OF MMA

ADCC WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSTPONED

DOJO LISTINGS

BECOME A BL ACK BELT DISTRIBUTOR!

COMMUNITY

MARTIAL ARTS VS. FIGHTING ARTS • JUDO ISN’T REALLY GOOD FOR SELF-DEFENSE. TRADITIONAL KARATE COMPETITIONS THAT DON’T HAVE ANY CONTACT AREN’T VERY EXCITING. TAI CHI DOESN’T DO ANYTHING FOR AEROBIC FITNESS. TAEKWONDO IS JUST A SPORT. COMMENTS LIKE THESE ARE COMMON IN MARTIAL ARTS CIRCLES. OFTEN, THEY COME FROM THOSE WHO IMAGINE THEMSELVES MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED AND COMPETENT THAN PERHAPS THEY ARE. WHEN WE HEAR SUCH STATEMENTS, WE WOULD DO WELL TO CONSIDER WHAT IS REALLY BEING SAID. MORE IMPORTANT, WHEN EVALUATING ANY ASPECT OF A FIGHTING ART, WE NEED TO BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT ART IS FOR.

LEON JAY IS OUT TO SPREAD SMALL-CIRCLE JUJITSU AND SMALL-CIRCLE JUDO • FEW MARTIAL ARTISTS HAVE NOT HEARD OF WALLY JAY AND SMALL-CIRCLE JUJITSU. A MEMBER OF THE BLACK BELT HALL OF FAME, JAY WROTE MUCH ABOUT THE ART HE FOUNDED, AS HAVE NUMEROUS OTHERS. WHAT MANY PEOPLE AREN’T AWARE OF IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM THAT’S TAKING PLACE UNDER LEON JAY.

10 YEARS OF TRAVEL, PART 3 • THIS IS THE CONCLUSION OF THE ESSAY A WANDERING WRITER NAMED ANTONIO GRACEFFO COMPOSED TO COMMEMORATE THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS COLUMN’S LAUNCH. IT PRESENTS HIS CONCLUSIONS REGARDING THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S MARTIAL ARTS.

11 PATHS TO KIDNEY-PUNCHING PROWESS • DISCLAIMER: IN THIS COLUMN, I PRESENT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS NOW-ILLEGAL FIGHTING TACTIC FOR A BIT OF HISTORICAL DELVING. FIRST THINGS FIRST, HOWEVER. NEVER USE A KIDNEY PUNCH IN AN ACTIVITY THAT’S CATEGORIZED AS SPORT OR TRAINING. THE RISK IS SIMPLY TOO GREAT. WHAT HAPPENS IN A SELF-DEFENSE SITUATION IS A HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR.

CRASH THE GAP, THEN STRIKE WITH FULL BODYWEIGHT! • I ALWAYS ADVISE COMBATIVES STUDENTS TO CONTINUOUSLY BUILD A GAP — A SPACE OR DISTANCE — BETWEEN THEMSELVES AND THEIR ATTACKER TO INCREASE THE POWER OF THEIR ELBOWS AND KNEES. HOW SHOULD YOU GO ABOUT DOING THIS? I’LL EXPLAIN.

HOW BRUCE LEE CONQUERED THE RAT

ESSENTIAL GEAR

ICONS OF COBRA KAI • GET WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE OF RALPH MACCHIO, WILLIAM ZABKA AND MARTIN KOVE!

FROM STUDENT TO MASTER • In Cobra Kai, Ralph Macchio plays an older and wiser Daniel LaRusso, a martial artist who frequently imparts the wisdom of Mr. Miyagi — and who still uses his teacher’s unorthodox methods to convey life lessons and martial arts morals to the next generation.

LEGACY OF JOHNNY • In the Karate Kid movies, William Zabka portrayed bad guy Johnny Lawrence. In Cobra Kai, he adds depth to the character, who’s struggling to adjust to the 21st century after decades of being the archetypal bully.

JOHN KREESE AND THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR • Martin Kove’s darkly charismatic John Kreese is a unique blend of...