The December 1984 Karate Illustrated cover featured a young Charlie Lee from Washington DC, with the headline "Tae Kwon Do: a New...

THIS MIGHT COME as a surprise to many who train in Japanese karate, who have come to regard Funakoshi (1868-1957) as the most...

The August 1970 Karate Illustrated featured one of Southern California's top competitors Carlos Bunda, featured on the cover with his...

The 1979 Karate Illustrated throwback features Bill "Superfoot Wallace" with PKA Heavyweight Champion Ernest Hart.

History has a flow; some characters are caught in the currents and carried along, while others fall into an eddy and are soon forgotten.

The Jan 1973 Karate Illustrated cover featured Steve Sanders, the then International Karate Champion..

Jamie Christine Lim is a Filipino Karateka and SEA Games gold medal champion in the women's kumite.

A story about a homeless person who’s also a martial arts master, and it became an acclaimed short film titled The Legend of Kung Funk.

 If You’re A Student Of Japanese Or Okinawan Karate, You’ve Been Introduced To The First Of The Five Heian Or Pinan Kata.

At 84, Chuck Norris is still at the top of his game, from movies to TV and even endorsements. Here is a special listicle from our publisher.

A Critical Look at Chojun Miyagi’s Landmark 1936 Lecture on the Origins of Karate

In matters of karate kata, there are all sorts of purported explanations for what’s really going on. What appears to be a simple step...

In the dynamic realm of martial arts, a new generation of super athletes is emerging and they're rewriting the script on what it means to excel in this ancient discipline.  These remarkable women have devoted their lives to the art of combat, and their dedication is yielding extraordinary results. Through teaching, competition, and captivating movie performances, they are not only pushing the boundaries of their sport but also inspiring countless others along the way.

Spring is here in the Northern Hemisphere, which means if you’ve been going through the motions the last few weeks of winter, it’s time...

In the annals of martial arts history, there exists a technique so formidable, so revered, that it became synonymous with the Blood and Guts era of Karate. Enter the ridge hand – a maneuver so potent that careers were built upon its execution alone. The genesis of the ridge hand phenomenon can be traced back to the original Blood and Guts crew, a league of legendary fighters whose names resound through time. Among them were titans like Mike Stone, Allen Steen, Pat Burleson, F

Christine Bannon Rodrigues 9x WAKO World Karate Champion, SAG stunt woman, master instructor and co-promoter of the Ocean State Grand...

by Christopher Cockrell The word "legend" conjures up images of larger-than-life figures who have performed unbelievable feats over the...

Throughout Black Belt's illustrious 63-year history, the flying sidekick has remained among the most revered techniques, the flying side kick first appeared in 1965 and the last in 2014. Earning a place of honor as one of the standout moves performed by the masters and champions featured on magazine covers. In this tribute, we honor the trailblazing pioneers who flawlessly executed this unforgettable maneuver, leaving an indelible imprint on the martial arts landscape. Their

Martial arts, a blend of skill, discipline, and philosophy, offer far more than just self-defense techniques. Across centuries, they've...

When explaining the origin of the nunchaku, we need to follow different historical paths which lead us to ancient history and direct us...

The debate over what truly defines the world's greatest Martial Arts Magazines is a nuanced one, with various perspectives on the...

Think about how words, spoken or heard, can influence the way we train in the dojo. Those same words can influence the way we move our...

Ask the average karate practitioner to name the main styles of Japan, and chances are he’ll rattle off shotokan, goju-ryu and wado-ryu with no trouble. But unless he’s really up on his art, there’s a good likelihood that he’ll stumble over the name of the fourth major style, snap his fi ngers and ask quizzically, “What’s the name of that other one, again?” That other style is shito-ryu, and any karate student’s puzzlement about it is somewhat understandable. That’s because sh

Most karateka will recognize names like Funakoshi and Motobu. Far fewer know anything about Yasuhiro Konishi even though he was a pivotal...