PFL MENA Featherweight Champion Abdullah Al-Qahtani faces Islam Reda in the Main Event Featherweights and Lightweights face off in all-important Quarterfinal matches Fight card available here . The Professional Fighters League (PFL) has announced the full fight card for 2025 PFL MENA 1, the debut event for PFL MENA Season 2, which takes place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Friday, May 9, 2025. In the main event, 2024 PFL MENA Featherweight Champion Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani of Saudi Arabia will begin his campaign for a title defense when he faces Egyptian star Islam “The Egyptian Zombie” Reda  in a crucial Quarterfinals matchup in the Featherweight Division. A rematch almost seven years in the making, Al-Qahtani got the win in their first meeting back in 2018. Last season, Reda actually earned a spot in the Featherweight Finals, but withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Al-Qahtani. The card will also feature the PFL MENA league debuts of top Middle Eastern talents such as Salah Eddine Hamli  of Morocco, Izzeddine Al Derbani of Jordan, Yanis Ghemmouri of Algeria, and Hussein Salam  of Iraq. Also making their PFL MENA debuts in showcase bouts will be 2024 Saudi Games champion Abdulaziz Al Moamar  of Saudi Arabia and Youssef Alhosani , a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Champion and a highly-touted prospect out of the United Arab Emirates. See the full fight card for 2025 PFL MENA 1 below:   Featherweight Quarter-Final bout: Abdullah Al-Qahtani  (10-2) vs.  Islam Reda (12-1) Lightweight Quarter-Final bout: Mohsen Mohammadseifi (7-2) vs. Ahmed El Sisy  (6-1, 1 NC) Lightweight Quarter-Final bout: Salah Eddine Hamli  (8-0) vs. Abbas Khan  (8-3) Featherweight Quarter-Final bout: Izzedine Al Derbani (15-5) vs. Yanis Ghemmouri  (12-3) Flyweight Showcase bout: Malik Basahel  (0-0) vs. Mountasser Boutouta  (1-0) Featherweight Quarter-Final bout: Abdelrahman Alyhasat (5-0) vs. Taha Bendaoud  (4-0) Featherweight Quarter-Final bout: Hussein Salem (12-5) vs. Assem Ghanem  (6-0) Lightweight Quarter-Final bout: Georges Eid (10-5, 1 NC) vs. Mohammad Fahmi (4-0) Lightweight Showcase bout: Ahmed Makki  (1-3-1) vs. Hasham Elnamer  (3-0) Lightweight Quarter-Final bout: Abdullah Saleem  (5-0, 1 NC) vs. Souhil Tairi (7-6-1) Featherweight Showcase bout: Youssef Alhosani  (4-1) vs. Neder Jeffel (2-0) Amateur Catchweight 166lbs Showcase bout: Abdulaziz Bin Moammar (10-3 AM) vs. Fares Hamdani  (2-0 AM)   Tickets can be purchased at Webook .

The March 1994 cover of Black Belt Magazine featured Richard Norton alongside kickboxing champion Peter Cunningham, photographed by Doug Churchill. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

Former Bellator Champion Jason Jackson Faces Undefeated Thad Jean in Welterweight Semifinal Main Event Peru’s Jesus Pinedo Meets Brazil’s Gabriel Braga in Featherweight Semifinal Trilogy Bout Welterweights Logan Storley and Masayuki Kikuiri Will Also Face Off, While Movlid Khaybulaev meets South Korea’s Taekyun Kim at Featherweight Today, the Professional Fighters League announced the highly anticipated main card for the 2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals , which take place Thursday, June 12, at the historic Nashville Municipal Auditorium in Nashville. These high stakes, win-and-you’re-in semifinals bouts are the last stop on the way to the 2025 PFL World Tournament Finals. In the main event, former Bellator World Champion and fan-favorite Jason Jackson (18-5) faces undefeated rising star Thad Jean (9-0) in the Welterweight Semifinal. In the co-main event, 2023 PFL Featherweight Champion Jesus Pinedo (24-6) meets Gabriel Braga (16-2) in the rubber match of their highly anticipated trilogy bout that also serves as a 2025 World Tournament Featherweight Semifinal. Rounding out the main card, former Bellator Champion Logan Storley (17-3) will take on Japan’s Masayuki Kikuiri (11-2-1) in the second Welterweight Semifinal, while undefeated 2021 PFL Featherweight Champion Movlid Khaybulaev (22-0-1) of Russia meets South Korea’s Taekyun Kim (11-1). Tickets for 2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals in Nashville start at $35 and are available through Ticketmaster.com . The 2025 PFL World Tournament will air live on ESPN platforms in the U.S., Canada and across Europe, fans can catch the action live on DAZN, while globally, the tournament will be streamed in 190 countries through 20 premium media partners. The action continues this week with PFL’s First Round with a four-event residency at Universal Studios Florida on April 3, April 11, April 18, and May 1. One Shot. The annual single-elimination tournament will feature brackets at Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Bantamweight, and Women’s Flyweight. The PFL World Tournament spans an action packed five months. 