Latest Issue

JUNE 2008

On-sale date: Tuesday, April 22, 2008

COVER STORY

COMBAT IN THE REAL WORLD
In this exclusive interview, elite trainer Kelly McCann reveals what you need to do to think and fight like the men of the U.S. military.

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


FEATURES

OLD SHAOLIN
Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco unveils Shaolin kung fu's combat connection and its relationship to the five animals. 

A STYLE IS BORN
Kung Fu Panda is DreamWorks’ latest animated epic. With a sophisticated martial arts theme and a cast that includes Jack Black, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Angelina Jolie, it’s bound to be a hit.

UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH KYRA GRACIE
Meet the newest star of the legendary Brazilian grappling family and learn the secrets of her signature technique, the omo plata.

VIDEO - Kyra Gracie: Shooting a Brazilian Grappling Technique Feature

ULTIMATE DEFENSE
Burton Richardson outlines the strategy he developed for fending off a mixed martial artist on the street.

SEARCHING FOR TONY JAA
Antonio Graceffo concludes his account of his odyssey to Thailand, where he traces the roots of today’s hottest martial arts superstar.

BEGINNER’S GUIDE: CHOOSING THE RIGHT MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
There are 15 things you need to find out before you decide where to invest your time and money. Matthew J. Numrich tells you what they are.

DEPARTMENTS

JEET KUNE DO SOURCE
Teri Tom explains how to adjust the depth of your punches to achieve maximum effectiveness in different situations.

CUTTING EDGE
Carl E. Long explores the history behind kesa-giri, the diagonal cut of the Japanese sword arts.

PSYCHED
Dr. Randy Borum lists some of the not-so-obvious rewards of a lifelong commitment to the martial arts.

FIGHTBOOK
David Mamet’s new film Redbelt focuses on Brazilian jiu-jitsu and features the talents of John Machado, Renato Magno, Dan Inosanto and Randy Couture. 

HIGH RISK
Sgt. Jim Wagner has devised a method for surviving a close encounter with a gunman.

FULL CONTACT
Richard Ryan believes that the mixed-martial arts explosion is nothing more than the latest phase in the evolution of the martial arts.

KARATE WAY
Picking up a few self-defense tricks here and there shouldn’t be the main goal of karate practice, Dave Lowry says.

FAR EAST
Mark Jacobs talks about the unknown giant of the East, karate legend and NYPD trainer Albert Gotay.

WAY OF THE WARRIOR
After becoming a father for the first time, Keith Vargo muses on the responsibilities martial arts parents face as they raise their kids.

NEXT GENERATION
Joe Chianakas examines the crime of cyberbullying and discusses the best ways to deal with it.

SCREEN SHOTS
Patrick Vuong reviews Jean-Claude Van Damme’s The Shepherd: Border Patrol and Sonny Chiba’s The Shogun Collection.

CELEBRITY WATCH
Now that he’s written the best-selling The 4-Hour Workweek, Timothy Ferriss has plenty of time to practice the martial arts.

PLUS

Editorial + Mailbox + News + Essential Gear
Black Belt Pages + Classifieds + From the Archives

About the Cover
Kelly McCann was photographed by Thomas Sanders.
Deborah Reed Brown designed the cover.