Business self-help gurus say things like, “It is better to have $1 from 100 customers than it is $100 from one for the long-term health of your business.” Sounds smart enough. What about strikes in combat sports? Is it better to have landed a hundred scoring strikes or one significant strike? Obviously, the answer to this is going to depend on what arena the fight is in. In a sport where points are the thing, quantity is the guiding principle. But how about in MMA – where “damage” - whose definition is elusive - is the criteria? Practitioners of various martial arts have been taught some version of what Bruce Lee exemplified and popularized in Jeet Kun Do about the distinction between speed and power. Speed equating to the ability to strike or deliver attacks and techniques so rapidly that their effect is seen in how fast they can successfully be employed. This of course means they are more likely to be too fast to defend and or too numerous to counter effectively so as to impact a scorecard. With speed and quantity will also come cumulative damage if conventional wisdom holds true. You hear in fight commentary things like, “those shots add up,” or “those strikes will pay dividends later.” On the other hand (is that a pun?) is the idea of power being the preferred tool. The one-punch knockout, or the devastating fight-ending leg-kick. Where rather than trying to accumulate points or do damage on a progressive scale, there is the goal of a major consequence from a major effort. Macro vs. micro. Gross vs. fine. Instead of paying dividends, the idea is a big risk for a big reward. A one-time investment for the big payoff. Any fight fan knows there are shades within these two ends of the spectrum. A rare fighter like champ Alexander Volkanovski seems to have both tools, as was observed by the commentary booth in his recent title defense and third fight with Max Holloway. Also, there are the many times when a perfectly timed or placed strike from a normally volume-heavy striker lands and ends a fight. And there are the times when a known power-puncher has a match where he is more measured and meticulous as well. Then of course there is the non-stop commentary from fans and media making sure we all know how that should or shouldn’t happen. The ubiquitous arm-chair expert is never going to let opinions be unheard. Speaking of volume! The better coaches teach their athletes to figure out their own propensity and strengths. If someone has the natural hability to have high volume and output and the cardio to match, that will be a strength used to great effect. That thinking and style is why Michael Bisping is a champion. It might be argued that it was a knockout punch that won him the belt in his fight with Luke Rockhold, but it was years of high output that got him to that moment. On the other end of said spectrum are guys like Derrick Lewis who holds records for knockouts who thankfully has not given up that tool in favor of meticulous game planning and strategy. That is except for that one time with a current champion, in a fight that is not to be spoken of. Fight psychology is fascinating. It is intriguing to hear fighters to speak of the worst strike received not being the one that hurts the most, but the one you did not see coming. It puts a seed of doubt in your mind. Jimmy Smith, former fighter and commentator used to speak of this when on the call for Bellator fights. There is a moment of hesitation in saying internally, “what just hit me.” It is very likely why the great talk so much about feints. To get that opponent to stutter. Speed is so valuable in that. Equally effective is the fear that a guy or girl standing across from you is known to turn the lights off. No matter how many times one might say, “Anything can happen. I am not afraid,” survival instinct kicks in. Would you rather land a hundred strikes or a single one? Without question, most would say the fight-ending power-shot is preferred. But, go spend some time and watch highlights from fighters like Bisping or Nate Diaz. It is a wonder in some of those fights that the compustrike machine can even keep up. Yes, everyone loves a big homerun knockout shot. But not everyone is born with that power of a Dan Henderson or Francis Ngannou. There is a lot to be said for getting the conditioning good enough to make quantity a weapon. And we have not even talked about the same thesis in grappling! How about endless chaining together of submission attempts versus going hard and risking it all for one guillotine? Speed bags or heavy bags? Cardio or weightlifting? Quality or quantity? Lots to think about. It is not just striking where things can be done in bunches.

As October's Bullying Prevention Month winds down, Black Belt brings you one more story of someone who used the power of martial arts to overcome their issues with childhood bullying... Most boys who suffered bullying as children and went on to watch kung fu movies have had the same dream: the one where you run off to a fantastical martial arts temple to learn how to fight, to make yourself powerful and to, ultimately, turn your life around. But who actually follows through on that dream? Well Matthew Polly did. The author of the recent bestselling biography "Bruce Lee: A Life," Polly's first book was "American Shaolin." It chronicled his own childhood trauma from bullying and how he got past it in, perhaps, over-the-top fashion by going all the way to China and becoming the first foreigner to study full-time at the famed Shaolin Temple. Growing up in Topeka, Kan., Polly, 51, was a self-described skinny, dorky kid desperate to fit in with the cool kids at school. He recalled, "They liked to smack me around. They'd push me into corners, punch me or kick me. I was desperate to be liked so thought if I just hung around them long enough letting them hit me they'd get tired of it and accept me. I didn't realize at the time it wasn't working, that I was the dorky kid they just didn't want around. And because I let them hit me without fighting back, I felt like a coward." Though the physical abuse mostly stopped by high school, Polly said he was still a target of bullying through taunting and humiliation. But he'd already sensed there was a solution to his dilemma. The revelation came when he discovered the patron saint of all skinny dudes looking to stand up for themselves, Bruce Lee. "When I first watched 'Enter the Dragon' I saw that Bruce was a somewhat scrawnily built guy who'd turned himself into this amazing fighter through martial arts," he said. "I was 12 or 13 at the time and knew nothing about what martial arts were but I felt that if he could do that maybe I could, too." Matthew Polly Without a lot of martial arts instruction available in Topeka in the 1980s, Polly waited until he got to college to begin training. He attended Princeton University where he tried taekwondo, then aikido and, finally, southern-style kung fu. But after a couple of years of this, he felt just as helpless as ever and no braver. So he decided to take more drastic measures - he'd run off to study at the Shaolin Temple. This was the early 1990s, before the internet. Pretty much all most people knew - or thought they knew - about the Shaolin Temple came through popular entertainment like the original David Carradine "Kung Fu" television show. The show portrayed Shaolin as a nearly mythical Shangri La where warrior monks combined the world's deadliest fighting arts with profound philosophical enlightenment. And what bullied kid wouldn't want all that? Polly picked up and flew to China making his way to the temple in Henan Province ostensibly for academic reasons - to continue the studies in Chinese culture and Zen Buddhism he'd begun in college - but in reality to learn how to kick ass like Bruce Lee. Becoming a foreign student at the temple, he began training in traditional kung fu as all beginners did. But after a few months, he was able to switch his training to sanda, a modern style of Chinese kickboxing which allows wrestling throws. "Everyone starts with the traditional forms as an introductory class. After that you can continue with traditional kung fu, do wushu or do sanda. A lot of the movements in traditional kung fu are done more for cultural or historical reasons than for fighting, while wushu is mainly a gymnastic style," he said. "But the guys who were fighters, the ones who would sometimes go out and fight in back alleys at night, they did sanda. That's not to say the other styles couldn't be used for fighting but their techniques have to be modified for that, it's not their main purpose. But in sanda the movements are only there for hurting someone." With sanda, Polly was forced to put on boxing gloves and do what he'd always been afraid of, risk getting thoroughly punched out. Though he took his share of beatings from more experienced fighters, he learned getting beaten up wasn't the end of the world. In his book he recounts what was, for him, a turning point when he accepted a challenge match from a visiting kung fu master in order to defend the honor of the Shaolin Temple. The visiting master had wanted to fight one of the monks and Polly had flippantly offered to fight him, assuming his teacher would never allow a beginner, much less a foreigner, to represent the temple in a challenge match. "I said I'd fight, not really meaning it. But then my teacher said, 'Okay,' and I was inadvertently forced to step up and do it. Like all things in life, if you feel fear and step up to overcome that fear, you get past it," he said. Polly won the challenge match, not only proving to himself that he was no coward but even experiencing what he described as a release of warrior spirit wanting to continue fighting even after his opponent surrendered. It was not the first time he'd sparred with someone at the temple and felt a growing rumble from what he called his inner "monster." Even at the Shaolin Temple, where wude , or "martial morality," was taught as part of the training, there were some students more aggressive than others, those who would go out looking for fights. But Polly was able to quickly tame his own dark side recognizing in martial arts practice that same concern Nietzsche expressed when he warned against fighting monsters lest you too become one. "I think everyone who's ever gone into a martial arts studio has known someone who was there training for the wrong reasons. But most people doing martial arts are like myself just training to improve and protect themselves," he said. After returning home, Polly became a writer, eventually penning "American Shaolin" followed by "Tapped Out," his Plimptonesque foray into the world of mixed martial arts, and then his Bruce Lee biography. He said that, for him, martial arts training was the key to changing his life. He called it the most important thing he's ever done. And he knows others have had similar experiences, which is why he's spent so much of his career writing about martial arts. "Yes, I've monetized my childhood trauma which is as American as it gets," he joked. "And sure, I would have preferred a happier childhood but I learned you can turn your pain into something useful. Martial arts helped me do that."

