Combat hapkido is unique in that it straddles the line between the ancient and the modern. As the word “hapkido” implies, combat hapkido has roots in old-time Korea. But the addition of “combat” indicates that it’s been modified and updated to better address the needs of reality-based self-defense practitioners. So even though it’s an old art, it’s also relatively new—which is precisely why it’s attracting the attention of growing numbers of martial artists. “Combat hapkido is down-and-dirty self-defense; it’s not geared for children or sports,” says John Pellegrini, the Chandler, Arizona-based martial artist who founded the style. “I don’t use the old methods—forms, ancient weapons, leaping and bounding maneuvers, or static stances and positions that have been proved ineffective in close-quarters combat. However, I’ve retained many of hapkido’s deeply rooted aikijujutsu basics and effective self-defense components, and blended them with elements from selected grappling and striking arts.” Outlined below are three of John Pellegrini’s favorite combat-hapkido combinations. Combat Hapkido Training The keys to stopping an assailant as quickly as possible and escorting him to a less-volatile location, John Pellegrini says, are twofold. First is the basic rule of self-defense. “[You should] make the person compliant before you try to control him,” he says. “Never try to walk a person somewhere [while he’s] still swinging. You make the combatant submit by putting him in an uncomfortable and painful position. Only after achieving total compliance should you escort him away.” The second half of the equation is the brush-trap-strike strategy, which is designed to help you execute pain-compliance techniques such as joint locks. “Never attempt to put someone in a joint lock at random; you need to distract and weaken him first,” says John Pellegrini, who was Black Belt’s 2004 Instructor of the Year. “Brush-trap-strike is a multifunction tool that keeps you from getting hit while helping you gain the dominant position as you transition from the initial engagement to the joint lock. ‘Brush’ means to parry or deflect the attack. ‘Trap’ means to get hold of the opponent’s wrist, arm, fingers or whatever. ‘Strike’ means to hit him with a blow to the head or another prime target with the objective of disrupting his brain waves or nervous system. While he’s reacting to the blow, he’s ready to be joint-locked.” Note that the basic idea of the brush—avoiding the attack—can be accomplished by moving to the side, ducking or intercepting the strike with your own strike. Similarly, trapping can refer to seizing the close-quarters-combat zone, which gives you a positional advantage. Moreover, it’s possible for the opponent to unknowingly trap himself by grabbing or pushing in a particular way. Consequently, circumstances sometimes require the employment of variations of the brush-trap-strike and/or going directly to a joint lock. Hapkido Technique #1: Hammer-Lock Escort Stance: The defense begins in the combat-hapkido awareness position, the art’s signature fighting posture. It’s similar to a boxer’s stance, except that your hands are open and raised slightly. Strategy: After you avoid the punch and momentarily take control of the arm so he can’t try to hit you again, stun him with a palm heel to the face. That primes him for the hammer lock. Speed: Swiftly move into the hammer-lock position so he has no time to recover from the palm to the face. Lock: John Pellegrini teaches a two-step process. First, place your left forearm against the man’s right forearm, and while you’re holding his wrist, push the arm back and raise it until the elbow is behind his shoulder. Second, leverage the trapped wrist behind the man’s body while applying pressure on the upper arm with your left forearm. (John Pellegrini advocates using the sharp edge of your forearm to wedge into the elbow.) Then let go of the grabbed wrist so you can use your free hand for other things—like seizing the man’s throat. Tips: “Look at that secured arm as the lever, your body as the base, and your forearm, upper arm and shoulder as the fulcrum,” John Pellegrini says. “Use your fulcrum to crank that lever and achieve compliance. For a more stubborn opponent, you can cause extreme pain by applying more weight and torque to winch up the hammer lock while increasing the pressure on the throat.” Hapkido Technique #2: Armbar Takedown and S-Lock Stance: The aforementioned combat-hapkido awareness position. Strategy: The assailant opens with a right punch, which you deflect to the inside using your lead hand. Then trap the wrist and nail him in the head with your left palm. Speed: While he’s still wobbly from your wallop, transition to the armbar takedown. Lock No. 1: Maintaining a firm grip on his wrist, place the knife edge of your other hand against his upper arm. Apply pressure on the triceps tendon while you twist and pull the wrist up until it’s against your hip area. That will cause him to lean forward, thereby crippling his balance. Drop your weight to force him face-first to the ground. Lock No. 2: Getting the S-lock requires some wrangling with the trapped arm. Lift it up and push it behind him, bend the elbow, turn the arm clockwise and twist the wrist outward until the limb reaches the desired shape. Grip his hand with both your hands and tuck his elbow into your body for leverage, then compress the wrist by pulling and twisting. Tips: “Like wringing out a mop or a rag, your pulling-and-twisting motion applies pressure directly into and against the wrist and elbow,” John Pellegrini says. “As you manipulate the arm, it’s important to lower your knees onto his head and kidney area so he can’t escape.” Footnote: “The S-lock is like a gooseneck [come-along] except that the neck—your opponent’s wrist—faces outward to form the limb into the shape of the S,” John Pellegrini says. It affects the wrist and elbow and adds a little extra to really ramp up the pain component. How? By positioning the assailant facedown with your weight on him and with his arm angled behind his back. It makes the technique similar to a hammer lock, he adds. “As a result, you get to crank his shoulder, too.” Hapkido Technique #3: Shielding Smackdown Stance: Once again, it’s the combat-hapkido awareness position—this time, a bit sideways, though. Strategy: When the adversary unleashes a haymaker punch, go with the flow. In this case, the flow is a flinch. Make it more defensive by raising your left arm as a shield. The shield sets up your offense by enabling you to launch your counterattack from the inside. Speed: Again, it’s crucial to immediately transition to the counter, which begins with a strike to the face and finishes with a “brachial stun,” a quick knifehand to the windpipe. While he’s leaning backward, attack his exposed groin. The low blow bends him forward, which is your cue to whack the back of his head with your palm. Tips: “Never use a fist to counterstrike,” John Pellegrini says. “Always use an open hand because it offers better reach, it’s more relaxed and it’s quicker.” Hitting that way is also better should you wind up in court, he says, because witnesses will be able to say he was the one who had his fists clenched. Principle: “This technique uses the basic high-low combat principle,” he explains. “When you hit the man high, his head goes back. This pushes his pelvis forward, giving you a perfect low target. When you strike low, the pelvis moves back, giving you a high target. This confuses him, which gives you the advantage.” The high-low principle belongs in everyone’s combat arsenal, he says.