64 of the best fighters from around the world will compete to win MMA’s toughest test - win three straight times in five months to become PFL Tournament Champion. The First Round fights and the Semifinal fights will be three, five-minute rounds while the Finals are five, five-minute rounds. All events and all fights now allow the use of elbows. The PFL World Tournament will payout over $20 million in total prize money, including a $500,000 bonus for every winner.   Upcoming 2025 PFL World Tournament Schedule: 2025 PFL World Tournament 2: First Round - April 11 - Universal Studios Florida, Stage 19 2025 PFL World Tournament 3: First Round - April 18 - Universal Studios Florida, Stage 19 2025 PFL World Tournament 4: First Round - May 1 - Universal Studios Florida, Stage 19 2025 PFL World Tournament 5: Semifinals - June 12 - Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville 2025 PFL World Tournament 6: Semifinals - June 20 - INTRUST Bank Arena, Wichita 2025 PFL World Tournament 7: Semifinals - June 27 - Wintrust Arena, Chicago 2025 PFL World Tournament 8: Finals - August 1 - Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ 2025 PFL World Tournament 9: Finals - August 15 - Bojangles Coliseum, Charlotte, NC 2025 PFL World Tournament 10: Finals - August 21 - Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hollywood, Florida

WHAT: 2025 PFL World Tournament 2: First Round - April 11, 2025 Media Day WHEN: April 9, 2025 - 11am ET / 8am PT WHO: Josh Rettinghouse (20-5) - Bantamweight First Round Main Event  Leandro Higo (23-6) - Bantamweight First Round Main Event Ekaterina Shakalova (8-2) - Women’s Flyweight First Round Bout  Juliana Velasquez (13-3) - Women’s Flyweight First Round Bout Jake Hadley (11-4) - Bantamweight First Round Bout  Liz Carmouche (22-8) - Women’s Flyweight First Round Bout WHERE: Virtually via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85164251744 ( Meeting ID: 851 6425 1744)   The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will kick off its 2025 World Tournament this April, showcasing eight weight classes—Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Middleweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, Bantamweight, and Women’s Flyweight—each featuring eight of the top MMA fighters in the world. Sixty-four competitors will vie for the prestigious title of PFL Tournament Champion by winning three consecutive matches over a five-month span, culminating with championship bouts in August. With over $20 million in total prize money, including a $500,000 bonus for every winner, the stakes have never been higher. Fans can follow the action live in 190 countries and on ESPN platforms in the U.S., where elbows will be fully permitted in all bouts. This “one shot” single-elimination format delivers the purest test in MMA, ensuring every fight matters on the path to crowning the next PFL champions.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced the PFL Europe Bantamweight fighters and bracket, with all four first round fights due to take place at PFL Europe Paris on 24 May at the Accor Arena. Tickets are available now at AccorArena.com . Paris will be the home of PFL Europe’s 2025 Bantamweight opening tournament fights, which will see the continent’s top athletes enter a bracket with one shot to win three bouts across the year to earn the coveted PFL Europe Championship and a cash prize of $100,000.The PFL Europe Bantamweight bracket is as follows: Mahio Campanella , France (7-1) vs. Matiss Zaharovs , Latvia (7-3) Carcassonne’s Mahio Campanella earned his PFL contract at the 2024 PFL Europe Championship event in Lyon last December after scoring a first round submission over Ezzoubair Bouarsa in a Doumbé Decides match-up where Cédric Doumbé handed out contracts to deserving French fighters. He will look to continue his momentum in Paris where he faces Latvia’s Matiss Zaharovs, by way of Ireland. Training out of the famed SBG institute in Dublin, Zaharovs’ seven wins in MMA have all come via finish, with five by KO/TKO and two by submission, and will be looking to pick up momentum following his second round rear naked choke victory at PFL Europe Glasgow last September.    