In a recent fight between Michel Pereira and Santiago Ponzinibbio, something became evident early. Both men have matured a great deal in their Mixed Martial Arts careers. No doubt many fans find tactics and strategy boring, but real attention shows that the higher a fighter climbs through the ranks, the more they have to improve in their abilities to mitigate risks and avoid damage. Everyone hopes of course this does not lead to a snoozefest like the recent title fight between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza. There is a happy medium in there somewhere, probably. As the fight between Pereiea and Ponzinibbio progressed, the cumulative effect of the striking of each man became more and more apparent. The stats were telling the story that Santiago was having trouble with the distance he as a smaller man had to cover. Midway through round two Ponzinibbio had landed just 24% of his total strikes and Pereira 68% of his. However, it did not look like that if you were watching or happened to have the audio down. It seemed a fairly evenly matched fight even later in this same round as Santiago turned it up a bit. By the end of the fight, that gap was closed significantly. There is no shortage of old adages about the fact that success is a journey (heck, that is one right there) and that the way to succeed is incremental rather than instant. Marathons and sprints and such seem to find their way into most athletic conversation. It might be surprising (and funny) that the classic, “Inch by inch it’s all a cinch, by the yard it’s hard” was not spoken or written by a legendary football coach or Mark Twain, but a romance novelist. It is no less appropriate in this context though. This fight was not the explosive, highlight reel type affair most hope to see. But it was a methodical, tactical, and for a real fight fan, exciting fight. As they entered the third round, they both had urgency and threw to win. But still there was a real care and pro-level pacing from both men. Paul Felder commentating spoke of no wasted shots being thrown and the control of both men, and the question asked was, “who’s leading the dance?” This is the evidence of fighters who put in the time. It is not surprising that this effort would coincide with one of them being ranked and inching (yes, that just happened) toward title contention. This fight served as a fantastic example of the need for growth in ability if one aspires to rise in the ranks of professional Mixed Martial Arts. There is both the need for a ‘fighter’ mentality where hunger and ‘who wants it more’ comes into play, but the need for measured, calculated, strategy cannot be abandoned. Self-control and risk-taking is a fine line to walk. It seems the ability of a fighter to recognize where they are on that line comes with time in the training room. Running the marathon of growth. Getting beaten in sparring. Getting tapped by superior grapplers. Getting bested time and again to find the areas where improvement is needed. Of course, like many fights, Ponzinibbio and Pereira tried to find something in the tank at the end and as happens a lot – and why many fans love MMA – they entered the ‘dog fight’ stage at the end. At the end of the fight, it was not exactly clear who would get the decision. Both men gave a stellar account of their growth as Mixed Martial Artists. Both men maintained control, stayed in the fight, never wilted, never let their emotions take over – simply put, they fought a great fight. It is left up to the reader to look into who was the victor. The lesson here was that the day to day effort – the inch by inch – might leave you bloodied and exhausted, but it will also ensure you leave with dignity.

In Part 1 of “The Physics of Rebounding for Superspeed ” we took an in depth look at the physics behind the force production necessary to change the direction of our hands and quickly create effective weapons. In case you have forgotten or missed Part 1, the take home message of all the fancy physics equations is: “ The greater the change in directional speed of an object and the shorter the time frame in which the change of speed happens the greater the observed force must be.” Now that you’re here reading part 2, it means you intellectually understand this concept and are curious how to apply it to your Martial Arts training. Or you already use rebounding and wish to maximize its effectiveness. Allow me a moment to share the first experience I had of a rebounding happening in my body and me simply being along for the ride. I remember it like it was yesterday. I had been told the principle before but still had to consciously think about how to apply it. It wasn’t something that just happened naturally. Because I was still thinking through each move within the attempt to rebound, everything was choppy without flow. That was up until around the time I was a purple belt working towards blue in American Kenpo. That’s when it changed for me. I was practicing the Parting Wings technique and I heard the rebound happen, and it occurred without conscious thought to make it happen . For those unfamiliar with the Parting Wings technique, allow me to explain. An attacker tries to push you in the chest with both hands. In response, you step back with your right foot into a left neutral bow and do two simultaneous outward hand sword blocks ( Picture A ). Then you settle into a forward bow with a right inward hand sword to the ribs. As the strike happens, your left-hand bounces from its previous block and recoils to your upper chest. It smacks against your chest at the same time your right-hand sword hits your opponent. At the time of this smack, the body is rotating towards the attacker due to your transition from neutral bow to forward bow ( Picture B ). The left hand then bounces off your chest with a smacking sound and is redeployed into battle and consequently very quickly strikes the adversary with an outward hand sword to the neck as you return to neutral bow ( Picture C ). There is a more to the Parting Wings technique, but this was the very moment when my eyes were opened to rebounding and its potential applications. After this realization, I started looking back at previously learned techniques and found that many of them also use this principle. For example, a few of my favorites that have rebounding applications learned at earlier levels in the American Kenpo curriculum are the purple belt technique Leaping Crane , orange belt technique Five Swords , and yellow belt technique Alternating Maces, among others. If you are a Kenpoist and know these techniques, might I suggest you try working them through for a few reps and identify the rebounding opportunities. If you study an art that doesn’t utilize rebounding, revisit the described actions in the beginning phase of Parting Wings above and see if rebounding is something you can assimilate to enhance your hand speed. Kenpoist or not, if you wish to incorporate this principle, it is important to keep an eye out for opportunities to effectively apply rebounding and practice, practice, practice. That’s what it takes to get good at any skill. And the greater our mastery of rebounding, the faster our strikes become and the more rapidly they can be consistently deployed. By digging back into our training techniques with rebounding in mind, we afford ourselves the opportunity to tighten up and improve our overall skill set as a Martial Artist. Salute, Ian Lauer B.A. Chemistry 2nd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