Martial arts may have roots in Asia, but that does not mean it has stagnated. In recent years, a revolution has been brewing across the continent with a new wave of exceptional talent thanks to the growth of mixed martial arts. And women have played an enormous role in that growth. With two global promotions dedicated to elevating the sport and its female athletes, fans have been treated to their inspiring performances. The impact of which has reverberated across borders. These are five incredible female athletes who have helped the martial arts revolution grow across Asia. Angela Lee The ONE Atomweight World Champion has been a beacon for the next generation of women martial artists since arriving in ONE Championship. And she has exemplified her nickname, “Unstoppable,” in the atomweight division to spark excitement since her professional debut. Lee has repped her multicultural heritage since her debut in 2015 as a teen upstart. After a 5-0 start to her career, she defeated veteran Mei Yamaguchi to win the inaugural ONE Atomweight World Title, and she has never let it go since. But her story is an inspiration in and outside of ONE’s Circle. She has overcome pneumonia, a car crash, and most recently returned less than a year after giving birth to her daughter to successfully defend her title against Stamp Fairtex. Lee has been an example to follow for Asian mixed martial artists. She has dedicated herself to improving each day, overcoming the most difficult of obstacles, and continues to display the martial arts spirit that makes her the best atomweight on the planet. Zhang Weili 34-year-old Zhang Weili has been carrying the banner for China. She became the first-ever Chinese UFC World Champion in 2019 when she won the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship. Her exciting style has endeared her to fans around the world, but the impact in China has been immeasurable. As the nation’s first UFC champion, her place in history is assured. She instantly became one of the poster women for the sport in her country. In the following years, more athletes from the country, both men and women, have ascended toward the top following her lead. Now that she has reclaimed the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, Zhang continues to be an icon of MMA in China. Stamp Fairtex MMA luminary Rich Franklin discovered Stamp Fairtex while he was in Thailand, scouting other talents. The sound of her kicks crashing into bags captivated his attention, and ever since, she has captivated fans in much the same way. When Stamp first arrived, it was in the Muay Thai and kickboxing ranks. She quickly won titles in both sports. She could have remained there and been a long-standing fixture in the striking arena. However, she expressed interest in becoming a three-sport World Champion and conquering the MMA world. While many may have seen her signature “Stamp Dance” and claimed it was all a show, her progression and results soon silenced those doubters. Stamp has become a threat no matter where the action takes place and has shown it against the world’s most challenging opposition. Stamp is becoming one of the biggest stars in all of martial arts. Her captivating charisma and bubbly personality are fused with her mesmerizing brutality inside the Circle. Her impact is being felt in real-time, and she’ll try a second time to claim MMA gold on Friday, September 29, at ONE Fight Night 14 . Xiong Jing Nan Zhang is not the only Chinese athlete who has been elevating the sport in the country. The first-ever Chinese MMA World Champion, “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan, continues to shine on the global stage. The ONE Women’s Strawweight World Champion has maintained her stranglehold over the division since assuming the post in 2018. She has taken on all challenges, including thwarting Angela Lee’s chances to become a two-division champion on two separate occasions. “The Panda” continues to accept challenges from all areas. At ONE Fight Night 14, Xiong will battle Nat “Wondergirl” Jaroonsak in a special rules striking matchup in four-ounce gloves to showcase her powerful boxing skills. Xiong was the first to bring back gold to her country. She has been the standard and helped spark the sport’s tremendous growth in China. Her legacy is still being written but will show her incredible impact through future generations. Ham Seo Hee Ham Seo Hee has been an unsung hero in the sport, but her influence should not be forgotten. Ham made her professional debut in 2007 and competed in DEEP, Smackgirl, and Jewels. She even competed against Megumi Fujii, a pioneer of women’s MMA, early in her career. But her biggest influence did not begin until she returned to the Asian scene in 2017. After a few years of competing above her natural weight, Ham put together a six-bout winning streak at atomweight before joining ONE. That streak has not stopped since joining the world’s largest martial arts company, as she has picked up three wins and become a top contender in the division. The South Korean will meet Stamp for the ONE Interim Atomweight World Title at ONE Fight Night 14. A victory would be the culmination of her tireless work over the years and be the crowning achievement of a veteran who has helped grow the revolution in Asia.

ONE Championship put on its first submission grappling contest in 2017 between Garry Tonon and Shinya Aoki. The match lit a spark that was ignited into a flame five years later. In 2022, ONE brought the sport to the masses in a big way at ONE X. The company put two high-profile matches on its largest crowd to date and gave it a push to the masses. The largest martial arts organization then began carefully crafting divisions and signing talent. In just under two years time, the sport of submission grappling has reached new heights many thought would never come. Here are five ways ONE has changed the dynamic of submission grappling and made it a global phenomenon. 1. ONE’s Global Rule Set When it comes to competition on the mat, ONE has separated itself from the field with its global rule set that favors attacking submissions. Other rule sets have point systems, which can give fans less than thrilling encounters if athletes choose to play the point game. It also lends itself to stall tactics when ahead. In ONE, this is not the case. Athletes would receive a yellow card for stalling, which could lead to being disqualified if continued. Aggressiveness in seeking the submission is rewarded in ONE. Per the official rule set: “Judges will award the victory to the athlete with the greater number of catches. If there are an equal number of catches or no catches, the athlete determined to have shown more aggression will win.” The global rule set emphasizes what the sport is supposed to be about — submissions. Athletes have to be aggressive and seek a finish, and when met with an equal on the mat, their techniques have to be on point. It not only makes the sport more exciting and fan-friendly but how it should be ideally. 2. Primetime Matchups No more is submission grappling done in the dark. ONE has brought the sport to the masses with its partnership with Prime Video. ONE has not buried the sport on undercards. Matchups routinely get placed atop the card, with big names helping bolster interest in the sport. ONE’s U.S. debut earlier in 2023 is a phenomenal example of how they have grown the sport quickly. In their domestic debut at ONE Fight Night 10, ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion Mikey Musumeci met Osamah Almarwai as one of the key bouts. The fans responded with loud ovations when Musumeci secured the submission. There were no boos. Nobody left their seat. ONE is using its global platform and partnership with Amazon to put these amazing matchups in front of the biggest audiences possible. 3. Elevating The Athletes Whether Musumeci, the Ruotolo brothers, or Danielle Kelly, ONE has dedicated itself to building stars. These incredible martial artists are placed front and center across all of ONE’s platforms, and their star power has exploded. Musumeci may be the best example. He went from being a budding star in the sport’s niche culture to becoming a household name. Fans got to know him on a personal level through ONE’s storytelling, and then his skill on the mats complimented that and made him a true star. Across all of ONE’s key events, such as ONE X and ONE Fight Night 10, they have made it a point to highlight submission grappling’s biggest names. In a short time, submission grappling’s top stars have gone from relative obscurity to stardom. ONE continues to push these athletes to the forefront, and it is a massive reason for their increased popularity. 4. Defending World Champions Before ONE developed its submission grappling divisions, the sport primarily focused on big tournaments. While those tournaments are notable and fun, they do not provide a singular World Champion who then goes on to defend the gold on a continued basis until defeated like other combat sports. And that is someone fans can rally behind. How would boxing be if it had one or two major tournaments per year but no icon to carry the belt around? Or MMA? Having someone stand atop the division with a belt helps keep the sport relevant in all 12 months. These tournaments are still outstanding, but ONE provides a structure to bring the sport to the next level. It won’t come down to a tournament title anymore. The ONE Submission Grappling World Championship will become the sport’s most coveted prize as the sport grows. 5. Continued Commitment Perhaps the most important way ONE is changing the landscape is through one simple word — commitment. ONE is continuing its commitment to the sport on a grand scale. ONE is in this for the long haul. If all of this were for the short term, the impact would not have been as great. However, they have backed up all of the talk with tangible results. ONE believes in the future of the sport and is committed to providing a platform for grappling athletes in the future. Submission grappling will return under the spotlight at ONE Fight Night 14 on Friday, September 29. Danielle Kelly and Jessa Khan will collide for the inaugural ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Championship live on Prime Video. The event begins at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and is free for all Amazon Prime members based in the U.S. and Canada.