Dean Garnett , England (12-3-1) vs. Alexander “Schlingel” Luster , Germany (9-2) Liverpool’s Dean Garnett showed the world his grit in his Fight of the Year contender last September against Lewis McGrillen, and whilst he fell short, he showed no lack of heart to pick himself up from the canvas and drop his opponent multiple times in an awe-inspiring showcase of British MMA. He will return to the SmartCage against Bonn’s Alexander Luster, who burst on the PFL Europe scene last year with two first round rear naked choke submissions in four months, before losing in the 2024 PFL Europe Bantamweight Championship fight against the winner, Lewis McGrillen.   Anas “The Rainmaker” Azizoun , France (5-1) vs. Gustavo “Heart” Oliveira , Portugal (10-2) Saint-Étienne’s Anas Azizoun is known for his explosive and dynamic striking ability, blending Muay Thai, kickboxing and karate. With a string of exciting finishes, he is fast becoming a rising star in European MMA. He will face a fellow PFL debutant in Lisbon’s Gustavo Oliveira, a prolific finisher with nine out of 10 victories coming by way of KO/TKO or submission. With his signature flair, and habit of taunting his opponents, the Portuguese fighter always makes for an entertaining fight.   Julien “Boyka” Lopez , France (7-4-1) vs. Jan Ciepłowski , Poland (8-0) Toulon’s Julien Lopez entered the PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament in 2024 on two days’ notice and won his PFL debut via a first round guillotine choke, showcasing his raw MMA abilities. He is back in 2025 fully prepared to prove he can go all the way and take the title to France. In his way stands Łódź’s undefeated Jan Ciepłowski, at 8-0. Cieplowski’s adaptability makes him an exciting fighter to watch as he seamlessly switches between fight styles. Jan is one of the top Bantamweight prospects in the world and will be one to watch in this tournament. In 2025, there will be two weight division tournaments represented in PFL Europe, Men’s Lightweight and Men’s Bantamweight, with the 155 lbs tournament due to take place at PFL Europe Belfast on 10 May.  PFL Europe Paris will feature a huge Lightweight bout between Paris’ Mansour “Tarzan” Barnaoui (22-6) and the undefeated Archie “King” Colgan (11-0) in a fight where a standout performance could lead to Lightweight Championship contention. The deep card will also feature PFL debutant Taylor “Double Impact” Lapilus (21-4), fresh off his 6-2 record in the UFC, who will go up against 2024 PFL MENA Bantamweight Champion Ali Taleb (12-1). Also featuring will be Belgian sensation Patrick “The Belgian Bomber” Habirora (6-0) against compatriot Nicolas Di Franco (10-4-1).PFL Europe Paris will be exclusively broadcast on DAZN in France, UK, and Ireland, and is  the home of MMA, boxing, European football, women’s football, and the NFL (excl. USA). DAZN is building the ultimate sports entertainment platform, based on premium sports rights, world-leading technology, and multi-platform distribution.Full bout listing can be found below: Updated PFL Europe Paris Card: The Accor Arena, Paris, FranceDAZN (France) | DAZN (UK & Ireland) Saturday, 24 May Lightweight Showcase Bout: Mansour Barnaoui (22-6) vs. Archie Colgan (11-0) Lightweight Showcase Bout: Patrick Habirora (6-0) vs. Nicolas Di Franco (10-4-1) Bantamweight Showcase Bout: Taylor Lapilus (21-4) vs. Ali Taleb (12-1) PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Mahio Campanella (7-1) vs. Matiss Zaharovs (7-3) PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Dean Garnett vs. Alexander Luster (9-2) PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Anas Azizoun (5-1) vs. Gustavo Oliveira (10-2) PFL Europe Bantamweight Tournament Bout: Julien Lopez (7-4-1) vs. Jan Ciepłowski (8-0)

Featured on the cover of Black Belt 's December 2005 issue, Christine Bannon-Rodrigues poses with grace and power. The Rhode Island native holds nine World Championships, including three consecutive W.A.K.O. World Titles. A 4th-degree black belt in both Oki-Ryu Kempo and Wushu, and a longtime member of Team Paul Mitchell, she is known for her sharp technique, dynamic stage presence, and competitive dominance. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

