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,

Front and center on this vintage cover: promoter Joe Corley  stepping into the spotlight for what was billed as The Karate Match of the...

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...

The November 1972 cover of Karate Illustrated  featured action film star Calvin Lockhart, best known for his roles as Reverend Deke...

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...

The February 1993 cover of Black Belt featured Joe Lewis, the legendary fighter who revolutionized American martial arts. A former Marine...

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

If you want to make it in the martial arts biz, you've got to connect with dojo shoppers. They're the people who look for deals before...

The March 1970 early edition of Karate Illustrated featured Tonny Tulleners, a formidable martial artist best known as the 1965...

Each week's Black Belt Watchlist is free to watch on Pluto TV! This week on the Black Belt Watchlist , we spotlight a visually stunning...

In the world of martial arts, few events carry the historical weight of the legendary Long Beach Internationals. For decades, this...

Today, we honor a living legend whose journey through martial arts has profoundly shaped the landscape we know today: Dan Inosanto. From...

Do you have a Bruce Lee story — a moment where he inspired your path, shaped your mindset, or changed your life? On the anniversary of...