For 99 percent of the martial artists out there, Joe Lewis needs no introduction. But for the 1 percent who may be new to the arts, here goes. Joe Lewis is particularly famous for three accomplishments: He earned a black belt in three styles in less than one year, he practically created the sport of kickboxing and he successfully made the transition from champion noncontact fighter to champion semicontact fighter to champion full-contact fighter. Enough said? Ever since he was a teenager, Joe Lewis knew he loved the physical side of life. By the time he turned 14, he was heavily into wrestling and pumping iron. When he joined the Marines in 1962, he started learning hand-to-hand combat as part of basic training. Ernie Cates, a seven-time Marine Corps judo champ who taught self-defense techniques to recruits, gave Joe Lewis his first real exposure to the martial arts. He wasn’t impressed. “Wrestlers would put on a gi and beat the heck out of the judo guys on the mat,” Lewis said. “I had the opportunity to be exposed to karate in Cherry Point, North Carolina, when I was still in the Marine Corps,” Joe Lewis continued. “The styles were primarily Japanese and Okinawan, such as wado-ryu and isshin-ryu karate. “At first, I wasn’t really attracted to the arts. My loves were still wrestling and weightlifting. Back then, if a person was skinny and didn’t have muscles or weigh 200 pounds, I wasn’t impressed. I came from a weightlifting world where guys could bench-press 400 pounds and squat 600 pounds. That impressed me, as did someone who could run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds. I loved speed and power, and if it didn’t look like you could produce them, you didn’t get any respect from me. "I gradually became attracted to the exotic and abstract look of karate, the visual appeal of the striking maneuvers. I finally got the bug to learn it, so I told my commander I wanted to go to Okinawa.” Joe Lewis’ superiors were more than happy to oblige. They shipped the 19-year-old off to Okinawa, where he stayed for almost two years. “I started training in a couple styles of shorin-ryu, ” Lewis said. “In the first year, I made black belt in kobayashi-ryu, matsubayashi-ryu and Okinawan kempo. “The man who taught me how to spar in Okinawa was an American, a man named John Korab. He was a black belt in wado-ryu, then went to Okinawa and started over again in shorin-ryu karate.” Joe Lewis also trained under some Okinawan instructors, including Eizo Shimabuko and Kinjo Chinsoku. But with the destruction of World War II still fresh in the mind of most locals, resentment against the Americans ran high. Were the instructors open about teaching their cultural treasures to their conquerors? “They were open about making money,” Joe Lewis said. “And they liked Americans because we were big and they enjoyed watching us pound on each other.” He credited those pioneering American martial artists with spearheading the fighting side of the arts. “Most of the Japanese and Okinawans I met then were just into doing the kata and the traditional ceremonies,” he said. “They didn’t care that much about sparring, and I didn’t think they knew that much about tactics and strategy. The Americans were the ones who made a science of it, who really enjoyed it. They spent most of their time competing.” Joe Lewis, on the other hand, spent most of his time practicing. “I trained about four to five hours a day,” he said. “On a bad night, I would get in only a two- or three-hour workout. On weekends, I got a chance to train two or three times. The last six months I was in Okinawa, I would go to a kempo school at noon, a judo school at 6 o’clock and a karate school at 9 o’clock. “What I liked about training overseas was that there were no distractions. We didn’t go home every night; we went to the barracks. We weren’t distracted by hobbies, dating, football games or basketball games — there was nothing going on. We would train in the military all day, and then at night we would train in the martial arts. There were always plenty of young, tough guys around to spar with and beat on.” Joe Lewis tried his hand at competition when the Okinawan Championships were held in 1964. He was a brown belt and wanted to see what tournament sparring was all about. His first foray into American competition came in 1966 at Jhoon Rhee’s U.S. National Championships in Washington, D.C. “I didn’t understand the rules, so I just wanted to go there and watch,” he said. “But I went to Jhoon Rhee’s school the night before, and he talked me into competing.” Jhoon Rhee told Joe Lewis to report for duty the next day at 9 o’clock. “I showed up at 8:30, like a good Marine, but I didn’t start competing until 5 o’clock,” Lewis said. “I sat there all day long with no food or anything. That’s when I decided I would never arrive early at a tournament again.” But an empty stomach didn’t deter the young fighter. “I did real well,” he said. “I tore the gi off three of my opponents that day, and no one scored a point on me till the very last match. A kid from a shorin-ryu school came at me with two kicks, and I stepped out of the ring and looked behind me to see if I was still in the ring. That’s when he threw a low kick to my belt line and scored a point.” Yet Joe Lewis triumphed. He took first in sparring and black-belt forms, and he won the grand championship. He didn’t stop winning until he retired from competition in 1971. Not bad for a guy who once thought wrestling and weightlifting were the ultimate physical pursuits! Text by Robert W. Young

Dave Kovar is an 8th degree Black Belt and still growing and has Black Belt ranks in 10 unique martial art styles. Heis also a trailblazing instructor on the most comprehensive martial arts platform in history—Black Belt+. *Due to editorial limitations, parts of this interview may have been abbreviated. Black Belt+: You inspired so many, who or what inspired you? Dave: There have been a lot of people that have inspired and continue to inspire me to be my best. Probably at the top of the list would be my father, Len Kovar, Grandmaster Jhoone Rhee, and Grandmaster Ernie Reyes. Each of them really understood the concept of “leading by example.” Black Belt+: Black Belt+ was started to help students outside the dojo, what are your expert tips on training solo or remotely? Dave: The challenge is not in the knowing that you should practice, it’s in the doing. What Black-Belt+ is doing is making it easier for people to practice on their own. A lot of people think they need an hour or two on a regular basis to get better. That might be ideal, but the reality of it is, short consistent workouts will go a long way. My father always said, “a little of something is better than a lot of nothing.” If we can get in the habit of practicing even a few minutes a day, over time, that adds up and good things will happen. Black Belt+: Oftentimes in our training we hit a wall, what’s your advice for students who lack motivation or want to quit? Dave: I think it’s important to explain to students ahead of time that there’s a good chance that they will want to quit at some point in the training . That way when it happens, they’re not surprised. The next step is to remind them early on in their training that the only way to develop perseverance is to keep doing something when you want to quit. Also, it’s been my experience that we almost always seem to plateau in our training just before we have a breakthrough. Black Belt+: Traditionally many martial artists start with one style, when do you recommend the best time to branch out and learn other styles? Dave: My original instructor, Hanshi Bruce Jucknick, had us cross training back in the early 70s when not a lot of people were doing that, so I’ve always had an affinity to multi-style training. With that said, I have nothing but respect for someone that sticks with one art for decades, as long as they still continue to practice that art. We teach our students a concept called “Breadcrumbs and Jellybeans.” The idea is that it’s important to become good at one art, that’s the breadcrumbs. And then it’s nice to experiment with others, that’s the jellybeans. Bruce Lee that said, “I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.” . Black Belt+: What are some changes or developments in your art over the years? Dave: What I’ve seen not only my martial arts training, but also in others, is a blending of styles. There was a time when you could tell what style someone was by the way they stood, or by the way they kicked. It is way harder to tell now because we’ve all learned from each other. For me, it’s about continuously embracing the concept of “Shoshin,” meaning “beginner’s mind.” I try to stay open and receptive to new ideas and concepts, while remaining true to the core principles that I know to be effective. Black Belt+: Today, what is the emphasis of your teaching? Dave: In my videos on Black Belt+, I focus on a variety of drills and concepts designed to keep training enjoyable and to help practitioners to have a versatile skillset. When I was younger, my teaching emphasis was always about becoming a better fighter or developing cleaner technique. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s great to aspire to. But as I age, I am more focused on health, fitness and conflict avoidance. Bottom line is that most of us are not going to die in a back-alley knife fight. Research shows us that bigger risks are heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc. If we are truly teaching self-defense, then living a healthy lifestyle should be the foundation of that. -- Check out all of Dave Kovar’s instructional videos on Black Belt+. Download and subscribe directly from Black Belt Magazine at plus.blackbeltmag.com. Or download in the App Store or Google Play.