Featured on the cover of Black Belt's December 2008 issue, Cung Le . A Vietnamese-American mixed martial artist and kickboxer from San Jose, California, he made waves as the Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Known for his explosive striking and dynamic kicks, Le’s background in Sanshou (Chinese kickboxing) and traditional martial arts set him apart in MMA. His unorthodox style, featuring spinning back kicks, sidekicks, and powerful combinations, overwhelmed opponents, leading to victories over legends like Frank Shamrock and Rich Franklin. Beyond the cage, Le transitioned into acting, starring in martial arts films while continuing to inspire fighters with his fusion of traditional techniques and modern combat skills. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

In the martial arts, few individuals honestly can be said to have changed history. Among the handful who have, perhaps none generates a wider range of emotions than Rorion Gracie. Opinions about him vary. Some admire him, while others view him as the type of evil mastermind one typically sees in a Bond film. But no one can deny that he’s exerted as big an influence on the contemporary martial arts scene as anyone alive. Rorion Takes a Chance Rorion was the man who took a chance and came to America to spread the gospel of a then largely unknown fighting method called Gracie jiu-jitsu. Interestingly, some have claimed he came, in large part, just to escape the shadow of his older cousin Rolls Gracie. Considered the premier jiu-jitsu fighter of the 1970s, Rolls was raised in the same household as Rorion, training under Rorion’s father Helio Gracie. While his critics imply this led to a sense of rivalry and even jealousy, Rorion insisted nothing could be further from the truth. “Rolls was my idol,” he said. “He was like my older brother. Sure, there was some competition there, but I always respected him.” Rorion said that rather than leaving Brazil to escape Rolls’ shadow, it was Rolls who initially inspired him. “He came here to live with his mother in New York, and when he told me about it, when he described the sensation of taking off in an airplane, it was so exciting I said, ‘I have to experience that.’ Rolls encouraged me to come here.” An American Adventure Initially traveling to America in 1969, Rorion, then 17 years old, promptly lost all his money. What was supposed to be a brief vacation became a nearly yearlong adventure that found him flipping burgers at White Castle, attending Jimi Hendrix concerts, and even living on the beach in Hawaii. “I like the idea of unpredictability,” Rorion said. “I feel comfortable with not knowing what will happen a half-hour from now. I think I learned that early on in my life.” For a man so comfortable with the unpredictable, though, Rorion Gracie always seemed to have a clear and calculated path he looked to follow. He attended law school, not with the intention of practicing law but with an eye on enhancing his professional image for his return to America, where he planned to firmly establish Gracie jiu-jitsu. In that, he succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams — except his own. Rorion's son Rener Gracie knows from personal experience the kind of pressure his father must have felt being raised in a family of eminent fighters. Rorion's son Rener Gracie “Growing up for him was probably similar to what I experienced,” Rener said. “There’s a lot of self-imposed pressure. He grew up in this ultra-disciplined family where jiu-jitsu was almost a religion. But he came here on his own where there was no pressure to maintain the family business. It was just his own sink-or-swim attitude of doing it every day, teaching jiu-jitsu one day at a time, that made it work.” Employed as a house cleaner before eventually getting some extra work in films, Rorion began teaching out of his garage, offering one free lesson to everyone he met. All that time, he never doubted it would lead to much bigger things. “I told them all I was going to change the world,” Rorion said. “Not for one day did I doubt that. That’s because the system itself is so efficient. It's like a bubble—it’s going to come up to the surface eventually.” Rorion caught a break when a friendly assistant director got him hired