The July 1976 cover of Black Belt magazine featured Kenny Knudson , widely known as the "Midwest Karate King." A legendary martial...

The master of martial arts demos himself—Tadashi Yamashita—graced the cover of Karate Illustrated in 1978. Already an international star...

From his first championship win in 1964 to earning the Black Belt Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, Mike Stone has never...

This 1980 cover of Black Belt  magazine featured Mike Stone , the first American Karate Champion and a member of the prestigious Black...

Do you remember Jay T. Will? Featured on the cover in 1975, Jay T. Will trained under American kenpo legends Ed Parker and Al Tracy,...

Do you have a favorite Steve Fisher memory? The March 1978 cover of Karate Illustrated   spotlighted Steve Fisher —fondly known as “The...

The November 1973 edition of Karate Illustrated featured Emil Farkas , widely known as the “Karate Instructor to the Stars.” As the...

The January 1974 cover of Karate Illustrated featured “Super Dan” Anderson , founder of American Freestyle Karate. A four-time national...

The September 1969 issue of Karate Illustrated featured a young Pat Burleson alongside an even younger Pat Johnson—two trailblazers whose...

The December 1982 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, alongside his wife, Lisa. Sliwa...

Many Black Belt  readers may be familiar with the Japanese phrase ken ki tai ichi . It means that one’s weapon ( ken , which can be...

Who remembers this iconic cover—the July 1975 issue of Karate Illustrated ? It inspired decades of look-alike poses, emulated by martial...

Here’s one for you to kick around with your dojo mates the next time you’re relaxing after training. It was back in the 1960s, a time...

The May 1988 cover of Karate/Kung Fu Illustrated spotlighted Jean Frenette , a 10-time Canadian kata champion and WAKO World Champion....

Think you know your Karate history?  Meet David Deaton —Karate Shihan and beloved champion. Named the #1 Lightweight Fighting Competitor...

Using a serrated bread knife, can you cut a baguette, a loaf of French bread, in a single stroke? If you can't, you have work to do in...

The May 1975 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Parker Shelton , a leading competitor in judo and karate during the 1970s. Ranked as...

“You can’t define someone else’s success—choose your own path in martial arts and life” –Stephan Kesting In this episode of The Black...

Black Belt Magazine showcased Hirokazu Kanazawa on the cover of the May 1987 issue. Widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in...

Featured on the cover of Karate Illustrated ’s January 1971 issue, the incredible Thomas LaPuppet stands as a defining figure in...

When the scenario is laid out, when you know what attacks will come and how you’re expected to respond, you can be forced to employ...

Much Emphasized, Yet Least Discussed One of the most emphasized yet least talked about karate techniques is kata—the dance-like series of...

Louis Delgado, who appeared on the December 1970 cover of Karate Illustrated , was one of the greatest fighters ever to emerge from the...

Karate Master Fumio Demura , renowned for his expertise and contributions to martial arts, strikes powerfully on the cover of the April...