Burton Richardson is a Black Belt Hall of Famer and is a trailblazing instructor on the most comprehensive martial arts platform in history— Black Belt+ *Due to editorial limitations, parts of this interview may have been abbreviated. Black Belt+: You inspired so many, who or what inspired you? Burton: My inspirations were the proverbial carrot and stick. The stick was a very bad incident when I was nine years old. I was abducted by a large adult who continually threatened to kill me if I didn’t do what he said. It was a horrible ordeal that motivates me to train others so they never have to be a victim. The carrot was both Sifu Bruce Lee and Guro Dan Inosanto. I was so fortunate to start training with Guro Dan when I was only 18 years old. To this day the wisdom and examples of Sifu Bruce and Guro Dan inspire me to be my very best and to pass on the “constant improvement” directive to my students worldwide. Black Belt+: Black Belt+ was started to help students outside the dojo, what are your expert tips on training solo or remotely? Burton: We can make great progress outside the dojo and I practice solo every single day. To get the most out of your practice when you don’t have a partner, visualize an attacker who is fighting back. When you hit the BOB dummy or work on a heavy bag, use your imagination to visualize a moving, aggressive opponent. Evade or block those kicks and punches and time your counters. Don’t just strike the bag, pick precise areas to target so that you work on your accuracy as well. Even if you are shadowboxing, pick spots on the wall to aim towards. Developing power is a must, but power is useless if you don’t hit your target. Black Belt+: Oftentimes in our training we hit a wall, what’s your advice for students who lack motivation or want to quit? Burton: I remember that feeling of being on a plateau. What I didn’t understand early in my training was that while on a plateau, I was actually progressing toward the next upward climb. As long as I went to class, I wasn’t really stagnant, even though it felt that way. In reality, I was inching along that plateau working my way towards the next rise. Thankfully, I just enjoyed where I was, kept on paying attention to details, and eventually made the jump. Such a fascinating process. Always remember that a black belt is a white belt who never quit. When you hit that plateau, smile and keep training! Black Belt+: What are some changes or developments in your art over the years? Burton: In 1997 I started pressure testing everything I had learned and made a commitment to only teach techniques that were successful in hard sparring or fighting. In a real situation, an attacker is going to resist 100%. If we aren’t prepared for that resistance, no technique, regardless of its merit, will be applicable. Each individual must develop the skills necessary to deal with a resisting opponent, so all of my students must pressure test the techniques themselves. We do this safely but dealing with resistance is the key to successful application of the martial arts. Black Belt+ : Today, what is the emphasis of your teaching? Tell us about your videos featured on BB+. Burton: I mentioned earlier that I endured a very horrible situation when I was a youngster. My emphasis in teaching is to make sure no one else has to endure what I did. I was absolutely helpless against a much larger, stronger aggressor. Therefore, my programs are designed to help people develop functional, practical fighting skills that will allow them to not just survive, but to prevail in such a situation. -- Check out all of Burton Richardson’s instructional videos on Black Belt+ Download and subscribe directly from Black Belt Magazine at plus.blackbeltmag.com . Or download in the App Store or Google Play. For more about Burton Richardson and his programs visit: jkdunlimited.com

LimaLama (also spelled “Limalama”) is a Samoan-inspired martial art. This self-defense system consists of circular motions and movements that are incorporated inside a set of techniques and forms. It is notable for its fluid, dance-like movements which are inspired by the founder’s background. In 1965, Tu’umamao "Tino" Tuiolosega developed the art form and invented the word “Limalama” by blending the Somoan words lima (hand) and malamalama (understanding). Tuiolosega directly translates LimaLama to mean “hand of wisdom.” The hand of wisdom is right considering roughly 60% of its curriculum is based on hand techniques. LimaLama also uses holds, hand strikes, traps and locks, wrestling, pressure points, takedowns, and kicking. Regarding weapons, the curriculum teaches knife and stick fighting techniques. LimaLama Founder Tino Tuiolosega According to the LimaLama association website, Tu’umamao Tuiolosega was a member of the Samoan royal family and with his “extensive background of boxing and street fighting and created a contemporary, and comprehensive self-defense system.” LimaLama is said to be a mix of Samoan and Lua fighting techniques, Kenpo karate, Chinese kung fu, various Japanese martial arts, American boxing, and wrestling. Limalama classifies techniques into thirteen categories: 1. Afikau - dance traditions 2. Amofoe - balance and weight manipulation 3. Fa’aelise - physical movement and co-ordination 4. Fa’ako’elau - wrestling 5. Faufusu - hand strikes 6. Lua’aga - pressure points 7. Milosia - circular movements 8. Pepelu ma Pega - knife work 9. Uma Ma Kaupi’I - holds and takedowns 10. Vaeka ma Kavae - kicks 11. Ti’apega ma Lo’u - stick techniques 12. Tal’amoa – combinations 13. Upaga ma Lo’ulo’uga - traps and locks Check out LimaLama and Ted Tabura instructional content and more on Black Belt+ Black Belt+ biggest martial arts digital platform in history. From its rich history spanning over 60 years, the platform includes thousands of remastered instructional videos, martial arts movies, documentaries, and, of course, digital issues and articles from the iconic Black Belt Magazine .