as a technical adviser for the fight scenes in Lethal Weapon , which culminated with star Mel Gibson engaging in a memorable ground fight against bad guy Gary Busey. It was unlike anything previously seen in movies and garnered Rorion some notoriety. His idea to market Gracie in Action  videos, in which he assembled footage of no-holds-barred challenge matches sent to him by friends and family, was another brilliant stroke. In the martial arts landscape of the 1980s, where grappling typically took a back seat to striking and few ever thought about mixing the two, Gracie in Action  seemed to strike a chord with younger martial artists looking for more realism in their training. A hyperbolic article in Playboy  proclaiming Rorion “the toughest man in the United States” generated additional buzz. Soon, more than 100 students were coming to his garage to train, with a waiting list of almost 100 desperate to join. After bringing his brothers over to help him teach, by 1990 he determined that the time had come to open his first academy in Torrance, California. It was also around this time when he began brainstorming with promoter Art Davie for an event designed to showcase jiu-jitsu to a TV audience. Thus was born the Ultimate Fighting Championship. When younger brother Royce won the first UFC, the public profile of jiu-jitsu skyrocketed, setting off a chain reaction that led to the grappling boom and the rise of mixed martial arts as a major spectator sport. Not even someone as foresighted as Rorion Gracie could maintain control of things. As UFC matches began running too long for broadcasts, necessitating the imposition of time limits, Rorion decided to sell his share of the business. With the sport already in distress because of public outcry, no one could envision it becoming the multibillion-dollar industry it is today. But Rorion said he doesn’t regret getting out when he did. He believed time limits and the use of judges to decide the outcome of fights detracted from his original intent. “It was no longer a real fight,” he said. “It was entertainment. I understand from a business point of view why they have to do these things, but money was never the reason for my work.” Rorion said he no longer watches mixed martial arts, but he does note with a sense of satisfaction that almost all modern fighters employ jiu-jitsu as part of their arsenal. He said he also has little interest in what’s happening across most of the contemporary jiu-jitsu scene. While many now view the style of jiu-jitsu taught at his Torrance academy as outdated, he sees the type frequently taught elsewhere as too competition-oriented, geared more toward athletes rather than normal people interested in self-defense. “You can’t have jiu-jitsu that just relies on physical attributes,” he said. “My kind of jiu-jitsu is the kind you can do for your whole life.” Part of the negativity toward Rorion and his style of jiu-jitsu stems from his aggressive moves to control the Gracie brand. At one point, he trademarked the name, which alienated other family members. He also had a falling out with his own brothers, who eventually left his academy to start their own schools. “Everyone points at the other person and says it’s their fault,” Rener said. “I used to believe the problems were always my uncles’ fault, but as I get older, I see there are two sides to every story. Each one of them thinks they’re right and they’re the best. And they are. Rickson was the best fighter in the family, Royce is the best-known and my dad is the best entrepreneur. When you have a family of fighters and mix that with egos, it can be cause for a lot of disagreement. And growing up in that environment is tricky.” While Rener and his brothers now tend to most of the daily chores of running what’s become a worldwide operation of affiliated jiu-jitsu academies, complete with an online-learning program that’s generated controversy in its own right, Rorion in a sense has moved on to what he believes is even bigger. His new goal is to promote the Gracie Diet, which was developed by his uncle Carlos. Rorion said that although jiu-jitsu has touched millions of people around the world, he anticipates the Gracie Diet will eventually affect the whole planet. While it’s a rather grandiose plan, Rorion fully expects it to happen. “It’s going to change the world,” he said. “I’ve done it once. Why not twice?”