Focus on “Frictionless” Customer Service. What intrigue me the most of professional organizations like MAIA, Satori System, Premier Martial Arts, PerfectMind amongst others, was their focus on front office personnel and processes. Their emphasis on ensuring a seamless process in the solicitation and on-boarding of all new students is what is making or breaking the on-going success of martial arts schools across North America, especially during these COVID uncertain times. I have attended a couple of Program Director/Front Office webinars put on by some of the aforementioned organizations and it was obvious with the level of dedication these groups have shown for this part of the business. In addition, the most successful schools were those where the Instructors and Front Office staff had a very integrated relationship, which benefited the students tremendously. To provide for a broader perspective on this increasingly important staffing requirement, we reached out to the Century Martial Arts School Owners network in order to gather some thoughts and comments from those in the know. We have interspersed their comments throughout this article primarily to reinforce the fact that the martial arts business is maturing and the Program Director position is being recognized as an integral part of these innovative and forward-looking Martial Arts schools. An Evolving Front Office Good Instructors are important and step one in the development of your school, but for the development of your business, step two is the hiring of your Program or Admissions Director. Most will be experienced sales people as well as knowledgeable administrators. It is this sales component that is all important in ensuring the success of a martial arts school, no matter how talented your martial arts instructor is. In other words, without students, a great instructor is a wasted talent. A Program Director must be comfortable in making Cold Calls, Warm Calls, Follow-Up calls as well as simple Courtesy Calls. Program Director/Admission Director is both an administrator and a salesperson all rolled up into one! School Owners: “During the day our PD answers calls, books appointments and answers questions.” “The PD is the point of contact from the time the prospect comes to their first class until they sign up.” “Our PD keeps the studio tidy between weekly professional cleanings and says Hi to anyone new who walks in.” “The PD also makes sure that uniforms are in order and that all the equipment is in its place after class.” When researching the various Program Director job descriptions, I was amazed at the level of responsibilities assigned to the position. It was obvious that the position was not only essential to the success of the business but the student’s overall development as well (See Table 1). In a one-person operation, most of the front office tasks must be handled before or after teaching classes. When your active student count is small these chores are manageable but once you get to where you are teaching more than 75 students, then you’ll find that there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish all of your daily tasks by yourself! SOHO is an acronym for a small office or home office operation and a single person martial arts school is a perfect example of a SOHO. Quality Program Directors are able to professionalize all processes whereby they can transition a business from a SOHO to a SME (Small or Medium Enterprises). Unfortunately, it is well known that the demise of most SOHO businesses is the lack of professionalism which includes knowing when to delegate …. or better said, you must know when to start hiring talent! In my non martial arts career, even at the Management level, I was responsible for an immense amount of administration, which makes me a little bias towards these unsung Front Office Black Belts. While in most industries, the administration side of the business is well thought of and even seen as a cornerstone of their success, unfortunately, in the martial arts world, this part of the school’s business was initially thought of as a necessary ‘evil’ that simply needed to be done after teaching classes. It wasn’t thought of as important as it does today, and this is due to the complexity that is modern business. Having operated several schools over the past few decades (70 ’s, 80 ’s & 2000 ’s), I have seen how dramatically the Front Office or School Administrative requirements have evolved over this time. With my first school, which was run out of a church hall, we used a large briefcase with all the school and students’ details maintained within it. We would simply ensure that everyone’s student card was stamped with both attendance and Dues Payment date, usually on the same card … and little else. I have watched how the Front Office has evolved from a table in the corner of the Dojo (which usually was a rented hall or gym) to a full time and separate office/room that is now considered as important as the Dojo/Training Hall itself. The position has evolved from where all the office or administration tasks were an afterthought completed late at night, after class, to a full-time semiprofessional management position. A Management Professional Initially when a school grew to a size that basically demanded a front office person, this usually fell to the instructor’s wife, mother or significant other to manage, but not anymore. Office Management, Sales and Marketing experience matter now more than ever. In today’s Sales and Marketing oriented business models, the careful and selective use of social media is slowly becoming a fulltime position in itself. Together with maintaining accurate and comprehensive details on each student, today’s Program Director must also be a “tech expert” in order to properly manage a modern Martial Arts business. School Owners: “Most important was ability to learn to use the software which is used to keep track of the students. “ “Our PD had previously started and operated an IT consulting business.” While the Martial Arts Instructor is responsible for all motivational speeches, it is the Program Director that conducts in-depth conversations with the student (and Parents) that, over the years, also positively influences their development as a person. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” appears to be more relevant in today’s hectic paced society. This has resulted in more families wanting to incorporate the Martial Arts school as part of their child’s “village”. This sizable responsibility can only be fully achieved through the combined effort of the school’s instructors, the Program Director, the Parents and especially the student. School Owners: “They are the real anchor of a studio and game changing so instructor can instruct.” “For us, this is our PD's main job!” “Our Program Director checks in with parents each day and keeps an eye on how each student is doing in school.” “The PD lets the instructors know when a student is being bullied at school and gives Mom's a few confidence builders to work on.” “Our PD cheers on students who are struggling and goes up to them after class to tell them how much better they did today as well as pumping out information about tournaments and events and gets everyone excited to attend.” Of course, the sales aspect of the Front Office position cannot be emphasized enough. We all agree that the ultimate salesperson for your school is the Instructor or Instructors as this is the Product you are selling. Nevertheless, as with any business just having a great product (or service) is only half the battle to success. You must market your product and the best way to do so is to get the word out there as to how great your product is. This is the strength of a qualified Program Director. Important Partner of your success Unless you are going to out-source your entire front office, any successful martial arts business almost necessitates the hiring of a Program Director type position. In fact, even if you do automate most of your administrative processes, you still need a strong front office person if you wish to create a true community minded business. In other words, when a new prospect enters your premises, does the atmosphere you have created provide for a welcoming environment? A place where people can feel included and comfortable. With most full time Instructors having to focus on the class being taught, there is little time to spend with parents and/or prospective students. This again is where the Program Director shines. Program Directors should also be knowledgeable about the Martial Art being taught as they may have to provide coverage (back-up) of any class where the normal instructor is suddenly unavailable. The level of knowledge need not be at a Black Belt level (although preferable) but should be at least at a level where they could determine which senior student could teach the class in question to ensure consistency in the student training program. School Owners: “A black belt who had been training several years prior to becoming PD.” “Our Program Director has no training until they worked here allowing them to learn our styles and knowledge unbiasedly.” “Our PD started as a white belt when hired. We asked our PD to train and are paying for that instruction because we felt that a little bit