Editor's Note: Did you miss the Spring 2025 issue of Black Belt ? Here's a look at one of the cover stories that ran in the special issue. Even better, you can check out the WHOLE issue with Black Belt Plus ! With this story, we honor not just a martial artist or movie star, but a man whose life touched the hearts of generations. Richard Norton was a legend, one whose journey we were all fortunate enough to witness. Long before Russell Crowe or Hugh Jackman ever dreamed of Hollywood, Richard...

In 1983, Black Belt Magazine  captured a pivotal moment in martial arts history. Its cover featured a young Stephen K. Hayes  alongside Ninja Grandmaster Masaaki Hatsumi , marking Hatsumi’s first visit to the United States. At the time, Hatsumi was 52 years old and already the inheritor of several classical Japanese martial traditions, including Togakure-ryū Ninjutsu . His journey to America was more than a seminar tour—it was the formal introduction of authentic ninjutsu to the Western...

In Japanese, the most common way to politely acknowledge something you’ve been told is wakarimasu : “I understand.” However, this is a word you should never use in the dojo. Chances are good that if you’re reading this, you have at least some kind of intellectual leaning. For you, karate and the other budo aren’t entirely physical. You also want to know about their history and philosophy. You want to grasp them on an intellectual plane, as well as a physical plane. There’s nothing wrong with...