Some dreams find you when you're not looking. For Bampara Kouyate, one Instagram message transformed his entire world, launching the #2...

The February 1973 cover of Black Belt magazine spotlighted martial artist Darnell Garcia . A Chuck Norris student who earned his black...

Loss has a way of reshaping champions, and for Jackie Buntan, the pain of losing her father has become fuel for her most ambitious goal...

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

Before Tae Bo became a household name , the martial arts world got its first real glimpse of Billy Blanks  in January 1983. That month’s...

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.

In Hyuk Suh , the founder of Kuk Sool Won, graced the November 1983 cover of Black Belt  magazine , but his story began long before that....

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...

The February 1982 cover of Karate Illustrated showcased the stellar Karen Sheperd on its cover. Long before women were expected to...

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

The December 1972 cover of Black Belt featured the legendary Eric Lee . Remember the “Little King of Kata”? Lee was one of the first to...

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

The July 1976 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Master AlGene Caraulia — devoted martial artist, champion, and promoter. Caraulia...

ABDOUL ABDOURAGUIMOV TO FACE KEVIN JOUSSET IN PFL EUROPE NANTES MAIN EVENT AT THE ZENITH NANTES METROPOLE ON 26 SEPT Abdoul “Lazy King”...

Archie Colgan Puts Undefeated Record on the Line Against New Zealand’s Jay-Jay Wilson 2024 PFL Europe Bantamweight Champion Lewis...

TWO WORLD TITLE FIGHTS HEADLINE PFL’S RETURN TO DUBAI ON OCT. 3 USMAN NURMAGOMEDOV VS. PAUL HUGHES FOR THE PFL LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD TITLE...

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

The January 2001 cover of Black Belt   Cover featured 17–0 professional kickboxing world champion turned MMA and movie star Cung Le . Le...

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,