of knowledge of our training was important.” “Our PD was previously an instructor on the floor (3rd Dan).” “Our Program Director is 2nd degree black belt in an integrated style of martial arts, training for going on 11 years.” In addition, modern curriculums must be reviewed and updated regularly. The multi-talented Program Director can provide a substantial amount of useful input based on regular conversations with the students and parents. Program Directors know what is popular within the industry and where the trends are heading. There are occasions where a student or parent can take up a considerable amount of “non-class communications” which could completely disrupt an instructor’s class. These inter-actions are the responsibility of the Program Director, relieving the instructors of these administrative type issues (e.g.: monthly payment clarifications) and the stress related thereto. School Owners: “Our PD makes sure that all students are taken care of and new trials are given the best experience possible.” “Upgrades are made with the PD meeting with parents. The Program Director is the parent liaison for most activities.” “Our Program Directors are the real anchor of our studios and game changing so instructor can instruct.” “Our Program Director checks on students regularly, and engages with parents.” “The PD is very involved with parent and student communications.” “The PD is primarily responsible for the school, staff and parent relations.” One of the most important roles a Program Director has responsibility for (and one of the least appreciated) is that of an Arbitrator. When a student or more likely a parent has an issue with something that happened in class, emotions on both sides of the issue, namely the student/parent on one side and instructor(s) on the other, can sometimes get out of hand. Having a calm, experienced professional arbitrating the situation is a skill set of the Program Director which will ensures that all parties get proper representation and hopefully a satisfactory resolution. The Program Director will make certain that all issues are aired and resolved in an unbiased process. The Program Director can show the proper empathy required, ensuring that both the safety of the student and the health of the business are taken into consideration when resolving the complaint. So how best to start your process of hiring a qualified Program Director? Whether you decide to hire internally from your existing membership or externally after a proper evaluation process, one of the best places to determine what you need in your front office is to attend the MAIA Martial Arts SuperShow in Las Vegas. Even if you have already hired a Program Director, bring them to the Martial Arts SuperShow as well seeing that there are so many opportunities for a Front Office staff member to learn new Sales and Marketing strategies from experienced and knowledgeable school owners and business professionals. The administrative side of any successful business can be glamourless at times, nevertheless it is what makes or breaks a business these days, especially when considering how dramatic the business climate has been these past couple of years. With the advent of online classes and remote learning, the Program Director can be invaluable in trying to maintain a cohesive community atmosphere while satisfying both governmental and societal restrictions. Do not take for granted these modern Front Office Black Belts. Spend some time in your evaluation of the people you put into this responsible position, you’ll be glad you did, both for your personal development as well as for the success of the business.

Antonio Espinós, who has governed international karate as president of the World Karate Federation since 1998, won re-election to the post at the WKF Congress in Turkey on Tuesday. Espinós, also president of the European Karate Federation, ran unopposed earning votes from 94 of the 99 countries eligible to participate in a secret ballot. Under Espinós's leadership karate made it's Olympic debut last year in Tokyo. However, the sport was left off the roster of included events for the upcoming 2024 Paris Games and is uncertain of inclusion at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. Karate has received criticism that it doesn't appeal to younger demographics and Espinós has attempted to counter this with studies touting the sport's popularity in the two upcoming Olympic host countries, France and the United States. However, he's so far failed to address concerns over the sparring competition being difficult for viewers to follow , which may ultimately keep karate out of future Olympics.

This article celebrates the one-year anniversary of Jackson’s Five , dating back to the Diamond Nationals in 2021 when the historic megafights between Morgan Plowden and Ki'Tana Everett for the diamond ring, as well as Bailey Murphy and Avery Plowden for Virtual Fight Tour’s Last Man Standing, took the top honors on my countdown. I plan to continue these write-ups for every major sport karate tournament that I attend, and I am grateful for all the support these articles have received thus far. As a way of celebrating one year of these articles, I’ll start this countdown a bit differently with an honorable mention. Honorable Mention: Good Judges This is an honorable mention because the Jackson’s Five is meant to highlight the athletes, but I saw a few situations at Diamonds in which judges who have dedicated a lot to this sport deserved some praise. Everyone always talks about what is wrong with judging, rarely do we highlight judges who do an exceptional job. The first instance was in the 14-15 boys’ point fighting ring when Joey Perry took an extra five minutes to explain how the rules were going to be applied in his ring. In a division with a lot of local competitors and unique circumstances like the application of the out of bounds rule in a 7x7 ring, this was a welcomed use of time that got every coach and athlete in the division on the same page. If every center referee had the presence of mind to do this for their ring, it would significantly reduce the amount of arguments and arbitrations that occur when a ruling is unclear. I thought this was an awesome gesture by Mr. Perry. The other instance was in the 14-15 girls’ traditional weapons division when Charlie Lane addressed the athletes after the division. It was a rather large division, and as is the case oftentimes with large divisions, some of the scores were all over the place. One of the reasons that there was such variability in the scores was because Mr. Lane enforced the RIGHT way to use the maximum deviation rule. All too often I see judges have conferences before scoring so that they can adjust for maximum deviation ahead of time. Not only is this a waste of time because both major scoring systems used on the NASKA world tour will apply the deviation rule automatically, but it can cause less-experienced judges to be unintentionally peer pressured into changing their scores entirely based on the opinions of the other judges. A judge should give the score that they see fit, and the athletes should be able to see that score regardless of whether it will be adjusted for deviation or not. Mr. Lane explained the deviation rule to the athletes very well and let them know why the ring was operating this way, which is a shining example of how to apply this rule and how to educate athletes about it. 5. More Moon Moo! Now that I’m off my soapbox about judging and the maximum deviation rule, let’s shift our focus to some incredible athletes that put their skills on display. Jeff Doss is the only featured competitor on this countdown that did not win a diamond ring, but I am a firm believer that performances are more memorable than wins. “Sushi” pulled off one of the most difficult traditional forms that has ever been done in competition. Moon Moo, a 4th degree black belt poomsae from the ITF taekwondo system, is full of ridiculously difficult, slow-extension kicks that result in nearly 70% of the form being done on one foot. The balance, leg strength, endurance, and skill needed to pull off this form is extraordinary. Who better to pull it off than one of the greatest kickers in the history of sport karate? I wanted to be sure that Jeff Doss got his flowers in this article, because he deserves them as much as anyone on this list. I just hope I get to see him run this form again on a NASKA stage. 4. Salef's Sentimental Success Following this theme of performances meaning more than wins, I feel Salef Celiz’s diamond ring-winning effort in the men’s CMX forms division aligns well with this idea. Salef will remember this career-defining win for the rest of his life, but the crowd of Team AKA members rooting for him stageside will remember the moment forever too. Not only did Salef perform an excellent form complete with clean execution, his signature creativity, and elite tricking skills, but he did it while performing to his idol and mentor’s signature song. Micah Karns, arguably the greatest Team AKA member since Brendon Huor, is revered by everyone in the Team AKA system. Countless times he took the stage to “Lights” by Ellie Goulding and brought us performances that would inspire generations. Salef Celiz was clearly one of the young martial artists inspired by those forms and to see him pay tribute to Micah in that way was truly special. Congratulations to Salef on a big win, but an even bigger moment. 