Grappling superstar Danielle Kelly is looking forward to ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III on Friday, September 30, even though she is not on the card. Beyond the exciting matchups, Kelly is thrilled that ONE Championship will debut its first-ever submission grappling World Championship. With a deadlocked series at 1-1, Cleber Sousa and Mikey Musumeci will hit the canvas with the inaugural ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Championship hanging in the balance. The two standout grapplers will get to compete on Prime Video in one of the biggest submission grappling bouts ever. And Kelly is excited for her turn. "I think it's really awesome that ONE Championship is having a grappling-only title, submission title. So that'd be really cool to witness, and hopefully, I get the [chance to challenge for one] in the future," said Kelly. Although the American star did not specifically break down the upcoming grappling bout, she did offer insight into preparation for a trilogy. It was something she had experienced as a teenager and allowed her to grow her game. "When I was a kid and teenager, I went against this girl a lot, and she would always beat me the first few times. The first time I went against her, I was five months into martial arts, and this girl was in my division. There weren't that many girls, so she was always put with me. She beats me there then this other tournament, No Gi, she beats me there again," said Kelly. "Then the third time, I actually ended up beating her, and she wasn't happy. And then I guess like the last time we fought, I beat her twice, so I won. But I guess that feeling for like trilogy or more, you kind of know the person, but you also want to stay sharp with your tools. And whatever match you guys have last, you want to sharpen that." "So if you need to work more on your guard passing or defense, the counter, you'd be focusing on that for that person because you know their strong tools and their weakness. So you basically want to work on your weaknesses more against that person when you're training." The familiarity between opponents is what Kelly credits for being more prepared for a trilogy. Knowing the specific strengths and weaknesses of your opponent and having felt that in competition allows an athlete to better prepare for the latest installment in their series against a specific opponent. "If they caught you in a move before, they're looking to adjust that to make it more favored on their side. They want to get better at working their submission on their side if that makes any sense," explained Kelly. But when the American talent turns on Prime Video later this month, she will be rooting for Musumeci to make history as ONE's first-ever submission grappling king. She is pulling for her compatriot in the rubber match and will be glued to the screen as ONE elevates the platform of her sport. "[He's] an American. Plus, I like watching jiu-jitsu altogether. So I want to see the other guy's matches before I make my picks. But yeah, anyway, I hope Mikey wins," said Kelly. ONE on Prime Video 2: Xiong vs. Lee III airs live on Friday, September 30, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Mikey Musumeci Breaks Down His INSANE Debut | ONE Playback

Aung La N Sang has built his name on perseverance and hard work, and those are qualities he is now teaching his son, Aung De. The former two-division ONE Championship World Champion knows that the skills he is teaching are important and is adamant that self-defense is something that must be learned. But his son didn’t really take to the mats until he had friends to enjoy training with. “To be honest, when we first started, he wasn't really into it. And then Tial Thang's family moved down here, [and] his two sons are doing jiu-jitsu. So, he has a friend, you know, and my other friends have kids that do jiu-jitsu as well. We would get together and have the kids train with each other, so he's starting to love it,” Aung La N Sang said. As the love for BJJ has started to grow in Aung De, his father has begun putting him into competitions in South Florida. The results have not yielded gold medals just yet, but Aung La credits that to the stiff competition in the area. But glory is not the important part. The Kill Cliff FC representative just wants his son to push himself to the best he can be and work hard doing it. “He hasn't done that well in competition so far. But, you know, it's a learning curve. South Florida might be the hardest regional circuit, as you know, there are a lot of fighters here. There are a lot of Brazilians here. It's almost like the new Brazil of Brazilian jiu-jitsu,” Aung La N Sang said. “You know what's funny is it coincides with his soccer league as well. His team was filled with five year olds, six years olds. And they were competing against seven and eight year olds. They didn't win a single match the whole season.” “So, as far as defeat goes, he's taking L's after L's after L's. But this summer, we put him in the summer camp. So he's working on his soccer skills as well. And it's all about persevering, and it's all about working hard. I wasn't the most talented guy in the room, but I always showed up.” “The Burmese Python” is already seeing tremendous growth in his son’s grappling game, and he is not only happy with his progression but is proud to see him embody the spirit of martial arts. It is not about a chase for gold as much as it is about continual self-improvement and overcoming the odds. The results will come in time as the skills improve, which is something he is already seeing paying off through his son’s hard work. “They're improving tremendously, like, I'm not even kidding. By him competing and by him training with his friends, they've made leaps and bounds as far as the skill set goes. And competition is good,” Aung La N Sang said. “Like, you can say whatever you want, but competition always makes you better. How do you know that the things that you do in training works? You don't really know unless you actually put it on the line. And competition is putting it on the line. You can say you're the best, you can say this and that, but you've got to be able to put it on the line.” Aung La N Sang’s career has showcased what hard work, dedication, and overcoming adversity can yield. Now his son is learning those same values directly from him and is embodying the beauty of martial arts. INCREDIBLE ATMOSPHERE 🤯 Aung La N Sang Defeats Vitaly Bigdash In Myanmar: Brzilian Jiu-Jitsu FROM THE ARCHIVES 🎞️ Relive Myanmar icon Aung La N Sang's historic World Title win over former middleweight king Vitaly Bigdash in 2017 like you've NEVER se...

