Who knows the legacy of James Mitose? The November 1992 cover of Black Belt Magazine featured Thomas Mitose , son of the legendary James Mitose—the Japanese American martial artist who introduced Kenpo to the United States in 1936. In this issue, Thomas shares untold stories from his family's remarkable legacy. Photography by Doug Churchill. Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

Part 1 of this article examines whether the Olympic Games have been good for judo and taekwondo. For input, we interrogated fire experts, prompting them with questions and hoping they'd offer opinions on other topics that are of concern to them and practitioners of their art. ART:  JUDO ADDED TO THE OLYMPICS:  1964 EXPERT:  Gary Goltz Former president of the U.S. Judo Association Current board member of the Hal Sharp Judo Teachers Foundation QUESTION: Is pre-1964 judo different from post-1964 judo?   Actually, a lot has changed since then. This started after World War II, when judo’s focus became much more on the sport aspect rather than the martial arts aspect. It had a lot to do with the occupation of Japan and Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s ban on the practice of all martial arts. The Kodokan set out to impress the American officers by showing that judo was a sport and a peaceful activity. When the Olympics came to Japan in 1964, they introduced it as an exhibition event. Back then, there were no weight divisions and no females. The only scores were the wazari (half point) and the ippon (full point). Matches lasted up to 20 minutes. QUESTION: Did the imposition of rules for the Olympics change judo from a martial art to a martial sport?   Olympic judo today is more driven by rules than ever before. Wrestling-type moves such as kata guruma (shoulder wheel) and morote gari (two-hand leg reap) are now illegal. This was to force players to use more standing techniques such as uchimata (inner-thigh throw), harai gosh (hip sweep), seionage (shoulder throw) and ashi waza (foot techniques). The goal was to look good on TV and differentiate judo from wrestling. QUESTION: Has Olympic inclusion boosted the popularity of judo overall?   Judo’s popularity soared in most countries with the exception of the U.S. This was due to the national judo organizations’ insistence on maintaining their members’ amateur status to meet Olympic requirements at the time. Here, other martial arts — karate in the 1960s, kung fu in the ’70s, and then Brazilian jiu-jitsu and krav maga now — flourished in part because of the entertainment industry and successful commercialization methods. QUESTION: Does being an Olympic sport help judo create stars?   Absolutely. There are many such examples in Japan, Korea, France, Brazil, Holland, England and even Cuba. The best example in the U.S. is Ronda Rousey, who took a bronze medal in Beijing and then left the sport to become the biggest female star of the UFC. Kayla Harrison, on the other hand, is the only American Olympic judo athlete to take a gold but is far less well-known because she’s chosen to stay focused on judo and enter the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. This illustrates the dilemma faced by those who devote themselves to becoming Olympic champions. They may find that they have limited career options upon retirement. QUESTION: Did judo lose anything when one portion of it — competition — was added to the Olympics while other parts such as kata were not?  When judo became an official Olympic event, competition became the priority. Kata have been made much more consistent over the last five years by the International Judo Federation, perhaps in an effort to eventually make it part of judo in the Olympics, too. EXPERT:  Hayward Nishioka 1967 Pan-American Games gold medalist Black Belt’s 1968 Judo Player of the Year Black Belt's 1977 Judo Instructor of the Year QUESTION: How has judo changed since it was added to the Games?   Judo today is stronger, faster and tactically different due to the influence of the Olympics. The Olympic motto of Altius, Citius, Fortius  (Higher, Faster, Stronger) seems to hold true for Olympic sport judo. One need only look at YouTube submissions to compare the old with the new. Where once weight, height, strength, cardio fitness, nutrition and specialized tactics took a back seat to waza , or techniques, they are now integral pieces of a total package. If you’re missing any one part of the equation, you’re at a distinct disadvantage. Now, all your bullets had better be hyper-packed with powder or you’re in trouble because everyone else comes fully loaded for war. While the quest for excellence is an admirable goal and everyone wants to be a gold medalist, this was not the sole direction that Pierre de Coubertin or Jigoro Kano had intended for sports or for judo. Both were physical educators and came from wealthy families. De Coubertin knew the positive benefits of sport and wanted to use it to promote world peace. Kano believed that the practice of judo would develop better citizens. Unfortunately for them, the Olympic Games and judo have taken on a life of their own and gone in a different direction. QUESTION: Did Olympic officials intentionally alter judo?   