3. Castro's Completed Collection Joey Castro came up to me as I was preparing my notes to commentate the night show and shared a variety of helpful information to tell the audience about his form. He taught me some of the details of the kata that he planned to perform that evening, and more importantly told me how significant a win would be for him. Before the Diamonds, Castro had won an overall grand championship at every event on the NASKA world tour. A win in Minneapolis would complete a collection that is reserved for only the greatest and most consistent of sport karate athletes. He took the stage early in the night show, wearing his warm up gear, to accept his diamond ring for winning the senior forms and weapons title during the eliminations. That wasn’t enough, the 37-year-old wanted to prove that he could take down the young guns as well. Despite the aforementioned stellar performance of Jeff Doss and a remarkably strong kata by Cameron Klos, Castro overcame the adversity and left the stage with a ring on his finger. He did it with his signature kata too, Hyaku Hachi Ho, which is the Shotokan version of Suparinpei and is the longest kata across multiple styles of traditional karate. 2. Back-to-Back Champs I don’t think that there have EVER been as many back-to-back champions at the Diamond Nationals as there were this year. Obtaining the highest honor at one of the world’s most prestigious sport karate tournaments two years in a row is an amazing achievement and deserves recognition. Alex Mancillas and Jake Presley of Team Paul Mitchell both repeated their wins in the CMX and traditional weapons divisions respectively. Mancillas came out of top of a stacked final that included teammates Jake Presley and Dawson Holt, as well as Rashad Eugene. Presley also had to battle against a teammate to earn his win as he and Dawson Holt clashed in the traditional final, a common theme this season. In the women’s divisions, Haley Glass took this accomplishment to a whole new level. She was the defending champion in BOTH the forms and weapons divisions, and she was able to defend both titles. What is even more impressive is that she was not able to run her signature kama form that powered her to multiple wins this season in the weapons final, so this time she got the job done with her traditional sword form. Lastly, Bailey Murphy pulled off the back-to-back-TO-BACK in the lightweight point fighting overall grand championship. That's right, Murphy won his third consecutive diamond ring dating back to 2019 and became the first men's point fighter in history to achieve this feat. This time, he made it through a stacked division of lightweights yet again, and faced friendly foe Tyreeke Saint in the final. Saint had his moments in the match, but by the second round it was all Bailey Murphy as he became the fourth athlete to repeat as champion on the evening. 1. Fantastic Female Fights The primary reason that I lost my voice shortly after commentating the night show was because of all the yells of excitement that came out during the women’s team fighting and women’s diamond ring final. The team fight saw Jimena Janeiro and Peyton Fender of Team Revolution take on a hybrid team of Beatrice Garcia from Team Legend and Mouse Millner from Team CBR. Fender and Millner squared off in the first round as Fender rode the momentum of a recent hot streak to a two-point lead for Revolution. In the second round, Janeiro started to pull away from Garcia and brought victory to Revolution in dominant fashion. Janeiro would return to the ring later that evening to fight Drew Beatty for the coveted diamond ring. This matchup was more closely contested, as Beatty used her long legs and elite kicking ability to keep Janeiro on the perimeter and set up scoring opportunities including a beautiful hook kick in the first round. Janeiro, however, was able to work the outside of the ring well and took advantage of opportunities to attack on the blitz. As she started to pull away, Beatty responded to the adversity and brought the match back to within a point, but as time dwindled in the second round Janeiro went on one more run and earned a well-deserved place in history as a diamond ring winner. The team fights and diamond ring final, highlighted by the outstanding performances of Janeiro, prove why female point fighters should be featured in the finals more prominently and more consistently. Special thanks to Lindsey Little Photography for the images used in this article. You can find more of her work on Facebook and Instagram.

Black Belt Magazine’s world sport karate rankings have been updated once again following a few exciting months of sport martial arts action. This includes the WKC World Championships, the Bristol Open in WAKO, and the AmeriKick Internationals and Diamond Nationals in NASKA. If you would like to view the new rankings now, click here. Keep reading for highlights and analysis of the changes in the rankings! Let’s begin with the adult forms and weapons divisions, where several diamond ring winners now hold the number one ranks. Alex Mancillas regained his throne in men’s CMX weapons by defending his diamond ring title from last year. ISKA world champion Jake Presley hangs on to the second spot, and Rashad Eugene moves up to third place following an overall grand championship win at the AmeriKick Internationals. Speaking of Jake Presley, his defense of a diamond ring in the traditional weapons category helps him maintain the top spot there. As for the women, Haley Glass defended BOTH of her diamond rings in women’s forms and weapons, and she is the queen of the Black Belt Magazine Rankings in traditional weapons, CMX weapons, and CMX forms. The only other division for the adult women’s forms and weapons is traditional forms, where Gabrielle Rudolph holds on to her top spot. That leaves the men’s forms categories, in which Mason Stowell’s remarkable performances earlier in the season enable him to remain on top with diamond ring winner Joey Castro very close behind, and Salef Celiz holds the top spot in CMX after a diamond ring-worthy performance that included a homage to Micah Karns. Moving on to the adult fighting divisions, Bailey Murphy remains the king of the lightweights as the overall grand champion for both the AmeriKick Internationals and Diamond Nationals. Close behind him in the second and third slots are Tyreeke Saint and Tyson Wray. Tyreeke defeated Tyson head-to-head at the U.S. Capitol Classics, Tyson responded with a head-to-head win at the AmeriKick Internationals, and Tyreeke advanced to the finals at Diamond in Tyson’s absence, giving Tyreeke the edge. Balint Marin and De Vita Simone make their way into the top five for their divisional wins at the Bristol Open. The heavyweight and open weight divisions presented some challenges for the committee due to varying activity levels of the top fighters. Kameren Dawson remains in the number one spot due to his overall grand championship performances earlier this season and a stellar record in the heavyweight division overall, but a prolonged period of inactivity could influence his ranking in the future. Elijah Everill, who participated in the heavyweight side of the bracket at the Ocean State Grand Nationals and won the overall grand, remains considered a heavyweight for now. He currently sits at the number two spot due to the nature of the rankings and a lack of head-to-head matchups with Kameren Dawson, but the committee recognizes that he is arguably the best fighter in the world right now and that is why he is the top-ranked competitor in open weight. The rest of the heavyweight standings include U.S. Open champion Avery Plowden, diamond ring winner Kristhian Rivas, and AmeriKick Internationals winner Brandon Ballou. Trailing Everill in the open weight category are the lightweight #1 Bailey Murphy, AmeriKick WAKO Open Weight Challenge winner Darren Payne, Bristol Open runner-up Riccardo Albanese, and the always formidable Avery Plowden. The women’s point fighting division is still led by Morgan Plowden, who has been dominant when active. A new number two exists in Evelyn Neyens, whose win at the Bristol Open and clutch performance against Ki’Tana Everett in the Virtual Fight Tour event elevated her to this rank. Ki’Tana Everett sits strongly at three, and she is followed by newly-crowned diamond ring winner Jimena Janeiro. The fifth spot features a tie between Melanie Ortiz and Anne-Sara Cayer after their dominant performances at the U.S. Open and U.S. Capitol Classics, respectively. That does it for an overview of the 18-29 adult divisions, but there is so much more in the full rankings! Be sure to check out the official rankings page to view the senior, junior, youth, and team divisions. Black Belt Magazine hopes that these rankings continue to put sport karate athletes on a pedestal for the broader martial arts community to appreciate, as well as fostering positive discussion about the world of sport karate and its amazing athletes. Special thanks to Lindsey Little Photography for the image used at the top of the article. Please support her Facebook page here.