From stand-up striking, to grappling, and everything in between, Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts will enhance your skillset and your understanding of techniques. Martial artists who have a deep understanding of human anatomy have a significant advantage over those who do not because they are better able to apply biomechanics, the momentum and leverage needed to execute techniques efficiently and effectively. For example, knowing the anatomy and biomechanics of the pelvis and hip joint (how the femoral head articulates with the acetabulum) assists with proper post -foot positioning, thereby improving the height and power of kicking techniques. Likewise, knowing exactly where the carotid arteries lie improves the efficacy of applying strangulations and chokes. The same concept of targeting specific anatomical structures applies in the execution of armbars and other submissions from multiple positions. Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts is a deep dive into the anatomy and biomechanics of martial arts and combat sports. Each chapter of this reference textbook includes “Clinical Significance and Martial Arts Relevance” sections that aid in improving techniques and in preventing injury. In addition, there are over 400 full color images and detailed illustrations to help martial artists develop faster strikes, more powerful kicks, more effective throws, and more efficient submissions. Learn how to capitalize on an opponent's anatomical vulnerabilities and execute techniques with surgical precision. With nearly 500 pages, Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts includes the integumentary, skeletal, muscular, nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, lymphatic, genitourinary, and endocrine systems, as well as chapters on terminology, biomechanics, and pseudoscience in martial arts. Learn the science of punching and striking power; improve the biomechanics of your throws and takedowns; gain insight into what occurs during concussions and knockouts; understand the mechanisms of equilibrium; and why a liver shot is so devastating, and much more. Understanding the nuances of human anatomy and the biomechanics involved in kinesiology quickly shortens the learning curve, increases the efficiency and efficacy of applying techniques, and in the process, elevates the skill level of martial artists. Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts is designed to aid practitioners in fully comprehending human anatomy, and how as it relates to the learning and teaching of martial arts techniques. In addition to personal use, this reference text may also be incorporated into the curriculum of all martial arts styles, schools and academies, and for instructor certification courses. What the experts are saying about this great Martial Arts book: “Brilliant! Long Overdue! Fills a Huge Void in the martial arts industry.” ~RJ J. MD, PhD -6th Degree Black Belt “Very Comprehensive Work. This book will take you as deep as you want into the aspects of Martial Science” ~R. Fields, MD -9th Dan Black Belt “I wish I had this book years ago. I am a Family Nurse Practitioner. There is more anatomy and biomechanics included in this single book than I ever learned in nursing school! I will now be using this book for my clinical practice and for all of my martial arts training.” `Lyz Z, MSN, FNP -DZR Jujitsu Black Belt “Completely Phenomenal. …this is the only book regarding anatomy that you will ever need. When this book arrived, my mind was beyond blown at how in-depth and professional this book is.” ~M. Miller -6th Degree Black Belt, Kenpo Karate A must-have for all martial artists, Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts is available in hardcover and paperback editions on Amazon ( https://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive-Anatomy-Martial-Barry-Broughton/dp/1939263948 ) and Barnes & Noble ( https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/comprehensive-anatomy-for-martial-arts-barry-broughton/1141741318 ). Barry A. Broughton, a former orthopedic and sports medicine specialist, combines years of clinical and surgical experience with over four decades of martial arts expertise to present Comprehensive Anatomy for Martial Arts . He holds a PhD in Health and Human Services, a bachelor’s degree as a Physician Associate, completed a 2-year Orthopedic Surgery PA Residency Program and the USA Boxing Ringside Physician Course sponsored by the American College of Sports Medicine. Broughton is the founder of AKT Combatives-Jujitsu and is the North Atlantic Regional Director for the American Sport Jujitsu League.

After years of discussion , the University of Washington finally dedicated an official tribute to one of their most famous former students, martial arts legend Bruce Lee. The permanent dedication of "Bruce Lee Ascending," a silhouette depiction of the late kung fu film star done on the main staircase of the school's Odegaard Undergraduate Library, was held this week. Han Edward So Eckelberg, currently a graduate student at the university, originally created the artwork in 2020 while an undergraduate as part of a class project. It proved popular enough among students that it was voted "Best Artwork" at that year's university Maker's Summit. The university officially recognized the artwork Tuesday with a ceremony attended by more than 150 people which included a performance by the Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association. Lee studied philosophy and drama at the University of Washington in the early 1960s, though he never graduated.