The intent at the upper level of the International Olympic Committee is the thought that bigger is better. This is not to say that their higher goals have been displaced by the desire to make money. They have not, but it sure helps when funds are plentiful rather than sparse. The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where millions were made, served as a model for running the Games. That’s when we saw professional marketing, increased sponsorships and increased costs to secure TV rights. Events had to change to meet the demands of TV sponsors who wanted more bang for their buck. They called for more action, more excitement and less downtime.  In an effort to adapt, judo changed its rules to make the game faster and more exciting — for example, encouraging an attack every 20 to 25 seconds, requiring the right size judogi  to allow for attacks to be done and eliminating some excessive bowing practices. So, yes, the Olympics forever changed the face of judo. It is no longer a martial art steeped in tradition and culture, which was valued by those searching for esoteric Asian answers. It’s now an Olympic sport driven by scientific training formulas for becoming a champion. QUESTION: Did the Olympics make judo more popular?   Judo people once said, “If judo is included in the Olympics, it will help make it popular.” It’s now in the Olympics, but judo is still not popular in the United States. Later, people said, “If we have Olympic medalists, that will make a difference.” We’ve had several, but it hasn’t made a difference here. Records indicate that there actually has been a per capita decline. For example, the U.S. Judo Federation has had a membership of 10,000 for the past 10 years. The second-largest organization is the U.S. Judo Association with 7,000 members. The smallest is the national governing body known as USA Judo, which has a membership of 5,000. In a country where the population has gone from 290 million to 330 million in the past decade, judo has not grown. Contrast those numbers with France, which now has a population of 68 million and a judo membership of 600,000. QUESTION: How else is judo in France different from judo here?   In France, judo is a household word. The country is home to many of the finest judoka  in the world. Its current champion Teddy Riner is without rival. He just won the World Championship for the eighth consecutive time. No one even comes close historically or in the present. So although Olympic judo can create stars, unfortunately it does not in our country. Nevertheless, the Games are a place where the ideals of developing a great citizen and a responsible person still prevail in spirit. ART: TAEKWONDO   ADDED TO THE OLYMPICS:  1988 EXPERT:  Hee-Il Cho Ninth dan, taekwondo instructor Black Belt’s 1989 Co-Instructor of the Year Black Belt's 2012 Man of the Year QUESTION: Have the Olympics altered the way taekwondo is taught?   Many schools have changed because taekwondo is in the Olympics. However, many schools have stayed on the traditional teaching path. It often depends on the instructor’s age and point of view. Younger instructors may have had exposure only to the World Taekwondo Federation, which means there’s a new generation of WTF instructors and students who are more geared to the Olympic-sport style of taekwondo.  At my school, we prefer to teach a combination of both styles. We do not gear our program specifically to the Olympics. Instead, we use a teaching style designed to give maximum benefit to the students. QUESTION: Has taekwondo changed from a martial art to a martial sport since 1988?   In many ways, taekwondo has changed into an Olympic competition. Many technical advantages have evolved because of the competitive nature of practitioners around the world. Every country wishes to win a gold medal, and therefore many techniques have come about which are specifically geared to Olympic rules. These techniques, however, may not be the most effective for self-defense. For instance, because of Olympic rules, hand techniques in taekwondo have diminished while high kicks have flourished. QUESTION: Have the Olympics helped or hurt taekwondo overall?   The sport of taekwondo has grown immensely in popularity since Olympic recognition. Countries that were never exposed to it now are aware of it. Taekwondo is recognized throughout the world. There have been many positive effects, but there are also some traditional aspects and values that have changed. For many people, the goal of training is different now. In the traditional martial arts, the aim is to perfect one’s character. In sport, the aim is to become a champion. The method and the path are not necessarily emphasized because the primary focus is on the quest for victory, which sometimes is sought at any cost. This is where drugs and cheating can come into play. In sport, the goal of winning can overwhelm any moral values that are part of traditional taekwondo such as those reflected in the five tenets. QUESTION: Does the possibility of winning an Olympic medal in taekwondo result in more children enrolling?   It might help generate interest among children because they’re able to watch talented participants in the Olympics. In the USA, however, there’s not much fame or recognition because of minimal coverage of taekwondo competition by the media. One Hollywood movie like The Karate Kid  generates far more interest in taekwondo than sport competitions do. QUESTION: For children, is it better to learn traditional taekwondo or sport taekwondo?   