It’s an average summer day in Oklahoma City – that is, scorching. It’s past three in the afternoon and the sun still dominates the sky, a stranglehold it will not release for another four hours. The paved trails that loop Lake Hefner shimmer with heat mirages. Once it cools down, joggers and cyclists will be out in droves, but now, the shoreline and park are empty. Well. Almost empty. In the trailhead parking lot, a single vehicle is pulled up as close to the shade of a withered pear tree as the spaces allow. It’s a teal-and-white VW van, old but clean. The passenger door is rolled open, revealing a modified interior that looks like it contains both a living room and dojo . The van has two other distinct features. The first is the logo on the side of a hanging bag in mid-swing, encircled by a shattering chain. Sacklife Official, reads the text, and, Beat Depression. Just in front of the painted bag is the second feature: an actual heavy bag, hanging from a mount system built into the van. Like the image of the bag, this one too is in motion, juddering under an onslaught of rapid blows. The van, the bag, and the punches raining down on it all belong to Tim Manthey, aka Mr. Sacklife himself. Despite training at a pace that would make a professional fighter proud, Manthey seems immune to the heat. He’s had plenty of time to get used to it: in Death Valley, on the Las Vegas strip, and during the past week at Lake Hefner. A timer sitting on the pear’s roots chimes, signaling the end of the round and time for a water break. There are plastic cups in the van, as well as a 30-gallon tank of drinking water, fitted where the divider between front and back seats would normally be. It’s another custom addition to the van, one that has made this step of Manthey’s journey possible. And what a journey it’s been. For nearly 1,200 days, Manthey has been training on this bag and living on the road, out of this van. Each day from 5 pm (local time – it depends on where he is at the moment) to sundown, he opens his portable training space to the public. The bag, as well as several pairs of spare gloves, shin guards, focus mitts and Thai pads, are loaned out as needed. Anyone who comes by is welcome to train with Manthey for as long as they want, and he adjusts the lesson to the ability level of each participant. Sparring is on the table, but so are meditation and breathing exercises. The bag and glove that make up Manthey’s logo are well explained – but what about the slogan? What does beating depression have to do with martial arts? Those within the martial arts industry, from companies like Century Martial Arts to individual school owners, have long touted mental benefits of training in addition to the physical ones. You’d be hard-pressed to find a single martial artist who thinks otherwise. And yet, for as much as we believe in these benefits, and as many times as we’ve seen and experienced them firsthand, we still view them overall as a fortunate byproduct of training rather than an intentional end result. We all train for different reasons. For some it’s to improve within a sport. Others find physical milestones to be the biggest motivators. The same standard training program would help each of them, but the athlete would have their needs better served in a program catered specifically towards competitors. With that logic, it should also be possible to train martial arts in a way that amplified the mental health benefits – and that’s what Manthey has done, by merging martial arts with somatic healing. According to an article published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress , somatic healing is “a body-focused therapy… that integrates body awareness into the psychotherapeutic process.” The premise of somatic healing is that, just as how the mind can affect the body, the body can also be used as a tool to affect the mind. It is well understood that mental illnesses can cause physical side effects like head and body aches, fatigue, nausea, and even high blood pressure. Somatic healing seeks to turn that around. If a poor mental state causes a poor physical one, then positive physical changes can be used to improve the mental state. Manthey didn’t start his own training journey knowing this, however. At the time, he was focused on survival. “In 2019, I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress-induced depression after going through several major losses in my life,” he explains. “I left an extreme religion. I lost contact with the people who raised me. I also lost a nine-year marriage, and was defrauded by a business partner and went through bankruptcy. “It was a heavy accumulation of multiple events. I was declining mentally, despite therapy and medication, and I knew I needed to do something for myself. And that something was to buy a punching bag and start training.” Manthey began with solo training, then started attending a local dojo . Not only did his techniques improve, but his mental health did, too – to the extent that, with his doctor’s blessing, he was able to completely stop taking antidepressant medication. But training? No way was he going to quit. “(Training was a way) for me to release that tension, that stress and anxiety, from my nervous system and channel it in a healthy direction,” he explains. It was then that Manthey began to dig deep into the research behind somatic therapy. The method had been a lifesaver for him – if not literally, then certainly the quality thereof – and he was eager to share it with as many people as he could reach. Starting a social media channel and establishing an online presence was the first step. You can follow @SackLifeOfficial on Instagram and partake in daily, 10-minute somatic training sessions, no matter where you are (or he is!). The Instagram page meant people could find their way to Manthey, but if COVID taught us nothing else, it’s that nothing beats in-person training. Staying stationary simply wasn’t an option. And so, the idea for the van was born. “It’s always been a childhood dream of mine to own a Volkswagen bus and travel the country,” Manthey admits, “but I never thought it would be a reality, or even possible!” Buying the van was phase one. Next came repair and upgrades, followed by more repairs. Once, Manthey set out, having completed work on the van – only for it to break down after three miles. Another time, after initially setting off with no issue, the van broke down again – this time, in Death Valley. Manthey was stuck there for a week with limited cell service, and little food or water (the tank had not yet been installed). “(When I was stuck) I continued to train every day,” Manthey says. “One day, as I was training on the side of the road, a truck drove by and saw me. They pulled over to stop and talk. It turned out they were from a company called Hobo Tactical . They brought me food and water, and some funds for me to continue to feed myself. “More importantly, they introduced me to their social audience and a number of their followers jumped onto my page. One of them was a veteran who was dealing with PTSD. He started participating in the virtual training sessions and went for 100 days in a row. He sent me messages of gratitude of how much it’s helped him – it let me know this is exactly what I need to be doing.” And clearly, he’s doing it right. In just a short time, Manthey has been able to network with big-name nonprofits like NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Health) and the AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention). Of course, life on the road isn’t easy. Besides getting stranded in the hottest place on earth, there have been other close calls. A few drunk men tried to steal his bike – while he was riding it – in Vegas. In Oklahoma, a man invited him into his home – an offer Manthey usually declines unless he’s known the person as a follower for an extended period of time – and became belligerent when he tried to leave, resulting in Manthey breaking his door (“It was an accident,” Manthey clarifies. “He told me it was unlocked. When I pulled, it ripped the deadbolt out.”) None of this has deterred Manthey. He prefers to focus on the positive: the dozens of the people he’s trained with, in person or through Instagram, who have reached out to share stories of their progress. The new friendships that span states, and the fact that everywhere he goes, there’s a martial arts gym or dojo with an open spot in their parking lot. “The martial arts community has been the most responsive and the most positive and supportive community that I've found in my travels,” Manthey says. “They all seem to share a growth mindset, which is incredibly important. And they’re super helpful and super responsive. It seems like everybody is interested in learning and growing from each other.” The dream, Manthey says, is to eventually open several locations of his own, operating on the same SackLife principle of free training for those in need, with qualified somatic therapists as well as martial arts coaches on staff. That will take funding, but as his social media following on Instagram (follow him here ) continues to grow, he’s hopeful that he can attract more sponsors. The bus is mobile, after all! In the meantime, though, life on the road continues. “This is what I need to be doing,” he says. “It’s been rewarding to me in so many ways. No one needs to pay me to do it, and no one can pay me to stop.”

