On November 12, 1993, two men stepped into an oddly shaped cage to determine who possessed superior fighting skills. Twenty-six seconds later, the face of the martial arts and the entire sporting landscape had changed forever - although no one knew it at the time. One of those men was a massive sumo wrestler from Hawaii, who fought under the name of Teila Tuli. The other was a lanky Dutch striker named Gerard Gordeau. Their looks weren’t the only thing that was different; the

In the 1980s, a wave of devices hit the market promising to improve one’s flexibility. Among them was a contraption that became legendary...

Every martial artist dreams of training for life—not just hitting a peak in their twenties and fading out, but staying strong, sharp, and motivated well into their fifties, sixties, and beyond. The secret? It’s not about training harder. It’s about training smarter and building habits that keep your body—and your passion—going for the long haul. Here are the habits that can keep you kicking, punching, and rolling for decades: 1. Treat Recovery Like Training You don’t “earn” t

The July 7, 2015, edition of The Washington Post  described an incident in which a man on a moving train allegedly punched a passenger until he fell, then stabbed him repeatedly in the torso and arms until he died. As the crime unfolded, other passengers in the coach watched; not one intervened. The tendency to not get involved, dubbed the “bystander effect,” is becoming the norm these days, particularly in big cities where a sense of community doesn’t exist. Rather than help

Learn How to Deal With Them Now in the Dojo — or Use Your Techniques at Your Own Risk on the Street! I’d arrived early to meet a friend for dinner, but his class was still in session, so I watched from the viewing area. The students were practicing handgun defense under the tutelage of a senior student — which probably explained why it appeared so casual. I’m sure you’ve seen classes like that one, with mundane repetitions, comfortable surroundings and friendly pairings. You

Early Days in Silat Fighters in Southeast Asia have practiced pencak silat for thousands of years, but it didn’t capture the attention of Western martial artists until the late 1980s. Suddenly, the Indonesian system was everywhere, with its vicious counterattacks and precision takedowns attracting self-defense practitioners who wanted the best in street-fighting functionality. As a bonus, it offered a fascinating dose of Asian culture. I had the good fortune of starting my si

Donnie Williams and Steve Muhammad , two towering figures of the Black Karate Federation (BKF) . Together, they formed a dynamic duo...

Most martial artists know that Fred Weintraub served as producer of Enter the Dragon , the 1973 Bruce Lee blockbuster. What few know is that Weintraub, even though he doesn’t regard himself as a martial artist, has a laudable track record in fight filmmaking. He’s produced a slew of other movies, many of which boasted notable Hollywood stars. Here’s a partial list with some of Weintraub’s fondest memories — and comments from Black Belt ’s resident cinema expert.

NEVER STOP EVOLVING Ricardo Liborio had spent most of the year preparing for a single match against grappling legend Mario Sperry at the Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championship. Then, three weeks out, he fractured his wrist. Nearly 20 years earlier, when Liborio was considered one of the best Brazilian jiu-jitsu competitors on the planet, his career had come to a similarly sudden halt. It happened when a broken jaw and the 11 surgeries required to repair

Known as Burmese boxing in the West and Myanmar traditional boxing in the land of its birth, lethwei is a bare-knuckle fight sport...

On a hot Saturday afternoon, when most people were seeking a cool theater or a breezy beach, I headed to Pasadena to watch my friend and...

This past Thursday night, August 21st, in Los Angeles, I attended the screening of Shadow's Edge , Jackie Chan’s latest film, which opens...

My Time With Professor William K.S. Chow It was April 1986, and I was piloting a rental up a long hill in Honolulu. Just as I started to doubt the directions, I topped out and spotted the church. The structure was dark and silent, almost looking abandoned, but nearby stood another building, the fellowship hall. The lights were on, and cars were in the lot. I parked and nervously approached the open door, a briefcase containing my letter of introduction and some photos in han

James Mitose , a Japanese American martial artist, is credited with bringing the art of kenpo  to the United States in 1936. Brilliant...

Senryu are not as familiar to Westerners as the more popular haiku. Senryu look much like haiku, but they don’t usually contain a seasonal word and they’re often more like aphorisms. They’re little bits of doggerel that often contain truths hidden in humor or quiet commentaries on the human condition. There are several senryu that address the life and culture of the samurai class and its martial arts. It’s revealing to look at them because they give us an idea of how the samu

There's something powerfully intimidating about a traditional dojo. It looks like nothing we have in the West. What is intimidating is the emptiness of it all. There’s nothing to distract, nothing to divert one’s attention. The emptiness, severe and silent, can work on the mind. This emptiness is deliberate. Life is full of distractions. Many of them serve to keep us from looking into ourselves, a process that can be uncomfortable. We can distract ourselves with video games,

Ready to hear the wild story behind our January 1976 Black Belt cover? Long before Instagram fighters, YouTube beefs, or TikTok callouts,...

If you’re taking medical advice from someone like me, you have more serious problems than can be addressed in a column. So it is that I never offer any advice on gaining flexibility. If you have questions about improving yours, consult a physical therapist. Unless your sensei has that kind of professional training, he has no business giving you instruction on flexibility other than to say, “This is what has worked for me.” That is what I would say. I can tell you, however, wh

Most combatives practitioners spend a lot of time learning to develop powerful strikes. It’s important to be efficient, to be able to exploit the momentary vulnerabilities your attacker presents and not waste them on half-assed or weak attempts at hitting and hurting. Unfortunately, what people don’t spend enough time on in their martial arts training is understanding the importance of movement, establishing range, and being harder to hit. Sure, the combatives mentality lends

In a world often dominated by egos and the clamor for recognition, Tony Thompson  stood apart—not by demanding the spotlight, but by...

Do you know his name? Do you remember his legacy? If you do, share a memory—keep his spirit alive. He began his martial arts journey in...

Today marks the nationwide release of Trouble Man, the latest high-impact action thriller from martial arts legend Michael Jai White. ...

Each week's Black Belt Watchlist is free to watch on Pluto TV! This week on the Black Belt Watch List, we step into the underground fight...

Martial artists can learn a lot from people who have mastered different realms of combat because often the principles and tactics they use can be adapted to what we do. Case in point:  Oswald Boelcke. This German flying ace was one of the top innovators and instructors in the Axis air force during World War I. Among his many accomplishments, Boelcke chose a young Baron Manfred von Richthofen to become his pupil and coached him to an astonishing string of air victories. Von Ri