Wally Jay and the Evolution of Small-Circle Jujitsu Ask anyone to compile a list of the martial arts movers and shakers of the 20th century, and you’ll likely see Wally Jay’s name near the top. A three-time Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee — 1969 Jujitsu Instructor of the Year, 1990 Man of the Year and recipient of the 2011 Honorary Award — Jay founded small-circle jujitsu. After spending decades teaching and refining his system, he passed away in 2011 at age 93, no doubt secure in the knowledge that he’d groomed a successor who was fully capable of continuing his life’s work. That successor is his son Leon. Since he assumed the mantle of the small circle, Leon Jay has overseen the system’s development. In fact, he’s established an international reputation for being a martial arts technician and, more important, a teacher who can convey the superior mechanics for which the art is renowned. The 10 Key Principles of Small-Circle Jujitsu The essence of small circle’s techniques and mechanics is described by 10 key principles that Wally Jay formulated: Balance Mobility and stability Avoiding the head-on collision of forces Mental resistance and distraction Focusing to the smallest point possible Energy transfer Creating a base Sticking, control, and sensitivity Rotational momentum Transitional flow At any given moment, more than one of those principles will be applied, Wally always said, and during the execution of a combination, it’s likely all of them will be in play. Naturally, the development of small-circle jujitsu that’s taken place under Leon remains consistent with those principles. One field that’s captivated him is the refinement of techniques through the use of pressure points. Wally discovered the value of a number of points decades ago through trial and error, and Leon has committed himself to conducting a structured study of this discipline. This is precisely how Wally hoped his art would continue to evolve. The Small-Circle Philosophy “My father always emphasized that you should never be afraid to be open with what you have,” Leon says. “We were at a seminar one time, and Remy Presas was teaching. One of his young students came rushing in and said, ‘Professor Remy is stealing your techniques!’ “My father thought about it for a second, looked the student in the eye and then reassured him. ‘Yes, and I’m stealing all of his,’ he said. ‘We call it sharing.’ That’s the small-circle way: Always be ready to share what you have, and you’ll get back more than you give away.” In that spirit of sharing, Leon Jay and I present these three small-circle jujitsu defenses. We’d feel honored if you were to “steal” the moves and make them part of your self-defense arsenal. Triceps-Tendon Armbar The triceps-tendon armbar is a core technique of small-circle jujitsu, as is evidenced by the fact that several variations of it exist to suit different defensive scenarios. That makes it an ideal move to demonstrate how mechanical efficiency functions in the art. One variation of the triceps-tendon armbar happens to be the technique Wally Jay used to start almost every seminar he taught. It illustrates a fundamental mechanical principle of two-way action. Taking a volunteer from his seminar audience — usually a young, athletic-looking black belt — Wally would square off with him. Once each party had assumed a relaxed neutral stance, Wally would ask the volunteer to punch him with either hand. As soon as the young man had raised his arm a few inches, Wally would grasp the wrist with his matching hand (right for right, left for left) and rotate it outward. He’d place the palm of his other hand on the volunteer’s elbow and then form the hand into a fist. As he pulled and lifted with the wrist-holding hand with the intent of moving it toward his same-side hip, he’d drive the knuckles into the triceps tendon, rolling the elbow while pushing inward and downward. Wally dubbed this the “confrontation triceps-tendon armbar” because rather than applying it from a grab or other static starting point, it was designed to be a dynamic response to a punch. Leon demonstrates the technique in the accompanying photo sequence. To better understand the move, note that the short tendon running from the base of the triceps into the elbow is the location of a golgi tendon organ (GTO). Once activated, the GTO instructs the joint to disengage rather than continue to resist and risk a bone break. Activation of the GTO is akin to a fitness instructor at the end of an exercise telling the class, “And relax…” This small-circle technique illustrates two-way action. Leon pulls and lifts the wrist while pressing and pushing at the elbow. Practitioners of Wally Jay’s art regard this as superior to merely securing the wrist and applying leverage at the elbow. The use of the GTO is also significant. Wally was always searching for the most efficient way to overcome resistance, and he found that various GTOs and other pressure points could be incorporated into the system to make it more efficient. Not surprisingly, Leon is continuing that tradition. Outward Wrist Twist This technique can be found in aikido, aikijujutsu, hapkido, shorinji kempo, and almost any grappling system that includes wrist manipulations and throws. I’ve studied several of these arts and still find the small-circle version unique. In part, that’s because it can be implemented in a basic way using two hands, yet the mechanics are so effective that single-handed application, with either a matched (“cross-body” in small-circle parlance) or unmatched grip, is both practical and powerful. Once again, two-way action is implemented. Specifically, the thumb (or thumbs) pushes and presses while the fingers lift and pull. The technique also illustrates the importance of multiple mechanical principles being applied simultaneously. Two-way action is combined with “focusing to the smallest point” and disruption of the opponent’s balance. You might