This is the first of two articles about kickboxing vs Muay Thai and why we see cross-over in one sport, but we don’t see it the other way around. Today we’ll be looking at kickboxers and why we don’t see them rise through the ranks of Muay Thai, the same way we see Thai Boxers at the top of Kickboxing competition. What is the difference between Kickboxing and Muay Thai? If you’ve ever trained Muay Thai, you’ve probably either had someone compare it to kickboxing. Alternatively, you’ve had to say that it’s a sport like kickboxing in order for a layman to understand what an Earth you’re talking about. Then they will mistakenly call it Tai Chi in a later conversation. On paper the two sports allow for very similar techniques, kicks to the leg, body and head are allowed, so are punches and so are knee strikes. Muay Thai also allows for elbow strikes and unlimited clinching, which are prohibited in kickboxing, as well as being a longer fight with a very different pace to kickboxing. While on paper they’re quite similar, those differences as outlined make a world of difference, especially when factoring in the general level of competition. What obstacles do kickboxers face in Muay Thai? Kickboxers are faced with several problems when trying to cross over into Muay Thai, but let’s get the biggest one out of the way, the clinch. The clinch is what I like to call the ‘default state’ of Muay Thai. In the same way ground game is the ‘default state’ of MMA. While a fight doesn’t START in the clinch, nor does it even necessarily go TO the clinch. The Clinch, like ground game is the deciding factor. Stand up striking always has an out, you can evade, but to get up from the ground in MMA, or to break free of the clinch in Muay Thai requires an understanding of clinching. If you do not know how to clinch, you cannot escape it. Meaning that if you enter a Muay Thai fight with no clinch knowledge, against a Thai, you have already lost. As soon as the Thai boxer falls into the clinch for whatever reason, they will work out to have no skill there, and will likely elbow and knee you until they get the stoppage. All the while the kickboxer is not able to defend themselves. A kickboxer HAS to adjust to the skills of Muay Thai, as opposed to the Thai boxer who simply just leaves some of their skills at home (again, on paper, but we will cover this more in depth in part 2). The other difference is that the fights are longer. Muay Thai fights are always five rounds, regardless of whether or not it is a title bout. This means more cardio. Kickboxing typically favours more explosive fighters, like Masato, Robin Van Roosmalen or Badr Hari. While the greatest kickboxer of all time, Giorgio Petrosyan, is able to win fights at a slow methodical pace, he is himself a Muay Thai practitioner, who happens to compete in kickboxing. This means that for most kickboxers, they have not trained for the type of fitness required for Muay Thai, and already come in at a disadvantage because they need to train for longer spans of time to adjust, as opposed to the Muay Thai fighter who is already accustom to that pace. What difference does competition make? I mentioned earlier the difference in the level of competition. The raw truth, with no sugar coating is that the level of competition in Muay Thai is much higher than in kickboxing. Despite kickboxing enjoying niche popularity in Europe, and being more famous in the Western world than Muay Thai, Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and there are genuinely thousands of competitors in Thai stadiums. This means a higher level of competitor to compete against, but also the Thai ‘system’ for creating fighters is very different. Kickboxers likely trained once or twice weekly as kids, and professional kickboxers likely train two to three times a week, up to five days a week depending on if kickboxing is their full-time career, which it usually isn’t. In Thailand, kids as young as 5 will train twice daily, six days a week for their entire lives until retirement, and will have been fighting for the majority of that time. This means that a 16 year old Thai boxer, will have had more training time at that young age, than most adult professional kickboxers have had. It creates an interesting dynamic where even if you are the older fighter, you cannot necessarily claim to have more experience. Twenty-year-old fighters can be considered veterans in Thailand, before they’ve even risen to the very top of the sport. This means that the technical ability is not only super refined, but it’s perfectly honed for that particular fighters strategy. This just isn’t true of kickboxers. The level of technique you see from the greatest kickboxers, is quite standard for Muay Thai. So has anyone actually done it? Kind of. In the golden era of Muay Thai there were several Dutch kickboxers, such as Ramon Dekkers and Gilbert Ballantine, who were able to have a modest amount of success in Muay Thai – but they were not particularly dominant. Toshio Fujiwara, who I wrote about here succeeded in becoming the Rajadamnern Stadium champion – but he did spend the majority of his career competing in Thailand, so a lot of what is listed here doesn’t necessarily apply to him. So given these facts, why is the same not true of Muay Thai? Why are boxers from Thailand able to come to kickboxing and dominate it? Next time we will find out.