One of the great martial arts to come out of South America is capoeira. This Afro-Brazilian style combines elements of dance and acrobatics with influences from enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians, and Portuguese. Beginning in the 1500s, this art has evolved tremendously over time. Initially, capoeira had a strong foundation in spirituality. While it was a form of self-defense, encoded into its movements were spirituality and culture that many formerly enslaved Brazilians relied on, so much so that it was outlawed in 1890, just two years after slavery was abolished in Brazil. Some report that the prohibition was due to the effectiveness of the martial art against law and order. The ban argued that capoeira was dangerous and deadly. This applied specifically to rebellion groups known as quilombos that were comprised of former slaves who escaped using capoeira. It took another forty years before the style was decriminalized. In the 1930s, Mestre Bimba altered traditional capoeira by subverting the spiritual elements and introducing elements of jiu jitsu and gymnastics. Because of this, the government deemed this form of capoeira an appropriate sport. It would take another 40 years before the sport spread to other parts of the world. Mestre Acordeon was a true trailblazer who brought capoeira to the US and Europe. Notably, due to is rich history and influence on certain populations over time, UNESCO granted capoeira special protected status as “intangible cultural heritage” in 2014. If you want to become a capoeirista, you must master these techniques of modern capoeira: Ginga (Swing) – the foundation of capoeira technique is ginga which is a rocking step or sway. And there are serval different forms of ginga . Such as: traditional ginga, normal ginga, ginga quebradas (breaks) Cabeçada (headbutt) Ponte (bridge) Queda de rins (fall on the kidneys) Bananeira (handstand) Negativa (crouching position) Rolê (roll) Aú (cartwheel) Start learning each movement here Check out Capoeira instructional content from elite teachers like Mestre Barrao and Joselito Santos on Black Belt+ Black Belt+ biggest martial arts digital platform in history. The platform includes thousands of remastered instructional videos, martial arts movies, documentaries, and, of course, digital issues and articles from the iconic Black Belt Magazine . The new app is available on iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets. Or download and subscribe directly from Black Belt at plus.blackbeltmag.com .

American kenpo karate is a martial art that originated in Hawaii in the early 20th century. It was developed by James Mitose, who learned several martial arts in Japan, including jujitsu, judo, and kenpo. Mitose's system of kenpo karate was a combination of these different styles, with an emphasis on practical self-defense techniques. Kenpo karate is known for its rapid, fluid movements, and its emphasis on strikes, kicks, and throws. It is designed to be effective in real-world self-defense situations, and practitioners learn a variety of techniques for dealing with attackers in different situations. One of the key features of kenpo karate is its focus on adapting to different situations. Practitioners are trained to react quickly to changing circumstances, and to use their knowledge of body mechanics to find the most effective way to neutralize an attacker. Another important aspect of kenpo karate is its emphasis on personal development. Practitioners are encouraged to cultivate discipline, focus, and self-control, as well as physical fitness. This holistic approach to training helps students to become well-rounded individuals who are capable of handling both physical and mental challenges. In terms of technique, kenpo karate incorporates a wide variety of strikes and kicks. These include punches, open-hand strikes, elbows, knees, and kicks delivered from a variety of angles and positions. Practitioners also learn throws and joint locks, as well as ground fighting techniques. One of the distinguishing features of kenpo karate is its use of "forms" or "katas.” These are prearranged sequences of movements that practitioners perform to practice and refine their technique. Each form has a specific focus, and students must learn to perform them with precision and fluidity. Kenpo karate also places a strong emphasis on sparring. This is a simulated combat situation in which two practitioners face off against each other, using controlled strikes and techniques. Sparring is an important component of training because it allows students to test their skills in a safe, controlled environment. There are several different organizations that teach kenpo karate, each with its own approach and emphasis. However, all of them share the basic principles and techniques of the art. You can start learning kenpo karate from masters like Larry Tatum here! Black Belt+ biggest martial arts digital platform in history. The platform includes thousands of remastered instructional videos, martial arts movies, documentaries, and, of course, digital issues and articles from the iconic Black Belt Magazine . The new app is available on iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets. Or download and subscribe directly from Black Belt at plus.blackbeltmag.com .

Jackson Rudolph is a trailblazing champion and is a featured instructor on the most comprehensive martial arts platform in history— Black Belt+ *Due to editorial limitations, parts of this interview may have been abbreviated. 1. You inspired so many, who or what inspired you? I've been very fortunate to have many inspirations in my martial arts career. I would say the biggest inspirations to me were Kevin Thompson and Tori Lynn Andreozzi. Kevin was the captain of Team Paul Mitchell, the team I have represented for the majority of my career and I am now a member of the coaching staff. He is widely regarded as the greatest sport karate competitor of all time, a man who could consistently win forms, weapons, and fighting at any given tournament. He was also known for his humility and kind spirit. In 2012, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). During his battle with the terminal illness, he continued to address the team and always attended the finals at the Ocean State Grand Nationals. My personal relationship with Kevin grew a great deal over this time as I joined efforts to raise awareness for his condition, and his indomitable spirit is something that inspires me to this day. Tori Lynn Andreozzi was another competitor who inspired me because of her incredible perseverance when faced with life's greatest obstacles. She was a junior competitor on the NASKA circuit around the time that I started martial arts, and she was struck by a drunk driver resulting in severe disabilities. She was bound to an advanced wheel chair for the rest of her days, and her story captivated me as well. I got to know Tori and her mom pretty well, and started wearing a ribbon to support Tori's campaign. In some ways, it felt that wearing that ribbon allowed me to bring Tori into the ring for a few moments every time I stepped out there. I know it is a long-winded answer, but those two individuals have had the greatest impact on my martial arts career and my life as a whole. 2. Black Belt+ was started to help students outside the dojo, what are your expert tips on training solo or remotely? Film study is an essential tool for any martial artist in my opinion, but especially for forms and weapons competitors. Recording videos of yourself and watching afterwards is a much better way to catch small mistakes than if you are multitasking while looking in a mirror. Additionally, you can seek out videos of others on YouTube to learn from their mistakes, pick up their good habits, and maybe even catch some specific tutorials along the way. You should never learn exclusively from the internet, but it is a fantastic reference for film study when you aren't critiquing your own clips. Specific to the bo, of course I recommend The Flow System from the Martial Arts Industry Association which is a program that both teaches a full bo curriculum and has instructor training modules, as well as Sport Karate University from Black Belt Magazine. These are both projects that I founded, bringing Mackensi Emory into The Flow System for a kama curriculum, and co-founding SKU with Sammy Smith to create a more affordable alternative tailored to beginner competitors. Forgive the shameless plug... 3. Oftentimes in our training we hit a wall, what’s your advice for students who lack motivation or want to quit? If you quit now, you will never know what the outcome would have been. Everybody wants to quit at some point in their life, regardless of the task. It is far better to suffer through whatever temporary pain is afflicting your journey, so that you can find out what is on the other side of those trials. I am a firm believer that God has a plan for all of us, and my greatest fear is not working hard enough to become the person that I was meant to be. Make the short time sacrifices for long term prosperity. 4. Traditionally many martial artists start with one style, when do you recommend the best time to branch out and learn other styles? This may be a controversial answer, but I would say it is beneficial for martial artists to diversify their skillset early and often. I was fortunate to have trained in a curriculum that was primarily Tae Kwon Do based, but implemented a bit of kali, hapkido, and eventually some sport martial arts in their program. Although this was quite the variety of styles, I feel I learned skills that helped me gain a better understanding of certain principles in my primary art. Of course, I don't think someone brand new to the martial arts should jump into five new styles at once, but adding another style after your first six months or so of training in whatever primary art you choose can be beneficial. 5. What are some changes or developments in your art over the years? Although my rank is held primarily in Tae Kwon Do, I think it is probably better to answer this question through the lens of a sport martial artist. Sport karate has changed a great deal since I first started traveling the circuit back in 2006. I remember competing on ballroom carpet with duct tape delineating the rings, and now every event on the NASKA world tour provides standard 6x6 puzzle mats. The majority of tournaments when I started competing had minimal media coverage, featuring some SportMartialArts.com YouTube videos and maybe a Black and Blue Video recording of the whole nighttime finals show that you could purchase on DVD. Now, multiple tournaments on the world tour have extensive coverage with live streams and professional commentary from SportMartialArts.com and Black Belt Magazine, as well as television broadcasts such as The CW Network at the Ocean State Grand Nationals or of course ESPN at the U.S. Open. Now that I have moved on from competition, I love being able to give back to the sport by commentating on many of these streams and broadcasts. The sport has evolved, and the athletes keep getting better and better, but the biggest enhancements are truly to the infrastructure of sport karate. There is still progress to be made, but Black Belt Magazine has been essential to the growth of sport karate in the last few years to the place it is at today. 