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.

MARTIAL MEMORIES

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Black Belt Magazine

RELIVE THE TOKYO OLYMPICS AS CONVERED ON THE BLACK BELT BLOG!

5 QUESTIONS WITH OLYMPIC JUDOKA NEFELI PAPADAKIS

DOJO LISTINGS

COMMUNITY

HOW A FORGOTTEN KARATE PIONEER BUILT A BUDO MECCA • HISTORY HAS A FLOW. SOME CHARACTERS ARE CAUGHT IN THE CURRENTS AND CARRIED ALONG, WHILE OTHERS FALL INTO EDDIES AND ARE SOON FORGOTTEN.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? ROYCE GRACIE • WHEN BLACK BELT DECIDED TO DO A SERIES OF COLUMNS ON THE EARLY UFC FIGHTERS AND WHERE THEY ARE NOW, THE OBVIOUS CHOICE TO START WITH WAS THE MAN MOST RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THE UFC, BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU AND THE WHOLE GRACIE FAMILY ON THE MAP. I’M TALKING ABOUT THE CHAMPION OF UFC 1, 2 AND 4: ROYCE GRACIE. THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DECIDING; IT WAS FINDING OUT JUST WHERE HE WAS SO I COULD SET UP AN INTERVIEW. THEY SAID HE MIGHT BE IN HAWAII OR RIO. OR AUSTRALIA. OR BALI.

CAMBODIA VS. CHINA • THE TRADITIONAL ART OF CAMBODIA IS BOKATOR. IN MANY WAYS, IT’S SIMILAR TO MUAY BORAN, SILAT TOMOI AND OTHER SOUTHEAST ASIAN SYSTEMS, BUT UNLIKE THOSE STYLES, IT’S A CODIFIED MARTIAL ART WITH BELT RANKS (CALLED KRAMA), ANIMAL TECHNIQUES, WEAPONS, KICKS, PUNCHES, ELBOWS, KNEES, LOCKS AND WRESTLING MOVES.

URBAN ACTION SHOWCASE AND EXPO • AT SOME POINT IN THEIR LIVES, ALL PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES SAVING THE DAY. IF YOU’RE READY TO DO JUST THAT — OR IF YOU’RE A FAN OF ACTION, ADVENTURE, MARTIAL ARTS, SCI-FI AND SUPERHERO CINEMA — YOU WON’T WANT TO MISS THE 2021 URBAN ACTION SHOWCASE AND EXPO VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE IN NOVEMBER.

EVALUATING THE 4 MAJOR CLINCHES • THE OVER-UNDER IS THE BIG DOG OF CLINCHES IN MMA AND SUBMISSION GRAPPLING — AND FOR GOOD REASON. WE’LL GET TO THAT REASON IN A MINUTE, BUT FIRST LET’S LOOK AT WHY WE SEE SO LITTLE OF THE THREE OTHER MAJOR CLINCHES: THE TRADITIONAL BOXING CLINCH, THE COLLAR-AND-ELBOW CLINCH AND THE PLUM BLOSSOM, AKA THE MUAY THAI CLINCH.

PURPOSE, FEAR AND MINDSET, PART 2 • A PROPER COMBAT MINDSET IS ABOUT THE “WILL TO WIN,” OR PERHAPS MORE APTLY, THE “WILL TO DESTROY.” IT’S THE CORE ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTE THAT EMPOWERS YOUR SELF-DEFENSE RESPONSE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. NOW, THIS NUTSHELL DEFINITION MAY SUFFICE FOR THOSE WHO INTRINSICALLY HAVE IT IN THEIR NATURE ALREADY. HOWEVER, FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T FULLY TAPPED THEIR POTENTIAL, IT’S NOT ENOUGH. FOR THESE PEOPLE, IF THE GOAL IS TO TRULY DEVELOP AND OPTIMIZE SELF-DEFENSE ABILITY, HAVING AN INDOMITABLE WILL TO WIN IS A MUST; WITHOUT IT, SKILL DEVELOPMENT IS NEARLY USELESS.

SILAT WARRIORS TO FLYING SWORD: THE NEW EAST AND THE NEO-WEST

ESSENTIAL GEAR

STAND BY ME • SHANNON LEE Weighs in on Bruce Lee’s Film Depiction and His Real Role in the World

NEW FROM SHANNON LEE AND THE BRUCE LEE FOUNDATION!

Living Legacy • The Ever-Changing World of Jeet Kune Do Instruction

BATTLING BRUCE LEE • A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR FIGHT QUOTIENT!

BIRTH OF JEET KUNE DO • WHEN IT HAPPENED AND WHY IT MATTERS

MISSING LINK • THIS PROVEN JUDO ARM LOCK CAN BE YOUR SECRET WEAPON IN BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU, TOO!

MEDICAL IMPLICATIONS OF WAKI-GATAME

BREAKING FREE • Is It Time to Abandon Breaking, or Does It Still Play a Valuable Role in Martial Arts Training?

MANAGING RISK

FRIENDLY FIRE

A TRADITIONAL WAY TO TEACH LIFE LESSONS • MY SON IS AN AVID PRACTITIONER OF BRAZILIAN JIU-JITSU. THREE YEARS AGO, HE SWITCHED TO BJJ AFTER EARNING HIS BROWN BELT IN TAEKWONDO. I’M NOT ENTIRELY SURE...