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

The following is a snippet of a feature found exclusively in the Spring 2025 issue of Black Belt Magazine. Since 1979, Burton Richardson...

With the popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) competition continuing to climb on television and online, martial artists of all stripes are becoming more well-rounded in their approach to fighting. The bad news is criminals are learning, too. Police officers report that it’s now common for suspects to challenge arresting officers physically using MMA moves. That means the good guys and gals — people like you — must be prepared to fend off an attacker who may be skilled in ki

In a world where personal safety is paramount, the need for practical self-defense techniques has never been more pressing.

The best ways to stun an opponent with empty hand.

I had the privilege of teaching several sessions at Taky Kimura’s Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle Instructors Conference in Washington.

We asked some of the most decorated martial arts experts in the  world “what is the best kick to stun an opponent?

It’s an all-out brawl, no guns allowed,  what weapon would you bring to a fight  and why?  We asked some of the top experts in combatives and got their opinions. What's yours?

So, there's this martial art called silat, right? It's this big umbrella term for a bunch of different fighting styles from Southeast...