Even as a child, before I studied martial arts, the subject of self-defense would often come up. Granted, it was the late 70s and early 80s, so things were a little different. (Heck, some of us were still eye-balling that book of secrets by Count Dante in the back of our comic books.) However, when people would talk about self-defense it inevitably boiled down to a litany of things in two categories: You should never do this, or you should always do that. The “this” or “that” could be some seemingly innocuous thing that had the potential to result in disastrous consequences. For example, I remember a friend of the family saying, “Never stand with your back knee locked out. Otherwise, if you are attacked and someone kicks your knee, it can bust out the back of your leg.” (gulp) Good to know, even if I was seven. I suspect the advice came from a relatively unique experience that they had or heard about, but it was just one of many “nuggets” of self-defense that was posited in my brain and has stayed there over the decades. After I was a victim of violent crime, I became quite a bit more interested in self-defense and wanted to learn how to protect myself with real knowledge beyond some anecdotal asides and odd advice. Interestingly, after I started studying, I learned rather quickly that every other style, except whatever I was studying at the moment, was “real self-defense,” at least that is what everyone said. For this reason, I would like to stay from which style is best and focus on some universal principles that apply to everyone. Self-Defense A self-defense encounter is different than a fight. I regard a self-defense situation as being a life-threatening experience that cannot be avoided. Whereas, a fight may sometimes be a preventable altercation, and as such, should be treated differently. In fact, self-defense confrontations can be very different. The experience that brought me into martial arts involved three attackers with a knife. A tough situation for anyone, regardless of what martial art they study. Add to that the nature of surprise, and speed, and you have a very arduous confrontation. I’ve heard people say that they will do this , because the attacker will do that , and I usually like to question them: how do you know that that’s what the attacker will do? While it may be tempting to teach and learn with such absolutes, they have no application in the real world. Ultimately, you don’t know what someone may do and I think it is dangerous to assume so. As a rule, I think it is important to keep self-defense training rooted in fundamentals with applications to a variety of circumstances. It is better to have one or two techniques that you can apply to hundreds of situations than a bunch of specific techniques. Keep your training real. Always Below, I’ve taken the always and never categories and included ideas that I believe are useful. (For one thing, you can stand any way you want.) Always accept the random nature of self-defense situations and don’t assume you know what will happen or when. Always train in a martial art that you are confident will supply the proper tools to survive a self-defense incident. (And what a resource you have here at Black Belt.) Always seek to have the proper mental attitude regarding self-defense. Seek a calm mind, and an even temper, and avoid situations that put you at risk. Always train with the assumption that life is not like a movie. While self-defense techniques may work great in the school, when applied in real life, they are messy, and some may not work. May not work? Yes, and so you have to train your mind to move on from plan A to plan B, C, D, etc. Never What are the don’ts? What should you never do? Here are some things that I think should be avoided. Never put faith in a weapon. Weapons can be taken from you, or for some reason be unavailable (can’t get to it) or even fail (doesn’t work on the attacker as intended). A weapon shouldn’t be the only tool you have. Train yourself. Depend on you. Never underestimate your opponent. This one is timeless and yet bears repeating. Never assume there is just one attacker. Never forget that survival means surviving. That could mean getting away as much as vanquishing your assailant. If you can get away, do that. Never stop training your mind and body. Learning a few techniques from a one-day or even a weekend course is no substitute for a deeper level of training over time. The acquired skills and intangible benefits gained from training for a long period exist beyond self-defense and are great for personal development and peace of mind. In the context of a physical attack, there are so many variables that it is impossible to list them all and prepare. That means that a much more concept-oriented approach will work best. Many martial arts are very good for self-defense, but like a gladiator in the arena, they are essentially just the weapon you choose, and ultimately you are the warrior.

My entire present life is built on a single decision that I made the summer right after my thirteenth birthday. My older brother Gal had his Krav Maga brown belt test coming up, and invited me to accompany him to the gym to train. As it was summer vacation, I had nothing else to do and thought it would be fun to practice my hobby of Capoeira on the mats, as well as get to hit some pads. It was that day that I met Master Gabi Noah, the head of the school who would be testing Gal. Getting Gabi’s feedback on my capoeira-style flying kicks made me realize and appreciate the realistic qualities of Krav Maga. I was extremely fortunate to have found a master who I connected with, and who had such an illustrious resume. Gabi has extensive training, both as a combatives instructor in the military and police, as well as a civilian instructor. He is one of the four original students of Grandmaster Imi Lichtenfeld and is one of the foremost experts on Krav Maga in the world. I became his student, and then one of his teachers, and then moved to New York to become a Krav Maga instructor. On my last trip to Israel, I met with Gabi to interview him. He is a man of few words, preferring to let his skills talk for him. I decided to ask him his favorite story from training under Imi. He told me that he once visited Imi in his home, and they worked on a technique. The next day in the gym, when Gabi tried to teach that very technique, Imi motioned for him to come to the side to speak and told him that the technique had changed. “But we just worked on this yesterday,” Gabi asked, confused. Imi smiled. “Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today.” While this may sound maddening, I immediately understood the point. As Gabi said, “Krav Maga is always evolving, the base stays the same, but every day it becomes better. We teach the basic principles of Krav Maga to everyone, but we develop the techniques specific to the population we are working with.” What is appropriate in one class will not work in another. We need to make sure we are teaching in a way that will reach the student where they are, and adjust ourselves to help them learn. When I heard this story, I realized Gabi had taught me the very same lesson. In 2013, while working as an instructor, Gabi invited me to accompany him to a seminar in Belgium and to give a class on my own. This seminar had two sections, one for instructors and one for students. I had experience working with big groups from my time in the army and knew I would have to maintain a very high level of discipline to make sure no one was injured. Krav Maga training puts a high emphasis on safety because training is inherently aggressive. This can lead to a lack of self-control emotionally and physically, and people going too far. That’s the biggest challenge in being an army combatives instructor, how to push people to their limits without compromising their safety. Injured soldiers cannot serve, so injuries render the training useless and should be avoided. Therefore, I had to establish a clear authority figure to maintain control. I remember walking with my arms crossed. After the drill, the participants began to practice, and Gabi pulled me to the side. He told me it was confusing for me to walk around as if I was in a boot camp. Looking back, I can see how militaristic I must have looked, but at the time, it had become so natural to me that I never even considered it. After the lesson, Gabi and I had dinner together and we discussed posture in teaching. Gabi helped me realize I still felt the need to create this barrier between myself and the students. In the military, that was appropriate, but I was now a civilian trainer. As Imi said, “Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today.” I still needed to maintain that high level of discipline, but I had to use different methods to reach students who weren’t combatants. I learned how to use my hands to bring my students in. Gabi demonstrated through example how to use my own body language to emphasize certain principles, in order to express more effectively what I am teaching the subject and how to communicate the seriousness of safety in a different way, that relied less on command and more on cooperation. I realize how valuable this lesson was now, as it allowed me to reach students who needed Krav Maga most, those who were shy and timid. Even today, I have taught the same concepts over and over again, but I have never taught the same thing twice. Through Gabi’s example, I treat every lesson as a completely fresh start. As teachers, we need to be in the present, adjusting for each student and evolving our own skills at the same time. After all, yesterday was yesterday, and today is today.