6. Today, what is the emphasis of your teaching? The majority of my teaching today comes in the form of private lessons and seminars, in which my goal is to bring as many people to the world of sport karate as possible and help them become better competitors once they have decided to embark on that journey. The videos of mine that are featured on Black Belt+ are no different. The wide variety of bo videos that I have available in the app (Black Belt+) include essential breakdowns of the basic striking, both for competition and practical application, rising in difficulty level to tutorials about some of the signature moves I pulled off on stages around the world. The main goal of my teaching is to develop bo practitioners who have solid basics and understand the practical application of those skills even if they are primarily used for sport, and to help those athletes achieve their goals after starting from that foundation. 7. What motivates you to stay passionate about your art? The way that sport karate changed my life is what keeps me passionate about it. I was just a kid from Kentucky who would have been content winning the U.S. Open one time in my life. Through hard work and the courage to innovate competitive bo in a way no one had attempted before, I did not just win the U.S. Open once, but was blessed to become the winningest weapons competitor in the history of the tournament. That experience alone taught me that anything was possible. Those experiences enabled me to travel the world teaching seminars, helped me get accepted to Stanford University where I received a degree in human biology, and gave me many of the skills that I use today as a medical student for the United States Army. I undoubtedly would not be the man I am today without sport karate, and I am forever indebted to the sport, the art, for that reason. I want others to have the opportunity to change their life in the same way that I did, and that's why I still care so much. Check out Jackson Rudolph’s instructional videos on Black Belt+ Download and subscribe directly from Black Belt Magazine at plus.blackbeltmag.com Or download in the App Store or Google Play.

Martial arts movies have been popular for decades, and they have brought us some of the most talented actors in the industry. The best martial arts actors have not only impressed us with their fighting skills but also with their acting abilities, making them some of the most entertaining performers to watch on the big screen. In this article, we will take a look at some of the greatest martial arts actors of all time. Bruce Lee Bruce Lee is undoubtedly the most iconic martial arts actor of all time. He is widely regarded as the person who brought martial arts to the mainstream in the Western world. Bruce Lee was not only a skilled martial artist, but he was also a talented actor, writer, and director. He starred in several classic martial arts films, including "Enter the Dragon," "Way of the Dragon," and "The Big Boss." Bruce Lee's fighting style was known for its speed, power, and precision, making him a legend in the martial arts world. Lee's philosophy on originality extended to his approach to filmmaking. He was known for his meticulous planning and attention to detail, and he was involved in every aspect of his films, from writing the scripts to choreographing the fight scenes. Lee was determined to create something new and unique that would be a true reflection of his own experiences and abilities. In the end, Lee's commitment to originality and authenticity paid off, as he became one of the most iconic figures in the world of martial arts films, and his influence can still be felt today. His legacy is a testament to the power of creativity, innovation, and staying true to oneself. Jackie Chan Jackie Chan is a martial arts actor known for his acrobatic fighting style and comic timing. He has starred in over 150 films and is known for performing his own stunts. Jackie Chan's movies often involve humorous situations and choreographed fight scenes that showcase his unique fighting style. Some of his most notable films include "Rush Hour," "Drunken Master," and "Police Story." Chan's breakthrough role came in the 1978 movie "Drunken Master," in which he played the role of Wong Fei-hung. The film showcased Chan's unique style of martial arts, which incorporated elements of comedy, acrobatics, and slapstick humor. The film was a critical and commercial success, and it established Chan as one of the biggest stars in the Hong Kong film industry. Chan's influence can be seen in the work of many modern martial arts stars. His dedication to his craft and commitment to pushing the boundaries of action choreography have inspired generations of filmmakers and martial artists, and his contributions to the world of cinema will be celebrated for years to come. Jet Li Jet Li is a Chinese martial artist and actor who has starred in several classic martial arts films. He is known for his fluid and graceful fighting style, which he developed from studying Wushu. Jet Li has starred in several popular films, including "Fist of Legend," "Hero," and "Once Upon a Time in China." He has also appeared in several Hollywood films, including "Lethal Weapon 4" and "The Expendables." Throughout his career, Li has won numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to the film industry, including the prestigious Legion of Honor award from the French government. In addition to his acting career, Li has also worked as a philanthropist and social activist, using his platform to raise awareness about important issues and give back to his community. Li's legacy as one of the greatest martial arts actors of all time is firmly established, and his influence can be seen in the work of many modern martial arts stars. Cynthia Rothrock Cynthia Rothrock is a legendary American martial artist and actress who is known for her remarkable skills in martial arts, specifically in Chinese martial arts. She has been dubbed the "Queen of Martial Arts Films" and is regarded as one of the most influential female martial arts stars in the world. Rothrock's martial arts skills and on-screen presence were widely praised, and she became a beloved figure in the martial arts film genre. In addition to her acting career, Rothrock has also worked as a stuntwoman, choreographer, and martial arts instructor. Rothrock's martial arts skills caught the attention of film producers, and she was soon offered a role in the Hong Kong martial arts film "Yes, Madam!" alongside Michelle Yeoh. She continued to star in a string of martial arts films throughout the 1980s and 1990s, including "China O'Brien," "Righting Wrongs," and "Tiger Claws." Today, Rothrock continues to inspire and mentor martial artists around the world through her seminars and workshops. Her legacy as one of the greatest female martial arts actors of all time. Donnie Yen Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor and martial artist known for his dynamic fighting style and powerful presence on screen. He has appeared in over 70 films and is known for his roles in "Ip Man," "Dragon Tiger Gate," and "Flash Point." Donnie Yen is also a trained martial artist and has won several competitions in Wushu and Tai Chi. In addition to his work in the "Ip Man" franchise, Yen has also starred in several other martial arts films, including "Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen," and "Flash Point." He has also worked as a choreographer and director on several films, including "Legend of the Wolf" and "Dragon Inn." Throughout his career, Yen has demonstrated his incredible martial arts skills and his ability to seamlessly blend them with his acting talent. His performances have inspired and entertained audiences around the world, and his legacy as one of the greatest martial arts actors of all time is cemented in the hearts and minds of fans. Tony Jaa Tony Jaa is a Thai actor and martial artist known for his acrobatic fighting style and incredible stunt work. He rose to fame with his starring role in "Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior" and has since appeared in several other martial arts films, including "Tom-Yum-Goong" and "The Protector." Tony Jaa is known for performing his own stunts and is often compared to Jackie Chan for his acrobatic style. Throughout his career, Jaa has remained committed to performing his own stunts and fight scenes, showcasing his incredible physical abilities and dedication to his craft. His innovative approach to martial arts films has inspired a new generation of filmmakers and martial artists, and his legacy as one of the greatest martial arts actors of all time is firmly established. Chuck Norris Last, but certainly not least, Chuck Norris is known for his tough-guy persona and legendary martial arts skills. Norris began his martial arts training in the United States Air Force and later studied under several notable martial arts masters, including Bruce Lee. Norris gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s for his roles in martial arts films, including "The Way of the Dragon" alongside Bruce Lee, and later, the "Missing in Action" series. He also gained a reputation as a formidable fighter in real life, winning multiple martial arts championships and becoming the first Westerner to be awarded the 8th-degree black belt in Taekwondo. Norris's martial arts abilities and his tough-guy image helped make him a cultural icon in the United States. In the 1990s, he starred in the popular television series "Walker, Texas Ranger," which ran for nine seasons and cemented his status as an American action hero. Norris's impact on the martial arts and action film genres is undeniable. He has inspired generations of martial artists and action stars, and has become a cultural touchstone in the United States. In conclusion, the best martial arts actors of all time have not only impressed us with their fighting skills but also with their acting abilities. These actors have left a lasting impression on the martial arts genre, and their performances continue to inspire generations of martial artists and moviegoers alike.