Traditional taekwondo instills character-building traits like discipline, respect and focus. The child respects the master. In sport taekwondo, often the title of “master” is replaced with “coach.” This can reflect the absence of respect and discipline.  Sport taekwondo is highly competitive, and there’s only one first-place winner, one gold medalist. Second place is barely even recognized. Because of that, the sport aspect of taekwondo appeals to children with exceptional natural talents. In contrast, traditional taekwondo offers success and accomplishments for all levels of skill and natural talent. EXPERT:  G.K. Lee Chief master of the American Taekwondo Association Black Belt’s 2014 Instructor of the Year QUESTION: Does the ATA teach primarily taekwondo for aspiring Olympians or for people who want to become proficient at self-defense?  Our main focus is traditional taekwondo — mental and physical self-defense. The ATA does not currently train members specifically for the Olympics, but we do not prohibit it. The ATA could easily adopt an Olympic-coaching system in the future. Since 1996, we have integrated Olympic-style training into our curriculum. We have employed Olympic coaches and provided Olympic-style seminars and Olympic training camps for our instructors and students. QUESTION: Has taekwondo changed since it was added to the Olympic Games in Seoul? Has it become a sport rather than a martial art?  For some, maybe. But the majority of classes are still being taught by first-generation martial artists who want to keep it traditional. At the ATA, we make certain that taekwondo is a traditional martial art that people can enjoy and practice through old age. Taekwondo hasn’t really become more popular here as a result of the Olympics. Maybe it has in small countries, where they have government support, but not in the United States. Traditional martial arts are not generally supported by governments. QUESTION: Does taekwondo’s inclusion in the Olympics make the art appeal more to the next generation of students?  Of course. And the ATA would like to develop a world champion or an Olympic medalist. However, we prefer to teach our young competitors that while taekwondo is a set of martial arts skills and life skills that can take them to the Olympics, it’s an art that they can practice long after their competition years are over. EXPERT:  Herb Perez 1992 Olympic gold medalist Black Belt’s 1992 Male Co-Competitor of the Year QUESTION: What’s your stance on the pre-1988 vs. post-1988 question?  Taekwondo has been bifurcated into disparate arts with differing expectations, goals, and outcomes. The height of taekwondo as a sport was 1988, maybe with a second crest in 1992. The greatest increases in the skill sets were seen during the years leading up to Seoul and Barcelona — the best players our sport has seen were developed under the rules and objectives used in those Olympic Games.  They were creative players known for their power, speed, and ability to transcend the technical parameters of the game. Techniques were rewarded based on power. They were not rewarded if they were not executed properly and with trembling shock. As a result, athletes had to commit in order to score, and they did so knowing they might be knocked out. However, the referees were unable to keep up with the athletes, and there was a fundamental disconnect between the game underway and the results shown on the scoreboard. Spectators and the Olympic hierarchy became disenchanted with the sport and the ability of its referees to conduct fair matches. As a result, electronic scoring was implemented — prematurely. The early versions of the electronic-scoring system were worse than the referees they replaced. The situation was exacerbated by rules that disallowed the correction of false positives. I was chairman of the Education Committee and vice chairman of the Technical Committee, which wrestled with these issues. Dr. Steven Capener and I created a multitier point system that rewarded different techniques with different points. However, it was based on well-executed techniques and power. The intent was to create a merit-based scoring system that depended on technical and power superiority. This has been bastardized, resulting in basically a watered-down version of a bad point-karate event. In fact, I believe that a decent point-karate open-circuit fighter with a little training could win an Olympic medal in one year. QUESTION: Technically, what effect have the Olympics had on taekwondo?  There are three versions of taekwondo these days. One is traditional taekwondo, which focuses on fighting and training as they were done before 1992. Another is traditional taekwondo as a martial art, which is taught by most instructors who are not in the Olympic pipeline. The third is the “electronic-scoring taekwondo.” The shame for the art is that kicking is a superior method for achieving one’s objectives in a fight. The shame for the sport is that kicking is a great base on which to build a competition format. Because of “electronic-scoring taekwondo,” however, fewer people are focusing on developing power and properly executing techniques. QUESTION: With taekwondo going in three directions, how should instructors lead their students?   I own and operate four dojang with more than 1,800 members. We teach life-skills development through taekwondo. We believe this is the most important benefit of training. Last year, one of my students was accepted to Stanford University — that is my measure of success.