think this is normal — after all, the use of kuzushi, or off-balancing, is common in judo and jujitsu — but in the small-circle implementation, the wrist is bent not simply to the outside of the elbow and shoulder line. That manner of execution would result in the opponent being thrown away from the martial artist. Instead, small-circle practitioners prefer to bend the wrist in a tightening circle, first outward and over and then inward (toward the thrower’s center) and down. The resulting forces deposit the attacker at your feet within easy reach of numerous follow-up techniques. In actuality, the expression “tightening circle” is not entirely accurate. The path is more of a spiral that shrinks. An easy way to visualize it is to imagine the wrist lock as taking place inside a funnel. To follow the technique through to its logical conclusion, you must continue to apply force to the point of the funnel. Finger-Lock Control From the earliest days of his art's existence, Wally Jay sought to expand its arsenal of finger locks, and now Leon Jay is seeking to do the same. I’ve encountered martial artists from differing backgrounds who protest that small circle's finger locks aren't unique, and there's some validity to their complaint. However, unique properties are involved, and they're emblematic of the system precisely because they express the mechanical efficiency of the style so well. A trademark of small-circle jujitsu is the control of an aggressor through the manipulation of a single finger. It works on a psychological level, as well as on anatomical and physiological levels. Interestingly, small-circle stylists usually begin by learning to manipulate two fingers at a time because this reduces the range of articulation of the captured fingers, resulting in less to control in terms of reducing the potential for escape. The art teaches by encouraging a question that builds on that base: If the manipulation of a small joint can confer control over the whole person, what can the defender achieve by counterattacking larger targets and exploiting bigger vulnerabilities? It quickly becomes clear that for both self-defense and arrest purposes, tiny amounts of physical force can have exponential effects. Earlier, I said finger locks are emblematic of small-circle jujitsu, and that’s for two reasons. Externally, they are because of their visual and visceral impact. Internally, it’s because they bring together so many mechanical principles. They begin with two-way action, continue along an ever-tightening parabolic path, and then focus to the smallest possible point. If I were to describe the essence of grappling (with the possible exception of chokes), it would be as a simple process that does two things: takes the slack out of the joint and compromises the opponent's balance. By this definition, small circle in general and finger locks in particular are the epitome of effectiveness. Just as a wrist lock efficiently takes the play out of the wrist, which then isolates and limits any possible articulation of the elbow and shoulder, a technique that starts with the fingers—assuming the requisite skill and sensitivity are there—is an even more powerful statement of skill and control. Because such techniques are highly controllable, they're particularly useful for law-enforcement and military personnel, who must pay close attention to the issue of reasonable force vs. excessive force. The logic: If the worst should take place—that is, the aggressor refuses to stop struggling—the most serious consequence is likely to be a broken finger. In the execution of a finger lock, the practitioner’s control over the maneuverability of the opponent is enhanced as tiny changes of direction and angle create large and very immediate effects. Anyone who’s endured the small-circle “dance of pain” at the hands of either Wally or Leon Jay will attest to this. It's an illustration of the principle of transitional flow, which allows the user to vary the source and direction of the pain to prevent the assailant from adapting and resisting. Strategic Approach “If there is such a clearly definable thing as a typical small-circle stylist, I would say we would prefer to operate as a counterfighter, allowing our opponent to commit and then punishing him for it,” Leon Jay says. “We train for that by teaching students a referencing system to resistance. No matter how tight or how painful a locking technique is, the opponent will habituate to the discomfort and then the resistance is coming! We circumvent this by maintaining each lock for only a few seconds before moving to another, which is why transitional flow was such an important concept to my father. “Taking an opponent through several locks in sequence with no opportunities to escape is demoralizing. We’ll usually finish with a throw—the ground is another weapon, after all—then we either walk away or pin the opponent.” It’s clear that Leon Jay is guiding small-circle jujitsu further along the strategic course his father envisioned. At the same time, he's laboring to take that message to the world—in several forms. “Over the past few years, I've been trying to bring small-circle judo back to the prominence it once held,” Leon says. “Personally, I can't perform the art to showcase it adequately due to old injuries from an automobile accident, but two of the really great judoka my father trained—David Quinonez and Brad Burgo—are still doing it and refining it continually. They've started to teach at our camps, which is wonderful because small-circle jujitsu wouldn’t exist without small-circle judo. "Judo was my father’s proving ground for jujitsu; it’s where he developed and pressure-tested many of his principles and technical improvements. I don’t think we can go forward without bringing that part of the art back into its rightful place at the core of the system alongside finger locks and the like. It's our roots, and you should always appreciate where you come from.”