Amid the maelstrom of mutual antipathy, Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do, eyeball to eyeball, the delicious potential for an ultimate rematch confidently and hungrily baits the futures for both schools to create a high intensity fanfare filled with pressure for both sides that could lead to their victory or undoing. Consider the antithesis of offenses and defenses, where too much of each can lead to feeble unlikable paradoxical natures of existence. If you attack too much, it’s very offensive behavior and you’ll be considered a bully, yet if you defend too much, your defensive behavior will create a victim mentality. Daniel La Russo (Ralph Macchio) and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) see the pervasive invasion of Terry Silver’s (Thomas Ian Griffith) Cobra Kai as manipulating the minds and endangering the lives of the Valley’s kids. As Silver wins over the youth by enticing them with fancy advertising and lies about Miyagi-Do’s values and traditional martial art ways, it’s a subterfuge for a subversive plan that will be even more damaging to the karate kids of the Valley, America and possibly the world. Yet Miyagi-Do has a secret weapon, the Chozen One (Yuki Okumoto) as he introduces a few tricks of the unknown trade of Miyagi-do secrets. By having Silver in Season 4 and 5, it felt like Cobra Kai was becoming an allegory on bullying, hazing and traditional martial arts. Perhaps something worthwhile to investigate later. Each school portends that they have the confidence and belief to infectiously rise above the other as the Valley is currently caught between the minds of two schools that have opposing philosophies, virtues of grandeur and moral compasses. An ancient Chinese kung fu-like rivalry is repeating itself in Los Angeles, it’s Shaolin vs. Wu Tang (aka Wu Dung), one will rise to be a school of heroes, the other a school of vaporous apostates. Their competitions have become the archetype of a tightly coiled spring waiting to go BOING!! Both sides become packed to the brim and speak of their incomparable and impervious histories. It’s a future without boundaries, Miyagi-Do and Cobra Kai, they’re back, and this time it’s more than personal, it a nasty habit no one wants to drop regardless of the consequences. Both are self-assured that the momentum of chaos will soon return one way or another. Season 4 left us as Cobra Kai, albeit underhanded, became the formidable champions, indisputably the preeminent force, as they intensely gained momentum upon imposing themselves along a menacingly path of malicious intent. Yet today, as Johnny and Daniel become undiluted glue, working together to stick it to Silver’s Cobra Kai, their collective muscles now flexed, straining to be enduringly relevant again at the very top, their history of hysteria beckons possible global fame via an explosive world tournament invite to Japan. Get ready to be enthralled and compelled…light the fuse and stand well back. So how does Season 5’s fights measure up to Seasons 1-4, numerically and time length wise? Like Seasons 1-4, the minutes of fight don’t include training sequences, flashback fights, or friendly dojo sparring. However, for Season 5, the time includes Cobra Kai’s dojo sparring because nothing in Cobra Kai is friendly, even when it’s student on student. Season 1: 6 minutes of fights from five episodes Season 2: 24 minutes from seven episodes, which includes a 77-second oner Season 3: 26 minutes from six episodes, which includes a 112-second oner Season 4: 22 minutes of fights (E9 and E10 used up 12 minutes) and no oner Season 5: 24 minutes of fights from eight episodes (9 minutes in E10) Johnny’s first fight in E1 uses tight angles with a delayed momentum, shifty movement that creates a flickering visual as the camera then goes into a collection of medium to close to tight tilting angles. It’s a bit dizzying, yet if you watch closely, it looks like the fighters are standing around doing minimal movement. Back in 1979 Taiwan, some films created this shifty visual effect by removing frames from the shots. I’m intrigued to see what could happen next. I was not disappointed. Chozen’s E2 fight at Silver’s dojo against six stone-faced senseis hits the bull’s eye by commanding violence and accuracy with total mint-stunning gold. What’s wacky is that although the fight is slow and methodical, it’s exciting to watch. There’s a new dynamic in the way it’s shot and in the rhythmic timing of technique delivery. Yuki’s skills are highlights within themselves as his facial contortions and mood power emphasizes each strike. Add in snap editing with slow motion at the right time creates a different edge to the fights. My sense is that Yuki would steal the show’s fights…and he does, especially in E10. Another cracking piece of combat is the long-awaited rematch between Robbie (Tanner Buchanan) and Miguel (Xolo Maridueña) that features unrelenting kicks by Robbie and electrifying evasions by Miguel. Their movements have become as easy as toasting a pop tart that also appear to be like velvet cushions that turn into a concrete melee. Miquel’s facial snarls sell his emotional commitment, as the anger and rage has been building up for several seasons where each fighter reeks of payback intention You may notice that when it comes to the one-on-one fights between the elder statesmen of each dojo, the fights boil down to mostly combat exposition and climactic tête-à-tête where at the end of the day there is a war of words that has essentially become an important part of the factual fight as they provide markers for each fight’s impassionate furor. One fight is ~120 seconds long, half is dialogue, and the other half is physical conflict that’s mostly shot in slow motion. By doing this, it breaks down the fights into short sequences to where it’s not so much about the non-intricate fight choreography or cool moves that would obviously have needed stunt doubles, but about the mental games they’re playing at, as each one messes with each other’s minds. The gravity and brevity of these key fights also importantly rely on the expansive orchestral music vitality that dictates the voracity of the clash. Thus, between the actual combat and their threats, guffaws and prideful colloquies, the battle intensifies. E10, is a regular hoot, its bedlam meets pandemonium as the high kinetics of each singular and group fray are ferocious, quick, single shots that make up an effective collective of tidbit skills and decent camera work that brings out a different sensibility at each turn of the fight. I had hoped they’d brave the depths of a oner. Though they didn’t, it didn’t matter because I thoroughly enjoyed what they were trying to do. In Chinese film it’s called a Mass Movement fight, where everyone appears to be fighting everyone else. It’s easy on the eyes, yet still has tangible results. Each fighter soldiers on as they have the impetus behind, in front and on each side to continue the barrage. Amid the incisive runs of sweet feet kicks that caress then use explosive power, the decisive bouts of misdirection with paper weight quality that include many moments of invention, we see the wizardry of their skills. Though they consistently and continually took all the punches, kicks, and threats as well as all the ups and downs, and the twists and turns of a snake with an itch, they each prevailed. Yet there will be a different kettle of sharks in the next tournament that awaits them in Japan. End result, the senseis and kids are trying to manufacture angles of attack and defense that turn out to be part keg and part egg, respectively. To understand this, watch the show. I was most impressed by the improvement of Mary Mouser as Sam. In what you might think is a rematch vs Tory that turns into a great sleight of hand clash, Sam pulls off her best combative performance to date where she is sharper than a witch’s tooth. Her poses, postures, and hand en garde positions are authoritative and intimidating, her blocks and strike delivery combos don’t require special camera angles to hide anything…they’re all solid. Bravo, young lass, bravo. She also has the best line in the show. Fixing to begin a fight, she tells a mate, “The reality is, there’s always lots of assholes and bullies in the world, sometimes it’s nice to know how to fight back against them.” Right on young lass, right on.­­­