Frank E. Sanchez has been around the block. As a youth in Guam, the U.S. territory in which he was born, he frequently had to call on his martial arts skills to deal with local ruffians.  “When I was young, nothing pleased me more than a good brawl,” he wrote in Black Belt . “More often than not, it was at close quarters with someone who used only his hands — kicking was considered sissy stuff at the time because the Asian arts weren’t widely known. It was relatively easy to overpower such an adversary using hand and foot techniques.”  Sanchez's growing proficiency gained him a reputation as a formidable fighter. He wasn’t always scrapping, however. Often, he could be found singing. Using the stage name Frankie Sanchez — get it? — he recorded a number of regional tunes, including Do You Remember Guam  and Guam, Beautiful Island . Both songs are listed in Guampedia, an online resource that also mentions Sanchez as one of the island’s best-known people. In 1971, Sanchez pooled all his knowledge and experience and created a hardcore self-defense system that he dubbed san-jitsu . Composed of strikes, gouges, bone-breaking techniques, takedowns, and weapons skills, it's defined in San-Jitsu: The New Devastating Fighting Art of the Marianas , a book Sanchez wrote in 1976. The same year, his growing celebrity compelled Guam’s governor Ricardo J. Bordallo to make him an honorary ambassador-at-large for the island. Since the style’s unveiling, it’s been featured in Black Belt  on numerous occasions. “San-jitsu is a compilation of the arts I studied, namely danzan-ryu jujitsu, judo, American karate, and jing jow pai kung fu,” said Sanchez, now 67. To that martial arts amalgam, he added boxing, which he learned from his father Francisco C. Sanchez, a pugilist with the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Trouble Brews   If you’re thinking Sanchez was on a fast track to martial arts success, think again. Back in those days, people who created their own fighting system often got a lot of guff from the establishment. “I had no problems in Guam as I was a public figure at the time,” Sanchez said. “I mixed with a rough crowd, and my uncles were all politicians. But with a good reputation for fighting and with the political backing of my uncles, I guess I was in the middle of a perfect storm.”  In 1981, that storm went from Category nothing to Category 3 when Sanchez and his family relocated to Jacksonville, Florida, and set up a dojo. In short order, he started receiving challenges from people who were looking for a chance to make a name for themselves by demonstrating the superiority of their art. In most cases, once those thugs discovered that their intended prey was an experienced street fighter who wasn’t about to be bullied, the challenges faded away. That was only the beginning, however. Stronger winds began blowing when Sanchez founded the World Head of Family Sokeship Council in 1992. Situation Worsens Sanchez got his feet wet in the can’t-we-all-just-get-along world of multi-style organizations when he founded the American Martial Arts Association in 1991. In response to its rapid expansion, he renamed it the American Martial Arts Alliance. When it went international, Sanchez knew it was time to pull the plug on the name and think global. Which is when his detractors resurfaced.  “It was a natural step from there to start an organization of founders, inheritors, and grandmasters, which I did with the World Head of Family Sokeship Council,” Sanchez said. “But there was major pushback from a group of martial artists from New York and New Jersey at the beginning of the council’s existence. Apparently, they felt that someone from Guam shouldn’t be running a U.S.-based grandmasters organization. It was a little misguided since Guam is actually a U.S. territory.”  During those turbulent times, Sanchez regularly received phone calls and faxes urging him to “go home and pick coconuts,” he said. “Or they would say, ‘Bury yourself deep so that the stink doesn’t rise to the surface,’ and ‘Stay on your throne in Florida and never come to our area — for your own good!’ This alarmed my wife, but it made me even more determined to build my organization.”  