Swordsmen, Grapplers and Others Visit Black Belt
Swordsmen, Grapplers and Others Visit Black Belt |
Personal-protection security expert Alain Cohen visited Black Belt for a four-day multimedia marathon, shooting a magazine feature with photographer Thomas Sanders and a six-DVD series based on the belt levels of his Krav Maga Security system with videographers from RossG.com. For more information on Cohen, visit his Web site at www.krav-security.com.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu's adaptability is epitomized by the accomplishments of this amazing master of the art and legend in his own time, Jean-Jacques Machado. If you were to take away three fingers from one hand, leaving only a thumb, reaching the heights of competitive grappling might not be on your list of things to achieve. Machado has instead completely disregarded the logic of the odds and made a career in BJJ that few will ever experience. His story is so inspiring that it has become the subject of a documentary film, Force of the Spirit, which opened the screening schedule of the Monaco Charity Film Festival 2008 on May 13. Machado came in to shoot technique sequences for an upcoming feature story.
ALVARO BARRETO Ninth-degree black-belt Alvaro Barreto, accompanied by student and expert-in-his-own-right Pedro Carvalho, came in for a photo shoot for an upcoming Brazilian jiu-jitsu article. Barreto runs the Academia Corpo Quatro in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Carvalho’s books can be purchased in our online store.
JAMES WILLIAMS James Williams recently visited Black Belt to shoot the August 2008 issue’s cover with photographer Thomas Sanders. A 48-year veteran of the martial arts, Williams is the founder of Bugei Trading Company, a renowned source for quality swords and armor. Williams runs his own school in Encinitas, California, and oversees a network of instructors and students who carry on his nami ryu system around the United States.
Interim Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre found time in his very tight schedule to come in for a photo shoot. If you don’t already know, he’s considered by many to be one of the top pound-for-pound mixed martial artists on the planet. Plus, he’s a genuine martial artist, a longtime student of kyokushin karate.
MAC DANZIG The Ultimate Fighter Season 6 winner Mac Danzig came up from his Hollywood digs to talk exclusively with Black Belt about his experiences in mixed martial arts and how he got to where he is today. He demonstrated a few of his moves for the camera while he was here, too. Look for a feature on Danzig in the August 2008 issue!
KELLY MCCANN Reality self-defense expert Kelly McCann came in for a cover shoot and rattled the walls with the force of his demo. It was one of those rare occasions when the subjects actually drew blood while performing for the camera. McCann appeared on the cover of the June 2008 issue of Black Belt. VIDEO - Kelly McCann: Baton vs. Knife VIDEO - Kelly McCann: Arm-Drag Takedown VIDEO - Kelly McCann: "Handshake" Situations VIDEO - Kelly McCann: Jugular Notch Demo VIDEO - Kelly McCann: Lapel Grab / Chin Jab Demo VIDEO - Kelly McCann: Time Lag in Combatives
HAYWARD NISHIOKA Judo master Hayward Nishioka dropped by to discuss some ideas he has for articles and possibly a new book! DVD TRAILER - Hayward Nishioka: Judo Part 1 DVD TRAILER - Hayward Nishioka: Judo Part 2 DVD TRAILER - Hayward Nishioka: Judo Part 3
JON FONSECA Full-contact fighter Jon Fonseca stopped by for a photo shoot, accompanied by Charles Bremner (a representative from Adidas, Fonseca’s sponsor) and a few sparring partners. Look for Fonseca in an upcoming issue.
MIKE CHATURANTABUT Black Belt Managing Editor Edward Pollard visited Mike Chaturantabut’s new Xtreme Martial Arts studio in North Hollywood’s bustling NoHo Arts District on Lankershim Boulevard. Chat was just wrapping up a weekend-long seminar with a dedicated group of students that had come from all over the continent for the privilege to study with the young expert. The studio features a sunken trampoline, a foam trough and a spring-loaded exercise mat to facilitate many of the acrobatic moves that are taught in the XMA program. Read more about XMA in this interview with Mike Chaturantabut! |