Harinder Singh is a trailblazing martial artist and is a featured instructor on the most comprehensive martial arts platform in history— Black Belt+ *Due to editorial limitations, parts of this interview may have been abbreviated. Black Belt+ : You inspired so many, who or what inspired you? Harinder : Bruce Lee’s fighting philosophy has had a profound influence on my development as a martial artist and as an individual. His art of Jeet Kune Do is best described as philosophy in action, a vehicle for self-discovery and honest self-expression. It was through the principles and process driven approach of his art that I started to unravel who I truly was as a person, a teacher, a fighter, and a philosopher. I am inspired daily by my teachers and students. I wouldn’t be where I am today without the support of my teachers and lineages in Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi, Wing Chun, Boxing, Savate, BJJ, Escrima and Kali. My students inspire me to keep a growth minded approach and fill me with a childlike wonder and excitement for learning. Black Belt+ : Black Belt+ was started to help students outside the dojo, what are your expert tips on training solo or remotely? Harinder : Training solo is essential to your development. It is how you get to know yourself and develop your body mechanics, build energy, expand awareness, and spark your creative visualization. We have all heard the statement that “practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect”. There is another level above perfect practice, and this is the concept of deliberate practice. In deliberate practice you are fully engaged in the activity and are operating from a feeling of awareness of what you are doing, and how your body, breath, and mind is engaging in the event. Never just practice for the sake of mindlessly completing repetitions, sets, or timed intervals. Deliberate practice is not about doing more to become more, it is about becoming more to do more. I highly suggest that you establish a feedback loop. You can do this by videoing your practice sessions on your phone and studying your body mechanics in slow motion. Also, send your videos to people you trust to get their feedback. Feedback and film study are an essential part of solo practice. Study film of martial artists or watch Black Belt + videos of practitioners who share a similar build as you, then watch and analyze their movement. The way they shift and load their weight, the connection of their legs, hips, waist, and arms. The key is to study them in slow motion so that you can observe the subtle movements and transitions. Your growth will be found in the subtle transitions not the large motions. Finally, your imagination and intention are the most powerful tools you have in your arsenal when training by yourself. You have to be able to visualize your opponent and their emotional state. Create an avatar of your opponent by giving them a name, a style, a stance, and emotional state. Make sure that you also empower this avatar with size, strength, and length of limbs, so that you can work the appropriate distancing and timing. Recall your past sparring and fighting experiences and bring those emotions, strategies, and timing into your solo training sessions. Without imagination and intention your forms and shadow boxing will be empty, and you will not get the most out of your training. My favorite ways of solo practice are shadow boxing (empty handed and with weapons), heavy bag, wooden dummy, standing meditation, and the internal arts of Tai Chi Quan and Nei Gong. Black Belt+ : Oftentimes in our training we hit a wall, what’s your advice for students who lack motivation or want to quit? Harinder : I do not believe in motivation. I believe in discipline and perseverance. Motivation runs out, but discipline will never leave your side. Discipline is powered by self-love. Do you value yourself enough to do the things that are good for you? If you are struggling with discipline, discipline is not your issue, self-worth is. Perseverance is not just the grit and determination necessary to get you through difficult situations. True perseverance is the ability to train when you do not have to when no one is watching and there is nothing on the line. This is the key factor to growth and longevity in martial arts. Everyone wants to quit, we have all been there, and the main reasons are boredom, not getting better, and a lack of purpose driving the training. If you are not being challenged and are getting bored, you will want to quit. If you are not getting better and learning something new you will want to quit. If you are selfishly training for just your own gain you can run out of inspiration and want to quit. However, if you are powered by a sense of purpose and a desire to serve others you will never want to quit. As martial artists we are guardians, wherever we go anyone in need has a friend, and wherever we are the place is a little bit safer. Black Belt+ : Traditionally many martial artists start with one style, when do you recommend the best time to branch out and learn other styles? Harinder : There is no one style that has it all. It is up to the individual to research their experiences, absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add that which is specifically their own. This is the method to make the art yours. The question is why are you doing what you are doing? Are you just blindly following your teacher and the style, or are you using the style to find yourself? This is the first contemplation that one must make. If we remove stylistic filters, and view combat for what it is, we can see the truth in combat, and the truth in combat comes down to universal principles. These principles govern how I move, how we feel, and how we interact with our opponents. Instead of considering styles, consider the following 8 powers: timing, angles, distance, pressure, awareness, energy, emotions and geometric shapes. Combat falls into universal ranges and scenarios. Please consider Kicking, Punching, Trapping, Clinching, Ground Fighting, Edged Weapons, Blunt Weapons, and Mass Attack (multiple opponents). From here we must consider ambush attacks vs duels. An ambush is a surprise attack by one or many opponents, and there is no time to think, you have to be able to adapt in the moment. In a duel, you have more time, you are squared off against another fighter (same or different style), maybe in a street fight, in sparring, or in a combat sport competition. The true secret to martial arts is your ability to make yourself comfortable in uncomfortable situations, relax under pressure, expand your awareness, read your opponent, and make conscious choices in chaos. Adapt-Ability, your ability to flow like water under pressure, against resisting opponents, is the true skill one must develop. The great sage Lao Tzu wrote that “rigidity is weakness, and flexibility is strength”. What he means is that the ability to transform and change in a fight or in life is true strength. Adaptability is found in your ability to transition in-between the ranges, weapons, strategies, and have the stamina to last under pressure. In a street fight you do not know what can happen, you must be ready to adapt to any situation. As a professional fighter or combat sport athlete, the fighter of the future is not going to be the one who practices, boxing, muay thai, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu individually. The fighter of the future is the one that can transition between the arts, and there will no longer be a separation between the styles, rather they will merge into one complete molecule. So, the question is not when you should embark on studying other styles, the question is what are your strengths and weaknesses? Start by filling your holes and stop blindly following theories and get out there and safely test what you can do for yourself. You can only trust what you can test. You can start by mastering one style and branching out. Or you can start with separately training individual styles and then try to mix them. I prefer the Style of No Style Method, the first lesson I teach my students is how to breathe, relax and lower their heart, and expand their awareness. From there I get them moving with knife sparring, then I teach them the clinch, then I teach them how to get up from the ground, then how to intercept and destroy punches and kicks. They then learn how to move and transition between the skills above. From here we expand outwards with boxing, trapping, kickboxing, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills. The focus always remains on breathing, lowering the heart rate, and on transitioning between the ranges while attacking the eyes and groin. Black Belt+ : What are some changes or developments in your art over the years? Harinder : In the beginning it was