Kevin Meisner's name is not a well-known one in martial arts. He's never won any major championships, doesn't claim any sort of deadly streetfighting skill nor does he have a chain of schools named after him. But, in many ways, Meisner is the epitome of how a martial artist should conduct himself and how martial arts can have a positive effect on one's life. His lifelong commitment to these arts came about through the not uncommon motivation of childhood bullying. When he was 13-years-old, Meisner visited a local rollerskating rink in suburban Pennsylvania the next town over from where he lived. He was a little better dressed than the local kids and some of the girls seemed to think he was cute. Unfortunately, a group of older teens took offense at his presence. They spread the rumor that the newcomer had been insulting one of their number until the offended boy called him over. As the group surrounded Meisner he was forced to confront his antagonist. They stood there staring at each other for a few uncertain moments until Meisner, feeling uncomfortable, looked away. Suddenly the boy punched him square in the face. "He hit me with a right cross on the left side of my mouth. It was a masterful punch. He caught me right when I looked away and wasn't paying attention. I saw a perfect white flash, my knees gave out and I sat down on my butt. I still have a scar inside my mouth from it," the now 57-year-old Meisner recalled with almost a sense of bemusement. Never having been particularly strong or athletic, the youngster had been the subject of occasional bullying during his childhood and being beaten up by another boy just confirmed in Meisner a growing sense of weakness. He asked his father to teach him how to fight but when that didn't help, he turned to an age-old source of wisdom - comic books. Old comics used to be filled with advertisements promising to develop strength and fighting skill through then esoteric martial arts like karate. Inspired, Meisner found a local karate school and quickly enrolled. Nearly 45 years later, having trained in a variety of martial arts, he continues to practice almost every day. His first instructor, Dave Salyards, was a Vietnam Veteran who taught a form of traditional karate filled with discipline and hard work. While the school was strict demanding etiquette and respect, the class was far from a sadistic, Cobra kai-style boot camp. "It was very formal but I never remember him yelling at me. It was tough but everybody was there because they wanted to be," said Meisner. "It gave me a certain level of fitness, strength and the ability to do things I couldn't do before. Plus, even though I was a teenager, it was the first time I was treated like an adult. I felt good about myself for doing karate and it gave me self-esteem." When he went off to college as a newly promoted first dan, Meisner started teaching a small class just so he would have people to continue practicing with. Since then, everywhere he's lived, he's taught a martial arts class. He estimates he's probably taught about 1000 students over the years and maybe a dozen of them have gone on to start their own schools, though the nature of what he teaches has changed quite a bit. While fighting was never his main goal in doing martial arts - he freely admits he's never liked the idea of hurting people - the notion that what was he was doing would be effective for self defense was appealing. When the UFC first debuted, Meisner was convinced karateka would easily prevail. Of course that's not quite what happened. "It was hard to watch. I considered it a true testing ground and I wasn't real thrilled watching how karate did there," he said. Though disappointed, he was realistic enough to accept that, when it came to practical fighting, he needed to learn more than just karate, if simply to pass on something that was effective to others. He got some boxing gloves and kicking shields and began training with his students in what he imagined was a more realistic manner. "We didn't really know what we were doing," he said. "But one thing I did get from karate the way I learned it was to not give up. I just saw this as another challenge." He started searching out a variety of instructors and disciplines, from self-defense guru Marc MacYoung to firearms expert Massad Ayoob, trained in some kickboxing and went through the Model Mugging course. As an attorney representing the Mohegan Tribe in Connecticut and working frequently with their athletic commission, Meisner also got to rub shoulders with top professional fighters who regularly competed at the Mohegan Sun Casino. He used to attend every fight relishing the opportunity to see the best boxers and mixed martial artists up close hoping to gleam some technical insights. But he rarely makes it to the fights nowadays because he realizes he doesn't enjoy seeing people being hurt and never has. He's at a similar point in his martial arts life, as well. Though he respects hardcore fighting methods like MMA, he now recognizes they're not his main interest nor his forte and that's fine with him. "We used to do some grappling in my class but I know I'm not qualified to teach that so we stopped because I don't want to be a fraud. I don't teach karate basics anymore either because I still want what I teach to be as efficient as possible and I find kickboxing basics more efficient," he said. "I do still teach a few kata because I enjoy them but I don't break them down trying to find the hidden self defense moves in them any more. I really don't teach "self defense" except for the mental part like tactics and strategies for avoiding conflict, which is the most important part." Meisner simply calls what he teaches now "freestyle karate." He looks at it as merely something fun that people can do to stay in shape and maybe acquire a bit of discipline and confidence as he did. He teaches for free every week at a local boys and girls club and on the Mohegan Reservation to a couple of dozen children, many of whom come in having experienced the same bullying and suffering from the same lack of confidence he once did. But he doesn't like to claim martial arts will be a panacea for them. "I don't think it's good for teaching morals or ethics or anything like that. I don't believe it will make them 'bullyproof.' But I do believe kids can develop a little more self-esteem and a bit of discipline from doing martial arts like I did. I've been doing it since I'm 14 years old and I don't plan on stopping," he said. "I don't claim to be a master or that I'm enlightened. And I know there are a lot of people that can stomp me in a fight. I'm under no illusions about any of that. But it's not important. It's never been about what can I get out of martial arts other than the simple enjoyment of doing it and sharing it with others."

Have been reporting on some incredible video footage recently posted to Youtube of a mountain climber in Japan fighting off a bear. The climber, who hasn't been identified, said he used martial arts to defend himself. The video, recorded on a GoPro camera attached to the climber, shows him descending down some rocks when a black bear, apparently a mother protecting her cub, suddenly charges him from above. The climber is able to avoid the bear's initial charge but it attempts to come back up the hillside at him at which point he begins to unload with some hammer fists and stomping front kicks as well as screams, all of which seem to discourage the bear from continuing its attack. In his description of the attack, the Japanese climber wrote in English, "I defended myself with self-defense. I learned karate when I was a child, but I liked mixed martial arts now, so maybe I could use hammer fist instead of punches." He indicates the keys to defending himself besides hammer fists and front kicks were screaming and intimidating the animal. Yet another reason to work on your kiai skills.