Updated July 8, 2023 This Black Belt Magazine Rankings update comes with a variety of significant changes. New ISKA world champions have been crowned at the U.S. Open’s Night of Champions. Only the divisions that appeared on stage were eligible for a champion to be named. Additionally, in an attempt to give the rankings a fresh reset, all competitors must have competed at the U.S. Open or Battle of Atlanta to hold a ranking. Competitors who were inactive at these two major events have been excluded. There are also new divisions to announce in the rankings. In the interest of equality, the women’s point sparring has been divided into “divisional” and “open weight” to differentiate the athletes who are the top performers in each of those categories. The Senior Women’s Forms and Weapons divisions have also now been separated into two separate rankings. The final change to mention is arguably the most significant of them all. The NASKA musical division presently allows both traditional and open forms. This is inconsistent with Black Belt Magazine’s goal to highlight the top traditionalists and open martial artists among their peers and not compare them to one another. This is also an opportunity to remind our readers that although NASKA events carry the most weight in our rankings due to the depth of talent, the BBM rankings are not bound to the same divisions as defined by NASKA because they seek to represent athletes across all leagues. The new naming convention of our rankings divides “traditional” and “open” forms and weapons divisions. “Open” refers to modern forms that incorporate tricks and acrobatics consistent with what is seen in NASKA creative and extreme divisions. Competitors who perform well in the musical divisions with traditional forms that do not feature acrobatics will be considered part of the traditional rankings. Essentially, a competitor’s ranking will be based on the type of form they do, not the particular division they compete in for a given league. As always, remember that these karate rankings , aside from the featured champions, are ultimately a matter of opinion after the committee’s deliberation. Objective measures like outcome of grand championships and head-to-head matchups are valuable, but this system is subjective by nature and hopes to highlight some of the top athletes in competitive martial arts. The reigning ISKA World Champions are featured at the top of the rankings, ordered by number of titles this year and then alphabetically. Continue reading past the featured champions to view the active rankings. Special thanks to Lindsey Little Photography for the images used to create the champion graphics. Please click here to visit her Facebook page to see more of her work or contact her for business inquiries. ISKA U.S. Open World Champions Photo Gallery Active World Black Belt Rankings Men's Open Weapons Esteban Tremblay Ben Jones Dawson Holt Rashad Eugene Sen Gao Men's Traditional Weapons Alec Jahanvash Esteban Tremblay Dawson Holt Dominic Lancaster Ben Jones Women's Open Weapons Haley Glass Sara Campbell Andrea Guzman Francesca Dellostrologo Eden Williams Women's Traditional Weapons Haley Glass Katelyn McMillan Amber Rutherford Rose Rheaume Sara Campbell Men's Open Forms Esteban Tremblay Salef Celiz Sen Gao Ben Jones Rashad Eugene Men's Traditional Forms Mason Stowell Joey Castro Diego Rodriguez Florez Jeff Doss William Smart Women's Open Forms Haley Glass Andrea Guzman Katelyn McMillan Julia Guanzon Kaitlyn Vong Women's Traditional Forms Gabrielle Rudolph Amber Rutherford Katelyn McMillan Kaitlyn Vong Rose Rheaume Men's Lightweight Sparring Bailey Murphy Tyson Wray Enrique Letona Kevin Walker Tyreeke Saint Men's Heavyweight Sparring Kristhian Rivas Devon Hopper Alex Mancillas Brandon Ballou Hector Solory Men's Open Weight Sparring Bailey Murphy Tyreeke Saint & Devon Hopper (TIE) Jarvis Miller John Curatolo Women's Divisional Sparring Katarina Herman Corina Balan Jimena Janeiro Alexi Jimenez Maeve McColgan Women's Open Weight Sparring Jasmine Peterson Jimena Janeiro Katarina Herman Alexi Jimenez Diana Hernandez Men's Team Sparring Team Straight Up Top Ten Team USA Team Legend Team Dojo Elite Team DMND G3 Senior Men's Forms Kevin Kowalczik Samuel Diaz III Eric Tremblay Andrew Cabilan Jeff Doss Senior Men's Weapons Samuel Diaz III Eric Tremblay Tim Conkel Kevin Kowalczik Jeff Doss Senior Women's Forms Melanie Strauss Ana Lucia Conde Tara Lynn Roxanne Doyon Mouse Millner Senior Women's Weapons Amy Williams Melanie Strauss Ashley Sacrey Alex Stagi Laura Leclerc Senior Men's Sparring Brayan Rodriguez Santiago Aversso Julio Lugo Yoskar Gamez Tray Lazenby Senior Women's Sparring Mouse Millner Ashley Floyd Samantha Miller Valeria Diaz Samantha Guerra Synchronized Weapons Team Paul Mitchell (Jones/Tremblay) Team Raptor (Murray-Ohmat/Gale) Team Paul Mitchell (Glass/Mancillas) Synchronized Forms Team Infinity (DG & Pia Rodriguez Florez Team AKA (OBrien/Troia) Team Paul Mitchell (Holt/Jones) Team Demonstration Team Freestyle Team Competitive Edge Team Infinity Florida Sport