all about the art of hitting my opponents and making sure they didn’t hit me. It was about winning, it was about solving the different martial arts problems I would be faced with. It was about developing my attributes and sharpening my tools. It was about winning at all costs and I relied heavily on my natural gifts, tactics, and strategies. Over the years my focus shifted towards the internal art of mastering my center through the study of mechanics, energy, awareness and my relationship with others. It was no longer about winning, no longer about competing, and it definitely was no longer about getting hit. My training focused on being in center, moving from my center, and transforming my center in an interactive relationship (keeping my center under pressure, recovering my center when I got knocked off, and hiding my center while exposing my opponents). I wanted to use the study of martial arts to better understand myself in an interaction with others, to study my body, being, and consciousness in a relationship. There is nothing in this world that can be disassociated from your relationship with your center. In the beginning I was studying the art of winning and I would rely on speed, strength, forward pressure, tactical, and strategic advantages. My successes were not from a deeper understanding of how I related to my opponent and my own personal transformation. In the back of my mind I knew that someone who was stronger, faster, and better (had more knowledge, experience or intelligence) would have beaten me. This is where I discovered the cause of my own ignorance, and the limitations of the way I practiced martial arts. When I was ready to become serious about my internal martial arts journey, my Sifu, Dr. Jerry Alan Johnson, explained to me that true mastery was the continuous transformation of the being. And that transformation was the only thing really worth studying. To do this I had to pay a price, I had to let go of my style, let go of my history, let go of my preferences, let go of my fear of being hit, my fear of being humiliated, I had to essentially free myself from myself so that I could truly relax, and be wholly and totally in the moment as a guest of the experience. I had to let go of my need for control, my need to go first, and my need to outwit my opponent with technical cunning. Fear is our biggest obstacle; it knocks us off our center and kills the flow state. I had to let go of fear, not the fear of getting hurt but the fear of losing. I was trapped by my need for perfection and even though getting hit is part of fighting, I did not like it, not because it hurt physically, but because it hurt my ego and how I felt about myself as a fighter. When I finally realized this limitation, I started to do the internal work necessary to resolve my security, control, and approval issues. I traced these patterns back to my childhood, and stories of betrayal, rejection, and abandonment. As I processed these events from my past, through forgiveness and accountability, I started to free up precious life force energy that could now be utilized to fuel my perceptive abilities. As I detached from the outcome and cultivated a “don’t care” attitude around winning and losing, time started to slow down, my field of awareness opened up, and I could truly perceive what was really happening, I could be an observer of the event because I no longer had any expectations of the result. This was true freedom of expression under pressure, this was the real flow state. When you don’t care about the result, when there is no worry, when you are in center, the flow state is effortless. The moment you get worried, fear creeps in, you become afraid of losing, you care about the outcome and try to control it, now you have introduced tension and created a block in the natural flow of things. There is a magnificent secret in martial arts, this secret is that martial arts provide a self-correcting experiential feedback loop, an awareness of when you get in your own way, because when you do, you get hit. The awareness of realizing when you are out of flow and off center is the true gift of martial arts. Internal martial arts are a path to know yourself and know your enemy in an interaction. When I stopped studying how to win, and instead started to study my relationship with my opponent and focus on my own transformation through the experience, I began to play with great relaxation and intense concentration. I finally felt the freedom of movement and energy in the interaction, I was finally free from trying to control things, and I knew this was it. This is what I was missing. Mastering your center, requires you to master the center of your body, breath, and mind. The center of the body is balance and harmony through relaxation and structural alignment with gravity. The center of the breath is quiescent stillness through awareness of the transition of the inhale and exhale. The center of the mind is orienting from the still point of time and space. When all three centers are aligned, the flow state is a natural result. We can cultivate the center through a standing stillness practice (Zhan Zhuang), a stillness in movement practice (a Taiji or Wing Chun Form or Shadow Boxing), and a stillness in interaction practice. The stillness in interaction can be progressively studied through feeding hand exercises (one side feeds), through counter for counter exercises, through Chi Sao/Push Hands, and in free sparring. With the goal always being to cooperatively study the relationship instead of studying winning. The ultimate aim of trying to master your center is to get you to a point where you no longer have a center to protect. There is a fearlessness, when you are fearless, you will become limitless, and you will be able to tap into your true internal power. Your true internal power is the ability to transform and change with the changes and this power transcends martial arts and is the master key to success in all aspects of personal and professional performance. Black Belt+ : Today, what is the emphasis of your teaching? Harinder: Today my emphasis is to empower leaders to empower others by teaching them a method of self-discovery through martial arts. I teach a principles and process oriented practical approach to relaxing under pressure, slowing down perception of time, expanding awareness, and making conscious decisions under pressure. Society today has lost its relationship with its center. My mission is to help my students, professional athletes, industry professionals, and business leaders find their center, move from their center, maintain their center under pressure, and recover their center when they get knocked off. There is nothing in this world that can be disassociated from your relationship with your center. There is no victory, no defeat, no good times, no bad times, that can be disassociated from your center. The master key to success, is to Master Your Center, and then transform and change your center under pressure. On BB+ you can find many drills that will develop your skills regardless of your style or system. I also am pleased to announce that BB+ has my complete “Jeet Kune Do For Black Belts: Advanced Attack Strategies” curriculum. I designed this program for advanced martial artists of all styles and systems, so that they could integrate Bruce Lee’s combat tactics and fighting philosophy into their existing curriculums. It’s a great program for Black Belt and Adult Retention. You can also find “The Black Belt Podcast” on BB+. Black Belt+ : What motivates you to stay passionate about your art? Harinder : Martial Arts are the greatest vehicle for developing human potential through self-discovery. To me it is all about the art of honestly expressing myself. Every day I wake up with a childlike wonder and excitement of what I am going to discover today. The more I train, the more I realize how much I do not know. It is fascinating. When we move past fighting and look to create art, we unlock the creative process. I try to be an explorer, by remaining open to discovering something new. When I discover something new, I learn, this learning leads to growth, and this growth leads to creating a newer version of myself. The arts have given me so much, so I do not rely on motivation. I am passionate about potential, and I know if I focus on transforming myself, I can be a better father, husband, friend, student, and teacher. In the beginning martial arts was only about fighting. Now I see it is about empowering myself and others, it is about healing, it is about educating, and above all it is about serving. Service is the highest form of martial arts. Check out Harinder Singh’s instructional videos on Black Belt+ Download and subscribe directly from Black Belt Magazine at plus.blackbeltmag.com Or download in the App Store or Google Play.