Of all the kickboxing competitors and many crossing over from other disciplines and stepping into the ring, it seems one group holds a distinct advantage in the heavyweight division of this striking sport. What would lead us to this conclusion? Well, in 26 of the last 29 years of kickboxing in the largest and most well-known promotions (K-1 & Glory), a Dutchman has held the Heavyweight Kickboxing Title. Let’s see if we can get to the bottom of why this is the case. IL With us today is the owner of Dynamix MMA in Los Angeles and UFC veteran, Dutch Kickboxing expert Antoni Hardonk to share his opinion on why this impressive record stands. But before we do, Antoni would you please tell us a little bit about yourself. AH Thanks for having me. I grew up playing sports with a special interest in marital arts. The popular schools at the time were doing kickboxing, and I fell in love. As a matter of fact, I competed as an amateur and later in several professional promotions, ultimately leading me to K-1 well before my time in the UFC. IL It’s no secret that there is occasionally friction between MMA athletes and traditional martial arts practitioners. One thing that caught my eye in your gym is your karate gi and black belt. So, it seems that despite having competed in the UFC and running a successful MMA gym, you have roots in the traditional arts? AH I started Kickboxing first, but all my coaches had backgrounds in Kyokushin. It was intertwined. The Kyokushin culture was in all we did. We didn’t train in a gi, but the spirit, edict, philosophy, and terminology were all there. Once I was well versed in Kickboxing, I wanted to take it a bit further, and that’s when I put the gi on and started training outside of the basic competition rules. That’s when I got into Judo as well as western boxing, Savate and Japanese jiu-jitsu. I wanted to go deeper. IL I see that you’re an expert in the field and a true martial artist as you have worked to obtain knowledge from multiple disciplines. So, with all your experience, what are some of the training philosophies that give Dutch kickboxers a potential advantage over others? Or what are some main differences in training techniques? AH First, it’s important to note the difference between “system” and “preparation.” When I say “system”, I’m referring to the technical and tactical approach to fighting. For example, a punch, a kick, footwork etcetera. When I say “preparation”, I’m talking about how we practice our techniques and tactics. For example, we use a lot of partner drills. As a matter of fact, I’ve even heard of some gyms referring to partner drills as “Holland” or “Dutch” drills. IL That preparation approach sounds very much like the traditional arts. So, how would you say that Dutch kickboxers train as compared to say western boxers or Muay Thai fighters? AH Well, when you look at boxers or Muay Thai fighters in the gym, they are almost always training as individuals. They’re frequently told to go work on the heavy bag, or the run mitt drills with an instructor, one-on-one. They’re jumping rope, shadow boxing. Again, almost all of which is done with an individual focus. Now, that’s where we differ in our kickboxing training. We do a lot of group work. Partners are almost always paired up to work through the drills of the day. We have many different types of drills. For example, we have drills that focus specifically on movements, clench and tactics just to name a few. But, unlike others, they are all done in a group setting. This group approach is a residual effect and left over from the traditional arts. But that’s not to take away from its effectiveness. We still see this type of training approach in traditional martial arts schools across the world and in the finest military and polices operations such as the Navy SEALS and SWAT teams. IL So I better understand why you train the way you do, what gives it a competitive advantage in your opinion? AH Well when you work with a partner, you quickly learn what works. You’re constantly learning to read an opponent. Compared to when you train on a heavy bag, for instance, there is limited feedback. With a partner you get real-time feedback and see what has a chance of helping you succeed in the ring. But don’t misunderstand me, I’m not against training on the bag. It is just limited. The bag is great for power and conditioning. IL If I’m understanding you correctly, you feel that the tools others use have their place, but you think that time is better spent on partner work. What time allocation percentages would you say the Dutch observe? AH I would say probably 90% partner work and 10% to individual work. But every gym has their own approach, so I can’t speak for every Dutch kickboxing school across the world. This is just what I’ve seen from my years training. Also, I want to quickly clear up a misconception. Some think that all Dutch kickboxing schools are “hard sparring” all the time. This is also something that varies from school to school. A prime example of this is from my years as Ernesto Hoost’s training partner. Not once did we injure each other. In that setting, control was highly respected. I say that just to clarify that the intensity of sparring depends on the school. IL Very interesting! I’ve really enjoyed our discussion thus far and your explanation on some of what makes Dutch Kickboxing different. AH Thanks, I’m glad to have the chance to share from my experience. IL For those reading along, hopefully we’ve shed some light on the Dutch Kickboxing system and maybe even opened your eyes to some tools or thoughts that you can use to enhance your training methodology. Be sure to check back soon for Part 2 when we finish our dig to get to the bottom of what makes Dutch Kickboxing so effective in the ring. Salute, Ian Lauer 2nd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

Should you find yourself ever the target of a certain Mixed Martial Arts promotion’s president’s bad side, you may be told you gave a terrible performance in a fight. In fact, you could be what some consider the GOAT Anderson Silva, fight a fight where you were literally never even close to getting hurt and instead of being applauded, you might have to worry about your job... or, your standing as an independent contractor. This begs (or at least mildly asks) the question: What is considered a perfect fight in MMA? Over MMA’s storied history, there are enough types of fights that they might deserve categories instead of being measured individually. For example, the so-called (and hated by this writer) chess match like Thompson vs. Woodley 2. Or the Rock’em Sock’em Brawl where the audience has to watch through their fingers for fear of seeing someone lose an ear or something such as Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez (literally a YouTube video titled Best Brawl in UFC History). Is a good fight one where two very evenly matched opponents tactically score against each other so that the fan would be satisfied with a tie? Or what about those flash one-in-a-million knockouts like the legendary vanquishing of Ben Askren by Jorge Masvidal, which no matter what fluke quotient was involved, Jorge insists he knew that coming? Part of the fun of being a fan of MMA is discussing things for which there are not absolutes. How do you determine a greatest knockout, or greatest submission, or greatest fighter of all time? Is it even fair to try and postulate on such things given the subjective nature of the discussion? It is near impossible in most areas to define good, better, or best. Now try and take that to the superlative degree and then define a perfect fight. It is always intriguing to hear a fighter be critical of their own performance, but even more so after a win. You will hear often “I am my own worst critic.” So, a fighter saying they themselves have never fought a perfect fight might mean they are not capable of objectivity. So, if fans opinions are... well... just that: opinions. And if fighters cannot find a target called perfect, how could it be expected there would ever be any sort of normative stand for a perfect fight. We have not even ventured into the Martial Arts philosophy. No doubt somewhere there is a master on a mountain that might posit that the prefect fight is the one that never happened. You know, because violence is bad and we learn to fight so we don’t have to and such. But who are we kidding. MMA fans are not paying to see non-fights. So the question remains: What are they paying for and when would they know if it was perfect? Did the fans that saw Conor McGregor’s thirteen second masterpiece flattening of legend Jose Aldo see a perfect fight? After her statement-making TKO victory over Joanna Jędrzejczyk, did we see a perfect fight in the much-anticipated rematch where Rose Namajunas looked as flawless and technical as any striker in combat sports – ever? Rose literally said in her post-fight interview, sitting next to the belt that said she was the best in the world, that she was not perfect. Which made her win seem even more perfect. This all seems odd considering how her fight against Carla Esparza would look later, but that is a digression for another time. What is the perfect MMA fight? It is probably one of those things no one really knows. And it might just be one of those things we will know when we see it. Here’s to keeping our eyes out for it.