The May 1975 cover of Karate Illustrated featured Parker Shelton , a leading competitor in judo and karate during the 1970s. Ranked as the nation’s No. 1 karate fighter from 1972 to 1974, he competed internationally in Europe, Japan, and Korea. Over the years, Shelton trained thousands of students and, after retiring in 1978, continued to teach martial arts worldwide. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

“You can’t define someone else’s success—choose your own path in martial arts and life” –Stephan Kesting In this episode of The Black Belt Podcast, host Harinder Singh sits down with Stephan Kesting—a Canadian martial artist, educator, and author renowned for his contributions to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and other martial arts. Holding a fourth-degree black belt in BJJ, he has dedicated over 40 years to martial arts training, including disciplines such as Combat Submission Wrestling, Kajukenbo Karate, and various forms of Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts. His extensive background also encompasses studies in Judo, Sambo, Kung Fu, Capoeira, and Muay Thai. Stephan is the founder of GrappleArts.com and brings a broad perspective on martial arts effectiveness across different contexts—from sport to street to survival. In addition to being a world-class instructor, Stephan has a background in outdoor survival training, having completed an unassisted 42-day solo canoe trip covering 1,000 miles through seven river and lake systems, without seeing another human for 21 days. Whether you’re a competitor, coach, traditional martial artist, or someone seeking a warrior’s mindset, this episode will give you deep insights into mastering yourself through the martial path. Get ready for a powerful conversation that challenges conventional thinking, bridges sport, tradition, and reality-based training, and shows you how to apply martial arts to every aspect of your life. Click the link below to listen now on your favorite platform: Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3t227s4 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3KvsIDy Google Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3Kxcg5D Main Directory: https://theblackbeltpodcast.buzzsprout.com/

STARZPLAY to Air All PFL Programming Across Its Extensive Network in the Middle East and North Africa network, Including UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt PFL Action Kicks Off on STARZPLAY April 3 With the PFL World Tournament Main Event of the PFL MENA Season 2 Quarterfinals on May 9 in Jeddah Set with Featherweight Bout Pitting Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Qahtani Against Egypt's Islam Reda The Professional Fighters League (PFL) today announced a multi-year partnership with STARZPLAY, the leading subscription video-on-demand service in the Middle East and North Africa region. This will bring PFL’s full suite of premier MMA franchises to fight fans in the regions, including the PFL World Tournament, Champions Series, PFL Europe, PFL MENA and PFL Africa. All PFL content beginning with the 2025 PFL World Tournament launch on April 3 will be available on STARZPLAY application on multiple screens, mobile and TV apps. Fans in the MENA region will be able to watch their very own league for free in 2025 via STARZPLAY, with the main event of PFL MENA Season 2 Quarterfinals on May 9 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia being confirmed with a Featherweight fight between Saudi Arabia's Abdullah Al-Qahtani  (10-2) and Egypt's Islam Reda  (12-1). This partnership between STARZPLAY and PFL reinforces PFL's commitment to delivering world-class mixed martial arts to audiences across the Middle East and North Africa, with STARZPLAY uniquely positioned to bring this thrilling content to fans throughout the region. “We are very excited to partner with STARZPLAY, the leading streaming platform in the MENA region, to bring world-class MMA action to millions of passionate fight fans. This multi-year partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to expand the PFL’s global footprint and deliver premium combat sports content to audiences worldwide,” said Pete Murray, CEO of PFL . “The Middle East is a key market for the PFL and now, fight fans across the region can watch and support their favorite MENA fighters in all PFL events, including the electrifying kickoff of PFL MENA Season 2 in Jeddah this May 9.” Danny Bates, COO and co-founder of STARZPLAY , said: "Our partnership with the Professional Fighters League further strengthens our sports content portfolio, bringing the excitement of world-class MMA to STARZPLAY. With more people seeking diverse sports offerings today, this collaboration allows us to deliver premium MMA content to our subscribers across the MENA region, connecting them with the best in regional and international MMA talent. Now, our subscribers can experience all the thrilling action of PFL on STARZPLAY."