The last straw came in the form of a fax that urged him to attend a tournament in New Jersey, where Sanchez assumed his adversaries would be waiting. Never one to shy away from a challenge, Sanchez packed his bags and went. “I waited all day long in an empty part of the bleachers to entice my antagonists to approach me,” he said. “Nothing happened while I was at the tournament, but I did see some tough guys who were probably those who had been threatening me — they were leaving early. I left New Jersey, satisfied that I had faced down my enemies.” Traditionalists Capitulate   Even though some practitioners of orthodox arts disapproved of the WHFSC — after all, it offered recognition to the movers and shakers of styles they regarded as competitors — Sanchez wasn’t about to be deterred. He knew getting martial artists accustomed to using the word soke , especially when referring to others, would be an uphill battle. But he also knew that some big names in the traditional arts were coming on board.  “It took people a while to get over our using ‘soke,’ but it’s simply a Japanese word that means ‘head of something,’” Sanchez said. “There’s nothing nationalistic about a word like that, whether it’s Japanese, American or Swedish.”  Certainly, the WHFSC includes members who are Japanese, practice Japanese arts, and thus fit into the Japanese soke  category. They include Masaaki Hatsumi, Seiyu Oyata, Keido Yamaue, and Masatoshi Oshiro. However, it also encompasses luminaries from non-Japanese arts who wouldn’t otherwise use the title — but who aren’t afraid of it, either.  One of my earliest recollections of Sanchez’s pet project of martial arts brotherhood involves my teacher George Owens, and it encapsulates the way our culture has evolved. In the early 1990s, Owens announced he was planning to attend a “big event down in Florida organized by a guy named Frank Sanchez.” The next time I visited my sensei, I found a plaque bearing the WHFSC logo on the wall. Owens still talks about how he supports its mission, and he isn’t spewing empty praise: The rank certificate he gave me after my next promotion bore a big WHFSC seal. Lessons Spread   Sanchez gained such fame — and notoriety — for standing up to his enemies that he was commissioned to create an article about his experiences for Black Belt . Ironically, it was in rebuttal to a story I wrote titled “The Dangers of Creating Your Own Martial Art,” which ran in the September 1995 issue.  “I did an article for Black Belt  titled ‘What’s Wrong With a Martial Artist Creating His Own System? In Defense of Eclectic Martial Arts’ that appeared in the November 1996 issue,” Sanchez said. “It mentioned Wally Jay, Remy Presas, and Bill Wallace — all members of the WHFSC, by the way — as examples of people who started their own arts. The words I used at the end of the piece went something like this: ‘In reality, the current trend toward eclectic arts is only a repeat of history, when the so-called traditional arts were the eclectic systems of their day, just as today’s eclectic styles are the traditional systems of tomorrow.’” Many would agree that Sanchez’s piece, along with his long history in the arts, helped open the door for other accomplished masters who would choose the path of soke . The ongoing mission of the WHFSC is to recognize legitimate martial arts that, although they may not be hundreds of years old, are showing signs that they, too, will withstand the test of time, Sanchez said. “We’re talking about founders who are older, have a significant student count and teach an art that’s been in existence for a number of years. It’s not about youngsters who form a system in their room after zero years in the arts and have no students.”  Through the WHFSC, Sanchez provides an apolitical support system for the martial arts. “It also offers a way to network and share knowledge,” he said. “It highlights the personal accomplishments of each individual. We have an annual meeting that encompasses seminars from our members and an awards function.”  No matter what his detractors say, Sanchez is doing good work in our world. The World Head of Family Sokeship Council’s current tally of 293 members, many of whom are spread around the world, reads like a who’s who of the martial arts. And the fact that it’s growing says a lot about how the community has come to view Frank Sanchez and his mission.

Remember this powerhouse? The October 1975 cover of Karate Illustrated  spotlighted a rising star—Ray Sua. Then an up-and-coming champion, Sua would go on to dominate the circuit as the Grand Champion of the Golden West Karate Championships, Heavyweight Champion of the Four Seasons Nationals, and 1st place winner at Steve Fisher’s Karate Championship. Later, he made the leap to Hollywood, landing roles in action-packed hits like Escape from L.A. , The Glimmer Man , and The Perfect Weapon . Learn more about this cover and the entire magazine preserved in digital format: https://www.blackbeltmag.com

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?”