Martial Arts Academy Team Leclerc Junior Boys' Open Weapons Phillip Brumme Mason Bumba Jackson Hensley Nolan Grunwald Wassim Dridi Junior Boys' Traditional Weapons Noah Sansait Nolan Grunwald Wassim Dridi Sterling Keefe Austin Hladek Junior Girls' Open Weapons Averi Presley Maria Routel Ferguson Samantha Mitling Kodi Molina Isabella Nicoli Junior Girls' Traditional Weapons Sofia Rodriguez Florez Kodi Molina Averi Presley Isabella Nicoli Maria Routel Ferguson Junior Boys' Open Forms Phillip Brumme Joe Troia Colin OBrien Wassim Dridi Preston Easley Junior Boys' Traditional Forms Matthew Gruitia Cheeks Elizondo Luca Ricotti Noah Sansait Sterling Keefe Junior Girls' Open Forms Alyss Groce Averi Presley Isabella Nicoli Neve Harvey Lilli McGuire Junior Girls' Traditional Forms Sofia Rodriguez Florez Logan Goodman Isabella Nicoli Quinlynn Brooks Maria Routel Ferguson Junior Boys' Sparring - Featured Competitors 10-11 Grand Champion: Malachi Randalle 12-13 Grand Champion: Cesar Aguilar 14-15 Grand Champion: Jayson Perez 16-17 Grand Champion: Diego Gomez 11 & Under Open Weight: Malachi Randalle 12-14 Open Weight: Hudson Stehle 15-17 Open Weight: Diego Gomez Junior Girls' Sparring - Featured Competitors 10-11 Grand Champion: Aria Martin 12-13 Grand Champion: Nora Hanson 14-15 Grand Champion: Sandrine Audy 16-17 Grand Champion: Vicky Auclair 11 & Under Open Weight: Aria Martin 12-14 Open Weight: Sandrine Audy 15-17 Open Weight: Sofia Rodriguez Florez Youth Boys' Open Weapons Judah Sagawa Michael Molina Gavin Dollarhite Hugo Tristan Kurumella Zeke Gomez Youth Boys' Traditional Weapons Judah Sagawa Michael Molina Adomas Rackauskas Gavin Dollarhite Kaiden Camacho Youth Girls' Open Weapons Savannah Agosto Olivia Cano Riley Claire Carlisle Camille Trippodo Ashley Lopez Youth Girls' Traditional Weapons Adelynn Lau Madalynn Wiersma Amanda Duarte Abby Loreman Demi Rodriguez Youth Boys' Open Forms Judah Sagawa Zeke Gomez Jett Kowalczik Michael Molina Oscar Pecci Youth Boys' Traditional Forms Adomas Rackauskas Henry Hawkinson Angel Perez Kaiden Camacho Malachi Randalle Youth Girls' Open Forms Savannah Agosto Madalynn Wiersma Riley Claire Carlisle Amanda Duarte Piper Miller Youth Girls' Traditional Forms Amanda Duarte Riley Claire Carlisle Adelynn Lau Savannah Agosto Stephania Lopez

Eyal Yanilov is a renowned krav maga authority and the highest-ranked krav maga practitioner today with the level of “expert.” He began training at age 15 under krav maga founder Imi Lichtenfeld. Yanilov worked directly with Lichtenfeld to develop and formalize the art’s curriculum, teaching civilian and military versions of krav maga. Currently, Yanilov heads Krav Maga Global and has written several of books on the martial art. He was Black Belt’s 2018 Self-Defense Instructor of the Year. Personal note: Eyal Yanilov was one of my teachers. He certified me as a krav maga instructor. I recently asked him how he sees the relevance of krav maga in today’s world. This is what he said. “What most will think is relevant or what I think is relevant? You know, how many people wanted cars before there were cars? Everybody wanted horses, right? Imagine a world today where we would have so many horses instead — a lot of mess in the streets. I think one of the most important things for people interested in martial arts and fighting styles and all this is to understand what the goal is. “When you look at this era in human life and history, it’s probably the quietest and least-violent one. There are no wars — almost no wars. However, there’s street violence, which is dangerous. There is a certain level of terrorism at very close range, like knives and shootings. There are robberies, obviously, and if the economy [has] more problems, that would mean more robberies, especially violent ones. And then there is the need to protect other people from violence. “The most important and relevant part of krav maga is obviously knowledge and experience and awareness. Be aware of what’s happening. Don’t get in trouble. Don’t get close to trouble. Sure, if you have no alternative, you’ll deal with it. But you’ve got the alternative: Stay away from it. Run away from it. Do pre-emptive attacks and then escape. “In krav maga, we always search for the next problem. So the situation is exactly the opposite of the ring, where you have one opponent, you know who the opponent is and you have the judge. In the ring, you are focusing on that one opponent, and that’s it. “In krav maga, we can’t focus on one thing for too long. There’s a big chance that the aggressor has friends that are coming from any direction. You had better be ready and plan and move in a way that you can scan the area, what we call in krav maga ‘active scanning’ and ‘passive scanning.’ Scan the area to find the next problem as soon as possible. “Of course, you also need to think about running away. You need to be asking yourself questions: Where is the exit? Where are my tools? Where is my friend? “So there’s more to this finishing mode, but it’s very important that the earliest thing you do when you are not in immediate danger is look where the danger can be. “Another place for krav maga is in mental preparation, the mental aspect. You need to prepare the person to deal with stress, to deal with violence. It’s very simple. The body is the car, and the mind is the driver. Who are we training? The driver. “Obviously, we need to keep the car fit, and we want to have a lot of horsepower, good wheels, good steering and good brakes. But I’m training the driver the entire time. I’m training the mind to be courageous. The practitioner needs to be able to apply controlled aggression to make decisions under stress, and so in training, the stress needs to be persistent and he needs to have a high level of efficacy. “In the mental training in krav maga, we have three directions: • Combat mindset, controlled aggression and domination. • Focus and concentration. Being able to channel all your resources to do the job and also divide resources. Divide your attention to get as much information from the surroundings the moment you can so you don’t miss an attack or attacker. • Relaxation and diffusion of destructive emotions such as fear and anxiety and anger. “Everything is interconnected to these three sections. They are all integrated. So in krav maga training, we have the curriculum-specific drills for mental training in these three directions — in addition to fighting and physical training. “That’s why you need to be humble as an instructor. One of the most important things is to understand that we are dealing with people. We have to direct them because they don’t know the way themselves. We are teaching them techniques, but eventually they need to discover their own strengths.”

The Protector , reminds me of what I miss about being a kid. As the youngest of Generation X, I lived in the golden age of martial arts media. I witnessed the ninja fad permeate pop culture, watched Chuck Norris on Walker, Texas Ranger, and paid to see Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme kick butt in theaters. But since the turn of the millennium, things have changed. Jet Li has reportedly retired from wushu movies, and Jackie Chan has returned to Hong Kong and now rarely makes Hollywood flicks. Fortunately, a relatively unknown actor—at least unknown in Western households—is generating some genuine buzz for martial arts movies. His name is Tony Jaa, and he stars in The Protector (called Tom Yum Goong in Thailand and the rest of the world). Tony Jaa is basically a walking stunt reel the likes of which we haven’t seen since Jackie Chan in the 1980s. His mix of flashy muay Thai, aerial taekwondo, bone-busting grappling and high-flying gymnastics is revolutionizing the genre. Tony Jaa plays Kham, a young elephant herder who tracks a Vietnamese gangster to Australia after Kham’s father is killed and his elephants stolen. In Australia, Kham has to take down dirty cops, the thug’s henchmen and a Chinese syndicate before he can rescue his pets. Like most films of its ilk, The Protector is predictable, with a cliché-riddled script. The characters are cardboard cutouts with nary a motivation. Thankfully, Tony Jaa’s on-screen fights more than make up for the flaws. In the first big set piece, Kham knees one opponent’s roundhouse kick, sending him flying, then delivers his own elbows, knees and kicks that propel more thugs through the air. Later, he brawls with a capoeira expert, a wushu stylist and a hulking wrestler. It’s devastating choreography that uses familiar muay Thai moves in innovative ways. Not all the fight staging by Tony Jaa and stunt mentor Panna Rittikrai is flawless. At the climax, Kham battles dozens of bad guys, taking them out of commission with awesome aerial kicks and brutal joint breaks. The scene is breathtaking the first time, but after he snaps an ankle, elbow and wrist for the 10th time, it gets tedious. Later, when Kham straps elephant bones to his forearms to defeat four hulking strongmen, the movie plummets into an illogical cheese fest. Prachya Pinkaew’s direction has vastly improved from when he filmed 2003’s Ong-Bak (which also starred Tony Jaa), partly because of his growing knowledge of Hollywood and Hong Kong aesthetics. In one Brian De Palma-inspired scene, Prachya Pinkaew has Kham busting into the thug’s hangout, climbing up a huge spiraling staircase, destroying furniture and throwing guys over banisters—all in a single, apparently unedited four-minute Steadicam take. It’s a shame, though, that the fight between Kham and the villain is so short. The main heavy is played by Johnny Tri Nguyen, a former U.S. Wushu Team member and a Spider-Man stunt double. With stunning spin kicks and growing acting talents, he should have more screen time and a more developed character. Still, he and Tony aa do the best they can with the script they were given. Overall, The Protector’s illogical moments shrink in comparison to Tony Jaa’s amazing stunts and killer choreography. This is definitely a film worth watching, and hopefully it’ll revive an age of action cinema that hasn’t been seen in years.